Raising Rabbits in Colonies [7 Myths Busted]

[@kummerhomestead]

Check out our blog to learn more about how we raise rabbits for meat: kummerhomestead.com

[@rexhavoc2982]

Our weeds die off in July, I want year round feed. Our ground is too hard for Alfalfa roots. Thanks for you list of plants.

[@trevormerivale7210]

I saw on one channel a couple of years back I think it was, that they had a rabbit that ended up going on a killing spree. It turned out after trial and error that it was one of the adolescents rabbits. Once they worked that out, they put the rabbits into rabbit tractors once they were 8 or 12 weeks old and never had an issue after that. It can happen, but culling the aggressive ones definitely is important. Great video, by the way!

[@kummerhomestead]

@@trevormerivale7210 Thanks for watching!

[@devsie11915]

We’re getting into rabbits because we want to get away from the centralized food system! We decided from the go that we were going to do a colony. I think we can give them such a better life then in small cages

[@SheldonBoe]

I have had great luck at raising rabbits wild.caged or building raised animals get sick they need direct sun and open fresh air.

[@southernacres]

I love this concept so much and love the videos you have shared about colony rabbits! My two questions are: 1. Do you think this would work in a humid subtropical area that gets a lot of rain? I'm assuming we'd have to be very careful about design and placement to avoid the burrows filling up with water (which would be disastrous), but I'd also be worried about the ground being too wet during the many months of rain we get. I'd love your thoughts about that! 2. I'm very curious about your deep litter method for rabbits, as I haven't come across that before (deep litter, yes, just not for rabbits). With them so close to the ground all of the time, do you find the deep litter method is still working for you? Do you "harvest compost" or just "muck out" the enclosure and how often do you feel that is needed? Sorry for all of the questions, maybe another video? 😆 Even if you don't have time to answer, I still appreciate the videos and information you have shared! Thank you so much!

[@kummerhomestead]

1. For sure. I recommend raising their hutch a few feet above ground level so they can dig without risking flooding (happened to us). 2. It's still working for us. The rabbits are actually really good at mixing their manure with the carbon we add -- even better than chickens. But every couple of months we have to remove some of the composted material so the layer doesn't get too thick.

[@soaronwingslikeeagles7982]

Great video. So much misinformation about this on some channels. Thank you.

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@shafidhikdhik2891]

How do u avoid inbreeding​@@kummerhomestead

[@cebasmb8250]

I just love this video.... same way I raised my rabbits in a colony, and yes rabbits like to be next to each other. And every time the female makes babies everyone knows.... and get a custom to the smell and each other. My mama made 9 they grew up now at 8 months then I bred her after her first litter was at 8 months now she has 13 new babies and they all cuddle together no issues. If there's any issue mam puts them I check lol I seen it before I spent a lot of time with them. Bucks don't kill that's an old say I've been raising rabbits most of my life.... great video man!!

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@HelenEk7]

"Everyone" are advising against colonies, so its so nice to see a successful set up. And I wholeheartedly agree when it comes to diseases. They are a good thing - as then you get to know which rabbits have good genes and who dont. As you only want to breed the strongest of them. Great video

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@jordyhumby]

Great. Thank you. I really like your setup and experience. Thank you for posting.

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@Joel.Invictus]

Very good philosophy.

[@IdahoHillbilly]

GREAT VIDEOS and INFORMATION Just Subbed

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for the sub!

[@AgnesMariaL]

The first does i got came from a cage system, where they wouldn't breed and the odd time they did, all the babies died (idk if mom killed them, which some animals will do if they don't feel the environment is good enough to raise babies). When i took them, i put them altogether in their own, large space. I was keeping the buck separate, in his own stall, but after seeing how he was with the babies (they fit through the chain link and would go visit and hang out with him) and then seeing how he would just lounge around with the does when I would let him into their unit, I decided to remove the wall between their pens. I did cull one of the original does, because she bullied the others to the point of injury and now the rest are happy :) There are 5 does and a buck sharing only 72 square feet of space, but they are very much content, especially the buck and the two does that were previously caged :) I since built a hutch with two units for a Rex colony that we bought. One unit is 8'x4' with a 2'x6' second level; in that we have a buck and two does. The other unit is 4'x5' with several small platforms at different levels for them to climb, and in there I have a breeding pair. I made a video of that build, it's on my channel. I, too, was told - by three different people, two of which were breeders - that does will castrate the buck if he's left with them for too long. I suppose that might happen when you cram the two together in a 2'x3' cage, but we have not seen that happen in any of our colonies!

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for your feedback! Can you share the link to the video here for everyone to enjoy?

[@ruthshabangu8038]

I love tuis concept 100%

[@mattg6472]

Deep litter is the obvious solution people are looking past. We put wood char in with wood chips for extra smell and soak ability for chickens. Have you considered an ash dust bath for rabbits ? Like the chickens have . That takes care of any mite lice. I've never seen a case of mite or lice. The chickens love wood char when you break it up for them they eat it. I do it cause I know there is calcium

[@fredflintystoneea]

I didn't know charcoal has calcium in it. That's actually incredibly handy to know for raising hens and pullets. Thanks for sharing, fren: I'll have to research this.

[@mattg6472]

@@fredflintystoneea yeah the research i did was saying hardwoods can have up to 20 percent calcium in the ash or char cause it doesn't off gas in the burning process . I started using char as my calcium source for chickens instead of ash cause you would have to wash off the lye with the ash imo. Besides the chickens readily eat the bits of black wood char. I crush it to chicken grit size and wonder if it doubles as grit. I couldn't find a more natural calcium supplement i wouldn't have to pay for

[@mattg6472]

@@fredflintystoneea actually i can say I'm getting great hard eggs right now still in winter conditions without store feed that has calcium in it . I just use farmer grains and the wood char is the calcium . However Im going to break up these wonderful shells though and vinegar them and feed them back to the chickens to see if they want more calcium.

[@HeatherNaturaly]

I had a large colony in MI. I loved t. I would lie on the floor and the let them climb all over me. I called it rabbit therapy.

[@kummerhomestead]

Right on! That's what our kids do too!

[@rexhavoc2982]

Thanks for the info. Do the Does use the same tunnel each time ? Do you feed out the kits to butcher size in the same colony as the bucks?

[@kummerhomestead]

No, they usually dig new tunnels with every litter and sometimes, in between. We move the kits to mobile rabbits tractors once they have weaned themselves (usually around 8-10 weeks).

[@rexhavoc2982]

@@kummerhomestead New Question, I just cleared a 1/4 acre to bare dirt, and need to plant a cover crop, what seeds do you recommend planting for the rabbit tractors to move on ?

[@kummerhomestead]

@@rexhavoc2982 I'm a huge fan of letting them feed on whatever grows wild in your area. But if you don't want to wait for weeds to crop up, you could plant a combo of plantain, clover, field peas, forage chicory, Timothy grass and alfalfa.

[@mattg6472]

Thank you. All of it

[@wonka6848]

True words, I really appreciate. Sad to see so many american videos of rabbits alone in boxes with grid grounds. Are you originally from Austria?

[@kummerhomestead]

Yep, I was born and raised in Austria.

[@wonka6848]

@@kummerhomestead You sound a little bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger. ;) Best regards from Germany!

[@kummerhomestead]

@@wonka6848 He's a brother from another mother :)

[@wonka6848]

@@kummerhomestead 🤣🤣🤣

[@thedeadgypsy]

As a kid our rabbits were always kept in a colony. We didn't get any of the problems that most rabbit breeders tell you. They live in colonies in the wild, and it is just cruel to keep them in tiny cages.

[@kummerhomestead]

Right on!

[@yikes830]

Awesome 👍

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks 🤗

[@kimberlyskues816]

I appreciate all your great info! I just wanted to confirm.... are there multiple bucks in the colony together? I like that your rabbits get along so well.

[@kummerhomestead]

One buck per colony (ignoring the kits).

[@TylerButh]

Can Dutch rabbits be in colonies?

[@kummerhomestead]

While they're also a domestic breed (like the New Zealands), their ancestors lived in colonies. So I see no reason why they wouldn't thrive in a colony setup.

[@Our_Eden_Cultivated]

Could one raise rabbits and chickens in one run?

[@kummerhomestead]

One could but it's a risk due to fecal cross-contamination.

[@jonathanflud492]

Most of what you're saying is true my only concern is fleas and ticks and sickness from other wild life if they are on the ground

[@kummerhomestead]

We've never had any flea or tick issues so far...

[@buggabee477]

👍🏻

[@larscarlsen5860]

Does English/American not divide the animals into Rabbit and Hares? they are very different in terms of social behavior. I can see why people get confused if these two gets mixed up. Honestly it seems cruel to keep Rabbits in those wire cages.

[@kummerhomestead]

I'm Austrian so I can't speak with absolute authority on language issues but I'm aware of the differences. Good point though!

[@onlyintime9914]

What percentage of your colony gets parasites, coccidioses, liver flukes, roundworms in intestines, etc compared to caged rabbits.

[@kummerhomestead]

I can't compare to caged rabbits because we don't have any but we haven't had any issues except for the occasional ear mites. When we first started respiratory issues were common among some of the kits so we started selecting for those rabbits that weren't affected. Now we barely see those issues.

[@anesushemamhute2527]

What would be male female ratio in a colony

[@kummerhomestead]

We have a 1:1 ratio and used to have a 1:2 ratio. I'd not have a second male unless you have, at least, 2-3 females.

[@leanlibros9965]

Without a doubt, the colony is the healthiest and most natural... But, how do you avoid inbreeding and subsequent genetic deterioration?

[@kummerhomestead]

We remove the kits after they are weaned into mobile rabbit tractors (stay tuned for a video on our process from start to finish).

[@dravenq6928]

How many bucks do you need in a colony?

[@kummerhomestead]

That depends on how many does you have and how large your rabbits' enclosure is. If you have only a few does, I'd stick with one buck to prevent fighting.

[@dravenq6928]

@@kummerhomestead my enclosure is 12x30 I have one buck and 1 doe. They only had 1 baby.

[@kummerhomestead]

@@dravenq6928 For one doe, you definitely don't need more than one buck (one can handle multiple does).

[@deepsouthcanarios]

Just because it works with your rabbits doesn't mean it works everywhere

[@kummerhomestead]

Where in the video did we claim that our way is the only way to raise rabbits?

[@EmikoFregene]

@@kummerhomestead he never insisted you should do the same man, he shared his opinion , why are you pained , anyways , colonies is always the best 🤤🤤🤤

[@EmikoFregene]

he never insisted you should do the same man, he shared his opinion , why are you pained , anyways , colonies is always the best 🤤🤤🤤

[@stefanotnielmaricut6085]

Can i raise rabbit on concrete?

[@kummerhomestead]

I suppose you could but I don't think it's ideal unless you clean out the bedding frequently or use a deep litter method.

[@nickyaw514]

What kind of rabbits are these?

[@kummerhomestead]

New Zealands!

[@buckreynolds7475]

New Zealand have never been a wild rabbits they was breed in the 20 in California

[@kummerhomestead]

I addressed this concern in another comment already.

[@harshtruth632]

I always see rabbits in colony here in Europe. If u see them alone they’re usually sick and dying. Now hares i do always see alone. The only thing i do know is u need to put babies separate, or buck will kill them so he can mate again. And sometimes the alpha female will kill all others babies.

[@kummerhomestead]

We have never had a buck or doe kill the offspring and we have never separated them. I'm not saying it ain't possible but we've never seen it happening.

[@harshtruth632]

@@kummerhomestead i used to have (hope I translate it right) Flemish Giants. The buck always peed on the babies and killed them like that. Same with the females the dominant one killed the others babies. Maybe it’s the breed.

[@cowboyblacksmith]

Sind sie Deutsch?

[@kummerhomestead]

Fast...ich bin Österreicher :)

[@buckreynolds7475]

Oh I been raising rabbits for 65 years

[@kummerhomestead]

You know, you could have just left one comment with all your thoughts :)

[@buckreynolds7475]

You know you won't have to worry about it because you don't know the first thing about rabbits and you won't have them very long anyway

[@kummerhomestead]

@@buckreynolds7475 Noted.

[@Macey345]

@@buckreynolds7475you’re to old to be insulting people on the internet. Theres pros and cons to colony AND cage raising. Get over yourself.

[@buckreynolds7475]

@@Macey345 I'm not putting 40 does on the ground so I can doctor them

[@buckreynolds7475]

New Zealand never was wild

[@buckreynolds7475]

All you are doing is let teem get parasite

[@thedeadgypsy]

That's where good husbandry comes into it.

[@buckreynolds7475]

New Zealand rabbits was developed in the usa in the 30s I believe they was developed out of tame rabbits you don't what you are talking about sir

[@kummerhomestead]

New Zealand were bred from European rabbits that naturally live in colonies. And even feral New Zealands exhibit the same social behavior as their ancestors. I’m surprised you didn’t learn that during your 65 years of breeding rabbits.

[@buckreynolds7475]

People do not listen to this man

[@thedeadgypsy]

Rubbish, he is telling the truth. Rabbits should never be kept in tiny cruel cages. They always live in colonies in the wild.

[@Macey345]

@@thedeadgypsyBuck is old and won’t listen to anyone he rather comment several times and harass this poor guy giving good advice lol

[@adrianloggains5506]

How do you keep them from digging out?

[@thedeadgypsy]

@@adrianloggains5506 You dig in a wire barrier around the perimeter.

[@MrCard031584]

Biggest issues i see is males castrating other males and dominant females killing other females litters. The other major issue is its harder to control breeding time and chosen mates.

[@kummerhomestead]

We've never had any aggression whatsoever. But breeding time control is an issue, for sure.