Sarah, have you used creep feeders for feeding baby kits? The babies get a special high protein feeds, and the mother doesn't. We pulled the babies off the does at about four weeks. We bred back at two weeks. We left a kit on the mama when we pulled off The litter. A day we pulled the last kit off the mama and put that kit with the rest of the litter. We rarely had problems putting the last kit in with the mother. Ice, nice idea. Thanks for sharing. God bless America.
Hi Sarah, I have a few suggestions regarding heat problems with rabbits that hopefully may help you and your rabbits from loss of life due to heat. First, comment is on helping them stay cooler. Your right you need to keep them in shade or they will overheat and your comment on what to look for is dead on. Great indicator on when they are in peril from heat. Now as for my comment on shelter. on your flat rabbit ground hutches. Its good you use white tin/aluminum to help reflect heat but to give them more of a break from being baked you can try these two things that will in long run should help lower inside temps. instead of using tin or Aluminum try using the white plastic (such as they use on home siding) its cheaper, lighter and you can make the improvement by adding and additional A-frame on top of the additional hutch. make the A frame part of it 6-8 inches high using 1x1 (since they are only being used in summer and non supportive structure) and add the secondary piece of plastic. I further help it by puncture holes in lower roof to help relieve additional cool air to be forced down when ends are facing breeze. Leave Both ends open. The reason for this it will keep the sun that may heat up the roof (even on non sunny days) keeping the lower roof cooler as well as forcing air through it (same concept used to force air to super heat a rocket stove). I know the sides are well open to ventilation but just provides additional AC on those hot days. The other idea to help cool them off (for those that cant afford ice) is to use a pan or small pool that is a couple inches deep the length of the end of the cage. They can go and lay in it when they are starting to overheat. In my experiences when a rabbit gets to the point of being overly heated they will like most animals find water to lay in if they can. Anyways hope these suggestions are helpful to you or your viewers. :-)
Using paragraphs in the future will give you a better chance of people actually reading your comments. Looks like useful information, but hurts my eyes just looking at it.
This video is by far my favorite of your rabbit video, not because it’s any better than the others, in general, but because it points out the grim truth that all homesteaders know, but sometimes crushes new homesteaders: your stock will die. It’s sad, but every death is a learning opportunity.
Many years ago (over 20) when I first started with rabbits, I found that I couldn't breed my does due to the high number of mosquitoes in the summer, here in Florida. When I switched my breeding the cooler months with less, or no mosquitoes, things improved and I had no more difficulties. It was an eye opener back then to realize that unless I kept my rabbits in a screened area I couldn't have kits during the height of the mosquito season. However, sometimes just a simple change can make your rabbit raising experience more pleasant for you and your livestock.
Back when I raised rabbits in Hawaii I use to spray water on the metal roof of the building when the rabbitry got to warm. That made a huge difference. I also put shade cloth on the open walls the sun shined through but making sure the structure was still well vented.
How about filling a balloon with water an freezing it, then cutting off the balloon before giving it to them? Im looking into raising rabbits an im thrilled i found ur videos, im learning SOOOOOO MUCH ! lol
Thanks Sarah - your channel is great. being from a lot further north i don't have to worry about heat for much of the year, but appreciated the info, my wife and i are 21 years homesteading, we started with chicken egglayers, then meat birds, ducks, geese, guinea hens, Turkeys, and heritage hogs. This year in spring we started with meat rabbits, and have been learning as we go, your channel has been a great resource - thanks for posting all this information, your down to earth approach is much appreciated. All the best.
I am brand new at raising rabbits. Your videos are helping me to learn how to be successful at this new adventure. Thank you for all your tips! I just bought a breeding pair so onward to a new chapter in my life.🤗👍
I LOVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! I’m new to your channel. Live in Queen Creek AZ & just bought a house in IL. I grew up on a homestead in Puerto Rico & have longed to get back to that life. Retired military after 25 years. Now it’s coming together. I am learning A LOT from you two. Thank you & God bless you & all on your Homestead. Laura 👍♥️
Wow, this brought back memories. We had about 200 give or take. At the age of 12, when school let out the temperature was hot enough to melt the asphalt. By the time I arrived home and changed out of my school clothes one of my chores was to check on our rabbits. All of the sudden one by one rabbits started to stand up on their hindquarters and squalling, the only thing I could do was to spray them down to cool them off. I think by the time later in the evening when it was cooling off in Beeville TX,.we had 10 or more that served. BR549 I'm 68 now.
Hello, I’m loving this series on rabbits. Thank you so much. I’ve seen you’ve done recent one too and will watch those next. Your videos are wonderful. You do a great job and I’m taking tons of notes. I look forward to learning more. Thanks again! Melanie
Wow The film just pop up as I start thinking of rabbits for my own, and I see it is 4 years olx it is crazy:-) it is Best video series about rabbits cover all questions:-) good job Sarah
I Live in Florida on the space coast & we raise chickens for eggs & meat but plan on getting rabbits soon again & I enjoyed your teaching series on rabbits. I am a 71 year old married man & I still work all day on our homestead of 2 1/2 acres but plan on expanding to another acre just for our garden needs this year. Keep up the great videos series & God Bless you both & family in your adventure. The Malones
I've been looking at having a shallow tray as top of animal cages. I had a friend who helped a Panamanian friend install stainless trays on his flat roof. The daily thundershowers filled the trays and the sun cooked any mosquitoes that were thinking of moving in. It kept the house 10 degrees cooler as I'm told.
Where I live in Australia keeping or selling rabbits carries a 6 months jail sentence and maximum fine of $44,000. When we were living on acreage I would have liked to add bunnies to our selection of poultry. I still love to listen to your talks.
Where we live temperatures can get in the upper 90s we put a misting system In our rabbit barn and it seems to drop the temperature by 10-15 ° did really good last summer.
I heard this from somewhere I'm actually not sure. But if you take a glass or stone tile and put it in the freezer. It can be used as a cooling pad in a way
I am just starting the meat rabbit adventure. Im super stoked. I have 2 babies for now but have a buck and 2 does already bought and will bring them home when we have some more hutches built. Or a rabbit tractor or two built.
Awesome info!!!! I've been wanting to try meat rabbits for our family. Use to hunt a lot so love some wild rabbit meat, looking forward to the taste test!! You guys are awesome, thank you.
I'm thoroughly enjoying the rabbit series and learning a lot along the way. I'm moving way off grid and am strongly considering either chickens or rabbits. The winters where I'm going are harsh. So, if you haven't done a video on winter conditions with rabbits (I'll find out soon), please consider doing one.
This is absolutely awesome guys, thank you for all the tips. Enormously helpful as we're considering keeping rabbits but not sure if our climate is too extreme.
FYI, the Arizona or Arnold Palmer Half and Half Iced Tea Jugs are really thick and tough and are perfect for freezing water. I hate throwing them out (or even recycling them) and always look for ways to re-use them.
I am interested in raising rabbits so am learning a lot from this series. I am interested in a different breed but I assume most of the information pertains to all breeds.
Thank you so much for all the rabbit videos!!! We have just recently started by getting chickens and rabbits. We only got two does because my best friend has two males and we will mate them as needed. All of this information has been amazing! Thank you so much!
Interesting fact about sterility in the heat. We raised rabbits in the mountains of Colorado and never had an issue with that 😁. We are now in NE Oklahoma and it may be an issue here. Thanks for the info, we may take a break in the middle of summer.
There is a T.A.M.U.K. rabbit. These were bred I think at Texas A&M to be able to live better in the heat and even breed when it's hot. I am getting a couple tomorrow and I will see how they do.
Sri Vijaya rabbit form Chitradurga district Karnataka state India nation You are weather information is very good My form is in India very well fully for your video and your information thank you I watch the all your videos madam thank you so much
Rita, we had -35*C temperatures this past winter, and I noted the rabbits drank much more warm water 2 to 3 X's a day than when it finally warmed up, when their water consumption dropped. Mine were in an open shed, and fortunately they had a steady supply of apple branches to chew the bark off of, right up to 3" diameter. I was a little hesitant to breed at those temperatures, so if anyone has experienced breeding at Sub-zero temperatures please share your experiences. We also had great Hay and some Pellets.
Growing up, we had pet bunnies that looked like this breed. They never seemed to be stressed though we lived in the very hot and humid Philippines. I’m guessing they were an entirely different breed that just looks similar.
Thank you so much for this video... so informational!! How do you care for rabbits in the winter?? Also, I am looking for a shed or building plans for a place to keep my breeders... do you have such plans?? Thanks again!!
I have had chicken tractors similar but have to run out before a storm and cover them with tarps and weigh them down so they don't get drenched, hailed on, or what have you. Do you get severe storms where you worry how much shelter they have in a tractor with just a bit of tin on the sides?
pandura gonzalez or freeze it with only a little water on its side so water can still flow through but like a long ice cube through the whole bottle. Works for people water bottles too
I have to say that this particular video was the one that I was really waiting for. You mentioned that you lived in PHX. We live just outside Kingman so the lack of humidity bites us as well. We do have heat as well (maybe not as bad as PHX) and it MUST be addressed. I also raise compost worms and keeping them cool is also a paramount consideration. As for water and worms it is rather a "tightrope". Too little and the bin can become "cracklin'" dry and too much will give you mud. Frustrating to say the least. I do use frozen bottles (the juice 1.89 L that you spoke of) but I added Ice Extender which seems to work well. BUT ... if the rabbits will chew on them I am afraid that if they puncture the bottle the chemical might harm them. I have to figure out how to use them to cool BUT separate them the physical presence of the bottle. (Thinking cap ON) . Right now I'm only in the planning phase of rabbits so the more I know the fewer (I hope) mistakes I will make. One last thought. I am looking at either Barley Fodder or Wheat Grass for the mainstay of the rabbits. I have a friend that fed Barley Fodder to ALL her critters with fantastic results. I would love your thoughts on these alternatives to pellets. Thank you.
Heat was always the biggest problem for us in PHX. We haven't used fodder but know people who have. You just have to be careful feeding a single feed source. Rabbits need a mix of grasses to get all the nutrients they require. Have you looked up the book " Beyond the Pellet"? You can find a link to it in our Amazon shop. www.amazon.com/shop/livingtraditionshomestead
Hello! Wonderful series on meat rabbits so far! I have a question, I know this video is a few years old, but I’m wondering what do you do with the new litter of babies when it’s time to move them out of moms cage if you can’t use these tractors?? We don’t have a lot of green grass and are not in the county. Also, what about winter babies?! Thanks!! Really appreciate your videos, God bless you and your family! ❤️
What do you do in the winter for them? We are just getting started and here in Wisconsin we see some pretty cold temps and wind chills. Just wondering if you had any thought on the cold. I know it gets cold in Missouri, not as cold as up here. Anyway. Thank you. Love the videos!
I don't raise rabbits, I just grow cannabis and the local snowshoe hares and cottontail jackrabbits in Alberta seem attracted to them...few nibbles but no real damage. They do hang out tho... And they LOVE the droppings from my bird feeder. I'm tempted to try domesticating a few. They'll take -40 degrees no probs.
Question about keeping rabbits cool. I have babies that will be ready to wean in about a week. (all are in hanging cages with momma now) Is it reasonable to put momma and babies in the tractors just to keep them all cool, or will they just irritate her and keep nursing? You mentioned that it is cooler on the ground. Also what about parasites in my breeder mom if she is on the ground. (No more breeding until September for the Doe)
I live in a tropical country. The temperature can get as high as 40°C. Rabbits live just fine here. breeders just place them under shades. It's not similar as wearing fur coat during hot days. Cats have thick furs too. We don't keep them cool with ice. They regulate body temperature better than us human do.
Have you thought of using water 3/4 in a mason jar then freeze? The rabbits would not be able to chew those water bottles and money could be saved in the long run. Just a thought.
When we lived in the Phoenix area, we bred from October to March. It was just too hot the other months. You are smart to consider not breeding during the hottest months in Florida.
We are in Texas and it's easy to get over 80 degrees here and we could easily have a whole month of over 100. What do you think about raising rabbits in an on-ground colony. An open area where they are unable to escape, but can borrow under ground. And you provide under ground shelter so they can get away from the heat underground. Then when it cools off again, move them back to cages??
Do you have a lot of rabbit tractors or do you give all your bunnies different times to go in there? Another thing I was wondering is, do you let your buck and does in the tractor as well?
Would it be better to put a container of water in the tractor for the bunnies to jump in and out of INSTEAD of spraying them to help them cool off in the heat of the summer?
Our new rabbit cookbook can be found here:
Printed Copy: bit.ly/rabbitcookbook
Amazon Kindle Version: www.amazon.com/dp/B076QG3BJK
Sarah, have you used creep feeders for feeding baby kits? The babies get a special high protein feeds, and the mother doesn't. We pulled the babies off the does at about four weeks. We bred back at two weeks. We left a kit on the mama when we pulled off The litter. A day we pulled the last kit off the mama and put that kit with the rest of the litter. We rarely had problems putting the last kit in with the mother. Ice, nice idea. Thanks for sharing. God bless America.
I raised the gray rabbits it's like a wild rabbit same as wild may God bless you thank you
Hi Sarah, I have a few suggestions regarding heat problems with rabbits that hopefully may help you and your rabbits from loss of life due to heat. First, comment is on helping them stay cooler. Your right you need to keep them in shade or they will overheat and your comment on what to look for is dead on. Great indicator on when they are in peril from heat. Now as for my comment on shelter. on your flat rabbit ground hutches. Its good you use white tin/aluminum to help reflect heat but to give them more of a break from being baked you can try these two things that will in long run should help lower inside temps. instead of using tin or Aluminum try using the white plastic (such as they use on home siding) its cheaper, lighter and you can make the improvement by adding and additional A-frame on top of the additional hutch. make the A frame part of it 6-8 inches high using 1x1 (since they are only being used in summer and non supportive structure) and add the secondary piece of plastic. I further help it by puncture holes in lower roof to help relieve additional cool air to be forced down when ends are facing breeze. Leave Both ends open. The reason for this it will keep the sun that may heat up the roof (even on non sunny days) keeping the lower roof cooler as well as forcing air through it (same concept used to force air to super heat a rocket stove). I know the sides are well open to ventilation but just provides additional AC on those hot days. The other idea to help cool them off (for those that cant afford ice) is to use a pan or small pool that is a couple inches deep the length of the end of the cage. They can go and lay in it when they are starting to overheat. In my experiences when a rabbit gets to the point of being overly heated they will like most animals find water to lay in if they can. Anyways hope these suggestions are helpful to you or your viewers. :-)
Using paragraphs in the future will give you a better chance of people actually reading your comments. Looks like useful information, but hurts my eyes just looking at it.
This video is by far my favorite of your rabbit video, not because it’s any better than the others, in general, but because it points out the grim truth that all homesteaders know, but sometimes crushes new homesteaders: your stock will die. It’s sad, but every death is a learning opportunity.
Many years ago (over 20) when I first started with rabbits, I found that I couldn't breed my does due to the high number of mosquitoes in the summer, here in Florida. When I switched my breeding the cooler months with less, or no mosquitoes, things improved and I had no more difficulties. It was an eye opener back then to realize that unless I kept my rabbits in a screened area I couldn't have kits during the height of the mosquito season. However, sometimes just a simple change can make your rabbit raising experience more pleasant for you and your livestock.
Ahh that awesome background noise of a hot summer in the Ozarks. Love it. And awesome information. Good stuff
I love this rabbit series you’ve made. It is so helpful for me just starting out to have a simple guide like this. Thank you.
I appreciate all the time you take to put videos full of info out!
Back when I raised rabbits in Hawaii I use to spray water on the metal roof of the building when the rabbitry got to warm. That made a huge difference. I also put shade cloth on the open walls the sun shined through but making sure the structure was still well vented.
This video was so helpful! Great idea spraying tractor ground with cold water and misting the bunnies.
How about filling a balloon with water an freezing it, then cutting off the balloon before giving it to them? Im looking into raising rabbits an im thrilled i found ur videos, im learning SOOOOOO MUCH ! lol
That's brillant!!! You could even use the water Ballon kits... fill 25 at a time and freeze..... thanks for your inspiration
Ok so... I am obsessed with your videos! So informative and easy to understand. Thank your for creating these! :)
We have had an ice machine for over twenty years! It’s such a blessing!Well worth the investment!
Thanks Sarah - your channel is great.
being from a lot further north i don't have to worry about heat for much of the year, but appreciated the info, my wife and i are 21 years homesteading, we started with chicken egglayers, then meat birds, ducks, geese, guinea hens, Turkeys, and heritage hogs.
This year in spring we started with meat rabbits, and have been learning as we go, your channel has been a great resource - thanks for posting all this information, your down to earth approach is much appreciated. All the best.
Yep! Brought my first 🐇 Penny Bright inside every afternoon after losing Moon Paw to TN heat!!!! Thanks for the tips!
For our rabbits we always use 2 litter pop bottle. Never had a chewing problem. Love your show learned a lot
Really enjoying the rabbit videos, thank you for taking the time to do them.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that.
I was thinking that providing ice daily for the rabbits would get really expensive! But then you explained your icemaker. What a great find!
We save a ton of money by having an ice machine. We use a lot of it when we process poultry.
I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes out and ears open for one.
Greetings from Chandler Arizona, You two do a great Job teaching how to farm. My wife Glenda and I Love it, keep it up.
I am brand new at raising rabbits. Your videos are helping me to learn how to be successful at this new adventure. Thank you for all your tips! I just bought a breeding pair so onward to a new chapter in my life.🤗👍
I LOVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! I’m new to your channel. Live in Queen Creek AZ & just bought a house in IL. I grew up on a homestead in Puerto Rico & have longed to get back to that life. Retired military after 25 years. Now it’s coming together. I am learning A LOT from you two. Thank you & God bless you & all on your Homestead. Laura 👍♥️
Wow, this brought back memories. We had about 200 give or take. At the age of 12, when school let out the temperature was hot enough to melt the asphalt. By the time I arrived home and changed out of my school clothes one of my chores was to check on our rabbits. All of the sudden one by one rabbits started to stand up on their hindquarters and squalling, the only thing I could do was to spray them down to cool them off. I think by the time later in the evening when it was cooling off in Beeville TX,.we had 10 or more that served. BR549 I'm 68 now.
Hello,
I’m loving this series on rabbits. Thank you so much. I’ve seen you’ve done recent one too and will watch those next. Your videos are wonderful. You do a great job and I’m taking tons of notes. I look forward to learning more. Thanks again!
Melanie
Wow The film just pop up as I start thinking of rabbits for my own, and I see it is 4 years olx it is crazy:-) it is Best video series about rabbits cover all questions:-) good job Sarah
very interesting. i didn't know they were so jumpy when they were small. enjoy your videos. thanks. god bless your family
I Live in Florida on the space coast & we raise chickens for eggs & meat but plan on getting rabbits soon again & I enjoyed your teaching series on rabbits. I am a 71 year old married man & I still work all day on our homestead of 2 1/2 acres but plan on expanding to another acre just for our garden needs this year. Keep up the great videos series & God Bless you both & family in your adventure. The Malones
I've been looking at having a shallow tray as top of animal cages. I had a friend
who helped a Panamanian friend install stainless trays on his flat roof. The
daily thundershowers filled the trays and the sun cooked any mosquitoes that
were thinking of moving in. It kept the house 10 degrees cooler as I'm told.
Where I live in Australia keeping or selling rabbits carries a 6 months jail sentence and maximum fine of $44,000. When we were living on acreage I would have liked to add bunnies to our selection of poultry. I still love to listen to your talks.
How come? I am just wondering why it is illegal in Austrailia?
4th video in a row today! Great job! Subscribed and thumbs up!
Hi
Bottle of frozen water in high season in cage,
Wow, I did not think that of the bugs not fertile !
That's awesome, as have many non pregnancy.
You could easily become a teacher/tutor at Homestead school :-D You make it easy and do-able to raise rabbits with no fuss
Where we live temperatures can get in the upper 90s we put a misting system In our rabbit barn and it seems to drop the temperature by 10-15 ° did really good last summer.
Never had any problems with any insects flies or smell we clean the barns out daily
I heard this from somewhere I'm actually not sure. But if you take a glass or stone tile and put it in the freezer. It can be used as a cooling pad in a way
Great Idea!!
Water has five times more thermal mass than rock
I really appreciate all the info!! Love you guys! 💗
We are really new to this, and just getting started. Your videos are the BOMB in helping us out! Thank you for doing this! Will definitely stay tuned.
Have you tried the stones they use for chinchillas? Chin chiller I think is what they are called. If you can get them reasonable priced that is.
Oh and love the music too in the beginning! Some video's music is so bad you can't watch the video! Lol
Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge!! Grateful for you!
I am just starting the meat rabbit adventure. Im super stoked. I have 2 babies for now but have a buck and 2 does already bought and will bring them home when we have some more hutches built. Or a rabbit tractor or two built.
Hi Sarah, thanks for posting your videos, it's really informative to a rookie like me.
Thanks so much for your time and teaching us .Isaac from Uganda
Thank you very much I raise rabbit also I raised domestic wild rabbits to turn out and train beagles
Awesome info!!!! I've been wanting to try meat rabbits for our family. Use to hunt a lot so love some wild rabbit meat, looking forward to the taste test!! You guys are awesome, thank you.
I'm thoroughly enjoying the rabbit series and learning a lot along the way. I'm moving way off grid and am strongly considering either chickens or rabbits. The winters where I'm going are harsh. So, if you haven't done a video on winter conditions with rabbits (I'll find out soon), please consider doing one.
This is absolutely awesome guys, thank you for all the tips. Enormously helpful as we're considering keeping rabbits but not sure if our climate is too extreme.
I would use the bubble wrap that's coated with the silver Mylar on the roofs
Thanks for the good information Sarah 👍
You can shade one side of the A frame tractor and move it in circular pattern to block the sun at mid day.
FYI, the Arizona or Arnold Palmer Half and Half Iced Tea Jugs are really thick and tough and are perfect for freezing water. I hate throwing them out (or even recycling them) and always look for ways to re-use them.
I am interested in raising rabbits so am learning a lot from this series. I am interested in a different breed but I assume most of the information pertains to all breeds.
Love the series...as well as all your videos!
Thanks, Debbie! We really appreciate hearing that! Thank you for your encouragement.
Thank you so much for all the rabbit videos!!! We have just recently started by getting chickens and rabbits. We only got two does because my best friend has two males and we will mate them as needed. All of this information has been amazing! Thank you so much!
you are so good at this thank you for this heads up
Amazing. Thank God bless you
Thank you for the great tips!
Interesting fact about sterility in the heat. We raised rabbits in the mountains of Colorado and never had an issue with that 😁. We are now in NE Oklahoma and it may be an issue here. Thanks for the info, we may take a break in the middle of summer.
God I can't wait to find the perfect rabbits for our family, yay
Thank you💖🌺🦋🐇
You might consider a large computer fan that is directly hocked to a solar panel . No need for an inverter.
Freezing bottles and fans running in your barn or shed is great for your rabbits and bunnies and you watwr ground under cages keep cooler
SO HELPFUL
Great information for Rabbits farming thanks.
Dig a deep hole, cement it, fill it with dirt and put the cage above that, they will dig tunnels and stay underground when it's hot.
Thanks for the video
There is a T.A.M.U.K. rabbit. These were bred I think at Texas A&M to be able to live better in the heat and even breed when it's hot. I am getting a couple tomorrow and I will see how they do.
Sri Vijaya rabbit form
Chitradurga district
Karnataka state
India nation
You are weather information is very good
My form is in India very well fully for your video and your information thank you
I watch the all your videos madam thank you so much
hoping you also will talk about rabbits in the winter and snow etc :) Since i live in Sweden...lots of love// Rita
We sure will. Thanks, Rita!
Rita, we had -35*C temperatures this past winter, and I noted the rabbits drank much more warm water 2 to 3 X's a day than when it finally warmed up, when their water consumption dropped. Mine were in an open shed, and fortunately they had a steady supply of apple branches to chew the bark off of, right up to 3" diameter. I was a little hesitant to breed at those temperatures, so if anyone has experienced breeding at Sub-zero temperatures please share your experiences. We also had great Hay and some Pellets.
Thanks very much very very interesting good education good luck god blessed you !!!
Thank you for sharing what you have learned, helpful detail.
Growing up, we had pet bunnies that looked like this breed. They never seemed to be stressed though we lived in the very hot and humid Philippines. I’m guessing they were an entirely different breed that just looks similar.
I thought the duck quacks a minute and 30 in were my ducks making noise 🤪
Thank you so much for this video... so informational!! How do you care for rabbits in the winter?? Also, I am looking for a shed or building plans for a place to keep my breeders... do you have such plans?? Thanks again!!
I like this cage but most people miss seeing the mental top sends heat downward! Wherever hand is it needs some sort of installation
While I am excited to learn more about rabbits
Great videos! Can't wait to get started. Thanks for doing it.
What you do with the beautiful skin after you skin them?
I need to learn more on what I do with the rabbits skin
@@yvonnesiandula3889 dehydrate the whole thing and cut in strips for dog treats. Dogs love them, fur and all
Have you tried doing cloth covers and wetting them down? If the humidity isn't too high that should provide evaporative cooling...
How do you house the rabbits during the winter?
I would freeze their actual drinking bottles using 2liter pop bottles about half to 1/3 and top off with fresh water for those really hot months
Fantastic video! I am really enjoying this series. Do you ever have a problem with rabbits getting fleas from being on the ground?
I have had chicken tractors similar but have to run out before a storm and cover them with tarps and weigh them down so they don't get drenched, hailed on, or what have you. Do you get severe storms where you worry how much shelter they have in a tractor with just a bit of tin on the sides?
What about freezing the water bottles. Put it out and let it thow while you have a regular water bottle.
pandura gonzalez or freeze it with only a little water on its side so water can still flow through but like a long ice cube through the whole bottle. Works for people water bottles too
that was nice to watch
frozen one litter bottles work very good
Thank you for the very informative video
At what temperature do you need to start taking steps to cool the rabbits, other than providing shade and cool water
I have to say that this particular video was the one that I was really waiting for. You mentioned that you lived in PHX. We live just outside Kingman so the lack of humidity bites us as well. We do have heat as well (maybe not as bad as PHX) and it MUST be addressed. I also raise compost worms and keeping them cool is also a paramount consideration. As for water and worms it is rather a "tightrope". Too little and the bin can become "cracklin'" dry and too much will give you mud. Frustrating to say the least. I do use frozen bottles (the juice 1.89 L that you spoke of) but I added Ice Extender which seems to work well. BUT ... if the rabbits will chew on them I am afraid that if they puncture the bottle the chemical might harm them. I have to figure out how to use them to cool BUT separate them the physical presence of the bottle. (Thinking cap ON) . Right now I'm only in the planning phase of rabbits so the more I know the fewer (I hope) mistakes I will make. One last thought. I am looking at either Barley Fodder or Wheat Grass for the mainstay of the rabbits. I have a friend that fed Barley Fodder to ALL her critters with fantastic results. I would love your thoughts on these alternatives to pellets. Thank you.
Heat was always the biggest problem for us in PHX. We haven't used fodder but know people who have. You just have to be careful feeding a single feed source. Rabbits need a mix of grasses to get all the nutrients they require. Have you looked up the book " Beyond the Pellet"? You can find a link to it in our Amazon shop. www.amazon.com/shop/livingtraditionshomestead
Hello! Wonderful series on meat rabbits so far! I have a question, I know this video is a few years old, but I’m wondering what do you do with the new litter of babies when it’s time to move them out of moms cage if you can’t use these tractors?? We don’t have a lot of green grass and are not in the county. Also, what about winter babies?! Thanks!! Really appreciate your videos, God bless you and your family! ❤️
Another great video
What do you do in the winter for them? We are just getting started and here in Wisconsin we see some pretty cold temps and wind chills. Just wondering if you had any thought on the cold. I know it gets cold in Missouri, not as cold as up here. Anyway. Thank you. Love the videos!
I don't raise rabbits, I just grow cannabis and the local snowshoe hares and cottontail jackrabbits in Alberta seem attracted to them...few nibbles but no real damage. They do hang out tho... And they LOVE the droppings from my bird feeder. I'm tempted to try domesticating a few. They'll take -40 degrees no probs.
Question about keeping rabbits cool. I have babies that will be ready to wean in about a week. (all are in hanging cages with momma now) Is it reasonable to put momma and babies in the tractors just to keep them all cool, or will they just irritate her and keep nursing? You mentioned that it is cooler on the ground. Also what about parasites in my breeder mom if she is on the ground. (No more breeding until September for the Doe)
Listen to those locusts going crazy lol
I live in a tropical country. The temperature can get as high as 40°C. Rabbits live just fine here. breeders just place them under shades. It's not similar as wearing fur coat during hot days. Cats have thick furs too. We don't keep them cool with ice. They regulate body temperature better than us human do.
Thank you for another great video:)!
Have you thought of using water 3/4 in a mason jar then freeze? The rabbits would not be able to chew those water bottles and money could be saved in the long run. Just a thought.
This was the answer to my big question. I'm in central Florida. I think I would not breed during July and August.
When we lived in the Phoenix area, we bred from October to March. It was just too hot the other months. You are smart to consider not breeding during the hottest months in Florida.
We are in Texas and it's easy to get over 80 degrees here and we could easily have a whole month of over 100. What do you think about raising rabbits in an on-ground colony. An open area where they are unable to escape, but can borrow under ground. And you provide under ground shelter so they can get away from the heat underground. Then when it cools off again, move them back to cages??
Do you have a lot of rabbit tractors or do you give all your bunnies different times to go in there? Another thing I was wondering is, do you let your buck and does in the tractor as well?
Would it be better to put a container of water in the tractor for the bunnies to jump in and out of INSTEAD of spraying them to help them cool off in the heat of the summer?
Above 85 wow Ozarks to central Arkansas that’s a long time
following from malaysia