-
HELP! My rabbits are losing fur on thier noses - why?
So I am re-grouping after the move. I'm still not really moved in yet, but this problem with the bunnies really has me worried. So I spent way too much time on search engines... What the heck is this? The bunnies noses are losing fur. It is happening to about half of my little herd of 8. Oh! and I'm sure you know, I'm…
-
Guinea pigs vs rabbits
Has anyone considered or tried raising guinea pig for meat instead of rabbits? There are a lot of pros due to hardiness and reduced space requirements, the main con being that they are a bit trickier to process with less meat per animal. Thoughts?
-
I think I have to put my first pet down
My first pet of my whole life, Sunshine the Angora wool rabbit, has always been very nervous. She has been hurting herself, and today, she is having trouble hopping and has damage on her head, yet she still keeps pacing and is very nervous. I gave her her favorite food, bed, and water, and I am hoping she falls asleep.
-
feeding rabbits without pellets
Is it possible to feed rabbits on homegrown food only? I know everyone says to use the pellets and many say it's the only way to feed them. I'm sure if anyone knows if it can be done, someone here will know. I'd like to be able to grow my own feed to raise meat rabbits. Have not convinced my husband we need them yet....…
-
Wool mites and rabbit health
My sweet sunshine has wool mites. Her angora wool went from spectacular to shabby. She is also nervous, but that might also have to do with her biting a rabbit Judge in the thumb (I cried more than the judge, although the ladies were saying this judge had it coming, being overly rough). My poor baby is in pain I think from…
-
Trying to keep four month old sisters together
I have rabbits and I am trying to keep them together a little longer, but they are fighting. I think it is my fault, as I keep moving them around. They are French angora fiber rabbits. Suggestions? —Christina
-
First time butchering a rabbit
I finally found someone in my area who raises meat rabbits, who was willing to let me experience the process of butchering a rabbit. I wanted to see if I was able to do the "deed" before I committed to raising my own meat rabbits. I did it! I harvested the rabbit, butchered, and cleaned it all and she gave me the one I…
-
Indoor Rabbit Grow-Out Cages
Has anyone done an indoor - right in your living area - breeding of rabbits? What size grow out cage did you use? How does that work with having multiple males in one cage? And multiple females in one cage? Can the females stay in with the mother so that you only need one grow out cage for the males?
-
feeding rabbits
We would like to start raising rabbits for meat. The two meat rabbit breeds available in our area (we are in North Africa) are Californian and New Zealand White. We contacted a couple of breeders near to us and they all told us that those rabbits can be only fed commercial rabbit pellets. We were hoping to feed our rabbits…
-
Rabbit Help Needed
I am having a dilemma and am hoping that someone with rabbits can help. I have been noticing that my rabbits are not eating enough of their hay even to the point where my Angora has a poopy but in the morning and I have to rinse him off. I have cut back on the pellets and they then eat the hay - and the poopy butt goes…
-
Winnowing Rabbit Feed - Chaff makes great treats!
I winnowed my rabbit pellets today and mixed the chaff with a little bit of ground flax seeds and enough water for it to hold together. Then I rolled it into little balls and baked them at 400 for 1 hour. Perfect rabbit treats. And everything gets used!
-
Rabbit health and keeping them happy
No matter if you raise rabbits for meat, to sell or just as pets they like to be happy and not bored too. I try my best with any animal to make their life better than it would be in the wild. I just recently got 4 rabbits, two in good shape and one who hissed (its over that now - I think it was bored or unhappy. It's still…
-
Rabbits - raising in cages or colonies
When I had rabbits in my teens I raised them in very large pens in a colony style. Later I went to cages. I am not really sure why, maybe easier moving of pens? Now I am redoing my rabbit area and am asking , which is best cages or colonies? The only issue I had way back when was an occasional fight between bucks in a…
-
Collecting blood from harvest
I’ve been harvesting lots of our rabbits and have been wasting nothing. Everything has been used. No waste. The blood has been going on the compost so that counts too. But I’ve been thinking about using the blood in food. I’m sure it’s packed full of goodness. I know the idea is disgusting! But this could be a good source…
-
Favourite Rabbit Cage design?
We're starting out with rabbits here at Alchemy Acres and are trying to figure out our systems. Right now it's a hodge-podge, but I'm leaning hard towards building a modified pastured poultry tractor for the growouts in Spring and keeping the breeding stock on wire. I'd like to hang the cages in the greenhouse this winter…
-
Thinking of combining my rabbits and chickens together.
I’m having problems with rodents terrorizing my rabbits and they aren’t even old enough to begin breeding. I know the rodents will become a much bigger problem then. I have a small flock, a rooster and 12 mixed, heritage breed ladies and (currently) a buck and 2 does. I have seen a little bit in one of Justin Rhodes videos…
-
Bunnies and Fly Strike
Yesterday our pet bunny presented with fly strike, a revolting condition in which maggots have been laid around the back end. She had been eating less for a few days already, which prompted us to check her out carefully. Although it is often fatal, we gave it our best shot and she seems much happier today, so far. So, just…
-
ALERT: Deadly Bunny Disease - Highly Contagious
Bunny Ebola like Disease throughout the Southwest and NY state Can live on surfaces for 3 months Can be transmitted via insects landing on dead or infected Bunnies
-
Rabbit Raising and RHDV2
I'm not a rabbit farmer, or even a rabbit owner, so I don't pay so much attention as I probably should to these things, but apparently the "Bunny Ebola" has come to the US and is making quite a problem in the rabbit population. I just ran across an article in one of my resources that surprised me, so I thought I'd bring it…
-
Rabbit price drop
Hey rabbit people. Have you noticed a drop in the sale price of rabbits in your area? We use to sell month old rabbits for 20 each, but now they are 10 each! It is barely worth the food cost at this price. what do you all think? Has anyone successfully raised rabbits without supplemental feed (I.e. rabbit pellets).
-
Rabbits won't mate
I finally got 3 of my American Chinchilla rabbits to look the way I would like - I tan their skins - and they won' mate. They are also great a great meat breed. I had to wait a while because of the winter, and now two are one year old, one is their mother. My other rabbits are OK but these three are giving Papa a very hard…
-
Getting started with meat rabbits
I have raised them before but it’s been a while. I have read that you can use their litter straight onto the garden without burning them, I’m hoping someone can confirm that for me. We plan to build pens with slanted sheet metal underneath that dump straight into a bucket to minimize the labor. I can empty a bucket lots…
-
What do you feed your rabbits?
So my husband and I are getting back into raising rabbits for meat. We have both raised rabbits before, albeit for show and not food, but got out of it as family life took over. Now we would like to raise a heritage breed (silver fox or champagne d'argent) and hopefully feed them naturally from things we plant or have…
-
Rabbit Food Wasted
I have 15 wire cages with rabbits and each day I put a significant amount of hay in each one. They love it of course and it is vital to them. HOWEVER, so much of it falls through the bottom wire!! I've tried placing it on top of their 'platform', a piece of wood that allows them to get off the wire if they want, and that…
-
Rabbit Breeds
We are starting Rabbits and so far we have 4 does and 2 bucks. The bucks are New Zealanders, as are 2 of the does, the other two are a cross between that and Champagnes. Those are the meat breeds but what should I have for tanning the furs? Would anyone here recommend what they have used to make tans? I want the fur to use…
-
Rabbit Processing Workshop - Central NY
