Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Managing Your Herd

I thought I would post my opions on how to mantain a healthy, and productive herd. This is the way I choose to do things in my rabbitry, and some ways I wish to change it, and how to change it.

Lets start with when you are trying to pick out your breed. I would suggest going to a local rabbit show, or a 4-H rabbit fair, and looking at all the different breeds. Talk to the owners about there rabbits, and dont be afraid to ask them questions. I think you should look into a rabbit that catches your eye. If you walk into the show, and see a Rhinelander sitting in his cage, and you go "Wow, thats a nice looking bunny!" Then go talk to the owners, and see what it takes to raise that certain breed.
#2: Make sure the breed is for you! If you dont like the idea of processing for meat, then I would suggest you dont get a meat breed. If you want something small, with alot of personalty. I would go with the Netherland Dwarf, or Dutch. Mini Lops, do not mean they are Mini rabbits. They actually get up to 6 1/2 lbs! So, make sure you do your reasearch.

Choosing a good feed is another important part to raising rabbits. I feed my rabbits Payback rabbit feed. It has 18% protein, and if im looking to add a little pazazz to it, I will add oats, hay, and grass. I would personally not buy a feed to high over 18%, as it can be to much for the rabbit. I would not reccomend buying feed under 18% as it doesnt provide the benifits for the rabbits. Make sure you also find a feed that isnt going to "break the bank." You can find a high quality feed, with a not so high quality price.

Your Rabbitry: I like to have a somewhat big rabbitry. Not just to house several rabbits, and maybe a few different breeds, but to have room to store your feed, hay, grooming box, medications, and everything you need for your rabbits. Another important part to a rabbitry is GOOD ventalation! You want to keep your rabbits comfortable, and cool during the hot summer months, but not freeze them, or there babies during winter. I dont reccomend using a heat lamp to keep your bunnies warm. I would suggest a nice opening somewhere in your barn, where you can have lots of air flow for summer, but still keep in somewhat warmer in the winter. I like to be able to have at least 2 fans running in the summer for my rabbits.


I personally try to clean my rabbitry at least 1 time a week. I currently dont use any thing in my trays. I used to use shavings, but they are kinda a pain. Im considering trying a nice brand of cat litter, and seeing if it keeps the odor down, and makes it easier to clean the trays. Please Note: I do spray down my trays, when there are no shavings in them.

Some Things To Change In My Rabbitry: Since my rabbitry is somewhat smaller, I try to organize it, so I have as much room for lots of cages as possible. So far Im liking the way my rabbitry is set up now. I would like to change to cat litter for my trays, and try to get more air flow, for the summer. I think these are just some key things, when it comes to raising rabbits. More to come soon! =]

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