Well stay warm Zane! We have lived here in Missouri for about 11 years now....this winter was the first one I missed our hometown of Tucson! There were a LOT of days I longed for "home" and the nice, mild winters! :)
Love these videos. We have had rabbits off and on all my life. (62 now) and I have still been learning new things from you. We are starting back to raising meat rabbit since our move from south Florida to north Florida. We had 2 does give birth the fisrt of the month. We're so excited. Got same chickens laying also. I feel like Mrs Farmer Joe. Keep the videos coming.
Separating the "pink" from the "blue" is a must for me, but still get a opps from time to time. I just don't always get to them as soon as I should. Yup....the weather is hanging on to winter. Wouldn't ya know this year I decided to raise my chicks early? Thanks for your Rabbit info.. always fun to watch..
Doesn't look much like spring with that heavy coat and gloves! The rabbits looked like enjoyed the grass right away. I hope you get spring soon. We already have summer (97 degrees today) here in AZ.
Love your meat rabbit series, as we are contemplating raising meat rabbits. For your rabbit tractor, is the wire opening on the bottom too large for the young ones?
Snow still coming where you are and obviously still cold. We still are behind you in the grass growth. It is supposed to snow here this afternoon. I have a question about the mesh wire on the floor of the tractor. Is that so they don't dig themselves out of the tractor, or so that varmints don't dig their way in, or both? The next question is does the mesh hinder them from getting at the grass? Want to see more about rabbit raising.
Thanks for your vids, I'm new sub. I've had rabbits off n on over many years and now have a small rabbitry for meat rabbits here in Philippines (retired US citizen) I like your vid, useful info and to the point. I'm glad to see you have some recipes published, I need more variety...:)Thanks again.
Love your channel! I would love to see a video about rabbits and wire. What size for what rabbits. After all, wire is expensive and us homesteaders like to be frugal. :)
When you mentioned the baby getting out of the nest box.......can you show your nestbox set-up or tell me if you already have a video about this? Thanks, Dawn
Have you guys considered a colony raising method? I've never done it myself but there are a few people on a meat rabbit Facebook group that do it. I don't have the set up for that type of thing. Wondered if it might offer you a little more cage space?
Hello! Is there a reason the moms aren’t kept in tractors? I know it’s probably more convenient for breeding and birthing to have mom in a cage in the shed, but I was wondering if there were any negative effects from giving mom her own tractor. I would like her to have fresh grass and sunshine too.
@@bosslady1914 If i recall correctly, rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, and I think the shade thing is mostly to prevent heat stroke since rabbits have super thick, well insulating fur its easy for them to overheat if kept in direct sunlight all the time
My first meat rabbit that I breed the day I brought her home began pulling her hair out and appeared to be making a nest in the corner. That was on day 17. 28 day Kindle date is 5/10. I am using your pdf form and I should have put the nest box on 5/17. I didn't know what to do so I put a nest box with grass hay in for her. She was very interested in it. By the end of the first day she made the pocket and the next day she had the box loaded with fur. She doesn't appear to be in any distress. No blood, mucus or signs of miscarriage. I have not varified pregnancy and don't plan to. I have been told "some mom's are early nesters". Should I leave the box in?
Can I put my rabbit tractor on my lawn that's about 70 yards away from a moving river and not be too concerned with my rabbit getting fur mites? Also does normal ants cause trouble for rabbits? There normal black ants NOT fire ants. Thanks!
I guess normal ants still aren't great since they pester rabbits. Yes it's ok but only if the animals that drink from river don't have communicable illnesses
Thanks for the video. I recently combined two litters (7 + 2) at 6 weeks of age and had no problems at all. In another 4 weeks I'm planning to sex them and separate them just to be sure. I was wondering if does who are brought up together this way could be released in a larger enclosed area to be kept free range with the pourpose of creating a colony: I tried last year with young does which did not knew one another, but it was a failure due to the level of aggression...
How do you handle the rainy season with young rabbits in tractors? Our ground over in East Tennessee gets saturated and we unfortunately just lost a couple kits that got wet overnight in a storm in July (not cold at all) 😓
What’s the best way to start your breeding process? Should you purchase a doe as a small kit or purchase one that’s already had litters previously? Same situation with your buck.
Stephanie Roach It's called Proven when a rabbit has been successfully bred previously. Obviously if you buy and adult or a proven doe then you won't have to wait to start breeding, and you don't have to worry about it being her first litter (which often first time mom's have some mishaps) but the only thing is that they're more expensive because of this.
Have you folks been able to process those Freedom Rangers? I'm interested in how your comparison ended up and your comments on the Freedom Ranger taste.
I don't quite get all the ado about separating the bucks and does at 12 weeks if they are going to be butchered in a couple weeks, if one or two get bred what's the big deal? The doe will be processed before she ever get's close to birthing.
Sara, yes im a newby to rabbits. I thought Hazel was preg. But as we are in 45 days and no kits im sure I have alot to learn about feeling for lil peas.lol. So She has been holding her bum up and her tail, put her in with Doc sat. He did his business 3 times. Put her back in on Sun. She wrnt to the corner of the cage and just sat there of course Doc sniffed and couldnt proceed. Did i miss the date or did he get it done on Sat.?
Lorie Habel anything more than 35 days and it's usually safe to assume they're not pregnant. Sounds like you should be good to go but sometimes the weather/season cause a lot of misses. Keep trying!
It's too cold here to put rabbits in a rabbit tractor like that. Our rabbits were able to go inside or outside and we kept heat lamps on in the winter. We had some does that would have their babies in the Winter, due to a Houdini buck, lol! One of our Giants had babies and she had no access at all to a buck. Did you know that many times they are Male and female? They can have babies by themselves. Of course she (who was supposed to be a he) had 1 the first time and 2 after that. But she kept taking them outside and they never made it. She (or he) may have sensed something was wrong with them. Or maybe (he) didn't have motherly instincts.
Sarah when you wean your kits, do you pull all of them out at once? I have 2 large litters 9 and 10 both are 8 weeks old. I also have some smaller litters 4-5-6 I know a little on the older side to start weaning, but wondered if I should pull all the kits at once ( not going to rebreed until September) or 3 one day then 2 then 3 then 2 to give mom a chance to dry up or??? what is your suggestion? I read if I pull them all at once they can get mastitis. I don't want that.
I have a question - meat rabbits when you're culling the old breeding stock, are they tougher than the young ones? Do you have a special way of cooking them any differently to help tenderize them?
Just wondering how hot the temps get in your part of the country during the summer for use of these Rabbit Tractors?....How hot is too hot for your type of tractors? Do they ever need shade, depending upon the heat index?
Actually, I have found that rabbits stay much cooler on the ground in a rabbit tractor than up off the ground in a wire cage. We raised rabbits in Phoenix, AZ using rabbit tractors. In that insane heat, we would make sure they were under a dense shade tree. Here in MO, the shade created by the tractor itself is enough to keep them cool. Check out this video I did about raising rabbits in the heat. th-cam.com/video/EiAHTI5ujdA/w-d-xo.html
Living Traditions Homestead - Yes, I have been catching up on your RABBIT series. What a wonderful and explanatory series on raising ‘meat rabbits’ - Thank You kindly.
We rebreed the mom when her new kits are 2 weeks old. Wean the litter at 5 weeks. Process them at 10-12 weeks depending on size (4 lbs or more live weight). Hope that helps!
Jon Palmer - I do. Any scraps after I cut the rabbit into parts go in a freezer bag until I have enough for a batch of sausage. I'm experimenting with spices, adding fat, and white wine.
I have a rabbit question that I can't find the answer for. I want to butcher the rabbits at the age of 16 weeks, and wean them at the age of 4-5 weeks. I'll have 2 does so possibly 2 litters at the same time. Is it possible to keep all the males in one pretty big cage and all females in the other? If they're weaned at 4-5 weeks, would they still fight at the age of 14-16 weeks? I want to keep the pelts (only litters from winter) but I don't have enough space for a cage for each single bunny... Some people say males won't fight, some people say they might injure each other :( or kill one another
In my experience, it would be ok as long as you combine them at weaning. At 16 weeks, they’re still pretty young and immature...behavior-wise. I’ve kept sisters together that long or longer with no problems.
Lol as it snows around you! I have 2 questions. I am in n tx. I raised my rabbits in hanging cages for a couple of years. During that time i had a horrible fly problem. Any ideas how to avoid that in the future? 2nd..i can butcher chickens no problem but cry when i butcher rabbits. Will i ever get over that? I sold my breeding stock because of that.
I am not sure if this will help this summer as this is my first year of rabbit raising, however I have 2 rows of hanging cages, under them I have fine wire mesh on the ground to catch the rabbit berries (poop) I take this out once every week or every other week and put it on trees, garden etc.. then hose off the screen and pour diluted white vinegar on it. I do have a lot of hay that drops through my cages as well so I have an added layer to keep moisture around my plants. I too live in Texas.
I think mother nature went on strike....lol. I'm getting pushed to the limit on having my seedlings inside. Just when you think no more freeze.....pow. Cross the fingers next week is it?....lol I would love to do rabbits but the wife is allergic to them, so going with chickens.
Hai serra I'M GOING TO CREATE A GOOD SMALL RABBITARY FARM BUT I have a matter to find out new breeds in sri lanka so will you be able to help me to have good breeds for my rabbit farm bye janaka from sri lanka
Hi Sarah, I would love to know what type rabbits you raise? You may have already done a video on this, if so could you shoot me the link? I have never ate rabbit so this is quite a difficult decision, to eat or not to eat? Eeehhh!🐇🐇😲😲
Karen Tuthill if you're raising them for meat there are a few breeds that are best because they have the fastest growth rate, easiest to skin, and best meat to bone ratio. The best meat breeds are New Zealand, Californian, Rex, and Silver Fox. There a a few more but these are the most common. You can mix any of those breeds also to produce a better bloodline
Brooke Tennant, Wow! 👍Thank you so much for the informatics about the rabbits. It was so kind of you to respond to my, still unsure, decision making. I am doing a lot of research on this matter so your answer is so helpful. Thank you again and God bless you so much 💖
I think the males will eventually fight and be aggressive, overbreed and annoy the females, possibly hurting them trying to breed when they're already pregnant, and eventually the females chew off the males balls
"as the weather is warming up".....as it's snowing in the background! CRAZY Missouri weather....snowed here too!
Well stay warm Zane! We have lived here in Missouri for about 11 years now....this winter was the first one I missed our hometown of Tucson! There were a LOT of days I longed for "home" and the nice, mild winters! :)
Love these videos. We have had rabbits off and on all my life. (62 now) and I have still been learning new things from you. We are starting back to raising meat rabbit since our move from south Florida to north Florida. We had 2 does give birth the fisrt of the month. We're so excited. Got same chickens laying also. I feel like Mrs Farmer Joe. Keep the videos coming.
Awesome I love your rabbit videos yes plz keep them comming
Good day to you guys !! 👍👍😁😁 Thanks for sharing your homesteading story and adventures with us all today 😁😁👍👍
Love these rabbit videos. You are filling a void out there in the TH-cam land
You guys are so great. Answer all the questions and are practical:)!
Thank you! Hoping for an updated video at the new location highlighting any new tips and tricks. I am just starting with a trio now.
Thanks for the info. Look forward to watching more.
Separating the "pink" from the "blue" is a must for me, but still get a opps from time to time. I just don't always get to them as soon as I should. Yup....the weather is hanging on to winter. Wouldn't ya know this year I decided to raise my chicks early? Thanks for your Rabbit info.. always fun to watch..
Good info, hope ti see your entry for the camera giveaway we are doing 😉 sounds like rain 😂 snow just melted here but cold and gloomy
Thanks for the info. I was just wondering this today since I have three litters.
I combine litters as soon as they're weaned. I breed all my does at the same time, so all their litters are within a day or two of the same age.
Doesn't look much like spring with that heavy coat and gloves! The rabbits looked like enjoyed the grass right away. I hope you get spring soon. We already have summer (97 degrees today) here in AZ.
love these rabbitvideos
Love your meat rabbit series, as we are contemplating raising meat rabbits. For your rabbit tractor, is the wire opening on the bottom too large for the young ones?
Love your videos
Snow still coming where you are and obviously still cold. We still are behind you in the grass growth. It is supposed to snow here this afternoon. I have a question about the mesh wire on the floor of the tractor. Is that so they don't dig themselves out of the tractor, or so that varmints don't dig their way in, or both? The next question is does the mesh hinder them from getting at the grass? Want to see more about rabbit raising.
I dehydrate the ears and give them to my dog as a treat she loves them.
Amanda Cook do you dehydrate them hair on?? What does the hair come out like??
No you scald them in boiling. Water first and the hair comes off fairly easy with a little scrapping.
What do you do with a rabbit mom after you don't want to breed it anymore? Do you eat her? How about the buck?
Yes, we eat them.
Thanks for your vids, I'm new sub. I've had rabbits off n on over many years and now have a small rabbitry for meat rabbits here in Philippines (retired US citizen) I like your vid, useful info and to the point. I'm glad to see you have some recipes published, I need more variety...:)Thanks again.
Awesome information!
Can I breed a dwarf n small new Zealand?
Love the rabbit videos. Plan to start raising them this year.
Have you had any issues with snakes once the rabbits were in the tractor?
How often do you eat a meal with rabbit? Is it something you could enjoy a few times a week?
I could eat it often... stews, bbq, jerkey,.
Especially if SHTF and there's not food on the shelves
YES! Thank you so much for this! I'm about to bet 2 does and a buck and this information is def something I need!
Love your channel! I would love to see a video about rabbits and wire. What size for what rabbits. After all, wire is expensive and us homesteaders like to be frugal. :)
When there is snow on ground, what do you do with the litters at 6 weeks? Where do you put them?
When you mentioned the baby getting out of the nest box.......can you show your nestbox set-up or tell me if you already have a video about this? Thanks, Dawn
I found my answer in your Raising Meat Rabbits play list :) .
Have you guys considered a colony raising method? I've never done it myself but there are a few people on a meat rabbit Facebook group that do it. I don't have the set up for that type of thing. Wondered if it might offer you a little more cage space?
I was thinking I do it all the time but the time those are ready for freezer camp I have more to put in the grow out
Hello! Is there a reason the moms aren’t kept in tractors? I know it’s probably more convenient for breeding and birthing to have mom in a cage in the shed, but I was wondering if there were any negative effects from giving mom her own tractor. I would like her to have fresh grass and sunshine too.
Good question, and are rabbits nocturnal? I've noticed they're usually kept in the shade
@@bosslady1914 If i recall correctly, rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, and I think the shade thing is mostly to prevent heat stroke since rabbits have super thick, well insulating fur its easy for them to overheat if kept in direct sunlight all the time
My first meat rabbit that I breed the day I brought her home began pulling her hair out and appeared to be making a nest in the corner. That was on day 17. 28 day Kindle date is 5/10. I am using your pdf form and I should have put the nest box on 5/17.
I didn't know what to do so I put a nest box with grass hay in for her. She was very interested in it. By the end of the first day she made the pocket and the next day she had the box loaded with fur. She doesn't appear to be in any distress. No blood, mucus or signs of miscarriage. I have not varified pregnancy and don't plan to. I have been told "some mom's are early nesters".
Should I leave the box in?
Is it bad to put 2x4 wire on the bottom of rabbit tractors or should you use wooden slats?
Can I put my rabbit tractor on my lawn that's about 70 yards away from a moving river and not be too concerned with my rabbit getting fur mites? Also does normal ants cause trouble for rabbits? There normal black ants NOT fire ants. Thanks!
I guess normal ants still aren't great since they pester rabbits. Yes it's ok but only if the animals that drink from river don't have communicable illnesses
What is an added measure to prevent varmints to crash a rabbit tractor? Is it more advantageous to incorporate a guardian dog on the outside?
Is there a video on building a rabbit tractor
Thanks for the video. I recently combined two litters (7 + 2) at 6 weeks of age and had no problems at all. In another 4 weeks I'm planning to sex them and separate them just to be sure. I was wondering if does who are brought up together this way could be released in a larger enclosed area to be kept free range with the pourpose of creating a colony: I tried last year with young does which did not knew one another, but it was a failure due to the level of aggression...
Cheers 😍😍
How do you handle the rainy season with young rabbits in tractors? Our ground over in East Tennessee gets saturated and we unfortunately just lost a couple kits that got wet overnight in a storm in July (not cold at all) 😓
Could you do a video on how harmful it is to move rabbits by the skin on their neck? How it literally separates the hide from the muscle beneath...
What’s the best way to start your breeding process? Should you purchase a doe as a small kit or purchase one that’s already had litters previously? Same situation with your buck.
Stephanie Roach It's called Proven when a rabbit has been successfully bred previously. Obviously if you buy and adult or a proven doe then you won't have to wait to start breeding, and you don't have to worry about it being her first litter (which often first time mom's have some mishaps) but the only thing is that they're more expensive because of this.
Have you folks been able to process those Freedom Rangers? I'm interested in how your comparison ended up and your comments on the Freedom Ranger taste.
Ok so im new at raising rabbits but do yall let them out for grass? And if yall do, do they ever dig under the fence
The rabbit tractors have wire on the bottom.
I don't quite get all the ado about separating the bucks and does at 12 weeks if they are going to be butchered in a couple weeks, if one or two get bred what's the big deal? The doe will be processed before she ever get's close to birthing.
Sara, yes im a newby to rabbits. I thought Hazel was preg. But as we are in 45 days and no kits im sure I have alot to learn about feeling for lil peas.lol. So She has been holding her bum up and her tail, put her in with Doc sat. He did his business 3 times. Put her back in on Sun. She wrnt to the corner of the cage and just sat there of course Doc sniffed and couldnt proceed. Did i miss the date or did he get it done on Sat.?
Lorie Habel anything more than 35 days and it's usually safe to assume they're not pregnant. Sounds like you should be good to go but sometimes the weather/season cause a lot of misses. Keep trying!
Brooke Tennant , thank you we put them back together again the boys were thumping and i hadnt seen that before so i hope it took this time around.
I see flurries flying by!! Yikes for you guys in Missouri
It's too cold here to put rabbits in a rabbit tractor like that. Our rabbits were able to go inside or outside and we kept heat lamps on in the winter. We had some does that would have their babies in the Winter, due to a Houdini buck, lol! One of our Giants had babies and she had no access at all to a buck. Did you know that many times they are Male and female? They can have babies by themselves. Of course she (who was supposed to be a he) had 1 the first time and 2 after that. But she kept taking them outside and they never made it. She (or he) may have sensed something was wrong with them. Or maybe (he) didn't have motherly instincts.
WHAT??? I never knew that.. That's crazy...
We thought so too!
Please what do you do when your doe won't breed
How many litters do you think one could put in a 10x10 rabbit tractor?
Do you have to put wire on bottom?
Yes, they will definitely dig out. Its not fun trying to catch them when they get loose.
Sarah when you wean your kits, do you pull all of them out at once? I have 2 large litters 9 and 10 both are 8 weeks old. I also have some smaller litters 4-5-6 I know a little on the older side to start weaning, but wondered if I should pull all the kits at once ( not going to rebreed until September) or 3 one day then 2 then 3 then 2 to give mom a chance to dry up or??? what is your suggestion? I read if I pull them all at once they can get mastitis. I don't want that.
I pull them all at once. I've never had an issue with mastitis.
I have a question - meat rabbits when you're culling the old breeding stock, are they tougher than the young ones? Do you have a special way of cooking them any differently to help tenderize them?
Yes, they are tougher. We pressure cook them.
That's what I figured, thank you!! PS - you guys are on FIRE this week. I think I remember you were at 42k subs last week and now at almost 55k!!
Just wondering how hot the temps get in your part of the country during the summer for use of these Rabbit Tractors?....How hot is too hot for your type of tractors? Do they ever need shade, depending upon the heat index?
Actually, I have found that rabbits stay much cooler on the ground in a rabbit tractor than up off the ground in a wire cage. We raised rabbits in Phoenix, AZ using rabbit tractors. In that insane heat, we would make sure they were under a dense shade tree. Here in MO, the shade created by the tractor itself is enough to keep them cool. Check out this video I did about raising rabbits in the heat. th-cam.com/video/EiAHTI5ujdA/w-d-xo.html
Living Traditions Homestead - Yes, I have been catching up on your RABBIT series. What a wonderful and explanatory series on raising ‘meat rabbits’ - Thank You kindly.
What is a good breed wean rebreed and butcher schedule my baby's never look big enough.
We rebreed the mom when her new kits are 2 weeks old. Wean the litter at 5 weeks. Process them at 10-12 weeks depending on size (4 lbs or more live weight). Hope that helps!
Do you ever grind up rabbit meat?
Jon Palmer - I do. Any scraps after I cut the rabbit into parts go in a freezer bag until I have enough for a batch of sausage. I'm experimenting with spices, adding fat, and white wine.
Natasha S. Thank you
I have a rabbit question that I can't find the answer for. I want to butcher the rabbits at the age of 16 weeks, and wean them at the age of 4-5 weeks. I'll have 2 does so possibly 2 litters at the same time. Is it possible to keep all the males in one pretty big cage and all females in the other? If they're weaned at 4-5 weeks, would they still fight at the age of 14-16 weeks? I want to keep the pelts (only litters from winter) but I don't have enough space for a cage for each single bunny... Some people say males won't fight, some people say they might injure each other :( or kill one another
In my experience, it would be ok as long as you combine them at weaning. At 16 weeks, they’re still pretty young and immature...behavior-wise. I’ve kept sisters together that long or longer with no problems.
@@LivingTraditionsHomestead thank you for the reply!
❤️🤗🙏
Should you not of introduced them to grass ???? For their gutt .. and for intro to disease and parasites …
Lol as it snows around you! I have 2 questions. I am in n tx. I raised my rabbits in hanging cages for a couple of years. During that time i had a horrible fly problem. Any ideas how to avoid that in the future? 2nd..i can butcher chickens no problem but cry when i butcher rabbits. Will i ever get over that? I sold my breeding stock because of that.
Tracy Bruring maybe run chickens under your rabbit cages ? Disrupt the fly larva cycle
I am not sure if this will help this summer as this is my first year of rabbit raising, however I have 2 rows of hanging cages, under them I have fine wire mesh on the ground to catch the rabbit berries (poop) I take this out once every week or every other week and put it on trees, garden etc.. then hose off the screen and pour diluted white vinegar on it. I do have a lot of hay that drops through my cages as well so I have an added layer to keep moisture around my plants. I too live in Texas.
I think mother nature went on strike....lol. I'm getting pushed to the limit on having my seedlings inside. Just when you think no more freeze.....pow. Cross the fingers next week is it?....lol I would love to do rabbits but the wife is allergic to them, so going with chickens.
Is that rain 🌧 again?
That day we had rain, sleet, and snow. Lol!
Tattoo or mark them in case you want to raise replacement stock sooner or later.
You mention how many rabbits you put into YOUR tractor but never mention the size of it. How many rabbits per square foot of daily moved mobile pen?
Hai serra I'M GOING TO CREATE A GOOD SMALL RABBITARY FARM BUT I have a matter to find out new breeds in sri lanka so will you be able to help me to have good breeds for my rabbit farm bye janaka from sri lanka
....is this Sarah Palin?
Hi Sarah, I would love to know what type rabbits you raise? You may have already done a video on this, if so could you shoot me the link? I have never ate rabbit so this is quite a difficult decision, to eat or not to eat? Eeehhh!🐇🐇😲😲
Karen Tuthill if you're raising them for meat there are a few breeds that are best because they have the fastest growth rate, easiest to skin, and best meat to bone ratio. The best meat breeds are New Zealand, Californian, Rex, and Silver Fox. There a a few more but these are the most common. You can mix any of those breeds also to produce a better bloodline
Brooke Tennant, Wow! 👍Thank you so much for the informatics about the rabbits. It was so kind of you to respond to my, still unsure, decision making. I am doing a lot of research on this matter so your answer is so helpful. Thank you again and God bless you so much 💖
why separate males and females? why dont you want them to breed in the rabbit tractor?
I think the males will eventually fight and be aggressive, overbreed and annoy the females, possibly hurting them trying to breed when they're already pregnant, and eventually the females chew off the males balls