Saturday, January 12, 2013

12 cages

A member of Homesteading Today Rabbits forum was talking about starting out with 12 cages for 2 bucks and 10 does. Here is my reply.

Sorry to be late to the discussion.

Yes, I agree that all wire cage is more sanitary. An all wire cage can then be hung in a structure for shade and wind protection. If you use wood for the structure be sure to paint it with exterior grade paint. Two coats is better than one.

When I add up the cost of building my own cages, I find only a small savings over buying ready built. Because the cage companies buy their wire in the truckload and get a discount. So do the math. 24 x 36 inch for working does and growing litters is a good size.

If you decide to build your own, think about putting floor wire on top and bottom. That way when the bottom wire gets rusted out, you can turn the cage over and have a new floor.

2 bucks and 10 does is a lot to start with. Good plan to have 2 bucks. Nothing stops a breeding program faster than having a single buck drop dead for no apparent reason. Do you really need to have up to 80 or 90 baby rabbits you could get from 10 does?

It can be difficult to find breeding stock, so locating 12 rabbits can be a challenge. It can be expensive. Especially if the rabbits you buy are not good breeders. Then it is wasted money.

Get your 12 cages ready and start with 2 bucks and 3 does. It won't take long to fill up your cages.

You will find out which bucks and does are good producers. Save replacements from those first litters. Then you can replace any rabbits that are not producing as well as the others.

With 12 cages you could have 2 breeding bucks with one replacement growing, That takes 3 cages. Leaves 9 cages. You could have 4 or 5 working does. That leaves 4 or 5 cages for growing litters, don't forget to use one cage to grow replacement does. Two sisters in a cage will usually tolerate each other for at least 12 weeks.

The goal is to have a group of bucks and does selected for production. You can create your own production herd!

Best of luck to you.

Have a good day!

*You can see Homesteading Today Rabbits forum by going to:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/rabbits/

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Rabbits in the roof garden







 

(Photo: Rabbits in the roof garden of Palo Santo/Jacques Gautier)

Last Chance Foods: About Those Rabbits on the Rooftop...

Friday, January 04, 2013

Saturday, January 5, 2013

My Corner Of The World - San Francisco Zoo





 My Corner Of The World - San Francisco Zoo
(click pictures for larger image)

There is a world class zoo in San Francisco Calif. However, this "Rabbit and Guinea Pig" exhibit in the Children's Zoo area is poorly thought out. In other words, it's lame! The only animals visible are a couple of mixed breed rabbits in the little brown house. These people are Zoologists! This is the best they can do?!!

What about having some nice natural colored European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) which is our Domestic Rabbit and some natural colored Cavies? Okay, that's the end of my rant.




Beside the large new Primate buildings and the Lemur compound, SF Zoo combines some of the old with the new. Above is the entrance to old "Lion House."


Lions, tigers, and other big cats were kept here in cages on both side of the building. A zoo used to brag about having one of each kind of big cat. Here you see it as it looks today. Big cats are still housed in this building.


This used to be your total zoo experience when viewing a tiger. SF Zoo has kept the old cages like this. This big cat also has access to a group of enclosures just outside this building. 


Here is a tiger in an outside pen. Visitors can see the tiger walking, occasionally running. The tiger also has access to the indoor cage area.






Here is some lions sitting near the door to the Lion House, relaxing in the shade and watching the people at the zoo.

Some people will argue that this environment is un-natural for the cats and they are right. By bringing these animals and others for the education of the public we can create a connection between people and the animals. If people feel connected then they will care and will contribute to preservation of these animals.

For more info, visit the San Francisco Zoo website
http://www.sfzoo.org/

That's it from San Francisco, Calif. in My Corner Of The World!

Have a good day!