The newest animal on the Homestead: Rabbits

in #homesteading6 years ago (edited)

A few weeks ago, @papa-pepper came by with an offer that was too good to pass up. I had been raising standard coturnix quail for the homestead for the last few months, but wanted to raise a larger breed. I had been thinking of what to do with them, either the freezer or selling them, when @papa-pepper gave me a buzz and proposed a trade. I had about 2 dozen birds, and he had a surplus of rabbits and a deal was struck! He drove up to my place and brought these fluffy little ones:

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Pistachio is a Rex about 6 months old. We love the idea of raising Rex rabbits for their dual purpose. Rex rabbits make a good sized meat rabbit, and their pelts are soft, velvety, and command a great price.

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Mustachio is a Rex/New Zealand cross that is just a few months old. Rex/New Zealand cross are a popular mix due to their pelt quality and their size. Our main goal is to use the meat for the homestead, and tan their pelts for sale.

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Spazette is also a Rex/New Zealand Cross, and the sister to Mustachio. She got her name for looking like one of Heather's first pet rabbits, Spaz. We will be breeding her and her sister with Pistachio. Female rabbits have only a 28 day gestation, and are ready to breed again in just a few days after birth.

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Specks is the other Rex/New Zealand cross, and Mustachio and Spazette are her siblings. She will also be bred with Pistachio, completing the group. When breeding rabbits, you want to keep a breeding trio, meaning 2 does for every one buck.

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Smokie is a full Rex that will be bred with Mustachio. She is the most docile out of the 6 I have so far. When she and the other does start having babies, they can have 6-12 kits (baby rabbits) at a time.

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Daisy is the second doe to Mustachio, and is a Chinchilla/Rex cross, and has a beautiful, natural looking coat pattern. I am in hopes her babies will bear some of those traits. Once she has her litter, the babies will depend on her milk for sustenance for about 6 weeks, until the are weaned.

We are very happy to have made this trade. The value of these rabbits on the homestead will continue to pay out for years to come. We will have all the meat we can fill our freezer with, and have high quality pelts to sell and for crafts. Over the next week, I will be setting up their breeding cages and nesting boxes to get everything ready. We plan to have our first kits by July.

I hope you have enjoyed what I have learned today and I am so happy for this addition to the homestead. Thanks for stopping by and Steem on Steemians!

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