Rabbit Hutch and Little Known Rabbit Facts

Free standing - all metal Rabbit Hutch

Little Known Rabbit Facts
* Rabbits are rodents lagamorphs
* They breed like rabbits
Like any rodent,lagamorph uncontrolled breeding can lead to an over supply of rabbits. One doe can produce 30 or even 40 kits a year. Half of which will be does and will start breeding at 5 or 6 months of age. Do the math and will soon find that  in one year you may have 60 or more rabbits directly related to uncontrolled breeding conditions from 1 doe and buck!
** It is imperative that you cage/pen keeping bucks and does in separate pens or cages.
* Males are called Bucks
* Females are called Does
* Young rabbits are called Kits
* Rabbits produce a lot of manure in a years time.
You must be prepared and have a plan to use or dispose of all this manure. Spread in your garden and till in. Compost for later use. Beg your friends and neighbors to take some or all of it. Bag and sell it.

Rabbit breeding is not for the weak of faint hearted.
Yes I know they are cute, furry some say they are even adorable. However, if you are unable to kill, process and eat your rabbits you will soon be over run with rabbits, and you should consider raising chickens or getting a different hobby.

Helpful Breeding Hints.
* Prepare your hutches, feeding and water equipment ‘Before’ you get your first rabbit.
* Never name your food or breeding stock. Once you name them they are no longer food, they are your pet!
* Think ahead, they will need to be shaded and cooled in summer months. Protected from freezing winds, rain, ice and snow in winter months. {A lot more rabbits die from over heating than freezing to death.}

A over the top, rabbit habitat

* Does achieve breeding age and condition at 5 to 6 months of age.
* Bucks may become temporally sterile when temperatures go above 92 or so degrees.
* Overly fat does may not breed.
* Always take the doe to the bucks cage not the other way around.
* Gestation period is 31 +/- a day.
* Put nest box in doe cage on day 28 after breeding. Remove when kits start leaving the nest box. {Keep good records or you may find a litter of dead kits on your cage floor.}
* Most breeds will have 6 to 8 kits in each litter, however as many as 10 is not uncommon.
* Provide ample balanced food {Commercial blend is my choice} and clean fresh water for both the doe and her kits.
* Kits will start opening their eyes on about the 11th day after birth.
* Does will wean kits at 5 to 6 weeks of age.
* Move kits to feeding pen/cage once weaned.
* Keep you does healthy, don’t re-breed to soon after weaning kits.
* Kits will reach butcher weight at about 10 – 12 weeks of age. {I butcher when reaching 5 1/2 to 6 pounds.}
* Rabbits have few disease problems. However if you do get a sick rabbit, remove and isolate ‘Far’ away from your flock. Seek medical care right away for treatment or kill, bag and dispose of this sick animal. Disinfect all cages and hutches as soon as possible.

Why is Common Sense so Uncommon?
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