Joined: Sep 16, 2007 Posts: 1328 Location: Oklahoma City, USA
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:58 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
uNkNowN ElEmEnt wrote:
What kind are they?
I am picking up two breeding pairs of New Zealand whites this summer, have a pair of red new Zealands I'm hoping for at the same time and will soon get a pair of harlequins. I can't wait...
Mine are French Angoras. I plan to spin their fur, mostly, but they're a nice backup meat source should it come to that. _________________ Conservation is conservative
"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment."
Joined: Dec 04, 2004 Posts: 2337 Location: perpetual state of exhaustion
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:45 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
Awesome, how old are they? I've heard they need to be 5 - 6 months old depending on whether they are male or female to breed, but I bet you'll get some nice furr off them.
Are you going to build real hutches or just wire cages and house them in part of an existing building? I am going to renovate my small shed and put them in there. Ideally I would have liked to build a rabbit house but I'm feeling pinched for time.
Thats why I'm going for Harlequins too, they ahve lovely fur and their pelts would be so pretty.
Joined: Sep 16, 2007 Posts: 1328 Location: Oklahoma City, USA
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
uNkNowN ElEmEnt wrote:
Awesome, how old are they? I've heard they need to be 5 - 6 months old depending on whether they are male or female to breed, but I bet you'll get some nice furr off them.
Are you going to build real hutches or just wire cages and house them in part of an existing building? I am going to renovate my small shed and put them in there. Ideally I would have liked to build a rabbit house but I'm feeling pinched for time.
Thats why I'm going for Harlequins too, they ahve lovely fur and their pelts would be so pretty.
They're around 8 weeks old, too young to breed yet. Which is good, since I don't have their hutch built yet.
I'm building hutches. I intended for them to be in the garage, but my family insists on them being in the house ... _________________ Conservation is conservative
"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment."
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:32 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
bump...
Given the production I lost this year due to the loss of my bucks and a shed last winter I am going to experiment with one of the doe hutches to see if I can find a way to add some cheap insulation that will allow her to keep kits alive later into the winter and earlier in the spring.
First idea, is to take some styrofoam from a cheap cooler and attach it to the bottom and the top of the boxes used for birthing. I just do not see how I could get them attached to the sides.
Any other ideas? _________________ "Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens" -Friedrich von Schiller
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
wisconsin_cur wrote:
bump...
Given the production I lost this year due to the loss of my bucks and a shed last winter I am going to experiment with one of the doe hutches to see if I can find a way to add some cheap insulation that will allow her to keep kits alive later into the winter and earlier in the spring.
First idea, is to take some styrofoam from a cheap cooler and attach it to the bottom and the top of the boxes used for birthing. I just do not see how I could get them attached to the sides.
Any other ideas?
To the sides of the birthing boxes?
Why not buy a small cooler and cut it to work for a birthing box?
You could cut a little off the top then attach something along the top if needed... this exact cooler might be a little small, but you get the idea. These can be found for cheap at second hand stores. _________________ Tired of high gas prices? Then stop driving to work, duh..... Learn to Work from home
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:56 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Rabbits
wisconsin_cur wrote:
ty
an idea I will have to think about... I built permanent nesting boxes so whatever I do will need to fit in there...
Great Idea!
Why not closed cell styrofoam insulation? Go buy whatever thickness you need, then cut it to the right size. Put the thing together by gluing the pieces together, then just make sure to use lots of straw or wood chips inside the nest.
The other big thing I have heard is to make absolutely certain you do have a big draft...
Another thing you could do, you could just use heat trace tape. It looks like you can get it for 3 watts per linear foot. You could use a small strip between the floor of the nest and a piece of insulation. You then hook it to a timer or thermostat control that senses the outside air temperature.
You could also run a heat trace around each water bottle while your at it.
It wouldnt be the cheapest solution, but it would be slick _________________ Tired of high gas prices? Then stop driving to work, duh..... Learn to Work from home
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Then stop driving to work, duh..... 
