Take your old T-shirts about to become floor rags and sleep in them for a few days until they become more than just a little funky. Now tear that shirt into large pieces and use one or two pieces to line the breeding box and your smell will not be foreign to the nursing doe or the kits. I have used this method for a number of orphaned animals to be raised by hand as well as injured wild animals that have to be kept in captivity until they recovered. Smell is important to animals and it is a case of, "Hey, I know that dude since my bed smells like him."
Sore hocks, pododermatitis.....such an interesting subject. In my 20 years, I've actually found that long nails and flat floors cause sore hocks. If a rabbit is walking in a flat hard floor, their nails can't sink in like they would in dirt, which changes the gait and puts stress on the back of the foot. Long nails do the same, even in cages. And lastly, some rabbits have a longer spine and it can effect their gait as well, making them carry more weight behind the high point and stressing the hock. That is what caused sore hocks. House rabbits are very prone when they walk on hard floors, wire floors actually allow the front of the foot and nails to sink below the wire and promote a natural gait. Dirty conditions certainly don't help pododermatitis either. But yeah, just watch a rabbits back feet when they walk on dirt, they are on their toes, and the toes dig in to promote grip.... anything that disturbs that gait or lifts the front of the foot causes pododermatitis. Some breed are more likely to get pododermatitis like rex, because the hair on their feet is short and separates down to the skin easily, Angoras as well funny enough but mainly if you shave the feet.
We actually purchased our breeding stock from you. 3 years later still going strong! We actually move our rabbits to a play pen to breed; we let the buck hang out first and then the doe. Works like a charm.
“Having such a good time she’s willing to make bad decisions” that gave me a good laugh! I also like using a run for the buck and doe to hangout in for breeding. I made a fully caged(bottom included) 8’x12’x4’high run for them to hangout in and breed :)
Having trouble selling rabbits? Place an add using Craigslist, Facebook and Hoobly -give your callers a pick up date. 1week after weaning. Good luck I hope you find your Rabbitry balance.
@@TheRabbitryCenter never said anything about selling them lol just getting into them. now i understand that selling will upset cost or even pour over into profit but still not what was mentioned. either way you responded with concern and good advice for your agenda. and thats admirable. i personally think you have one of the best rabbit channels on youtube. so rest assured my comment was in good humor and nothing else lol
I bought 2 english angora rabbits that cost me $250 and they're cheap. Then I got a Lionhead rabbit. I mean all of them are pet rabbits. The total I spent with them including😮 the set up in the house is over $1000 dollars. Now, I have to spend over $500 dollars each to neuter the 2 males. To spay the female is over $700. Those pet rabbits are not cheap like I was thinking it would be.😂
We've had lots of "problems" with our does lifting for the first time and your advice had been spot on for helping us get them bred! Even your advice on our "mean" doe was perfect and she is the picture of docility now, LOL. Thank you SO much for this channel and the time you've put into it so we can learn!!
This is one of the best channel i saw that has the best content about rabbits.😍 i've been applying your strategies in my small rabbitry too. You're superb😍 keep inspiring people. Godbless --Lienzie from Philippines
In my family, everyone will eat rabbit meat, but most will not help in the harvesting "murdering" them. A lot of people in this country will go hungry when the SHTF. The old ways of living are lost on them.
And why must the shtf? I swear some, no, too many of y’all seem to seriously wish and hope for some bad shit to happen. Maybe even nudge things in that direction nowadays. Sad sad people.
When I was starting, I was told not to touch the kits but I've had does kindle out of the nest box so I had to touch the kits. That's how I realized that #1 was a myth. People come up with some weird ideas sometimes.
I can't help but laugh at folks telling me that rabbit meat has no nutrition. I ask them why would you think that? They said that all they eat is grass. Lmao. When was the last time you saw a cow eat a steak?? Really folks. Think before your mouth opens. Otherwise you tell everyone that you are brain dead!! Lmao
The irony is that rabbit meat is among the most healthy you can eat, surpassing even venison. If you have health problems (i.e. cardiac patient, low sodium or fat diet), upset stomach, etc rabbit meat is particularly great.
The only issue with rabbit meat, so I've heard, is that if someone eats too much they run the risk of developing some kind of protein issue. Don't remember what it was called. I breed and eat rabbits. They are one of the most versatile and beneficial creatures on the planet. Loving pets as well as good producers. Mine live in on ground breed specific/ gender specific colonies and are fed fresh foods as well as their general pellets and hay. It kills me when people give me the jaw dropped faces when I say "meat rabbit" or anything of the sort.
Ohhh yes... I love my fellow rabbit and couldn't eat them. Though they are feeder rabbits, and I didn't know one was male and the other female and well you know...the rest was history. I still love them.
I want to thank you for all this great quality information on everything rabbits. I will be watching all your videos over and over so my husband and I have lots of knowledge before we tap into the meat rabbit world. Just again want to express my gratitude! God bless you and your family.
@@TheRabbitryCenter I guess so, they looked a lot darker than blue in the video.. Anyway yes the blue eyes.. Would that be the "Vienna" gene I've read about?
I think what we have in our line is a chinchilla gene that causes a blue gray eye color. We have a long list of folks waiting for these rabbits. The Vienna gene will also express blue eye color but it’s a much brighter blue. Thanks for asking.
This video came out at just the right time. I have two does that won't cooperate with the buck, and I was going to take them to the next sale, but I will try this first. Thanks!
Thank you. I purchased my first breeding pair and I love binge watching your videos. Thank you for the education and being straight to the point. Im sincerely grateful for the time and effort you have spent making these videos. A big thank you a thumbs up and a subscription to your channel.
In your first myth you referenced wild rabbits in your discussion. Such comparisons aren't really relevant to domesticated rabbit keeping. They're not the same species and cannot interbreed. Also, while they have some similarities in form and lifestyle they are not identical.
Very true-sorry that was a little confusing I was referring to touching kits in the litter as well as finding wild rabbits in the yard. Myth#1 Don’t touch Wild rabbits in the yard- because mom won’t return to nurse them- it’s due to them being abandoned and has nothing to do with your scent. This time of year, We field about 2-3 calls a week about returning them to where you found them due to them being abandoned by mama rabbit so she can have her next litter-its not because mama refused to nurse them or because you touched them. Thanks for commenting and watching.
Oh god, i needed to find this video 4 years ago. Seeing that my rabbits were refusing to breed despite having EVERYTHING in order was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Thats when i sold my entire rabbitry off :(
Another great video. Any ideas why my litter has 2 of 7 kits with no tail? Zero tail. Also I have a buck that will not mate unless he can chase the doe around.
@@TheRabbitryCenter yeah no tail, just a round little butt. They are cross between Californian doe and red New Zealand buck. Otherwise healthy though. The buck I mentioned is from the same parents previous litter. He's 6 months. What i was saying is I had a doe that would lay down for him but he wouldn't mate unless she would run around. So I would have to get her to run around then would chase and mate. Its funny he wants to play first but she just lays still. Thank you so mich for making these videos.
Hello, I'm a prepper. Garden going, fruit trees, researching what form of protein to raise. Rabbits seem the likely choice. I'm zone 8a near the beach N.C. plenty of shade trees, big area however restricted 30x50. Building materials ( I'm a roll off container driver and construction is booming) are free except rabbit fencing for hutches. How should I start out??? Ty.
Start Small. No need to go too big. A buck and two doe’s will feed a family. 4 cages ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hSdZb9Q4J9c.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KUoOVswrpLs.html
I feel like a jerk keeping my rabbits in cage hutches after watching this and seeing how happy they can be when free. Do you have a video about designing/rabbit proofing a coop?
You bet. Here's a how to build series. There's no audio but it shows the dimensions cut and on our website there's a free build plan you can print out therabbitrycenter.com
Im so glad i watched this video because I'm wanting to upgrade alot of stuff on the farm and one was to make my rabbit cages more soft by putting PVC coating on the floor but now that I've that the sore hawks is false i can rest easy
There's a lot of misinformation concerning rabbit care out there and I've learned to trust the advice of breeders over house rabbit groups even though I don't run a rabbitry (only own two pet rabbits). What keeps meat/show rabbits in good health, shape and mood also applies to house rabbits. Also, rabbit meat is one of the best and tastiest meats out there.
Hares and wild rabbits ate a different species than domestic rabbits. There are now "designer" breeds of domestic rabbits for pet only. In America domestic species can't breed with wild rabbits.
Absolutely But fruits are high and sugars and carbs and they are considered treats. rabbits digestion is designed for high-fiber diets I usually feed just a couple slices or one peel To each rabbit
Great channel, learning a lot. I’ve made totes attached to the hutch, actually used old coolers. Checked it after few days. Doe keeps hers nice and clean, bucks is piles with droppings and urine. Any way to train him to do it in the hutch,not the tote?
Some rabbits are cleaner than others I’d keep cleaning the tote every other week until the buck stops and remove the urine so your rabbits don’t get dirty fur or dreads. Doe’s usually stop after they kindle the first time.
That is one tasty Turkey. Line breeding is a terrific way to achieve absolutely beautiful two legged rabbits. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
When a doe mounts a buck that means she really wants to be bred- sometimes even an experienced Buck can't seem to get a hold of her or you may have a buck that is inexperienced or smaller than the doe if possible try a different buck or cut back the bucks feed slightly to make him want to breed more than eat. Maybe he gets tuckered out too fast this will also help us stamina.
rabbit meat plus good eggs, will fully feed your dog, probably you too. Rabbit meat alone, due to the lack of fat, will not provide enough calories, so other animal fat is needed.
If we have rabbits, kindling, we will clean them on day 29 If you have a buck living in them, I would check them at least every month And clean them when needed. All rabbits will behave differently. If you have a rabbit it's been in the tote I would re-introduced that rabbit and the 28th or the 29th of gestation that way they won't pee in the kindling tote
I think a frozen 1-liter water bottle and some shade will do the trick. Just freeze a bunch to swap them out. Rabbits body temp needs to stay steady. Yes, a thin layer of fur would be cooler than a full coat but night time would get rough and during cold spells could possibly cause hypothermia.
Love your videos! I’ve learned a lot from you. Have you ever had issues with ants getting into the drilled holes and attacking the kits? We have a huge issue with ants here.
How many rabbits do you own and keep? How many litters do you have a year? Do you make money with your rabbits or does the money you make go right back to the rabbit supplies and feed?
Very informative! I'd like to see a video of how you catch the rabbits after their "date" in the chicken run. Also how to maintain the totes in deep snow.
Most of the time they’re so tuckered out I can walk right up to them and grab them by scruffing quickly and pick them right up in my arms In the winter time I put a nice thick plastic over the run to keep the snow out and everything dry so they don’t bring snow into the totes where the litter is... I’ll be sure to put that on the video ASAP thanks
thanks I had them sitting around for the rabbit water bowls. The chicks were burning through their starter pellet so I had to make one in a pinch. It works pretty well.
Ho how do you deal with the mouse getting into the kindling tote? My biggest concern in breeding rabbits are the rats, next are the wild cats (I have only 4 rabbits & live in the city)
Bobby I have 2 litters that I am going to be weaning on the same day. can i put them together in a large cage or do they need to be separate? they will be 5 weeks old when i wean them
Those nesting boxes look like great conditions for the rabbits but not very secure; in my area, skunks, racoons, weasels, and coyotes would dig them out in short order.
I feed a high quality pellet along with hay and vegetables that provide all the vitamins and minerals they need. No additives, drugs, or even vitamin supplements used. Do your best to maintain the cleanest rabbitry You can stick to breeding only the healthy rabbits, and your rabbitry should stay strong on its own. Avoid sharing open ground and run caged hutches if possible to avoid infections and disease from parasites on the ground. Not everyone wants to do that some folks enjoy a colony set up and that’s their choice. Folks are raising rabbits differently, and I recommend doing it the way you want. Best of luck!
If you’d like to learn more about rabbit first aid you might enjoy this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XWdn06fZurU.htmlsi=SD4PWU3j0FyH-mGe
Thank you for asking, that would absolutely work. We sell most of our rabbits so we need to make sure that they have zero issues we inspect them frequently so we need to have easy access to them. When they’re running in the run They’ll get minor battle wounds from sibling rivalry over establishing dominance. Also Fleas and we can’t forget the escape artists.
We use the exact same setup works great. instead of totes we used concrete colvert cylinders half buried to use ground temp with poured concrete floors with drainage so they can be sprayed out with half a blue 55 gallon barrel upside down for tight fit and then a insulated roof over that.. Open runs to fenced with chicken wire buried to keep diggers from going under and bird net covered they share with the chickens and live in a colony. We did get some ring worm break out once when we had our run over populated but if you keep your numbers down we didn't have any problems not even ear mites.
Yes you have beautiful healthy rabbits you have a nice rabbitry but you should know rabbits are not supposed to eat corn they cannot digest the corn please don't feed your rabbits any more corn
@@TheRabbitryCenter sorry about the autocorrect.. breeding coop. LOL I have shown it to my husband & son who helps us. I know you said it's part of your chicken coop. But we are now trying to decide where we might do this. Thank you for all your brilliant ideas.
Doe’s will only be territorial when it comes to their own cage or area. You can use a different area, cage, pen or coop to breed them with a buck. When colony rabbits breed there’s no controlling it.
I’m sorry to hear that. If you’re having problems then Breed different rabbits into your lines. That’s a indicator it’s time to outcross. If your not seeing characteristics you prefer or the litters are unhealthy than introduce a new different rabbit with preferred characteristics.
@@TheRabbitryCenter yes out of their nest they not in wire cage they have a room for themselves and she's new mom first litter n the babies some legs were eaten
A new mom might be anxious and "over clean" her kits. I found an entire litter in my yard having been pulled out of the nest box and the cage, half eaten by a cat that had learned how to reach in.
Also, she could be getting spooked by something. A doe with kits needs peace and quiet. She will kill her litter of she senses danger or is anxious. --Storey's guide to raising rabbits
To help keep the rabbits cool, do you use actual marble tiles or are they porcelain? Does it matter? I want to use tiles to help them in the summer. Just want to know what the absolute best option is.
Home Depot closest to me doesn’t sell them any more I actually go to the service desk and after doing an internet search using my phone. I take the sku# up to the service desk. And order a 12” square marble tile and have it delivered to the store. Ceramic works but marbles the best option. Also here’s a video to help you take red neck air conditioning to a new level m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j6YeY78_XLk.html
i do the porcelain or ceramic tiles from Lowe's. keep them in my fridge so they are cold when they go in. disinfect when i take them out of the cage. very inexpensive and works well. don't freeze them though, fur will stick to them and get pulled out
My little doe( the new girl) was so scared that as soon as i put her in my buck's cage( Romeo is a lover and gentle) she ran herself stupid and made him dizzy with trying to keep up with her. She ran so many circles that i lost count in less than a minute. Lol. She was acting terrified.
Sometimes they do that but are actually just playing hard to get. Check her tail--if it's up, she's in the mood and wanting a little foreplay (exercise) first.
Have you done any experiments with fodder sprouts as rabbit feed? I'm trying to do this but I can't get the does pregnant. I'm wondering if its because of not understanding the dry feet to sprout feed conversion on weight per day of feed or other factors?
No I Stick to 16% protein pellet and Pastor Hay Also once or twice a week some clover Dandyline comfrey plantain salad Rarely do I give little treats of banana and fruit that’s a special occasion Have you tried using a different buck? Are they getting 30 minutes with the buck?3 fall offs?
@@TheRabbitryCenter Yeah. I know enough to get into trouble but don't consider myself too far into it yet. Right now I've got one hive that gets aggressive every time I go in. Its my next problem to solve. Thanks very much for your help & work.
If that kit lives rebreed mama when that kit reaches 4 weeks old -She’ll need to nurse that rabbit for at least 4-5 weeks before weaning but if it dies rebreed her immediately.
So I just found your channel and love it 💚💚💚 just got into breeding rabbits for meat. And you talked about there meat. Is it true you can get protein overload eating it to much??? What do you recommend?
"In the old days" it was called rabbit starvation because wild rabbit is so very lean and we humans need fat to stay healthy. Our domestic rabbits aren't as lean and we usually eat other types of protien through out the week and/or add fat while cooking rabbit (I love adding a little bacon grease.)
We find homes for many pet rabbits as well -We take in several abandoned rabbits every year -farming isn’t all we do. But we do pride ourselves on showing families how to start their own backyard production with high-quality Chemical free all natural meat at a dollar a pound.
