The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Other => Rabbits => Topic started by: princesspiggy on January 06, 2011, 10:24:01 am

Title: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 06, 2011, 10:24:01 am: i breed english rabbits and also have a pet netherland dwarf. who else breeds rabbits?
great to have a rabbit forum. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: fizzgigg on January 06, 2011, 08:29:40 pm: ive got new zealands and californians but have tried continental giants even had a dwarf once but he was a rescue and completely nuts i keep em mainly for meat but have had a few pets along the way
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: little blue on January 06, 2011, 08:55:17 pm: A beautiful silver grey doe called Smokey (the family she came from called her "ghost" as she was almost see-through!)
and an alleged netherland dwarf buck called "the Bandit" who looks like a pure Silver Fox.
.... and their offspring, hoping to breed more in the spring.

o/h used to breed calis & Dutch. maybe will again one day, but these are pets - its the babies we make use of :)
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 06, 2011, 10:51:20 pm: i adore continental giants!! :love:
was going to get one in england once but there were soooo expensive there. our local farm park had them aswell, but they had no ears as the mother apparently ate them!
we show the english and are planning on eating the non-show babies, was going to sell them as pets but i think that there are alot of unwanted rabbits around, i dont want to add to it.
im glad im not the only one who eats their rabbits. the first ones will be finished in a few weeks, there will be a few tears im sure!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: CameronS on January 07, 2011, 05:33:39 pm: i used to breed dutch and angora rabbits, but then had an disease wipe out my entire stock, so lots all rabbits an hutches.

i now only have two rescued rabbits
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 08, 2011, 05:01:19 pm: thats really sad :( :bunny:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: confused on January 09, 2011, 08:34:14 pm: I have 4 New Zealand X English does , and i hope to get an English buck this week, i intend breeding them for meat.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 10, 2011, 07:14:04 pm: Confused - what are u gona do with urs skins?
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: little blue on January 10, 2011, 07:17:28 pm: have you never read "peter rabbit"
... where Mrs MacGregor says "I'll skin them & make myself mittens" ??!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: confused on January 11, 2011, 07:24:42 pm: Quote from: princesspiggy on January 10, 2011, 07:14:04 pm
Confused - what are u gona do with urs skins?
Not thought that out yet !
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 11, 2011, 08:34:16 pm: same here, shame to waste them tho.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Bright Raven on January 13, 2011, 05:59:10 pm: There is a mini ice age predicted, hang on to those skins. You may need them for hot pants in the next few years. ::)
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 13, 2011, 06:52:02 pm: they'd look great, dont want to waste the skins, but it makes you think twice about the animal activists and anti-fur campaign. i might get chased down road in my hot-pants :o :o :o
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Bright Raven on January 14, 2011, 06:00:28 am: ;D I can see it now, with a James Brown soundtrack and a Benny Hill style chase. ;D
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Frieslandfilly on January 14, 2011, 12:14:58 pm: I have a giant english female and a hienz 57 male, I dont intend to breed from her as a venture but if I wanted some rabbits could I put these two together?? Also what age do you eat the rabbits?
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: confused on January 15, 2011, 03:19:55 pm: Quote from: Frieslandfilly on January 14, 2011, 12:14:58 pm
I have a giant english female and a hienz 57 male, I dont intend to breed from her as a venture but if I wanted some rabbits could I put these two together?? Also what age do you eat the rabbits?
Yes they would be ok to breed ,the fact that the female is bigger than the male would/should help to eliminate any problems with the birth, what age do you eat them ? they could be ready any time from 3 to 6 month, if you were doing it as an enterprise you would want them away by 4 month.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Frieslandfilly on January 16, 2011, 04:54:51 pm: Thank you for the info< i might put them together and see what i get!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Greenmoth on January 16, 2011, 06:51:19 pm: i breed californians for meat, and polish to show :)
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 17, 2011, 05:45:57 am: by giant english - do u mean big, or is she a giant breed? with giants like the continental - i heard you have to breed them by 9 mths or they can get fat and infertile. :bunny: :love: :bunny:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Frieslandfilly on January 17, 2011, 09:33:35 am: When I bought her from a show she was displayed as a Giant English, however she is bigger than an average rabbit but not as big as those at the show! She is however only 8 months old, I am not a rabbit expert, I just loved the look of her :love:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 17, 2011, 06:28:01 pm: sounds great, when are you gona mate her? i would love a continental giant, just one that i could spoil and hopefully show. maybe oneday....
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Frieslandfilly on January 18, 2011, 10:27:57 am: Well we have now put the two together!! Slight problem in him managing the job, it appears that his wishes to do the deed at one whilst hanging onto her neck at the other, the problem is that he cant reach both at once.........watch this space!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: OhLaLa on January 18, 2011, 03:00:29 pm: Quote from: Frieslandfilly on January 18, 2011, 10:27:57 am
Well we have now put the two together!! Slight problem in him managing the job, it appears that his wishes to do the deed at one whilst hanging onto her neck at the other, the problem is that he cant reach both at once.........watch this space!!

How long did you put her into his cage for?

:bunny:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 18, 2011, 07:04:19 pm: my buck was on the wrong end. poor doe.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: CameronS on January 18, 2011, 07:13:37 pm: Quote
my buck was on the wrong end. poor doe.

atleast he is not gender confused, my two boys try to breed with: each other, the chickens, the ducks and peoples shoes.

confused little boys :bunny:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Frieslandfilly on January 20, 2011, 01:23:10 pm: He has been in for a couple of days now, If I see any signs of her nesting I will remove him, if not it means he cant do the job and so they may as well live together, I have not seen any more signs of them getting it together so maybe he has given up!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: princesspiggy on January 23, 2011, 11:57:05 am: mine were loose together for almost a week in a large safe area, with no fighting. she only nested the day before they were due.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Budo1 on March 16, 2011, 06:44:18 pm: I have many different breeds....
New Zealand White / Californians / British Giants / Continentals / Rex Du Poitou and several crosses of different meat breeds
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Sandy on May 06, 2011, 06:04:58 pm: I am hankering after a couple of same sex or castrated rabbits to live with my chickens as there is a nice dry sheltered place that was even snow free and fine durring the horrid winter, any suggestions? A couple of rescue ones would be fine for a start, I fancy a giant varity and not too sure if I would want to breed from them as not too sure of the meat market either, not keen on Rabbit myself, think you should not eat too much but correct me if I am wrong???
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: CameronS on May 06, 2011, 07:13:46 pm: I shall keep my ears oen for you :bunny:
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Sandy on May 06, 2011, 09:58:40 pm: Thanks Cameron, I have kept them before but know little so also need some advice, what do you think? I used to have a big fat white rabbit and one summer day, we put it down for a run, it saw the Lab and dropped dead, trouble was, the ground was so hard it was difficult to dig a big enough hole....for ages I saved veg leaves and carrots etc!!
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: OhLaLa on May 07, 2011, 11:33:11 am: Quote from: Sandy on May 06, 2011, 06:04:58 pm
.........not too sure if I would want to breed from them as not too sure of the meat market either, not keen on Rabbit myself, think you should not eat too much but correct me if I am wrong???

IF you ate rabbit and ONLY rabbit, NOTHING else but rabbit, yes, you would die.
Title: Re: what breeds do u have??
Post by: Hopewell on May 07, 2011, 08:54:08 pm: We have Meissner Lops, Chinchilla Gigantas, Siberians and Magpies, with one or two other others. We have had rabbits for about 20 years and have kept and bred a lot of different varieties in that time.