5 Mistakes to Avoid When Raising Rabbits
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Also in hot environments you can add marble tiles 12"×12" to set in your rabbit cage/pin, because marble is good for staying pretty cool all day and your rabbits will lay on them.
Oh wow very smart
i keep 16 " ceramic tiles in my fridge to slide into the cages on hot days,
Sounds good . But what about the buck stomp have they broken any yet.
Rabbits ears works a keeping the rabbits cool. Never had much problem with heat always put them under shade. If that's not possible buy a cheap pop up canopy put over your hutch. I use to sell at flea markets not only did it help the bunnies kept me comfortable as well on hot summer days. In Tennessee July to mid September is all you need them for then they fold up store Easley
Thanks😉
Have some old pieces laying around....I knew they'd come in handy one day!
I've raised rabbits my whole life and this advise is the best I've seen. So many people are so impractical about what they're doing. This was laid out perfectly and all true statements
Thank you, for the confirmation
I had 50 breeding does when I was 14 years old. I got my first two as babies and they loved to be held. They would snuggle their heads up against my neck. Yes, I held them a lot so they would be used to me holding them. Thankfully, I never had any of my rabbits scratch me. I did make a mistake when two of my bucks got together (my fault) and started fighting. I made the mistake of trying to break them up. One bit me thinking I was the other rabbit. Neither had ever tried to bite me before that. Well, I ended up with a wound on my hand that went to the bone. Their teeth are extremely sharp. I carry that horseshoe shaped scar on the base of my thumb to this day. That was 60+ years ago. There is a New Zealand breed that tolerates temperatures into the low 100's. You don't need a fan with them, but don't put their cages out in the sun. Keep your rabbits supplied with fresh, clean water. That is important. Automatic watering systems are available.
Wow that story was just so interesting I’m interested in starting a rabbit farm in Africa
Crazy!
Thanks for sharing that story....did it hurt like heck???
My dad to my little sisters "all the rabbits escaped!" What's for dinner "chicken" lol
I used to tell my two girls that I traded the rabbits to a guy for some deformed chickens.
@@scottyg.4199 😭😭
Wdym?
@@geov2297 We raised rabbits for meat once when i was younger. My little sisters loved them, so of course we didn't tell them we were eating rabbits for dinner. So dad just told them it was chicken.
Ok 👌 Thank you I understand a lot more now
The way I handle back claws is by going to either Lowe's/HD ($10) or to Harbor Freight ($7) and buying a set of what are called welding sleeves. These go from your wrist to your mid/upper bicep and are held in place with elastic. Always tough and fireproof. This saves the shirt frome getting torn up and you from haveing to wear a jacket in the summer.
I heard to handle the does frequently, should I wear this every time? I'm nervous now, never thought I'd be scared of rabbits.
Great tips all! Storey's guide to raising rabbits suggested 14 gauge galvanized wire mesh 1/2 x 1 in for the bottom of cages. He literally wrote the book on raising rabbits, started the magazine Domesticated Rabbits, and wrote the Merck Veterinary Manual section dedicated to rabbit illness, disease and treatment. Highly recommend this book to all rabbit raisers for reference.
A misting system can help with high temps in summer.
Old Vet Tech chiming in...your description of your holding technique was very good. Most people would only bring their difficult bunnies in for me to trim their nails...lol...you learn quickly!♥️🐇♥️
Sooooooo true!!!!!
I learned number 4 quickly. My arms still look like I've been mining Atium. I never expected rabbits to have daggers attached to their feet and be able to just jackhammer them.
I just started reading the mistborn series! It's soo good
They’ve busted up my hands pretty good. Cute lil dagger kickers 😂
I have a pet rabbit. Is he raising them for food? I hope not, rabbits should not be food. They are hyper intelligent and make great indoor pets if you litter train them. My rabbit never poops outside of his litterbox
@@JuicedUpLemon how did you train him?
@@debleeann81 It's no so much training, as playing to their natural instinct to always pee in the same place. Usually, a back corner. They actually sell corner shaped "holders" for litter or shavings. They're mostly worth it. Certainly fine for a single bun.
"...until they go to freezer camp..." I've not heard culling/harvesting called that before, but I LOVE IT!!! I'm absolutely gonna use that terminology!
That too was the best part of the video for me. I rewound it to that part a few times and it never got old. 😂
When our cows disregard the fencing one too many times, or any animal behaves dangerously aggressive toward family members, we give them a “time-out” in the freezer. After that, they are always very good.
I watched this video almost a year ago. I re-watched today after raising rabbits. Everything is accurate! Thank you for your fantastic video!
These cages are to small, and wire will give them sore hocks plus water bottles are not natural.
Best beginner video of dos & don’ts EVER. I’m just starting out and I really needed to hear this brother. Thank you
THANK YOU!!!!!
The lady I got my buns from said to fill balloons with water and freeze them. When hot just peel off the balloon and then the buns can lick it to get hydrated and stay cool. No plastic for them to chew on or to wash like you have with 2 liter bottles. I might put them in a bowl now so that they have ice AND water. Loved the vid, great suggestions!
Fill baggies with water and freeze them.
Dont put them in water ice in water will shock their system same with dogs and cats
Rabbits hate ice water. They prefer room temp.
@@Bomber411 every bunny is different! Mine like the ice. They lick it and lay next to it just fine. They also have regular room temp water available via their auto-water system.
@@alaynakennedy3086 this isn't actually true and is related to a fake news story that got passed around circa 2007. Certainly full-body immersion in ice water would shock any animal, but this isn't what we're talking about here. abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/truth-ice-water-dogs/story?id=24231633
On top of breeding for heat tolerance also breed for Behavior. For the longest time I did not focus on the look of the rabbit or the body type, I only focused on the behavior. Now most of my rabbits demand pets all the time and my biggest Rex can be carried around like the tamest of cats.
Their eating them. Probably shouldn't encourage them to cuddle up to bunnies they have to kill later.
My breeding does are very quiet. It's definitely a focus of our breeding choices. The rex I've noticed are not nearly as quiet as our NZ white, though handled the same
@@aviendha1154what if you love killing what you cuddle with
@@christophernieto4648 psycophathic behaviour
@@aviendha1154 I think it's healthy to be able to love something and give it a great life while also recognizing it won't live forever and has a higher purpose. I will be spoiling my rabbits rotten *because* I'm eating them 🤷🏻 plus breeding for behavior and handling them well allows to continue to be able to both sell pets and have meat with less fuss 🥰
Loved this. I'm a single mom of 4 and started with meat rabbits about 4ish years ago. Some people are pretty judgemental about it. But truly I've found the exact opposite to be true my children respect and truly understand where meat comes from. We have a clean sustainable option that we respect deeply. Nothing goes to waste their poop grows our gardens. The meat feeds us. The innards can be saved for the dog, and while I don't use the pelts that option is for sure there. I totally agree with you about having a plan. Being very upfront with your kids. And always double triple and quadruple sex check. Lol nothing worse than a rogue buck running around your harem....I'd say for us along with everything thag was mentioned is hutch prep...a hitch must be easy to clean. Rabbits poop and pee alot and you need ro have a plan for where it's gonna go and what you're gonna use it for. A good rabbit cage should be easy to spray clean and should have a way to easily collect poop. Thanks for the video
We just got our first blue Flemish Giant. Shes great, so sweet, calm, and clean. We have her in our apartment with us but were working on buying our own farm. I love learning about her care. Ms. Carrots is already spoiled
I use half inch galvanized mesh wire but i also built a larger cage than most. I also put a tile that is 18" square tile for them to be able to get off the wire if they like. Each rabbit has their own fan. Great idea about the bug fan screen. My quail would love that.
I appreciate the advice. Urban homesteader that received two Dutch breeding rabbits as a gift from a farmer I feel more confident about it
Also putting a ceramic tile to lay on will help keep them cool.
"rabbits do breed like rabbits." lol.. deep thoughts ;) great video. Just kindled our first litter 3 weeks ago. WooHoo!!
WooHoo INDEED!!!!!!!! Way to go!
Please remember to go to bettertogetherlife.com/rabbits so you don’t miss out on when our rabbit course will be released! Sometime this summer. 😁
Good evening thans for that vido lust cuting up wire to start my cage
My rabbit was breeding and the other one getting breeded was running away .
Unless you buy 3 does and no buck. Lol. 🙋♀️
Fill a plastic bottle with water and freeze it, place in cage, the rabbits stretch out and lay along side it so keeping cool, temps here reach over 40 C so keeping them cool is an on going issue but this has been the best (and cheapest) solution we have tried. Never had one chew them yet either. Also stops the males from becoming heat sterile.
I do this! It works wonderfully!
We also tried not having a bottom in our rabbit tractor. Then when it got hot in the summer, we tried having an open area for the rabbits to get fresh air because we had more rabbits than cages and we ended up with accidental free range rabbits...who ended up all disappearing over a month 🤣
My rabbits here in suburbia are my manure/earthworm farmers! They each have a spot to get off the wire and they like to poop in that space. I use frozen soda bottles for them when the heat index becomes unbearable and they r all spoiled by the grandkids but...all that will change when we move to the homestead! Great video again and excellent idea for the bottom hutch wire.
I've use quarter inch hardware cloth on wood hutch. You simply put them a board in the bottom big enough to rest on. Never had much problem with sore hocks . ear mites ,crust I've used vegetable oil in their ears oilve oil as well also baby oil . Wooden hutches they will chew to peaces in a year. I learned to make cages out of one by half inch wire. Then build a wooden frame with a roof just slide them into place. They can't chew on the frame that way. But the guy at the store was giving you good advice. My first littler of babies got thier feet chewed off one night by a predator thier feet was sticking threw the wire mind you kits feet is small. I was about thirteen. I was horrified I had to despose of my first littler.
Great comment Junior! Thank you so much for your insight! 🙂
Just found this channel and it seems awesome already. I’ve been breeding rabbits for 8 years and I’ve learned a LOT and still learning.
I am so glad you're in Texas and can understand the true and indisputable term, "HOT"! My hubby and I are about to take on the task of raising meat rabbits. Your videos are soooooooooo helpful to us in preparation of this new adventure. We live in Northeast Texas, close-ish to Longview. Whereabouts are y'all at?
Also on rabbits tractors.....so I actually buy up large dog crates when I see them for cheap on fb marketplace. I live in town and keep them in the hard to mow places over my yard.
I do this to I flip them over so the smaller holes are down. then I put the plastic tray on top and hold it down with something heavy. Then I line the sides with something breathable that can also block the sun. I try to keep umbrellas on hand to to add extra shade. Once the trees in my food forest gets bigger they will cast alot more shade.
My advice is keep your old wore out jeans and use the pant legs for your arm protection along with the gloves!
Great tip!
Great video :) had to laugh at the kids/cute baby bunnies section. So true. One thought on the scratching: If you're just transferring rabbits who don't like to be handled, you can buy a pair of rose gardening gloves that should work well if you don't have to do delicate finger work like trimming nails or simply want to pet the rabbit. The gloves go clear to my elbows and they will last for a really long time if you care for them properly.
"They will JACK YOU UP!" Buwahaha! Perfect emphasis!
Yes, and watch out for slashers too, I had a couple of beautiful males I had to cull because they were so aggressive, they would get up on their back legs and go after you by using their front teeth like razor blades with a sideways strike. A bunny bite is bad enough... and yes, I had gloves on, good thing or I would have been laid open to the bone instead of just a bad cut through the glove.
@@aought2 (jaw drops to the floor) that is so crazy!!!
@@aought2 uh those naughtiest ones get a short trip to the Crock-Pot with some carrots, onions, garlic, salt pepper and Bisquick. Their final resting spot is on a nice bed of mashed potatoes.
@@mamamode1312 Wow, how do you even...uh dispatch...a rabbit that is that aggressive?
@@TheRainHarvester one good sharp whack with a hatchet just behind the ears.
I would add choose your breed/breeds carefully for their intended uses. No matter why you are raising rabbits there is a variety that is ideal for you. Having the right breed will improve your outcome more then can be believed.
Great video, thank you for these suggestions. Knowing what to do with the rabbits in the beginning is so true it started as livestock. We bought a male and female rabbits, a month later the female gave birth to a litter of 6 bunnies we separated the male and female rabbits and a month later to our surprise a second litter of 8 bunnies were born. We decided to keep 3 of her second litter and the parents and 2 other bunnies of second litter were adopted as pets by my friend and her kids and the rest will become meat rabbits. I want to keep them all but can’t too many to care for. The downsize is the cost of rabbit food, Timothy hay, alfalfa, straw for bedding adds up, the cleaning of they’re housing is a lot of work we didn’t realize in the beginning. I thought cleaning my cat’s litter box was a lot of work, no the rabbit’s cage is way more work and has to be done weekly. We have our rabbit area in our barn set up with a big rectangular cage with no bottom on cement and add a lot of straw on the bottom for cushion. All that dirty straw has to be shoveled into a can for our burn pile and then replaced with new clean straw. We go thru a straw bale quickly. I made an outdoor enclosure for them to get playtime outside daily. Going into the summer months I’m starting to build a rabbit hutch and was about to use the hardwire cloth but worried about sore hocks so glad you suggested the better flooring option I can use. Any animals we have for pets or livestock we always treat them with love, respect and kindness and want them to enjoy their quality of life.
Bob Bennett suggests not using a concrete floor bcuz disease and illness is more likely. Storey's guide to raising rabbits
@@priscillawagner6205 did you ever meet Bob Bennett. He lives near me and I was thinking of contacting him. Many blessings everyone.
You forgot to mention the gauge. 1 x 1/2" flooring will still cause sore hocks if you do 16 gauge, so although you can do walls with 16 gauge, your floors need to be 14 gauge, and with the 1/2" side UP! :)
I agree. Floor wire must be installed smooth side up (the side with the wires closer together on top).
THANK YOU! Exactly!
Great video, thanks
Just got a pair of Californian rabbits 3 weeks ago and everything you manetioned is absolutely true 😅.
But they are a great first animal on the homestead, especially a very small one like mine.
Thanks again and all the best 🙏👋
Great video number five is so true cant count how many times people have contacted me needing help after they already have 20+ rabbits😬 they started out as three😂
Very good info . I raised rabbits a long time ago. I had over 300 .
Woooooaaaaahhhh. That’s a lot of bunnies! 😂
1/4 inch hardware cloth (aka fence wire, aviary wire, etc) is known as "baby saver wire". It is commonly used in recessed, built-in nest boxes and such. 16-20 gauge 1X0.5 would be your standard floor, and 1x2 inch would be your standard sides and top. In making my own cages, I found that either orientation can work fine. It is quite easy to cut in feeders and other accessories (I highly recommend an external hopper feeder [with a top cover if outside]) And, yes, some will chew on the floor wire. Actually had 1 pass with his teeth wrapped around the floor wire (very narrow nose). Rabbits should be given hardwood blocks and such to throw around and chew on. Their teeth grow constantly, so they need such things in a similar fashion to how birds need cuttle bones. AVOID SOFTWOODS AROUND RABBITS.
Most breeds of domestic rabbit come from Euro stock. The larger ears the better they handle heat, generally. There are a few domestic breeds that are hares. Hares in general deal with heat better. Your hutch is much taller than it needs to be. Personally, I HATE wooden hutches, but they're functional. The smaller area you need to cool, the easier it is to cool and to keep cool. Look for a variation of "shade cloth". Make sure you get a UV resistant version and don't get the stuff you put in a garden to keep weeds down. The shade cloth does what it sounds like, it provides shade without completely blocking the good parts of the sun. Additionally, you can set a drip line on it for the especially hot days, like we have been experiencing. Drape it over that tin, and you can probably drop the temp a good 10 degrees right under the tin. Not as good at the floor, but you get the idea. Completely surround them (or just mostly), and that 10 degree drop will move down the frame.
LOL. Rabbits are burrowers. It's like not giving a cat a litter box. You're not playing to their natural instincts. An old world method for rabbit raising was to give them free range, but sink ceramic or (later) cement piping into the ground. As long as they have their hideaway, they won't dig much. They are every bit as curious as cats, tho. So plan accordingly.
An option for grazing is to create holding pens/cages with a wire floor just above the ground. The rabbits will pull the grass up by the roots, if they can. Keeping them an inch or 2 above the ground will keep the grass healthy. Building the pens to move around will allow you to "mow your lawn" and keep your grazing area healthy.
Anyone who is complaining about the back claws has never been bitten by a rabbit. In shows, rabbits can kick and scratch almost as much as they want, but 1 bite and they are DQ'd. Don't resort to gloves. That cuts your connection, making it much harder to tell what the animal is getting ready to do, gloves are slick on their fur, and gloves themselves will freak rabbits out. Look up FFA and/or 4-H Rabbit Showmanship for many great tips on rabbit handling. You don't seem to be selling the furs (such a shame), so you don't need to worry about bruising the pelts. There is a technique for holding the rabbit that takes practice to not damage the pelt, but is very effective from the get-go. Hard to describe, but basically - Index finger behind the ears; mid to pinky over the ears; come down on the withers and grab the scruff. With this, you can control the head with the thumb and index, and kicks are going to have a harder time landing solidly. Then the other arm wraps around the far side and scoops up the butt. You will have the rabbit so secure and safe, that 8/10 times it will not kick.
If you mess with your animals every day, they will be much less likely to hurt you, and you will find that training certain behaviors will become 2nd-nature. Try a little 1 finger scritch on the bridge above the nose, between the eyes. Get them used to that, and they will charge the door to get some attention.
Breeding for meat when kids are around.... Doesn't matter how cute or ugly, it's gonna be tough at times. But seriously, you are not set up for sustained meat production. You need at least 3 does at any one time. Unrelated does, preferably. Each breeder doe needs her own cage. Each breeder buck should have his own, but there are other options. If you're not selling out extras, then you should be gelding all extra males. These "Steers" are the main meat. They are less territorial, can't breed, and still grow well, so you can keep them in a bigger cage/pen.
You need to breed carefully. Rabbits are capable of conceiving while they are pregnant. Their uterus literally branches into 2 paths and the ovaries usually stagger their drops. Similar to a cat, but worse. I would usually leave a doe with the buck for 3 day to 2 weeks before putting her back in her cage with a nest box (I like separate nest boxes because they're easier to keep clean).
I never did the "free range" methods, but I know exactly how I would do it.
Thanks for the detailed information
Thanks for this insight.
Great info. Thank you!
You nailed it!! If rabbits need to be handled daily. I grew up raising them and I don’t ever remember being all tore up. 🤷♂️
@@williammccoll3404 Different rabbits, different personalities. 1st time I ran into a biter was a 18 pound French Lop Doe. I named her Baby because I was raised that the other "B word" was impolite. She was really nice in every other way. Hardly kicked. Good momma. But If she got startled, she rushed forward teeth first. You can imagine how she reacted to a carrot. (It's a stereotype because there is a kernel of truth.)
I new a couple that would take off at top speed 1st chance they got. Some times I'd come out to them doing laps inside their cages.
There were a few kickers that just never really learned to get over it. They were always the skittish ones.
Had a little Netherland Dwarf that would always climb my chest and either try to get in my face or climb onto my shoulder. Then he decided to find out what my nose tasted like.
Some of my time raising rabbits was spent sharing space with a long time breeder. She had Beverens and New Zealands, while I was more into the Mini Lops and Champagne D'Argents, at the time. Big difference between my shed at home and that 1/4 acre barn. Even at that scale, a little attention goes a long way in the trust game.
Love it! I have made the same mistakes. I got a few ideas and thank you for those! The coated metal for the bottom is on my to do list. Thank you!!!!
You are very welcome!!!
Please note that chewing vinyl coating like that is VERY common. Probably not going to kill them. The little pieces will pass right through the system, but I doubt that is stainless steel below that coating. You may get lucky and not get a vinyl chewer, but they do chew on floor wire.
Thanks for such an informative and entertaining video! I wish my family had known yours when we were still a young homeschooling family. Our four are launched. God bless you and yours. As a matter of fact, I’ve just started with meat rabbits to help our grandchildren have the experience of animal husbandry and learning to respect the Lord’s way of responsible living. Glad to have found your channel and hope to learn a lot. Best regards from north Texas.
I am 75 years man. I just moved in a new place. I will raise rabbit in my big back yard. Thanks for shared you experience. Hopefully can learn more from you by the future.
Thank you!!! You will love them.
Good info. Yesterday only I made my first cage. Thanks bro.!!
Thank you
With all the predictions of food shortages this is great information.
My husband is resistant but I'm trying to convince him we can keep our cat fed at least.
For my rabbit tractors, I just put a wire barrier 12" wide around the perimeter. That way they can dig a little in the center but not escape.
We have an old trampoline frame-chicken tractor with a wire barrier on the perimeter that I am hoping does that exact thing. We're new to rabbits.
This 12” is that around the outside ? Or the inside ?
@@michaelripperger5674 inside
Your original rabbit video was a big inspiration to get rabbits. They are awesome.
Started in rabbits several years ago. My rabbits chewed the vinyl off the floor wire. Don't waste my money on that anymore. Also, I use all wire cages on a PVC pipe support system. Easy to assemble and keep clean. The wood frame of your cages can hold bacteria and be hard to keep sanitary. Just a few things to think about.
I have a handful of wire cages, if this project of rabbits takes off a PVC pipe frame is next on the agenda, intent to hold 2 rows of 4 each.
I'd love to see a picture of you pvc cage
@@josephvita8943 Think there's a misunderstanding. The cages are still wire, however instead of hanging them from the ceiling joists, they would instead rest on shelves in a PVC pipe frame. Hope this clears things up. Think AA was saying the same thing.
I had wondered about that myself. How long have you had your cages on pvc? Wondering how long they would hold up.
@@cyndismith4939 I use 3/4" schedule 40 PVC, typical sprinkler system pipe. Been in use for about 6 years with no sign of needing to be replaced. Figure it will outlast the cages.
Great video, thanks. Starting out with bunnies, again after a few years. Great reminder. I almost made the 1/4’ Hardware cloth mistake! Thank you! Thank you! Have a great weekend!!!! Peace out from Vermont !
No babies on big wire though...
Soo happy this came up in my feed, we just got two does and a buck
We also just got to does and a buck a month ago. One of the does had been bred before we got her and she gave birth just over a week ago!
And the other two are about 11 weeks old and are from the same kindling.
We are now trying to figure out which rabbits we keep for genetic diversity... We were originally going to be only keeping two does and one buck, but we don't want to breed too close together.
So we are wondering if we should only keep the 11 week old buck, the mom that just have birth, and one of her daughters...ugh decisions...
Wire on the bottom of rabbit cages without constantly having bedding or hay on the bottom will damage their feet. Especially if not coated and when it is smaller. I had bought a rabbit that lived in a plain wire bottom cage since birth and had sensitive deformed weird feet from it. Always be careful! I do like you tips!!
The number one thing you forgot is DO NOT USE rabbit water bottles 100% recommended water dishes. The water bottles only give small amounts of water dehydrating them and then when it comes to winter the water bottle freeze up and their useless. At least with water dishes in winter the rabbit will be able to chew the ice and or drink the water before it freezes.
So, rabbits can be left outside?
Water bottles are perfectly good, as long as they aren't frozen.
Any water system needs maintenance. This includes regularly flushing the system. If you can't get a good flow from a light touch, then you have a block and need to clean the system.
Every system has pros and cons. Good ol' reliable crocks are good for freezing conditions, but they are open to catching everything. Fur, feces, urine, dust, bugs, you name it. And, yes, I have had to scrub many crocks that became "soiled" for one reason or another.
I have seen far too many "automatic" systems that were trusted way too much. Those can get nasty, too. Especially if the reservoir isn't covered completely.
For anyone with just a single pet rabbit or 2, I HIGHLY recommend a drinking bottle and a monthly scrub. The kind with a ball on the end of a metal tube. Just flick the ball a couple times to check the flow. A light touch should get you a big drop every time. There is a type with no ball and just an opening. Those are for hamsters and small mice. You want the nice big, 1/4 inch (1/8?) pipe. It will have 2 or 3 ball bearings. The rabbit licks it and they can get water just as fast as an open crock. There are smaller ones, and I think that may be where the perception of being inefficient comes in. Get the bigger ones, and you'll do fine. Just don't get the ones for cows. Those are MUCH bigger.
@@cynthialopez4485 Most people keep their rabbits outside. Usually in some sort of "hutch" or a shed-building known as a rabbitry. Naturally, many pet rabbits are kept inside the house.
There is also "free range" rabbit raising. That has it's own issues, and I would not recommend it for most situations.
@@kmcd6140
Thank you.
@@cynthialopez4485
Yes. God designed them to grow a thick undercoat of fur to keep them warm in winter and shed it off in the summer. They need shelter from direct sun, wind, and rain. In the wild, they would burrow into a hole in the ground or a hollow tree stump for protection from
inclement weather.
Just a tip regarding tip 1 i put a ceramic tile in my hutch so the rabbits can sit on it when its hot and cold and so there paws are protected the nest box is always solid bottom to avoid unnecessary draft and water
That's the first time I've heard about the claws! Thanks for the warning!
Look up "Rabbit Showmanship" techniques. It will help a lot.
Most of us “discover” the claws with no warning. I still have visible scars on my arms from my childhood pet rabbits.
I made the same mistake at first that you did by not having a bottom to the rabbit tractor. My solution was to attach wire fencing of 2x4 inch. We were chasing rabbits around and around the tractor with nets! I've also had my arms shredded by rabbits; sleeves and gloves, and jacket helpful too.
Hey! Great to see you all. Thanks for the info!
Hi ya Julie!!
very insightful, sir. I was about to buy rabbits not knowing what to expect and do. Plus my backyard here in the city of San Diego, CA is not that big but I have couple of trees for shades. Thank you.
This has seriously helped me so much, as a first time rabbit owner
Yay!
Oh no I hope it didn’t because listen hutches aren’t even the best for them and especially leaving the rabbits outside. I got 5 bunnies rn. The best person to get information from is Lennon the bunny.
@@--_5342 ya and they are prey
@@--_5342 hutches can be okay but the ones he uses are far too small
@@--_5342 I think he has them as pets. I think he eats them. I believe that’s why they are trapped in there.
I've been breeding rabbits for 18 years... you are right on point with your bunnies... to help with the scratching issue, cut there nails once a month... like cutting a dogs nails! very easy.
That was very informative!
I'm about to start raising rabits in the great northwest.
Thanks
I’m really liking your podcasts! I respect the way that you treat your animals❤️
Oh really???!!! That is so awesome! Thank you for listening to it!!
loved it... I made all five mistakes.
Lol. Thank you for the informative video and walk down memory lane. I raised them as a kid and now at 63 yes old jumping into it again. Just purchased the 1/2 " hard ware cloth, umpfff....
Great ! I have a bunch of rabbits right nos on our hestead and this is all new.
Love all the hay in your cages:)! They look nice and roomy:)! Thanks for all the tips:)!
You hit the nail on the head with each point and for me the fourth i.e. respecting their back hind lethal legs resonates most. I couldn't agree with you any more with everything said more so how cute the baby bunnies are until they age up and figure out they don't like being handled as much. Thank you for your effort to make this video and generally documenting your homestead. Africa appreciates #+254.
I love the floor wire idea, I'm mulling over adding rabbits to our farm. thanks for the vid!
Don't over think it. Go get ya some New Zelands or Rex rabbits. You wont regret it. Pretty easy. I recently got a NZ buck love him. Keep em clean fed & safe & you & your family will be eating GOOD & SOOO HEALTHY!!! Very little fat. Best of luck.
Wire bottom cages are really harmful for them. They hate it. Even if they're raised for meat they deserve to be comfortable. If the cage is large enough they'll choose a corner to pee/poop in and just put down a litter tray in that corner. Easy to clean and better for the rabbits feet.
Keep posting, love the information. Thank you so much
I have question....
With so much land , why not have a larger rabbit hutch?
Domestic rabbits don't need that much space. Also think about all the commercially raised beef/chicken/pork that's raised in much more cramped and far worse conditions. His rabbits are FINE
@@MollyGoesLightly27 rabbits do need a lot of space
He would have to seriously, seriously secure it.. Keep rabbits from burrowing out, keep it covered over top for birds of prey. Maybe more time and money then he has to dedicate to that right now. His rabbits are fine
One domestic rabbits needs a MINIMUM of 16 square feet of floor space.
@@miriahheim if you want to give your pets that much space, that's your choice, but they do not require that much space.
Typically keep 2 Male, 2 Females year round. Breed carefully to keep the freezer stocked, we figure 1-2 rabbits a week (about 75 rabbits/year for eating) Each litter is usually 6-8 so we will "breed up" the herd in the fall and again in the spring to avoid breeding in the coldest part of winter or hottest part of summer. Younger rabbits are a lot easier to skin and are more tender, so usually dress them out around 14 weeks.
please keep them together n open space to run around
Thanks so much! I just got 3 rabbits today!!!🐇
I love your videos! Also so excited I convinced my other half to get rabbits. Now if I can keep him from wanting to keep them all as pets we eat!
Thanks. Very informative and motivating. I'm finishing up my chicken coop today the rabit hutch will be next.
Awesome!!!!! That is great!
This year is different everywhere on my small town homestead. two buns have sore hocks. one lost most of his fur around his tail, probably from lying in water from the 20lbs of bagged crushed ice they get daily to keep them cool. I'm south of San Antonio and it's been in the 100s since mid-May. short of moving them all into an air-conditioned room ice and fans seem to work Feb! This is the first year I've had problems, also first year on ice. They live in wire dog kennels on top of wire dog kennels so their poop and urine goes right thru into a pile that gets scooped twice a year, whatever the chickens and ducks dont eat. Their cages are covered with wooden blinds from the thrift store and tarps in the rain (Ha!) or bad weather. They have paving stones or ceramic tiles to lay on and are under the shade of a live oak and a Hackberry tree. I'll get a new trio in fall for breeding since we're a small family Worse weather than the snow-pacalipse last feb!
I love this!!! You are totally right!
You have such a great personality and channel. Super happy to have found your channel. Posting to my Twitter for you! I hit the thumbs up button too! 🤣
excellent intell brother Bo!. we let ours go so we could work on getting our house and yard ready to sell. Probably gonna get back to it once we set up the new property.
Just received 2 does. Wanted to go through the “growing pains” without ending up with a massive amount of bunnies before I was fully ready. I have a small backyard homestead; using the bunny honey first for my garden. I really appreciated all the advice. Once I’m comfortable with these two I’ll start breeding. Thank you ou
2 unrelated does and an unrelated buck is a solid way to start. Reserve a daughter from each litter as a back-up. Sounds bad, but you have to plan for problems before they happen, if you want to be sustainably self-sufficient. Plan to introduce new blood at least every 3rd generation. You'll want at least a new buck, but I prefer a new buck AND doe. It takes good record keeping, but strong genetics are worth it.
An average lifespan is about 3-5 years. Average breeding years are about 0.5 years - 4.5 years. Knew a rabbit over 30, but she never kindled in her life. I had a pet Rex make it to 15, but, again, no litters. I say this because you need to have a "retirement" plan, as well.
1 last thing to plan for, always try to breed more than 1 doe at a time. There is no commercial milk replacement for rabbits that I know of.
2 things to always remember:
1: Clover = Poison
2: No softwoods
😅🤣🤣 I agree with all of the points but especially with No4.
No matter how gentle and how well you handle them - most rabbits will scratch or bite the heck out of you just because they hate being handled.
My forearms and chest are scarred like Wolverine attached me and I survived 😄.
Great video and grate content.
Keep it up - greetings from Poland.👋🙋
I love this channel. The guy is funny and tries to tell us what not to do as a result of personal experience.
Oh wow!!!!!!! Thank is so amazing!!!! Thank you!
David Meek ok David, I don’t mind you going at me on your own comment and I will have a civil discussion with you, but I don’t allow going off on other threads.
Please be nice. I don’t like blocking people.
I am being nice, so please be nice back.
David Meek wow. I am going to have to block you just so that I don’t get into trouble.
I agree with all your points. I would just add to pick one or two breeds and stick to it.
Love the advice and your videos!! Thank you 😊 be careful with rabbit tractors in Texas right now, since RHDV2 seems to be running rampant in the south and southwest, very sad 😞 What I’ve done with our small tractor is line just the sides a couple inches with garden fencing. Also, bunny math is real 😂 my Silver Fox just had 11 yesterday, my Creme d’Argent just had 10 yesterday, and my other Silver Fox is due today 😆 I’ll definitely be doing a bunny boom video soon!! Haha
Oh wow!!! You’re in Texas?
Oh sorry, just found you on Instagram. Not texas. 🤣🤣
Love your silver foxes!!! I was hoping I could buy some from you!
Better Together Life no I’m in Indiana! But I’ve been following the RHDV trend for a while, there’s been multiple reports of entire herds being killed off in AZ, NM, TX, and CO. It’s very scary and the only symptom most people see is death and sometimes bleeding out the mouth/nose. There’s a FB group called “North Americans RHDV2 Group” if you want to stay informed 😊
Thank you for the great advice.
You are very welcome!
Great video in my opinion. I went ahead and bought the vinyl coated wire but my rabbits did chew on it. It was discounted somewhere else for around 100 dollars.
So true we are in our fourth year and have learned a lot but you're right those are very good things and we made all those mistakes too, except for we haven't tried the rabbit tractor and really don't plan to. In our state we are having problems with that disease in the wild rabbits, so we kind of keep ours up high
I only was kicked once! I developed quick, calm voice & steady movements so they were not startled
The wire size should always be 1/2 x 1 16 or 14 gauge and always galvanized after weld. the pvc can work however there is a large chance that they will chew, scratch or it could just wear out over time, also if it gets a chunk taken out of it and the water gets inside it will rust on the inside, so that is why just galv is recommended instead.
Brother, just found y’all and just started this first video. Already liked, sub’d and cached this particular offering into our homesteading, agrarianism, and regenerative ag & ranch playlists! We live 20-30 min from all surrounding villages in SE Kansas, while our daughter, son n’ law, awesome identical twin 2.5 yr old grandsons, and 4.5 mo old en utero first granddaughter (!!! Miss Maebelle!) live in a nearby village of about 2K souls. We are canine training/behavioral professionals, and one of our clients from last summer, has continued in relationship with us, and is a member of the city counsel, and more to the point, the city code committee. Ironically, the counsel has before their present session a consideration for permitting townies to raise and rear a certain number of hens. So, just this evening, I sent her the Joe Rogan interview with Joel Stalatin regarding the recent initiative in that small Belgium town, wherein the city offered each household/family three free laying hens. I’m sure y’all are privy to that remarkable chicken initiative. So, hoping to see the same in our village! You channel immediately appears to offer so much great experience and wisdom, so looking forward to learning with y’all! God’s beat and blessings over you and yourn! Cheers!
Great video - heck yeah, I'm signing up:) Good job - friend from Florida
Awesome video! We've really learned allot watching. Thank you! Hitting that like button!
Thank you!!!!
just got a 2 months old rabbit, his name is Panda and his so adorable😍 but I have him as a pet though😁
So helpful and so funny. Best way to be taught! Like a comic speeding ticket class! 😂
Best beginner information I have ever listened to. 👍
I never thought of using pvc wire! Will do on our hutch build in a couple weeks!! Thanks Beau!!!
Coated wire, not pvc
Brilliant!
'Make a plan'.
Think about it. It's that simple.
Thank you!
P.S.
Gloves and sleeves was also a good tip as well.
You may consider using the half inch side of the wire on top.
Thank you for this video! I am going to start breeding rabbits soon, this was very helpful!
Way to go, you’ll love them!!!
15:12 "...rabbits, that will jack you up...!" Words to live by. 😆
Glad I found this, we are getting ready to add rabbits to the homestead. Some really good info here, thanks!
just put a 10 inch by 12 inch thin piece of plywood on the bottom of each cage for the rabbits to rest their feet on and everything will be fine
Living traditions homestead is a wonderful channel and has a whole series for raising rabbits
I love yer advice! My rabbitry's in a converted chicken coop, the wire suggestion is AWESOME since almost all my rabbits are Flemish or D'argent, lol, my rabbits all have been pretty good with me flippin them oer te clip the nails, or I hold a treat up so they stand and I can sneakily clip them hehe c: thanks fer the advice and video! Even experienced breeders can get some wisdom from this
@3:54 the wire flooring is wrong side up. If you flup it the other way, the cross wires are on the under side and will be even gentler on feet.
Great tip!
Raised rabbits on and off for thirty years. I have a scar that cuts from the base of my throat down my chest and across one boob. Lots more but that one is the most dramatic. When people ask why I don't sell rabbits for pets to kids, I just show them that. A bunny kick will rip you up.
We wear sweatshirts and kevlar gloves we bought at rabbit show. They still get us clawed, the babies are the worst with kitten sharp nails that you can't clip😑
Yup!!! You have to respect those nails!! 🤣🤣 🤕
Yes u can clip nails
@@katysutton8379 their quick is so very short before 8 wks old that we have only been able to gently nail file the tips. Our polish kits are the worst lol. At 8 wks we are able to nip the tips without hitting the quick before they go to new homes.
That's the main reason why our keepers were first babysling worn that got them to bond to us and accustomed to being handled, then leash trained. The sidewalks in town kept their nails filed. So, yes they did car rides to town when yes homeschool family did library run, or Petco Etc.
great info! thanks for the knowledge!
Great Intro video regarding rabbits! Thank you!