When I was very young my dad raised rabbits for a year or two. I want to start raising them again but I would like some tips. I want meat rabits-most likely I'll get new zealands- but I would like to know any tips on hutches and the like. Thanks

-- Naomi (beebedz@juno.com), December 20, 2000

Answers

I write a weekly column called "The Organic Grange" and a few weeks ago I wrote this column on rabbirs. I hope thos helps.

Greetings from the Grange. Writing a gardening column at the onset of winter can be trying at best. While sitting here staring at an all but blank computer screen, looking at my bi-line I remembered my column is not just about gardening but about life on a Grange. For those of you who might not know a grange is a family farm. Though farms have changed greatly throughout the life of our country, in my mind the grange has stayed the same. A small plot of ground that you can call your own where you toil away to try to feed your family or at least supplement the food budget by raising fresh vegetables and meat, yes meat.

You do not need to have a large spread of land to supply your family with a good supply of fresh lean meat, and it dose not have to cost you an arm and a leg for feed either. The meat source I am talking about is the rabbit.

Though many see these small furry critters as soft and cuddly, they are also a good cheap source of protein.

The ideal setup for raising meat rabbits would be a five hole cage. Each "hole" should be about two foot square. These can be store brought or hand made. If you decide to build these yourself check out some plans first 1 X1 chicken wire will do for the sides of the cage but it will not last forever. This same wire however will not work for the floor of the cage, it will hurt their feet and rust through quickly. Also keep in mind if you build your own that you must be able to reach in the door and reach the whole cage. If the cage is big enough that you can not reach part of it you will not be able to reach the rabbit.

Once you have your five hole cage and your feed pans and water founts, you need to find your rabbits. I have found that grade (mutt, cross breeds etc.) Breed and produce better than most registered rabbits, and they are also cheaper. I know that there are some people who will disagree with me but I have raised them all and I am just speaking from experience, Do not buy your rabbits from a pet store, they buy theirs from us. (And will buy from you if you find yourself with more than you need.) Look around at farm auctions or ask at your feed store for someone who might sell you a trio of rabbits.

A trio consist of one buck (male) and two does (females) If you are not familiar with sexing a rabbit please have someone with some experience do this for you, this can be tricky.

With this trio of mature rabbits, within twelve weeks you could have sixteen frying size rabbits in your freezer.

The reason for the five hole cage is as follows. Each mature rabbit needs their own cage or hole. Let the rabbits get settled in for about a week to get used to you and their surroundings, then take the doe to the buck's cage and watch them, when they have bred (and you will know when they have) put her back in her cage. Do this once in the morning and again in the evening this should do the trick. The next day repeat the process with the other doe. It takes 28-32 days for a rabbit to kit (have her litter) so fourteen days after you have bred her try her with the buck agin.. If she wants nothing to do with him she is bred. If she does "give him the time of day" you have not wasted the whole 28 days.

21 days after she has been bred put a nest box in with her. This box should be about 10" X 14" with six inch sides on three sides and about a three inch side on one short end. You also need to supply her with some bedding. I have found that shredded paper works best. Some use hay or straw but it has been my experience that the rabbit will eat it. A day or so before she kits she will pull fur and add to the nest. You need to add a heat light above the cage for her at this time. A standard 40watt bulb will do, this is for her litter. A doe normally will have around eight bunnies, which she will feed for four to five weeks. At five weeks you need to put the whole kit in one of the empty cages and pour the feed to them. (At this time you should re-breed your doe) When they are around eight weeks old you have a litter of fryers, or in the case of a trio you will have two litters of fryers.

A mature rabbit will eat about a cup of feed a day and a 50 pound bag sells anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 and will go a long way

With this set up every twelve weeks you can have sixteen frying size rabbits from a 10' X 2' space. And of course each doe you add to your flock could give you eight more fryers. A good buck can service six to ten does.

Don't let these figures give you delusions of grandeur. Start small and see how you like it. Remember, "Don't use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice."

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), December 20, 2000.

I was thinking of starting rabbits as well. Grant- your article is very informative. I wonder about selling them for meat, though. With regulations I wonder if it would be more profitable to just put a monthly ad in the local paper saying you have an overstock instead of going large-scale and selling to the local meat market. My family probably wouldn't eat that much rabbit ourselves. Any suggestions?

-- Epona (crystalepona2000@yahoo.com), December 20, 2000.

Hi: In the "for what it's worth" department from someone who frequently gets involved in grandiose projects and has to retreat> I would suggest to anyone doing rabbits for the first time - buy ONE bred doe and a wire cage and nesting box(my dear one makes ours). Experience kindling, raising the litter and the KILLING. My dear one can not kill and eat so I was left with the task. I know of several other homesteaders in my area that experienced a similar problem. We still maintain a small herd, just mostly for fun, and meat if the economy should suddenly fall apart. We have a small animal auction in our area where I market little bunnies at Easter.

-- Diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 20, 2000.

When I first started, I had three does in one area (4x4 and run outside) together with a choice of six nesting boxes always available. This worked out great because the does took care of each other's kits. Just this past year, one doe decided to keep the others away from the boxes. Since it was Easter and all three were going to kit, I had to seperate them. They would not go back together afterward. If all three were not going to have babies, it would have been okay. I miss the convience of having them together and I think they miss the interaction of having each other for companionship. I know of a few people who have this community setup and are real happy with it. Maybe I needed a bigger area (minirexes)

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 20, 2000.