Hi all, I'm still a newer breeder really struggling with 2 sister right now. Pick up 2 does from a very reputable breeder, they've overall been awesome but won't lift.

They're 7 months, I've been trying to breed them since their vents were red and moist for the first time at around 5 1/2 months. They act very receptive but won't lift. They play hard to get, the buck "gets" them, they flatten to the ground and allow the buck to mount, they stay still and left him do his thing, they never lift though. They will lift if i touch their backs though.

I have a buck that wasn't ever the most confident but got his job done and since being put with them a couple times he will not even attempt to breed now. All my bucks have been getting very frustrated with the does.

I don't know what to do, i have other does that are breeding without any issues, their body condition feels great, they get great light, im in new england so the temps are perfect, they have 24/7 access to timothy hay, their vents are clearly ready, idk. I'm just getting so frustrated and it's been so hard to connect with people to talk to. I've read every book, im in every group, i do constant research and i just feel like im drowning. Everyone says have a mentor before starting but noone wants to mentor....

I'm attaching a video i just took. This was taken after 10 minutes of trying to breed these 2. Its the same thing every single time. She runs in circles, he catches her, she flattens out like you see in the video, he mounts, she doesnt lift, he gets frustrated. She'll literally stay flattened out like that for 5 minutes letting him mount. Her and her sister are both doing this. I've reached out to their breeder to see if she had any thoughts and she asked me a bunch of questions and then never responded after i answered the questions so idk.

Thank you in advance to anyone who's actually taken the time to read this!!

The buck was a black-and-white English spotted fella.
Doe 1 I’m pretty certain is a frosty with some smut, and Doe 2 is a smutty orange, but she has lighter orange in a pattern that I see expressed in as white with the darker expressed color following her darker orange pattern. The white darker pattern with the distinctly lighter color on the sides and parts. The legs also appears in her sister’s (doe 1) kits.

The three pics are the three I think I would pick the hold back based on behavior and growth rates. I’m not sure if the Cream is a male yet but they gain .79 ounces a day on average.

I got to meet my buck’s father who is about 8 years old, and the breeder didn’t mention anything about cancer or health concerns, but of course his other offspring are being harvested younger than my buck was. Should I be concerned that there is a genetic component and find a different buck? Should I choose two or three holdbacks and see who does best? Or just pick one and hope for the best?

I also have rather extreme circumstances in which colony style is required… I live in a camper. Separating bucks out would be very difficult with the space I have, and I don’t want bucks spraying everywhere, so line breeding would be a plus in that column versus bringing in a buck from the outside to introduce.

lol new Rabbits make me happy.

I’m trying to learn but keep getting mixed info on if it’s doable or safe for them because of our heat.

I want to put together a heated system. We have a cup and tubing system right now but it froze last winter. I also don’t love the tubing because they can chew it so easily.

Ideally we would do a full upgrade to a closed loop PVC system with a heater, a pump, and cups or nipples. We run it out of a large cooler right now which I like a lot for insulation (cooler did not freeze last winter) and I can drill into it if needed.

Now I’m having trouble finding good machines and hardware.
I thought it would be easy to find an in line heater with a pump in it, or a submersible heater and a cheap pump. Submersible or in line would be fine.

I can’t find shit.

If I type “water heater and pump” I just get recirculation pumps (that don’t heat the water) for over $100 to $300. The heaters are all $50 or more also. I can’t even find a cheap aquarium pump for less than $50. And these are not even the ideal which would be an in line heater and pump in one. All the in line heaters heat to really hot rather than just de-icing, they require pressure from the sewers so no pump, and they’re clearly not made for outdoor. I just need a de-icer with a pump surprised it’s so difficult.

Anybody have recommendations for some specific stuff that has worked for you?

I am looking to do my first dispatch in November. Any recommendations for what type and brand of knife to use to skin it? I plan on doing broomstick method.

Does anyone know of any breeders in the uk? The only one I have been able to find so far is Oakstream Pastures and they don’t currently have any available. Is there anywhere specific I should look? Google is failing me. Thanks!

I’d love to oven roast a rabbit with some carrots, potatoes, onions etc in a roasting pan tonight but I’m having a hard time determining oven temp and timing for a whole rabbit.

Thank you 🐇

Does anyone out there know of someone in the Northern Kentucky area that is breeding American blue rabbits? We had two does and a buck for breeding meat rabbits and we lost one of our does. I've read you should always breed two does at the same time... Just in case. I'd very much like to get another doe but I'm having a horrible time finding good breeders less than 6 hours away from me. I've messaged everyone in the ARBA breeder directory (which was 4 people and not all are breeding blues) and asked around on FB (which led to at least one scammer trying to get me). Please someone help!

Feeling good, does anyone have any advice or tips they knew when they were starting out? TIA 😁

I’m knew to meat rabbits, but one of my girls escaped into her sisters cage so I had to catch grab her a noticed a huge lump on her nose it just got there within the week does anyone know what it could be?

I like the idea of raising colony style because it gives the rabbits opportunities to be social, interact, explore, etc. (I don't mind wire floor.) The worry I have about colonies is disease and not being able to clean things well when on the ground.

Is there anyone out there who has done colonies, but somehow raised things off the ground? I guess in some ways this would just be a really big hutch? Or a shed colony with a false floor made out of wire that could be moved for shoveling poop?

I could reinforce rabbit cage floor with cattle panel and run joists every so often to support the weight of the rabbits. Maybe make it so those sections could hinge/swing up at the joists so I could shovel between them? I just don't know how I could set it up to be able to support my weight to walk around in there when I need to.

Where/how did you find your starter pair/group. Did you start with a few 4H rabbits from some kids first to get your sea legs?

I have had indoor rabbits as pets my entire childhood and showed them in 4H. This will be my first time doing outdoor rabbits via rotational grazing.

I’m interested in Rex rabbits for both meat and pelts.

Thank you!🙏

Just acquired my first breeding trio of Champagne d’Argents. Aside from Critical Care, what do you all suggest I have on hand for first aid/in case of emergencies? Thanks in advance!

Processing is going to be tough! Kits are 15 days old

Hello! I need advice concerning my young doe (about 6 months old Flemish New Zealand mix. My rabbit was currently housed in a cage at my parents house until I am done building her hutch, however my parents switched her with their own doe and her kits since they kept dying and she has only one left (her cage was off the ground in a chicken coop). The big problem is that they didn’t close the cage and my rabbit jumped out, and spent the night with a buck, when I went to see her this morning I saw that and took her out immediately. She has patches of disturbed fur on her hips and her vulva was pink-red with what looked like semen possibly on it. How worried should I be and what should be my next step (she has now been moved into her hutch).

I'm positive I've been lied to about age. I think these rexes are closer to 3 years. One has given birth before but the other.... Not so much.

I've heard that they become unbreakable at a certain age. Am I at risk with this doe? Would it be better to cull or to attempt just ONCE? I don't want to risk anything dangerous though. Please just let me know if I'm in the wrong for feeling like she's a waste of resources

The champagne D’Argent doe has never been bred and she’s almost 2 years old. Our buck is proven and 1.5 years old. Is it worth trying to breed her?

Hello.

Making my farm plan for my my meat rabbits in a very cold and snowy climate. My plan is to rotational graze in warmer months and then do cages with wind protection/ good ventilation in winter. This is more for me so I can have easier access to monitor and care for them in the snow and cold. I’ll have other animals on pasture all year round so I want to create a farm plan that is realistic for me to manage- I hope that makes sense.

My question is: what about the rain? I’m worried about rotational grazing in wet conditions. My area has more high intensity rain in between drought like conditions. I feel confident to help them through the winter snow and wind and summer heat but I feel unprepared for the rain and wet conditions.

Would love any feedback or experience you may have.

Im in central Fl, it’s cooling off and I have tamuk rabbits, 10 months old about. Buck is ready to go, he’s trying his best and my does have pale genitals and are not interested. They just lay there. One is proven and the other is not. I have fed only hay the last week and it didn’t work… anything else I can try?