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Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you're finding them useful!

Yes. Definitely always rinse and soak. Thanks!

I've done overnight soaks. Works well for sure. I did find that these casings were in good shape soaking for a half hour + (package directions) and still very pliable. You're right that even longer soaks do better.

MA. You will do fine in NH. Just make sure they have a roof to give them shade in summer and protect from rain and weather in winter and a wind block if they're not in a building. Some people do tarps or provide a hide box, too. Dry and ventilated and they'll do well.

I currently have eight does, though I will only be keeping six for breeding (transitioning in a new breed). I do have more growout cages than a lot of people keep, but that is because I prefer to grow out to 16 weeks and whenever possible, I like to give them separate cages. Growing to 16 weeks, I need to at least separate by sex by 12 weeks. Also, I have had issues even with siblings of the same sex asserting dominance, fighting, and biting each other. I find they grow better when there are singles or doubles in a cage (less urinating and soiling food and water dishes which means they eat and drink more, grow better, and waste less feed).

That said, even with just three does and a moderate rate of breeding, I could easily keep this many growout cages more than full.

To an extent, yes. Rabbits are not truly social, though. In the wild, after the kits get old enough they disperse and make their own homes and meet up for mating. But if you think about it, you don't see wild rabbits playing out in the yard. If the cages are large enough, you can keep more than one grow out per cage. I do have some 5 foot cages where I will transition litters and if you're harvesting at a young enough age, it will work. However, even with litter mates and bonded pairs, you'll find that there will be fighting or dominating that happens in the range of 14 to 16 weeks. I had three sisters together once and they seemed fine but when I was checking them one day, one of them had a lot of scabs on her back. As they mature sexually, you'll see some dominance and one day, they may just turn on each other. Personally, this is not something I would do with adults. Too risky. I also find that growth rates are better when they are only one per or two per cage but even when small, two together can result in odd behaviors like peeing in water and pooping in food and then they stop drinking and eating as much. That said, a lot of raisers will keep litters together or separated by sex until harvest time. But those people are probably harvesting at 10 or 12 weeks, where I like to harvest at 16.

Good question. Basically, yes, though there are a few ways it helps. We are not harvesting all of the rabbits -- you'll be keeping at least one breeding pair for production. With the potential for sales and promoting the breed, and hopefully others will follow suit. For both animals and plants and vegetables, we often get to choose from what commercial breeders preferred, but that doesn't mean there aren't are other truly excellent options.

And if you at least have a pair, that breed has not died out!

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for sharing your tips!

That is how we do it in florida.

Massachusetts. Hi neighbor!

I find mine do most of their eating overnight anyway, but thanks for your advice. Smart move.

Yes! But in the changeable north, we often have to balance it with winter. But, yes!

@@MeatRabbitsOrg : I did not take that in to consideration. But I do remember rabbits handle winter snow better than 100+ degree heat .

@@ProfessorFickle Absolutely. Even with my winters, if I HAD to choose one over the other, larger ears would probably be better. Maybe different in the extreme north, but then, they probably don't get a lot of heat waves and extreme heat, either.

Yes! Working on it! It's a lot to juggle making 55 pounds of sausage and videoing, but I see people want to know!

@@MeatRabbitsOrg 😃

That's great! Best to you. Thanks for viewing and come back again!

That's interesting. Which brands do you find draw fewer flies? Although, many people don't have a lot of options available to them.

Mine came from Tractor Supply Company. They are the DuMor brand and they have optional stacking frames and dropping pans, which I use. Other brands have similar choices, too.

Thanks for sharing!

No. These are rabbit/small animal cages. They are powder coated metal, which is why they might look like dog kennels to you. They stack and have drop pans below each cage to catch manure and urine. My does get large cages because they stay for a long time and they need extra room for nest boxes and litters. So, they get 30 x 36 cages, but they are designed for rabbits.

Depends on the doe, I suspect. My NZ, Cal's and Mixes have done well and stayed in good condition. We will see how it goes with the Champagnes.

It's helped keep mine in good condition, especially for older does and does that are being bred frequently.

But you don't want your breeding to fat tell after they have baby they put them on full feed and they make it 18%feed and use the same brand of feed

I been raising rabbits for 65 years

Hello! This article might help you find some rabbits: meatrabbits.org/sourcing-meat-rabbits-where-can-you-buy-meat-rabbits/

Where are you located?

You're welcome!

Thanks!

Thank you! It can be very frustrating to find rabbits when you’re starting out. By the way -I do have a video talking about how to get started and where to look for meat rabbits. There is also an article on meatrabbits.org. I hope it helps and I hope you get to join us! I really wish I’d gotten into rabbits many years ago.

No. I try to seriously limit antibiotic use other than topical. Especially because these are destined for meat. Anyone who does choose to use oral or injectable antibiotics needs to be aware of withdrawal periods. Also, you can’t buy antibiotics for farm animals in the US without vet/prescription anymore. That would be an extreme expense for nest box eye. And unnecessary. I would personally consider it overmedicating, which is how we’ve gotten to the point of antibiotic resistance that we have … and the justification behind not allowing access for farm animals. I don’t want to be a contributor to that. After all, we don’t use oral antibiotics for pink eye in people, either.

You're welcome. A couple more follow-ups coming. Subscribe (if you haven't already) and see how this little one progresses!

Agreed. I aim for four to five per doe per year, ideally.

Thank you! I have three sizes of cages. 30x36 that keep the does in and two of those that I use to transition kits when I wean them (not necessary, but it's a time and management thing for me that helps me make efficient use of overall cage space with different aged litters). I like these for breeding does because there is plenty of room when a nest box is in there. I have 30x30 for the bucks...they get larger cages because they spend there life in them. Growouts are in 24x24 cages. These are all the DuMor cages from Tractor Supply Company. Admittedly not the best, but my oldest ones are over 4 years old and still functioning in decent shape. They are one of the least expensive and during Cvid shortages they were some of the only ones available without waiting months. I DO always reinforce the sides with extra clips along the seems. I've never done all the math on what I have invested. It's probably a number I don't want to admit to myself ;) Prices currently are about: 24 in= $33 (I have 20 of these) 30 in= $38 (3 of these) 30x36 in= $43 (6 of these) The stacking frames and drop pans are sold separately (except the 24 inch, which is available in a kit for about $60). Frame kits are another $18 each (but you could also build your own) Drop pans are about $17 to $21 each, depending on size. I've collected and added cages over several years as the rabbitry grew, so it's not like I bought them all at once. A lot of people make their own cages, but I just don't have the time. And I think I would cut myself a lot ;)

In my opinion, separating presents more of a risk to the kit and there is little concern for the other kits. These are all nursing from their mother, getting her cecotropes, and eating food and water alongside her. If I were to deprive it of that, it would almost surely die from bloat at this age. Since the other kits' eyes are open and clear, they're not very likely to get it -- their eyes are able to blink and clear. You can treat all the other kits', which I've done before as prevention, but in my experience it's not something that usually spreads. Instead, I'll keep these together, treat the affected kit, and keep a good watch on the rest of the litter. If you did choose to treat the whole litter, the treatment would be ointment with antibacterial properties to the eye. I use the triple antibiotic without pain relief or coconut oil. Terramycin or Veterycin are another option that you should be able to get from a farm store. Once that kit is being treated with the antibiotic, its infection rate to others is low -- just like when you take an antibiotic and the doctor says that while you may be symptomatic, you're not contagious after 24 hours. There is more information and treatment options in the article at meatrabbits.org. Thanks for your question!

Glad to help! Good luck!