# Colony raising rabbits



## jjwilson72000

Hello,

Come spring I am planning on fencing off part of the yard and attempting to colony raise rabbits. Does anyone have any advice, experience, warnings, etc?

I know I need to bury the fence about two feet to lessen the chances of them digging out of it. I have raised rabbits before, but not in a colony.

Thanks


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## horseman09

jj, I have raised rabbits before but, like you, never in a colony.

However, I recall reading of a guy who successfully colony-raised rabbits in his barn. He simply put a number of piles of staw on the floor, installed some grain and hay feeders, released X number of does and bucks, and guess what they did! :lolsmash:

I don't recall how he harvested them, but he had done it that way for a number of years with good results.

Although the article didn't address this, I could see how inbreeding could be a problem if he didn't tag and rotate out bucks on a regular basis.


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## jjwilson72000

From what I have heard it can be a huge pain in the ass to harvest them because they escape in the burrows. I am going to attempt to train (trick) them into coming to me for treats. Worst case I guess is to starve them a little bit so they come running when you fill up the food.


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## *Andi

We tried it once but had a big problem with warbles, so we put ours back in a cage off the ground as they were before ...


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## westbrook

it isn't very successful. I have read all the pro's over the years so about 15 years ago I tried it.

Put 2 bucks and 6 does. Oy Vey! what a mess. All the kits born are wild. you can't catch them. Ok make them a little hungry they will not come to you! you are a predator! they were in a 24'x24' fence. Had to put a man trap in because I had a couple kits escape! at least if I have one jump out in the rabbitry, I can corner them with a little fence.

they dig down further then 24" try 3 feet plus.

who was bred when? all of a sudden you have kits all over and the minute you get near they swoop down into their dens. While I breed at 6 months or at adult weight, they start breeding around 4-5 months! kits are eaten, you have no idea how many kits were born or how many will emerge. How old they are, you grab and hope for a buck.

for the time and energy to colony raise, it is easier to raise them in cages.

I love raising rabbits but do so in a commercial environment.

I look forward to reading your rabbit adventure.


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