Finally got a buck!!!!

[rantinraven]

As many already know we received 3 female rabbits back around November. I had been diligently looking for a male but I hadn't had any luck. The ladies have been very happy free grazing int he yard and going back in the hutches when no one is out with them, having a grand old time. The problem with this arrangement was that we were feeding rabbits that were merely pets, in this economy I wasn't happy with that. So today my hubby went to the feed store and it dawned on me to have him ask "Who else in the area buys rabbit pellets?" I mean I knew someone must because they sure stock a lot of it. After some questioning we got ourselves a BUCK!!! Finally after all this waiting. I pick him up at the local Bar tomorrow (gotta love a small town). So I am thrilled as he cost me 4 dollars and I figure he's a great investment. So now I am an anxious momma awaiting his arrival, and already setting up my breeding calendar and all this good stuff. I have been reading books/watching videos for months now and of course picking up everything I could on this forum. Needless to say I am very excited to start my journey with homemade meat production. Raven

[harvester]

Awesome! its hard to find good rabbits in my area too. What kind is he?

[fancyfowl]

There are lots of rabbits around here but the market is hot. I sent 6 to the auction last sat. and mine brought the least, $5 each, they were only about 31/2 -4 lbs. Larger rabbits are fetching 8-10$$s and more. Pet food, and the meat market in Philly and new York are driving it.

[MooseToo]

saw the headline and thought you'd shot a deer - and wondered where hunting season is open now -

[Anon001]

saw the headline and thought you'd shot a deer - and wondered where hunting season is open now -
I did too, but I felt stupid when I read the OP posting! LOL

[fancyfowl]

well, thats what i thought originally!

[rantinraven]

He's a New Zealand white I just picked him up about 30 minutes ago and we are finishing up the cage now. I'll let him acclimate a few days and then throw one of the Ladies in with him and see what happens. He's quite a bit more friendly than my girls are so we shall see. Lol nope not that kind of buck, that's hubby's job. If I can't carry it and dress it myself I won't kill it. I'm looking forward to rabbit antics in the next few days, and really looking forward to the good fertilizer as it sells really well here. BTW the Girls named him "Lucky" as it was lucky that we got to him when we did otherwise he was destined for the fryer today lol.

[fancyfowl]

Man, if thats the way you breed whats the difference what the pool is !!

I inbreed/linebreed mi rabbits mostly so i have control over the genetics of the herd. Random mating leaves no control over diseases, growth habits or any other quality traits. The bad ones eat just as much if not more than the good ones.

[Anon001]

*Man, if thats the way you breed whats the difference what the pool is !!

*I inbreed/linebreed mi rabbits mostly so i have control over the genetics of the herd. Random mating leaves no control over diseases, growth habits or any other quality traits. *The bad ones eat just as much if not more than the good ones.
I agree. With good selection inbreeding/linebreeding often produces the best of any type animal. For example, the best Hereford cattle in the country come from the blood lines of a herd that was closed for over 60 years with NO outside blood or genetics brought into the herd. When the herd was finally opened up, they were the most sought after and most expensive Herefords in the country. The same goes with many types of animals. But, the key is in the selection. Selection, as you know, is the way to keep from enhancing bad traits with inbreeding. I keep a mostly closed herd of cattle and have some of the healthiest and best around here.

I had rabbits at one time but didn't breed them to outside bucks because I didn't have any other bucks! LOL

[mtwildflower]

I got three does and a buck (Satins ) in January and their first litters were born February 11 and 12. Right now I have 15 kits ready for sale for Easter, although I have not gotten one single interested party to call me. Oh well, they're bred for the table and if I sell them for pets, then it's a little $$$ in my pocket for my rabbit barn. If not, oh well.

Having rabbits is fun. I love it !

My next purchase though are some NZ whites....preferably two does and a buck this summer.

[fancyfowl]

What variety satins do you have. i used to breed reds. Have been kicking around getting some again but might go with the mini satins, a relativly new breed. Also have been considering broken new zealands or Rex, i now only work with mini rex in black, broken and otter varieties.

mtflower, ever attend a rabbit show?? thats by stick, i enjoy the competition and breeding to perfection is the challenge. I began with this line about 6 years ago with anothers culls and am, now winning pretty nicely.

[mtwildflower]

I have two black does, a cinnamon doe and a really nice red buck. I do want to find a black buck eventually so that I can get showable litters. Right now, I have no showable offspring.

[fancyfowl]

Breed your red buck to the black does, you will get some black bucks, sooner or later! When i breed for bucks I get does, & the opposite usually holds true too. Cinnamon is not a satin color. it must be a poor red or copper?

Satins and NZs are very close in weight and type, you might like the white Satins so you could get a white satin and put over the black does, you will get good blacks from that.Depending on what genetic color the white is you could get blues or siamese(pointed) or brokens?. This would eliminate the need for 2 breeds. (White masks color and what appears as white can be any color thats why you have to be careful as some colors are not compatible. Breeding red to blacks might make some blacks wich wont be up to par so they can be stew, and may make some smutty reds, just save the best type and color kits.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

*
*I inbreed/linebreed mi rabbits mostly so i have control over the genetics of the herd. Random mating leaves no control over diseases, growth habits or any other quality traits. *


I hadn't thought of that. *I just know we go to the auctions, and we buy mainly the does. If I see a pretty buck that another person bought, I just ask if my doe can visit him for a few moments before we leave. It adds diversity to the colony in color.

We mainly just fill the freezer with rabbits and give them to the kids in the neighborhood or our own extended family and friends. *"Pretty" means a lot to them. *So our goals in rabbits may be different than yours. *

I understand that people who are interested in certain show quality rabbits would be much more careful because their goals are very different.

[mtwildflower]

FF- I know the cinnamon isn't a Satin color, and I got her for free anyway. I have no idea what she will throw as far as color.

I also want to raise NZ Whites, I just have to find a good breeder in this state.

I did breed the red buck to my black does. There's nothing in either litter that is showable this time around. And I have not been to any rabbit shows but do plan to attend several this summer at area fairs. I'm a cattle and sheep gal. I can't count how many cattle and sheep shows I've been too. Also did Round Robin, which never included the showing of a rabbit. So this is totally new territory for me.

This is the 'cinnamon' doe. Pretty mottled in color.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t202/mtwildflower/cindoe.jpg

[fancyfowl]

You will need to make another cross with the best young back to the mother, or the othetr black doe. I show at a couple fairs but thats for the premium money and sales mostly. The better animals arent at the fairs, same for poultry. try going to the ARBA web site or the New Zealand club website and click on breeders pages. I could try and look in my last year book if I knew the states youd be interested in searching for stock.

we showed Corriedale sheep for a few years and 3 of my Murray Grays heifers were shown in Canada and US brfore I bouhjt them,. I never showed cattle. just horses, poultry and rabbits, the sheep were mostly the kids.

momto7, the real problem to indiscriminate breeding like that is disease, there are some nasty things going around, some sexually transmitted. At least flip them over and check out the genital area.. Not everyone is into the same thing, i know.

[mtwildflower]

I hadn't thought of breeding a young buck back to the mother, or to the other doe. Good idea, although I don't know if I like any of the offspring well enough to breed back. They are a little young yet to tell definitely which sex they are.

I made a mistake with one of my litters, I had a doe with more kits than the other and the other had one die, so I moved one kit from the mother with the most to the mother with the least and I didn't make note of which one it was. They are all pretty much the same color, so I have no idea as to all the lineage in that litter with the odd offspring ( did you get all that?) As a result, if they aren't sold as pets for Easter, I will butcher all of those in that litter. When I realized what I had done, the new one had already burrowed into the nest and I could not tell which one I had moved. Argh! Won't do that again!

We had Columbia sheep and Polled Herfords. My dad and brother got rid of the sheep in 2000, after 20 years of raising them. They've also phased out the Polled Herfords and have gone to mostly RX3s