Right before kindling (giving birth), the doe pulls fur and makes a nest in the hay. About five days before delivery, I clean the hutch thoroughly, put a wooden nest box in the back of the hutch and fill the back with plenty of clean hay. The normal gestation period for rabbits is 31 days. In our island climate, the optimum breeding season is mid-March until the start of hunting season, around November 1.įor best results, we take the doe to the buck’s hutch for breeding, twice, once early in the day and then later in the evening. I replace brood does when they reach 3 years of age with our own stock and replace bucks with a new blood line. In our production system, we figure that it takes about four months from breeding date to slaughter date, a useful calculation when determining when to breed and how many litters for each season. Inside each pen is a small house that serves as a den. A tarp covering the roof and sunny side provides adequate shade and protection from rain. (Please contact me for hutch construction plans.)įryers are housed in 4- by 4-foot dog “playpens,” with a wire top and bottom to protect from predators and prevent escapees. We started with hardware cloth but soon found that it sagged under the rabbit’s weight, so switched to the wire used to make lobster traps. These hutches are stick-built construction with an enclosed back and wire front. Our breed stock is housed in outdoor hutches all year. Housing rabbits is critical and must take into consideration the life cycle of the rabbit. Visit the breeder before you purchase livestock, and isolate a new rabbit for at least a week before introducing it to the herd. Other breeds to consider include Silver Fox, Champagne d’Argent, Cinnamon and Palomino. The California and New Zealand rabbits grow to a good slaughter weight in a relatively short time but are not necessarily suited to pasture. In our coastal location, we are developing a breed that tolerates fog and damp conditions, thrives and grows on pasture and chips, keeps a neat and clean hutch and is gentle to handle. Pay particular attention to your environment, as not all rabbit breeds thrive on pasture conditions. As our rabbits are bred for both pelts and meat, we chose Satin and New Zealand to start, and later introduced Crème d’Argent into the breed line. We first considered breed and breed stock in establishing the rabbit herd. Our rabbits are not housed in cages in a barn they have year-round access to outdoor areas. Our farm does not have grassy fields, but we have an abundance of wild rabbits (that raid my gardens) and pasture materials for feed (from patches of weedy hay growing around the edges of forest openings). Under the National Organic Program, organic livestock production is a management system that respects the animal’s health and wellbeing and provides housing and feed most closely resembling the natural environment. Over a period of nine years, we have been clearing the forest and building soil with organic hay, seaweed, chips, compost, rabbit manure and rock dust. Our farm site on Rabbit Hill is primarily thick spruce on rough rocky boulder ground overlooking Crocket Cove. When my husband and I moved to Stonington, the rabbitry became an important component of our organic farm plan. For several years I raised rabbits within the city limits of Bangor. Rabbit meat is an excellent source of protein the pelts can be used in numerous applications including hats, lap robes, cushion covers, vests and coats and rabbit manure is an excellent fertility source. All photos by Cheryl Wixson.įor the urban gardener or homesteader, domestic rabbits can be valuable livestock.
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