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Originally Posted by Fancy Oaks Cavy Thanks, which ones would you suggest? I usually have them seperated, but when I breed them you put the two together and then, I seperate the males and females (when they are weaned). |
Please don't breed - I am a former breeder of rabbits and stopped about a decade ago. And I bred mainly for my OWN needs (I was a hand spinner and had a small clutch of fuzzy bunnies) and kept many of the offspring. I also showed occassionally - but only those that were stressed by it. If a rabbit could not handle the car or such, never saw a show. lets see if I can get this in in ten minutes - little kiddo havign snack and I have to go get boy from school i ten.
I am not even going to discuss overpopulation... but cleaning up after a couple local breeders with no scruples and who i hav NO idea how many litters of rabbits between the two in three yearsd... (I bred maybe seven litters in eight plus years before stopping). Even if this did not do it, the heartache would have stopped me... 'Here are some of the issues from six litters.
Litter 1 - great doe, winner personality, healthy. fluke, two kits - one abnormally lodged and strangled, other died shortly thereafter - too small. Cost of vet bills for emergency induction when a day past due - over $1,000.
Llitter 2 - same doe, one kit with deformed eye. Unknown of hereditary or fluke. Vet said probably not hereditary as it looked like eye was damaged in nestbox. Kept one of three kits. Cost of ocular check for kit, a couple hundred...
Litter 3 - same doe, her last litter - went fine.
Litter four - different doe. Abnormally large - 11 kits in a breed with the aveerage. I saved all but one. Mercifully I had a second doe with a small litter (the one from first three litters ) and she fostered half the litter. Took months to find good homes for all the bunnies. None went to stores... This meant a huge feed bill, more cages, more hay, bottles, crocks, etc... Huge expense. Kept a couple kits.
Litter five (doe from litter four) - five kits, one born horribly deformed, doe spooked, nipped ears off one, nipped ears off anotehr and tramped - shock she lived and never left us. Spent several hundred dollars on her.
Litter six - small litter, fostered injured kit to that litter. Kept two of the three buns plus damaged kit.
Litter seven - no issue.
I stopped breeding in 1995.
Well, have to get boy. I will continue later.
But let's just say - no money in breeding. I lost hundreds of dollars per litter between food, housing, medical... I chose very good stock, known for easy births, etc. It is hearbreaking and expensive.
All pets went on alter contracts all had return clauses and every year, I wrote the new families to make sure things were all right.
But you know, I learned, just not worth the risk or expense. And note - my sister is a vet and I have close associatiobs with great exotics - and I had the late Dr Terry Reed mentor one of my vets.
I luckily never lost a doe - but I know many who did.
This is the side of breeding Disney never shows! the death and expense.