We raise our rabbits for meat for the dogs. Red meats are our dogs' favorite type of food!
We do feed some pellets. The rabbits can go completely without pellets if they have constant access to pasture foods.
They are also fed vegetables and fruits.
We will only sell to people who will keep the rabbits cage free and in colonies (ie not in confinement and isolation).
The rabbits are not mean, but do not have pet rabbit temperaments either. Even with much handling as bunnies, they do not like to be handled as juniors or adults. They thrive on being able to act as they were meant to be:
eating fresh
being social with other rabbits
able to run
able to dig
Below are samples of our crossbred rabbit does, born here Spring 2016.
They are
American Chinchilla/NewZealand-Californian
This cross, for us is ALWAYS born black agouti.
When these are bred to the white buck below, they are producing colors:
white
californian
solid black
black agouti
Our herd buck, born here Spring 2016
New Zealand/Californian
Photo below:
This purebred Am.Chinchilla rabbit had kits, but they all died.
I cleaned out the nest, but she sat near the nest for three days, hoping the kits would be there.
I was concerned for her health, she was acting depressed, and was very engorged with milk.
Then, she started to behave with enthusiasm and was no longer engorged.
I discovered this :)
Here, she is nursing her four month old litter.
They have taken to nursing her milk, even as large as they are.
And this mother rabbit is grooming ALL the rabbits, even the ones who are not her offspring.
We are so happy we are colony raising the rabbits. This situation could have not happened otherwise.
It is a joy to raise our animals in a way that pleases YHWH, our Creator God.
And we get to see the delight of the animals in a more natural environment.
Our rabbits get to RUN, HOP, and DIG.
They experience all seasons of the year.
They really enjoy digging in the snow.
This will be our first winter having rabbits free to burrow.
We will see how this goes.
Photo below: I like to take the bunnies out and take a look at them weekly. I was pleasantly surprised to count 13 bunnies! Two mothers are using the same nest here. This is the first litter(s) that we have had more color variety. The California/ American Chinchilla cross has produced a dark silvering agouti coloring in all the offspring. This litter's mothers are both this cross. The sire(s) we have available in the colony are a pure white Californian/New Zealand and a dark silver agouti Californian/Am.Chinchilla. The offspring here are: 3 white. 2 black. 1 blue marten. 1 chinchilla. 6 dark silvering agouti.
I am pleased with these colors. I plan to eventually have no pink eyed rabbits. The Californians and New Zealand whites are fast growing rabbits and I started with this cross, bred to purebred American Chinchillas and very much like the offspring. But I'm happy to now get some color variety now. These other colors will have brown eyes, or possibly those hazel eyes our oldest mama purebred Am.Chinchilla has produced.
Color for meat rabbits may not matter to some people, but it is fun for us. :)
One of our sons has recently expressed interest in learning how to make use of the hide. I'm so happy that he desires to do this. I don't want to add this project to my schedule, but I'm very happy to not have any wasted parts at all. Color variety for hides will be fun for him.
I do all the butchering. I am the one who owns the dogs. The rabbits are being raised as dog food, to keep our dogs in optimal health. Rabbit meat is a very nutritious red meat. Our dogs crave rabbit meat and venison the most.
Our family eats kosher, so other meats are raised for us.
In our family, we don't co-own the animals, meaning they are not "family animals". Every animal is privately owned by a member of our family. Each person, is in charge of caring for their own animals and also responsible for the expenses. They gain the profit of sales too, of course. This way, each person, can evaluate if the animals they have are profitable to continue raising them. They can choose to buy and sell, under our guidance. We parents, help the children advertise their animals, and help them buy their animals, depending upon their maturity level. Our children can also have other non animal small businesses.
Photo Below: This is our rabbit barn. It was an old milk house.
There is a fenced yard surrounding the barn.
The fenced yard is not large enough to sustain all the rabbits' food needs, so we cut and carry greens from the pastures.
Inside the barn are plastic kennels, and plastic tubs for the rabbits to settle into, if they desire.
Sometimes they nest and have bunnies in the barn.
The rabbits have two "potty" places, in corners that the entire colony uses for urine.
The droppings are everywhere.
At the time of this photo, there are three complete burrows in the yard and two more being made.
Two of the burrows contain kits (young bunnies).
Often, the mother rabbits share a burrow, giving birth in the same nest.
The mother rabbits nurse their young once or twice a day. They will back bury their burrow, so predators do not know about the kits. When it's time to nurse their young, they dig, then feed them, then back bury the outer part of the burrow.
Some of the rabbits have a burrow that is too shallow, and some of the rabbits have not properly back buried. When this is the case, we place something over the burrow to keep predators out.
All the adult rabbits, along with youngsters who are no longer in the nests, go into the barn, with the door shut each evening. Their bunnies have been safe outside in the burrows.
Above photo is a litter of bunnies, in their mother's fur nest.
They are in the burrow, in the ground, dug by their mother.
Sometimes the rabbits have babies in the barn and sometimes they have their babies underground.
It's really special when the rabbits satisfy themselves in digging and burrowing.
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