rabbits (raising in a cold climate)greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread |
I RAISE A FEW RABBITS FOR MEAT. WE HAVE NOT HAD MUCH SUCCESS IN RAISING THEM DURING THE COLD MONTHS OF THE YEAR, WHICH HERE IN NEW YORK IS A LOT OF THE YEAR. IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON HOW YOU DO IT ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK I'D LIKE TO HEAR THEM
-- ron billings (ronmister@hotmail.com), October 14, 1999
Whatever you do they need ventilation. When we first started we closed all the wires sides in with wood, plastic, grain bags, whatever...Don't do this. What temperatures are you talking about? We don't have much trouble as long as the does are smart enough to kindle in their nesting boxes.
-- Bob Ambrozaitis (rambrozaitis@snet.net), October 14, 1999.
Try the archives of ONElist.com/community/meatrabbits. We've been discussing cold and heat. There is a very helpful upstater on that list that raises Satins. Rabbits can take cold but need ventilation and protection from wind. Water, but protection from dampness. Wooden nestboxes seem to be favoured by northern raisers, as well as lots of pine shavings, straw and extra fur. They've suggested I add cardboard liners to my metal boxes. I've just guessed that your problem raising them in winter is losing young litters, if it's different be specific.
-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), October 14, 1999.
We raised rabbits all winter long in Wisconsin. We only had a few does and we moved the coops into the barn after the snows came. It was still plenty cold but they were out of the wind. We always gave them wooden boxes (ours were actually 5 sided) and plenty of hay in the main coop. We never lost a winter litter. I suspect protection from the wind was real important.
-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), October 14, 1999.
Does will occasionaly eat or abandon kits in the depth of winter if they are shorted on adaquate feed or water. The previous postings about shelter from wind are also important.My old hutches had about six square feet of space for room including a birthing box.
-- Tom Cagle (nh-adapt@juno.com), October 18, 1999.
If it is from the cold that you are losing them, I have to assume that they are not furred yet and I have, on a couple of occasions, taken the litter box out and brought it to a warmer area and only returned it twice a day for the doe to feed the little ones. I have rarely had problems though because of the cold especially after they were furred.
-- Ruth Guida (n5rjm@arrl.net), November 14, 1999.
There is a nest box warmer that is available. It is unaffected by liquid (urine) and warms to about 90 degrees. Two sets of instructions came with mine. Unfortunately I overdid it the first time and lost most of them. The warmer should be put underneath the entire box, not inside, under only the straw/shavings. I only use it if the temperatures will be below 20 but it's been a lifesaver sometimes and only cost about $15 so paid for itself pretty quick.
-- Carmen Carrion (revfrank@psln.com), January 01, 2000.
There is a nest box warmer that is available. It is unaffected by liquid (urine) and warms to about 90 degrees. Two sets of instructions came with mine. Unfortunately I overdid it the first time and lost most of them. The warmer should be put underneath the entire box, not inside, under only the straw/shavings. I only use it if the temperatures will be below 20 but it's been a lifesaver sometimes and only cost about $15 so paid for itself pretty quick. If the problem is really that they won't conceive (therefore not producing anything) they just need more light hours in the day, kind of like chickens. Put a light bulb in and light it for an extra hour or two everyday. Works wonders.
-- Carmen Carrion (revfrank@psln.com), January 01, 2000.
Hi Ron, I had a friend that complained that her rabbits kept dying, that the mother wasn't taking care of them. I figured she read up on how to until I saw that they thought the house was big enough instead of having a smaller nesting box for the babies to stay warm in. I stuff (really stuff) my boxes with hay and straw. I make sure there are none dead and there is enough hair to keep the babies warm. Most of my mom's will keep pulling hair through the month. I personally put plastic around the outside of my hutches to keep out wind. So far my reproduction rate is high in the winter. I live in the Northeast.
-- D Tur (gdgtur@goes.com), April 24, 2000.