Not all rabbits are suited for colony life, here is a guide to choosing the best meat. We have put together a comprehensive list of resources about raising meat rabbits in a colony, so you can raise your rabbits naturally too. Jun 28, 2017 you can also support us for free by shopping amazon with one of the following links, you dont have to buy the linked item either, just shop around after following a link. One community feels that modeling ethical and humane animal stewardship is essential and for the highest good of all in todays world of diverse needs. Having all the rabbits together makes spreading those illnesses much more common. Raising and marketing rabbits is an ideal project for 4h members, espe. Rabbits are members of the leporidae family, indigenous throughout most parts of the world, and raised in smallholder and largescale, commercial production systems. Even if you separate the males and females while colony raising, they will still fight especially the males 2.
M ratiothink of all the baby rabbits you would end up with. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, neither is right or wrong. Rabbit hutch plans, free pdf download, cutting list, and shopping list. My chickensducks are mostly free range, getting out of the pen in the morning and coming back to the pen to lay and to roost. Solving the disadvantages of colonies the binky bunny. Include, but are not limited to, free range rabbits, abusivenegligent practices, inhumane caremedical negligence, and caging to address a colony issues. When raising rabbits for meat there are many options for food. Raising rabbits for meat and fur is a good way to make money but only if you do it on a large scale, and it should be done as supplementary income only.
Sep 7, 2015 raising rabbits in colonies by tiffany simpson. This manual is a reference guide for young people and adults wanting. Written by an experienced rabbit raiser, raising rabbits is a practical guide on maintaining a small herd for meat and manure. Raising rabbits in colonies does not need to be complicated. Z download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
I never asked if you are raising these rabbits purely as pets or whether they are lifestock. Feb 23, 2015 raising rabbits in colonies by tiffany simpson. A fulltime enterprise should have at least 600 females does and 60 males bucks. Knowing what i know now about raising meat rabbits, even if colony raising had worked, i still wouldnt do it because.
We anticipate many cultures and communities globally and for the predictable future will either need or choose to use animals as food andor raise them for their other. The ultimate resource collection for raising meat rabbits in. You can also support us for free by shopping amazon with one of the following links, you dont have to buy the linked item either, just shop around after following a link. Jan 28, 2017 raising rabbits colony or cage once you decide you want to raise some rabbits on your homestead congrats. Oct 26, 2019 plus, raising meat rabbits is relatively easy, and if you shop around for bargains, the materials needed for raising meat rabbits can be inexpensive to purchase. Id love to show some photos of my setup to someone with experience, particularly my nest boxes.
We use affiliate links including links to help keep the use of this website completely free of charge to you. Raising rabbits download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Raising rabbits touches on topics about self sufficiency and modern farming practices, but also includes chapters on rabbit colonies, choosing the right rabbit breed, choosing the right food, gardening for your rabbits, how to humanely butcher your rabbits, and even a chapter on having rabbits as pets. That is the general plan to shoot for the table as fall rolls around. If youd like an overview of colony raising rabbits, click here. A ground open bottom pen allows the rabbits freedom of movement while still keeping them in a confined area while you teach them the same type of turn out and put up routine you use with free range chickens, ducks, goats, etc. For those with experience with colonyraising rabbits in a paddock system and provide artificial underground warrens, do the rabbits keep them clean, like they would for the ones they dig, or do they end up leaving them.
Sep 28, 2017 a better way to raise rabbits join luilla p. The ultimate resource collection for raising meat rabbits. Does can be bred for 4 to 5 litters per year, once they are kept in good condition. Methods for raising meat rabbits the green acre homestead. Rabbits are extremely hot natured so it is important to place their shelter in a shaded area. Requiring a minimal amount of equipment, feed, and care, rabbits are ideal livestock for yielding a relatively large quantity of nutritious, savory meat. Each doe produces 25 to 50 live rabbits a year, which will yield 125 to 250 pounds of meat. We have put this work together as a large pdf document. Today i welcome maat from frugal chicken shes going to share her personal experience in raising meat rabbits in colonies versus cages. Thats kind of the point of a colony, so that your rabbits will have more freedom. A colony typically requires more room than cages so if you are limited on space this may be a problem.
I know that wild rabbits in my area have all sorts of predators to deal with and i cant. These pellets are filled with protein and will help add the necessary weight to your rabbits in a short amount of time. Raising rabbits in colonies is not a new concept, although it may seem new to the modern rabbit breeder. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, neither is. Raising rabbits for profit all you need to know about. The focus is on raising rabbits to add needed protein to family diets and. Rabbit shed rabbit garden rabbit run house rabbit rabbit toys pet rabbit bunny cages rabbit cages rabbit tunnel. A complete handbook on backyard and commercial rabbit production replaces an earlier publication of the same name that was produced by the peace corps in 1982. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Naturally, rabbits will develop relationships with others. Bob bennett is the author of six books on rabbit raising, including storeys guide to raising rabbits and rabbit housing, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. There are some skills involved with homesteading, but its not difficult to learn the skills.
Raising rabbits in a colony is the best way to ensure happy, healthy, natural rabbits. Remembering which rabbit has been bred to who does not have to be one more thing to. Rabbits in colonies the urban rabbit project book 3 kindle edition by craven jr. An important part of keeping rabbits is knowing how well they are producing for you. I found good information on the colony raising rabbits yahoo group, and the facebook groups colony raising rabbits, and rabbits in colonies. A colony is a better opportunity for rabbits to socialize and play. Breeding domestic rabbits, from mating the buck and doe, to weaning the bunnies. Beginners guide to raising meat rabbits was a free kindle book when this post was written. The standard way for a rabbitry to be set up is to have row after row of 36. For those with experience with colony raising rabbits in a paddock system and provide artificial underground warrens, do the rabbits keep them clean, like they would for the ones they dig, or do they end up leaving them. It was just not the best option for us and thats okay. We have selected our affiliate products carefully with the purpose of improving your experience, both on the raisingrabbits website, and in the ease of the care you provide your rabbits.
Sample colony rabbit setups raising rabbits in colonies does not need to be complicated. As mentioned above, they can engage in social behaviors. Colony raising rabbits isnt hard, but there are a few considerations that can make setting up a rabbit colony go more smoothly. Raising rabbits in hawaii ctahr university of hawaii.
A complete handbook on backy ard and commercial rabbit. Ive recently been given a whole bunch of meat rabbits and ive been building a colonystyle pen for them, housing them in wire cages and an unused meat chicken coop while i build. Here are links to all the reproductive and maternal stages of rabbit breeding. Most sources on raising rabbits for meat say that 6 feet of space is adequate for a doe and her litter. Colonies make for efficient use of space, and provide good opportunities for the comparison of many features of rabbits whether free moving or in still life if the lighting is good. This will be handled exclusively by the people choosing to eat rabbits so that respect is paid to the preferences of nonparticipation for vegans and vegetarians. The initial costs in settingup is small, rabbits breed quickly and frequently, they have large litters and grow to a good marketable size in a very short time. He has served as the editor of rabbits magazine, has been a contributing editor to countryside magazine, and is the founder of domestic rabbits and a past director of. Click here to learn more about this ebook rabbit raising problem solver is another printed resource which will answer your questions from mating to weaning, and of course every other aspect of raising rabbits sponsored links here are our web pages on the topics of breeding rabbits and the stages of rabbit reproduction. May 20, 2017 yes we do raise them for meat or pets if someone wants one. Rabbits in colonies 101 the domestication of cattle cait. Mar 06, 2015 raising rabbits in colonies is not a new concept, although it may seem new to the modern rabbit breeder. They enjoy eating hay anyway, and eating freechoice hay is already highly recommended for proper gut movement.
Each cage is often no bigger than 2 x 3 in size, and is often suspended off the ground so that the animals manure and urine can drain freely through the cage mesh to a collection point below. Hi everyone, ive been looking at colonies and pastured rabbits for a while and came across this thread. Unlike most other animals, rabbits do not have a regular heat cycle oestrus. The second reason is for free range training purposes. Who we are this group shares knowledge of methods for raising rabbits in communal structures referred to as. But, the main advantage of colonies for your rabbits is that you have less control over their life. Ive noticed a lot of interest recently in colony raising rabbits. Some people colony raise their rabbits with great success. Type in the details for each rabbit and save your document as a new file name so that you can reuse this blank template in the future.
Hawaii residents may order single copies of publications free of charge from county offices. The raising and harvesting of the animals will also be handled with respect and gratitude. And while i do need my rabbits to be useful and productive to me, it is my job as a rabbit owner to be sure that they stay as happy and healthy as possible. When i brought home our american chinchilla breeding trio, i had researched raising meat rabbits extensively. I am not saying that colony raising does not and can not work. Angora rabbits produce 8 to 10 inches, or 12 to 16 ounces, of wool per year. Rabbits for self sufficiency rabbits are quiet, grow fast, have large litters and can be fed on produce from the garden, or by foraging safe weeds and other safe food sources, or just good quality hay they will grow faster on pellets or a balanced natural diet rabbits a great high protein, lowfat, white meat, that is great tasting, easy to slaughter and no freezing needed.
The simplest form of a rabbit colony is to maintain a buck and a few does in a large group, for instance in a large pen, a converted stall, a fenced yard, etc. Rabbits in colonies are not handled as much by human caregivers so they tend to be more like wild rabbits. Raising rabbits touches on topics about self sufficiency and modern farming practices, but also includes chapters on rabbit colonies, choosing the right rabbit breed, choosing the right food, gardening for your rabbits, how to humanely butcher your. Pdf rabbits are members of the leporidae family, indigenous throughout most parts of. We have selected our affiliate products carefully with the purpose of improving your experience, both on the raising rabbits website, and in the ease of the care you provide your rabbits. Weve raised our rabbits for seven years in colonies. See more ideas about raising rabbits, meat rabbits and raising rabbits for meat. Thompson as she discusses the benefits of raising rabbits in a colony rather than in individual cages. Click here for more information on what it takes to raise rabbits.
Please feel free to copy and paste pages at the end if you need more, or delete unneeded pages. The practice of raising domestic rabbits for agricultural purposes is called cuniculture. Colony rabbits live in group housing and are free range. Todays domesticated rabbits are generally housed in single occupancy wire cages.
This is the first part of our series on raising meat rabbits, so dont forget to. Rabbits in colonies are more susceptible to parasites and diseases because they are on the ground. Great for beginners, this book is especially useful pdf to those who wish to produce most or all of their own food from this valuable livestock. Apr 21, 2017 obviously, rabbits need much less mental stimulation than a human, but nevertheless they do still have biological needs which are clearly not fulfilled in a cage. The majority of information found in that handbook was an adaptation and revision of commercial rabbit raising agriculture handbook no. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading rabbits in colonies the urban rabbit project book 3. I have had up to 15 grown rabbits not counting babies including 3 bucks at once in the same colony. I would assume from reading your post, that you have a closed colony, meaning they are not allowed to burrow in the ground. Rabbits in colonies are easy and fast to feed and water, and i find. Apr 25, 2017 but, the main advantage of colonies for your rabbits is that you have less control over their life. That is good for me production wise and them because they get to. I raise meat rabbits for our family to eat, not pet rabbits. Rabbit colonies can be trickier to successfully implement, but they do have their own advantages. Conceptions will be highest during the cool months of the year and lowest during the hot and humid months.
I think if it were me id try to capture the freeranging rabbits and then butcher them for the family table. The pen i have my rabbits in, is also my chickenduck pen. In the summer, it is wise to place frozen water bottles in the hutches with the rabbits to help keep them cool. We are blessed with 2 beagles that dont chase the white rabbits. Typical parttime enterprises consist of 50 to 100 rabbits. Rabbits in colonies or cages the imperfectly happy home. Ours burrow in the ground, solving all issues of not having babies in a nest. Monks began keeping rabbits in warrens as far back as the early medieval times, and the idea of caging didnt take hold until the 1800s. I find it interesting that in the wild rabbits dont live in colonies and are extremely territorial but some people have decided that it is a good idea. Raising and harvesting rabbits ethically is essential. We filled the web pages with as much detail as reasonably possible. He has served as the editor of rabbits magazine, has been a contributing editor to countryside magazine, and is the founder of domestic rabbits and a past director of the american rabbit breeders. My opinion is that raising rabbits as a colony reduces the individual care, increases the possibility of a contagious disease spreading rapidly too.
I was unable to find any size guidelines for colony raising rabbits when i first started researching, so i started with all three rabbits in it. Used cages can be bought at small animal auctions, through newspaper ads, by word of mouth, or they can be constructed from used materials. Nances also, puranas in sanskrit pdf to see if it is legal to raise rabbits. Rabbits in colonies the urban rabbit project book 3. The setup cost is usually cheaper because you dont have to buy so many cages, feeding bowls, watering bottles, etc.
When it comes to keeping homestead rabbits, you have some choices regarding housing. However personally, i feel that it is a much more natural, healthy lifestyle for the rabbits. My rabbit colony experience backyardherds goats, horses. Breed mini lop rabbits coloring pages free download hd wallpapers. Once you decide you want to raise some rabbits on your homestead congrats. Raising rabbits in colonies i really like this idea need to work on it a bit more. British colonial expansion was responsible for a new wave of diffusion of. We process our rabbits between 1214 weeks on average.
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