Suburban meat rabbits

2 posts

Member for

7 years 11 months
Last seen: 11/29/2016 - 09:33
Joined: 11/29/2016 - 09:15

Suburban meat rabbits

I'm setting up a rabbitry as a humane source of meat for myself. I just have one buck and 2 does and I'm thinking about companionship for the buck. Most internet advice articles suggest everyone be neutered before bonding but this is obviously not the solution for me, so I'm considering a neutered buck to keep the breeding buck company. I'm open to any sort of advice, I separated them to prevent the does becoming pregnant too young, so the buck doesn't bother them during pregnancy and so that I can have more control over who breeds and when. Also, they currently share a shed with a divider between males and females, they can still see and smell each other (I've lined the lower part of the divider with finer mesh to prevent mathing through the wire). Can you advise me on the best sort of companion for the intact buck? I'm willing to take the time to get them used to each other in a neutral space (guided by internet articles) and I'm aware that the intact buck will have hormonal fluctuations through his life. I suppose I'm asking for any advice that could help the bucks live together? Thanks in advance.

Last seen: 01/03/2017 - 19:01
Joined: 01/03/2017 - 17:41

Hi Rebecca042, rabbits do not need to have company like domestic pets. their main needs are a comfortable hutch or living quarters fresh water and food. I have kept rabbits for many years as a breeder and its best to keep intack bucks on thier own, being able to see the does is sufficent. If you place even a nuetered rabbit in the same cage he will continually force himself on his companion. mature rabbits for the most part are not overly active and as they are technically nocturnal they tend to just lay about for a good part of the day being most active from dusk till dawn. he may appear sad or depressed in the cage on his own but he really isnt. If you still feel he need company then use human company, take him out for a bit each day and give him a cuddle and let him sit in your lap while you groom him, this would be beneficial in handling him when mating etc.

 

As for the does, it sounds like they share a cage/hutch? if so when it comes time to breed and they are pregnant it is best to seperate as the other doe may kill the kits or the mother may ignore her babies.  Rabbits truely don't need pen mates and usually its better if kept seperate. There is a big difference between domestic rabbits and wild and the enviroments they live in so best not to compare what wild rabbits do and how to keep domestic rabbits.

 

good luck

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