Just a few pictures of a litter of Silver Fox rabbits in my back yard. With winter, and a neighbor dog problem, we have not had our rabbits on pasture as much choosing instead to cut their grass for them. Other than the fact that this particular pen (the only one with a shelter box in it that we have) is HEAVY….I love having them in our movable pens. It is much much easier and they can harvest their own grass and fertilize an area for me at the same time. In the spring, summer and fall I will often move them more than once a day while walking by to do something else. In the winter, I am kind of an inside person though (unless particularly sunny, warmer and not windy or raining) and so I do find it easier to harvest grass, or feed hay, with them in cages.
The one advantage of cages, which are not my all time favorite way to raise rabbits, is that it does build up garden amendment underneath with worms in it even now (I know since I had to move some of it the other day). Rabbit manure is always a plus for an organic gardener.
Below, in the first picture, you can see these two buns are particularly brave and they have quickly learned that moving the pen means fresh grass.
Some of the others though are a bit shyer. You can see some of them trying to decide if they will come out, stay out or maybe be very very still and hope I forget they are there.
I’m fascinated by this – it appears that you don’t have any problem with rabbits digging out under the pen? In an earlier comment you mentioned slatted bottoms (which I don’t see here) but I’d understood that they also chew through wood. ???
Sorry if my questions are really ignorant – I’d love to start a pen of rabbits on pasture this summer, but have been scratching my head over all of this practical how-to stuff. Also curious about how many rabbits you are successful in having cohabit in the same pen – is this because they’re all adults that you can have a group together? How old do the kits have to be before they can be out on pasture and in a group?
Some people do use slatted bottoms….though we don’t. We use a doubled up edge. Think of a rectangle drawn on a piece of paper…then draw another slightly smaller rectangle inside it —that is what the bottom of our pens look like. There is about 3 sometimes 4 inches between the inner and outer rectangle (square, circle, pentagon…whatever shape you desire would work). The reason for that is IF they dig they will have to dig farther, and under two edges rather than one. The gap of 3 to 4 inches is too small for them to get into and dig under at that point.
However, though we do occasionally have baby bunnies dig out (very rarely and always when the pen is over a hole/dip in the pasture that just needs a bit of their help to enlarge enough), and have had moms about to give birth dig nesting holes, we have never yet lost a rabbit. They just don’t know where to go and come right to us when we put food in the bowl int he cage. We just scoop them up. I think we’ve had 3 total out in all which is not many considering how many rabbits we have/had. Also, since we move in the morning and check in the evening we can pull a cage forward if we find we are having issues. They have to have a hole/dip or a long time without us moving the pen to actually get it large enough to get out.
We have noticed that with some batches of babies, especially those born on wire bottom cages and then put in the pen at 7ish weeks of age….we have yet to have them dig. Babies born and raised on pasture are more likely to dig and during the hottest part of the summer is the most likely time. They want a cool spot. I had one older rabbit once dig a hole for laying in. It was so dry we were leaving the pens unmoved for two days at a time since there really wasn’t any green grass. I came outside to feed and water and found her entire back half outside the pen. The entire front half of her was still inside the pen. It had been about 103 all week. She just wanted a cool piece of soil to lay on.
Fascinating, thanks Monica. I’d noticed the double construction but didn’t realize that it would deter digging out… I just scratched my head and wondered abt. it.
Do you ever house more than a single litter per pen, or does each litter need it’s own?
You’re getting me really fired up to do a small trial sooner rather than later! And I’m sure my dog will thank you for the new meat in his diet!
Sorry Hayden,
I realized after answering the last time I forgot this part of your question.
I was going to write again…but you beat me to it :-)
Anyway, rabbits are hard and easy to “colony” raise. First some breeds are just more territorial. Take our Silver Fox as an example. They will live together as a litter up until they are about 4 months old….then they will begin to fight. The fighting takes longer the more room they are in. If they are raised in a cage together often the young does or bucks will begin to pick at each other a bit younger even. I can even put multiple litters of similar age Silver Fox together as long as I do it at the same time and they are similar in age. The Silver Fox can get aggressive to each other (never us) and actually take chunks out of cage mates as they mature. Fur will literally fly. However we find they get along well enough to butcher age (12ish weeks) that it is generally not a problem. If I am evaluating who I will keep for a breeding doe/buck….I eventually have to split them up if I keep them too long before deciding.
Now some breeds do fine together most all of the time. Our American Chinchillas (when we had Creme D’argents and also years ago our Angoras) are one of those.Very laid back when it comes to co housing. We have even purchased two adults at a time (does) and ended up putting them together. Generally the rule is not to add any litter or rabbit to a cage that already contains a litter or rabbit that has been there even a few days. They will often fight then…..though some more than others as noted. When you first purchase adults and take them home that is the perfect time to try and co house them since they will be more than disrupted by the trip, new owner and new house. The younger they are the better. Also again personality matters. I have brought home younger rabbits of three different breeds and co raised them in a pasture pen until breeding age. However…two were laid back/shy type buns and only one was a more territorial/dominate type so it worked well.
Our Am Chins often co house together for very long periods of time: bucks and does. We have had does share pasture pens and co raise babies and we have had bucks live together as “roomies” for up to a year.
Basically my thoughts are these if you are unsure how they will do: No matter whatever breed you raise test some litter mates first and then some similar age litters then you can work into adults for that particular breed. With adults you will get an idea fairly quickly as to how well they will do. (when the biting and screaming starts…separate them) If you are set on pasture pens you can also do smaller pasture pens for individual rabbits or like us…just do larger ones for litter(s) with or without their moms and bring grass to the others in cages. If you desire to always colony raise all your rabbits and will be co-mingling different rabbits (especially adults) more space helps as do tubes and such things for them to hide in to “escape” the situation temporarily. We do not have colony style pens though so we don’t do tubes and such. If you want more information on colony raising google that catch phrase and you will see many ideas and thoughts on the subject. We knew people that had a permanent (buried fence) colony area they raised their rabbits in years ago and they always had good luck with it. It was bigger than a dog kennel though….and of course all the grass was gone which is not a problem per se as long as you are willing to feed all pellets or harvest grasses as we do. I assume they raked up the poop on occasion?? I never asked…not sure why.
Wonderful detail, Monica, thank you! And thanks for the google tip on key words. I’ve searched several times in the past, but you’re the first person I’ve found that seems enthusiastic about raising them on grass. I’d heard that one of the Salatins was raising them, but close to zero detail on the process. I have a general preference for fewer cages because it just seems easier/faster to manage. I’m making temperament and breed connections with my (small) experience with chickens, and your comments make a lot of sense w/i that context.
I hope to start w/ 3 does and a buck and breed only in spring/summer when they can be on pasture, then to keep them in raised cages in the tunnel house with the hens in winter. I’m biased towards Californians because A) size B) there are several colonies in the area (but none on grass that I’ve found.) Am considering butchering the buck each fall and replacing him from a different line each spring.
We were suppose to go to the Salatin’s once every three years gathering this past summer….but our daughter got married so we missed it. However our friends that we were to go with mentioned, as I have read, that the Salatin’s rabbits have been raised on cages with wood slats forming most of the floor. I guess enough room is left for them to eat some of the grass in between? I have now heard that he (Daniel Salatin) has changed slightly to a more open bottom…not sure though. I do however like his idea on raising them in a tunnel during the winter. Harvey Ussery at the http://www.themodernhomestead.us/ has a great idea for a high tunnel/greenhouse and I could see rabbits in there too similar to Salatins way. However, a high tunnel/greenhouse is still a few years away for me.
Also, though I am not against the Californian (easy to find, good growth etc) there are other breeds that will do as well and/or better on pasture than the Californian supposedly does. I do not have experience growing them side by side with any other breed (on pasture) so I could not tell you for sure…it’s just what I have heard. Also….buy from a breeder that has easy to handle Cals because they and the New Zealands are notorious for nasty personalities (biting and scratching). Just from experience of having my hand in the middle of a rabbit fight: they have very very sharp teeth! And of course their claws are always sharp. My rabbits can scratch me accidentally without even meaning to.
Lastly, since I do not know where you live I will mention that bucks can be slightly less “productive” in the summer when it gets really hot. Females are generally fine. Give your buck a ice bottle in the morning and again at night to help with that problem if you have it. I don’t…but I store my own grass hay and grow root crops for winter and just forgo breeding in late June to about late September.
Have a great day Hayden
M.
Monica – you are such an education! Thanks so much for your detailed answers – you’ve given me a lot to think about, and I really appreciate it!