Here is my rabbit raising timeline. I will update this as I breed, harvest, sell, trade, etc. I will try to post anything other than feeding or interacting with them. Water is on an automatic gravity system that provides for all rabbits, ducks, chickens, and quail. Daily rabbit feeding and takes about 5 minutes. I interact with them throughout the day when I can. They are a joy to watch and interact with, so I do it often since I find it relaxing.
To recap from my meager notes:
09/02/11 Grumpy bred
09/30/11 Nest box for Grumpy
10/03/11 Grumpy kindle date, first litter (kindled 2 kits, one died)
01/02/12 Bred Grumpy 7+ Due Feb 2
01/18/12 Sweety Nest Box
01/21/12 Sweety Due
01/30/12 Grumpy’s nest box
02/02/12 Grumpy Due, Last attempt, cull if less than 7 kits – (kindled 6 kits)
02/10/12 Sweety Bred (4x) Due March 12, 112
02/11/12 Tiny Bred (x5), Due March 13
03/09/12 Sweety Nest Box
03/10/12 Tiny Nest Box
03/12/12 Sweety Due (kindled 5 kits)
03/13/12 Tiny Due (kindled 5 kits)
03/15/12 Fostered Tiny’s 5 kits to Sweety
03/15/12 Tiny bred 4x due apr 15
03/18/12 Grumpy culled, BlueTang made sausage out of her
03/26/12 Sweety’s cage, 1 kit died, no apparent cause
03/26/12 Feed purchased, Mana Pro “Grow” formula 50lbs/ $18
03/27/12 Current stock count:
Sweety w/ 9 kits : 2 of Sweety’s daughters : Chuck the buck :
4 kits in grow out : 7 kits in grow out : Tiny
Total 25 rabbits.
03/29/12 lost another kit in Sweety’s cage, no apparent cause, 9 left
03/31/12 sold 5 seven week old rabbits for $5 per, bulk sale. Traded two of the same litter for two Netherland rabbits. Not sure why I did that…too small for what I’m trying to accomplish. Not sure if they will end up as jerky, or I’ll sell them, either way, they are not long for my rabbitry.
04/04/12 lost another kit in Sweety’s cage, no apparent cause, 8 left
04/09/12 Feed purchased @ Tractor Supply, Mana Pro “Grow” formula 50lbs/ $18
04/11/12 Harvested the two Netherlands and a meat rabbit. Skins kept to go to RidgeRunner to be tanned.
04/12/12 tiny nest box
04/15/12 tiny due Delivered 6
01 May 12 Removed tiny’s nest box. HAY! Picked up some fresh timothy hay – $14, 50lbs rabbit feed – $18, 50lbs game bird starter (30% protein) $20.
02 May 12 Picked up 50lbs “Grow” rabbit feed (16% protein) $18 for does in milk and kits
05 May 12 Sweety Bred (2x) Due June 5, 2012
06 May 12 Tiny Bred (2x) Due June 6, 2012 I bred both back to back in order to try to keep two does in milk at once, in the event I lose a doe during birth, sort of an insurance policy to make sure I have a mother to raise the kits. This will be the last breeding until the end of summer due to the heat we have here.
10 May 12 Harvested three rabbits, leaving two does from the January litter (I think). that is the problem with red-eyed whites with no ear tags…might look into a tattoo kit. Hides are going to RidgeRunner.
03 June 12 Harvested 3 rabbits. Made rabbit liver/heart/kidney sausage. Emily LOVES it…Tasty! Hides to Ridgerunner.
06 June 12 Sweety & Tiny both had their litters, 7 and 8 respectively.
13 June 12 Sweety lost a kit due to the lack of babysave wire. I’m a dumbass, since I should know better..
Oh boy, no updates in forever!
22 Sep 2012 Update: 8 rabbits slated for harvest, between 2 and 4 months of age. Sweety, Tiny, and another one of Sweety’s daughters, no name yet, are still around for breeding. Still have the AlTex buck, Chuck, and he is looking forward to this fall when production gets ramped back up. We have found a GREAT recipe for rabbit- simply brining for 24 hours and then smoking it results in a product that is fabulous. We will be making a bunch of that this fall and winter.
22 Nov 2012 (Thanksgiving Day!) – Bred Tiny and Nona (“No Name”) yesterday (2x each) Due December 22.