# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Livestock and Animal Husbandry >  Baby bunnies

## finallyME

Yesterday we got 6 baby bunnies.
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Hopefully they grow up nice and fat.  I doubt it though.  The buck is a full size rex, and the doe is a smaller rabbit (not rex).  I got her for free from a neighbor and decided to see how she does as a mom.  Now that I have rexes, I am thinking I want New Zealands for their bigger size.

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## welderguy

Are you going to raise them for meat or to sell or both.

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## finallyME

I say meat, my wife says sell.  We will see who wins in a few months.  :Smile:

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## welderguy

Get a couple more adults and you both win. My ex raised them for selling as 4h projects' she got over run in no time and we stocked the freezer with the left over.

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## welderguy

Plus you get a load of bunny pelts when you use em for meat.

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## finallyME

Well, my dog eats about a third of a rabbit a day.  So, I need around 120 rabbits a year for that.  :Smile:

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## welderguy

Your gonna need a big freezer too.

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## welderguy

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit 

I got curious as to how many kits a rabbit can have in a year, I was flabbergasted by what I found out. According to the info in he link in one season they can have 800 children grandchildren and great grand children.  That's a heck of a load of rabbits.

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## crashdive123

Might be time to buy another dog.

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## Rick

I would just like to point out that this is a PG-13 forum and those critters are naked. Could you at least get them a bath towel? Thank you.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I considered meat rabbit production before. The largest producer in the SE is in SC. They sell worldwide and get a nice pricetag for a whole rabbit dressed. It is supposed to be quite healthy to consume as well.

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## BENESSE

> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit 
> 
> I got curious as to how many kits a rabbit can have in a year, I was flabbergasted by what I found out. According to the info in he link in one season they can have 800 children grandchildren and great grand children.  That's a heck of a load of rabbits.


You should check out rats!

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## welderguy

> You should check out rats!


Its worse than rabbit I'm sure. I hate rats.

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## nell67

Nice litter FM,I had about 50 born last night,californians,new zealand whites and lops,one cali had hers on the wire,and it was about 48 degrees and lost them,she had 11.she gets one more chance at breeding and if she does the same thing,she goes in the freezer.

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## finallyME

Rabbit meat is supposedly the least fat out there, from what I have read.  But all those sources are rabbit eating sites, so they are biased.    They say it is less fat than chicken.

50 nell!  I knew you had rabbits, but I didn't know you had that many.  How many mothers is that?  The more I think about it, the more I want to move to New Zealands.  I like the rex fur, but they aren't that big, and they take forever to grow.

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## finallyME

> I would just like to point out that this is a PG-13 forum and those critters are naked. Could you at least get them a bath towel? Thank you.



So, I am guessing that you don't want me to do a tutorial on how to sex them?  It is harder than you might think, especially before they are 6 months old.  We were rabbit sitting for a friend the other week, and I informed them that their girl was a boy.  The breeder got it wrong.  But, in the breeders defense, it was a mini breed and wasn't very mature when the breeder probably looked.  It was older and close to 6 months when I looked.

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## nell67

> Rabbit meat is supposedly the least fat out there, from what I have read. But all those sources are rabbit eating sites, so they are biased. They say it is less fat than chicken.
> 
> 50 nell! I knew you had rabbits, but I didn't know you had that many.* How many mothers is that*? The more I think about it, the more I want to move to New Zealands. I like the rex fur, but they aren't that big, and they take forever to grow.


 
That was 5 does kindling FM.  And the rex's are not really a meat breed,even the standard (bigger) rex is considered a pet,they do have SOME meat to them,just not the amount of meat,nor do they grow as fast as the meat breeds.I have converted my barn into all rabbits,and the house is full,right now I have lop,mini rex,netherland dwarf,dutch,lion head,english spot,californian,and new zealand babies!

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## Durtyoleman

I raise the furballs and mix new zealands and california giants, good eatin and fun pets both. My best breeders are pets...spoiled rotten, their kits are meals.

D.O.M.

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## finallyME

California giants?  Are they similar in size to Flemish Giants?  How big is the mix you get with new zealands and california giants?

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## finallyME

> That was 5 does kindling FM.  And the rex's are not really a meat breed,even the standard (bigger) rex is considered a pet,they do have SOME meat to them,just not the amount of meat,nor do they grow as fast as the meat breeds.I have converted my barn into all rabbits,and the house is full,right now I have lop,mini rex,netherland dwarf,dutch,lion head,english spot,californian,and new zealand babies!


You are averaging 10 per liter! Wow!  What is your biggest liter, and by what type.  You must have a liter that is less than 10.

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## nell67

> You are averaging 10 per liter! Wow! What is your biggest liter, and by what type. You must have a liter that is less than 10.


17 is the largest litter I have had,SO FAR,LOL but I don't let them try to raise that many on their own,I keep lop mommas because they are soo easy to take on anothers babies,the doe that had that many was a cross between a californian and a flemish giant.

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## Durtyoleman

Sorry FinallyMe I had been offline for a while and just saw your question on the rabbits.
My californian buck is about 2 1/2 foot long and the last litter of kits he bred to my new zealand were easily 1/3 larger than her previous litter of pure new zelands. I don't let em grow to full size usually since I breed them specifically to eat.

D.O.M.

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## finallyME

Thanks DOM.

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## Dink

I cross my New Zealand white buck to a Californias and other NZ whites. The cross of New Zealand and California breeds produce young that grow faster and tend to be much meatier in the haunches. I wean mine around 6 weeks and butcher between 8 and 10 weeks old.

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## Durtyoleman

I kept two does from the last litter to breed with my califonian buck. The large litters are hard on the does so I try not to breed them out more than five times a year. My last litter lost two kits the first week competeing for milk (She had 9), and the mom is going to get a break for a while to strengthen her. I rebread her after her previous litter was 5 weeks old. I have another doe I was going to take down but she is going to sub one last time.
D.O.M.

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## Dink

For a breeding scheldule...I breed for my first litter to be dropped in mid March. I then breed back when the young are 4 weeks old, wean them at 6 weeks old, butcher at 8 weeks old and this gives her 2 weeks without young sucking. I repeat this all year long, but breed for the last litter to drop the first of November. This way, my does are done from about Christmas until mid February. Cuts out a litter a year, but it gives them all a chance to rest, and I don't have to worry about loosing little ones in the middle of winter. So...generally I will get 4 litters, possibly 5 if I breed for a late batch...which I prefer to avoid. I breed for putting meat in my freezer and for family & friends...I don't sell any, and its just a hobby thing.

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