tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39525626313292416332024-03-13T10:05:09.491-05:00TAP Homestead And Rabbitry, Canton, TX (469)-526-3665Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-7564965465129647362017-08-24T16:44:00.000-05:002017-08-24T16:44:33.845-05:00This week I decided I would make a video entry instead of a lengthy article to let everyone know who the new bunny barn has been progressing. It is still a work in progress, but it is coming along nicely.<br />
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We hope you enjoy looking at our progress, and once again we would to thank everyone who has helped us during this momentous event. We could not have done it without your support and prayers.Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-66494884842851017002017-08-04T06:45:00.000-05:002017-08-04T06:45:58.418-05:00Putting It All Back Together: Part 2
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Yesterday marked the
third month since the tornado on April 29<sup>th</sup> 2017 and
devastated our homestead in Canton, Texas. Since that time, we have
been working as quickly as possible to get the rabbitry back up and
running at full capacity. As you may have read in 'TAP Rabbitry: The
Rebuild, Phase One: New Cages' we have built many new replacement
cages and were been waiting for our new metal carport to be brought
and installed on the property. Once again, our friend Steven Coyne
from '<a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit
Barn</a>' and author of the '<a href="http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/">I
Grow Vegetables</a>' blog to came over to help with the initial part
of phase two, and I am sure I will need his help again once we start
moving all the bunnies into their new home.</div>
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So after six weeks,
two of our replacement out buildings were delivered, including the
one in which we will be using for the new bunny barn/hutch. I will
say this, these guys that put our metal buildings up worked at a
breakneck speed. We could definitely tell they had been doing this
for a while as they completely assembled two buildings in under five
hours, and that is with taking time to eat lunch. Really, it was
pretty impressive. If only the factory could have been this
proficient in making and or cutting the parts to assemble the
buildings. We have bought metal buildings from two different
companies in the past, and while they are relativily inexpensive
compared to wood structures, the tiem you have to wait is really
frustrating. If any company could reduce the turn around time to two
to three weeks or less, I think they could definitely corner the
market, but I digress.</div>
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Once the new bunny
barn was in place, it was time to finish stretching the fence and get
the barn area fully enclosed and hopefully somewhat secure from
predators. So now we have two areas on either side of the bunny barn
with 6ft high chain link fence for our Black Jersy Giants, and a 6ft
high chain link fence that totally encloses the rabbit barn. Thanks
again Steve... Once we had finished with that, it was time for the
big gun to come in and give me a little fatherly advice. You see my
father served for twenty-two years in the United States Air Force
(USAF) in Civil Engineering (CE) which is the maintaince arm of the
USAF. There are few things that he cannot do when it comes to
plumbing, electricity, painting or carpentry. He is quite the 'jack
of all trades', even if we do butt heads sometimes. So I asked him to
come over, hang out, and play 'straw boss' to make sure I setup and
wired all of my electrical outlets correctly.</div>
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Fast forward to a
week later, I finished wiring all the electrical outlets and ran all
the wire up to the junction box which I had wired off the main power
pole when the new home was delivered. The only thing left to do was
have my work inspected and hook it up to the live wire. Fo this I
once again called my favorite electrician, my father. He came out
looked at my work and gave it a passing grade, so next he helped me
to make sure the power was safely turned off and we hooked the bunny
barn to the power grid. Amazingly, none of the breakers were tripped
and there was no smoking at any of the electrical outlets and they
all had power, YEAH!!!</div>
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Next, we will start
on phase three, moving all of the rabbits into the new bunny barn,
and setting up the automatic watering system. For this I am sure I
will have to beg, or plead for help from my friend Steven Coyne from
'<a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit Barn</a>'
and author of the '<a href="http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/">I
Grow Vegetables</a>' blog as I am sure I will need his help once we
start moving all the bunnies into their new home. Actually, I have
never had to beg, Steve usually calls me to ask what needs to be done
on our homestead, and how can he help. We could not repay hom for all
of the hard work he has done and the projects he has helped me with.</div>
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Conclusion</div>
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So there you have
it, the hutch is just about ready for the rabbits to be brought in
from the temporary area under the tree in the chciken pens and be
placed in their new home. I purchased the additional 3ft side skirts
for the bunny barn/hutch on the recommendation of another breeder
that has a similar setup. I have noticed that on some days there is
not as much breeze and the temperature is a couple of degrees warmer
that the area just under the trees where the temporary rabbit hutch
is. So we purchased a couple of barn fans to hang from the top of the
beams to help circulate the warm radiating air from the metal roof.
While the extended sides will definatly keep the rain out, I am not
sure If I am going to like them as much as I thought. Only time will
tell.</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-33205294859856985152017-07-04T05:39:00.000-05:002017-07-04T05:39:26.771-05:00Putting It All Back Together: Part 1
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It has been almost
two months since the tornado came though on April 29<sup>th</sup>
2017 and devastated our homestead in Canton, Texas Since that time
our home has been demolished and a new home has been delivered and we
moved in about two weeks ago. Our two tier outdoor rabbit hutch that
was set in the ground with concrete was lifted up and thrown against
the back of our house totally destroying it. While we did have plans
to replace it this fall, we were not ready to do so at this time, but
it appears a higher power had other ideas. All the outside cages that
were in the hutch, twenty in all, were a total loss. So the first
thing we had to do in order to get our rabbits back on the homestead
was build or purchase new cages.</div>
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The new cages will
be going under a metal carport that we have ordered that is 18' x
26', but getting them to bring this to your property takes 5 – 6
weeks as they do not start cutting pieces at the factory until you
order it, so we had to go with plan 'B'. My friend Steven Coyne from
'<a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit Barn</a>' and author of the '<a href="http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/">I Grow Vegetables</a>' blog has
played an instrumental part in helping us put our lives back
together. And we finished working on building temporary hutches so
that we could get the rabbits back from fellow breeder and owner of
'Bailywick Rabbitry' Bonita Hunt, who has been housing them at her
expense for the last two months.</div>
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Last week we brought
the first group of nine adults back to the homestead including three
does that have a total of fifteen kits, for a total of twenty four
rabbits. We will be finishing up the second temporary hutch today so
that we can go and get the remaining seven adults rabbits from Bonita
on Monday July 3<sup>rd</sup>. While the rabbits were at Bailywick
Rabbitry, we donated a litter of eight kits to some 4H kids as the
two cages containing the litters had their tags ripped off. We had
two American Blue litters that were born one day apart, and we were
unable to determine the pedigree of the litter that survived. In
addition, we donated a American Blue doe to a special needs child. We
also had several white New Zealand's, including a beautiful
Basgil-Borden litter that was given away as we were not in a position
to make any sales at that time. All of this was organized by Bonita
Hunt, who as I have mentioned many times has been a saving grace for
our rabbits. As for adult livestock, amazingly we only lost two adult
males to the tornado, unfortunately, one was one of our original
breeding American Blue males 'Clyde'.</div>
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Anyway, back to the
new cages. If you have read any of my previous articles, you may note
that I have been making my cages either 18x24x24 (bucks) or 18x30x30
(does), with some slightly larger grow out cages 18x30x36. This was
done primarily because I based my original hutch design on the
suggested cages sizes for the New Zealand and American Blue breeds so
that I could have a two tier system. After three years of raising
rabbits, I have decided to go with a one tier system for our cages
for a couple reasons. First, it is simply easier for my wife who is
vertically challenged at 4'10”, and second, because we are going to
place them under a large metal carport.</div>
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So why does this
matter? Well I guess in the overall scheme of things it does not, the
previous sizes of cages have served me well, however now I make my
cages slightly taller. As we can only get the 1x2 galvanized wire in
24, or 36-inch height, I have decided to make all of my new
replacement cages a full 24” tall as opposed to my original 18”.
Why? Over the years I have found that buying and cutting the 36-inch
cage wire did leave me the ability to build more cages, but some
would be 16-inch in height and the others 18-inch in height just due
to the way you have to cut the wire. I have come to hate the waste,
and if all things are equal, I believe the taller cage that allows to
rabbit to stand on it's hnid legs is simply better for the rabbit. I
have no scientific evidence to base this on, just my own personal
observations. Now I simply purchase the 24-inch 1x2 galvanized cage
wire and make all my cages 24-inches tall. The cages go together
faster and why waste the wire, and now the rabbits can stand up to
2-feet if the so desire.</div>
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I could not have
done this on my old hutch, it simply would not support cages taller
than 16-inches on the top row or 18-inches on the bottom. In
addition, I think we are going to experiment with a few of the larger
24x24x36-inch cages by placing drop down nest boxes in the bottom
since we have the additional room below the cage, but we have not
made any definite plans regarding this design at this time. If we do
decide to try this out, I will be sure and take pictures and let you
guys know how they work for us.</div>
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As for cage
building, I still make most of my own cages, there used to be a guy
here in my local area that made or still makes great cages, and you
could buy them for about the same price you could build them
yourself, and they were of great quality. The problem is, it took
several weeks to a month to get your cages, and we simply do not have
the time to wait. After all, he is 80+ years of age so it takes him a
bit longer to do the job. Unfortunatly, I have heard that he is
getting out of the cage building business due to his age and failing
health, so I guess we will continue to make our own cages. While I am
getting good at it after three years, I just cannot get the wire 100%
flat without the tools that the 'Cage Man' has.</div>
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Conclusion</div>
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BTW, 'Miracle' is
doing fine, she should be returning from my Friend Steven Coyne's
rabbitry soon and will be going into the new hutch. We have the air
conditioned breeding barn back on it blocks and the electricity is
back on so that a few of the bucks can keep breeding throughout the
hot Texas summer months. And the pregnant does and their kits will
not be so stressed from the heat. As soon as we are up and breeding
and ready for sales once again we will be sure to let everyone know.
Once again, we appreciate all the prayers, kind words and help that
have come our way during this devastating event.</div>
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Steven Coyne</div>
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<a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit Barn (972)742-4922</a></div>
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Breeds: New Zealand,
American Blues</div>
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Bonita Hunt</div>
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Bailywick Rabbitry
(903)946-4666</div>
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Breeds: New Zealand,
Lionhead</div>
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Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-66804174575948658802017-05-10T06:10:00.003-05:002017-05-10T06:10:50.313-05:00'Miracle', The Flying Bun...
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Many of you are not
old enough to remember a small obscure television show called 'The
Flying Nun', but if you do then you will understand the gist of my
joke regarding the title of this article. Heck, I only remember
seeing it in re-runs. Anyway, if you have seen any of our videos, or
follow our Facebook page, then you know that our homestead was hit by
a E3 (136 – 165mph winds), although some sources mention E4 (166 –
200mph winds) tornado on April 29<sup>th</sup>, 2017. To be honest
the devastation on our county road was unbelievable, but no one
nearby was killed although some sustained minor injuries.</div>
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Yesterday, May 9,
2017, I was out on the property letting the chickens out of their
coops and feeding the for the morning, As I was heading for the small
storage shed where the feed was kept, much to my surprise and
astonishment I saw a rabbit on our roof! Yes, I said there was an
American Blue doe walking around on the roof of our house. How she
got there I can only surmise by looking at the only route to the roof
and that is by the large tree that is sitting in our kitchen. You see
a large tree, of which has a diameter larger than I can wrap my arms
around fell through our kitchen and four other rooms of our home
making it impossible to access part of the kitchen and the pantry
(mud room).</div>
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The rabbit hutch was
lifted out of the ground and thrown up against the back porch in that
specific area and there was a lot of debris everywhere and all of the
cages were mangled, many beyond repair. We found a three empty cages
in the yard, two on the back porch and one in the front yard, but we
only recovered two loose rabbits. We assumed that the missing
American Blue doe (who was unnamed) was lost. I believe that this
American Blue doe had been hiding in the pantry area for more than a
week, as she definitely was not on the roof when we removed the
branches and top of the tree that had fallen through the house to
cover the roof with tarps. She eventually decided to go 'walkabout',
using the tree as a ram and climbed up onto the roof where I found
her yesterday.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a near panic, as
only a rabbit person could do, I found a ladder and set it against
the roof of the house and tentatively climbed slowly with a bowl of
food. Surprisingly she came over to me easily and I was able to grab
her where she ate. Not knowing how she would react, the next issue I
encountered was how to safely carry her down the ladder without
falling myself. Cell phone to the rescue as I slowly reached into my
pocket with one hand removed my phone and called my wife to come down
from my mother-in-laws house to hand me a small dog kennel to put her
in so that we both could safely descend the ladder.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She appears to be
doing well, and she finally received her name. My wife said ti was a
miracle the she survived. Calling her survival a “miracle” may be
a little over the top, but so be it, that will be her new name from
this day forward. She seems to be doing fine at this time and when my
wife was feeding and watering her, she came to the front of the cage
to be loved on. Only time will tell if 'Miracle' continues to
flourish and recover from her ordeal, but rabbits are pretty
resilient, and our hope is to add her to our line breeding program of
American Blues which is why she was originally kept from our last
litter. We will keep y'all informed of her progress.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
At this time TAP
Rabbitry is in recovery/rebuild mode. All of our rabbits are being
cared for (at her expense) by a wonderful woman of God and fellow
breeder Bonita Hunt (Baileywick Rabbitry 903-946-4666) until we get
the new outside hutch up and running. Not only is Bonita housing and
feeding our rabbits, she has reached out to the rabbit raising
community. Many have donated new cages, feeders, and all the other
necessary equipment to get us back on our feet. In addition, I
suspect she has spent more money of her own than she is willing to
tell us. Thanks again Bonita for all that you have done. As always,
if you have enjoyed this article or have found it informative, then
please share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend
request on Facebook or Google+ so that you will not miss any of our
latest articles.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So if you need
rabbits at this time I can recommend two friends of mine, Steven
Coyne (Texas Bunny Barn) and Bonita Hunt (Baileywick Rabbitry) you
will find contact information for these great folks below. Thanks
again.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Steven Coyne (Texas
Rabbit Barn)<br />
texasbunnybarn@yahoo.com<br />
(972)742-4922</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Forney,
Texas<br />
Breeds: New Zealand, American Blues<br />
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bonita Hunt
(Baileywick Rabbitry)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
bhunt1961@yahoo.com<br />
(903)946-4666</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Honey Grove,
Texas<br />
Breeds: New Zealands, Meat Pens, Dwarf Hotots,
Californians, Mini Lops, Dutch, Lionhead lops, Lionheads, Mini
Satins, Jersey Woolies, Netherland Dwarfs, Polish, and Holland Lops.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-64484922113957317822017-05-07T21:28:00.002-05:002017-05-07T21:28:33.702-05:00Tornado UpdateJust a video update for all of our family and friends to know how we are
doing. Thanks for all your continued prayers and support!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmgxAreqQhM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fmgxAreqQhM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-45032787171821453532017-05-02T06:51:00.001-05:002017-05-07T21:27:09.991-05:00Canton Tornado 2017<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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<br />
<br />
Days after posting
or latest rabbit offerings for sale on many different Facebook pages,
our rabbitry in Canton, Texas was hit by a tornado. They tell me that
the wind speeds were 140+ miles per hour. From the damage that our
small homestead revived as a result of these winds I believe it.
Essentially the farm has been destroyed and most of the buildings,
greenhouse, and chicken pens were destroyed. We are safe, and
miraculously we only lost 2 adult American Blues (a male and a
female) and one of the American Blue litters (8, 10-week old kits).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To say we were at a
loss as to what to do next is an understatement. A fellow breeder
(Bonita Hunt of Bailywick Rabbitry) whom we have bought breeding
stock before contacted us and offered to come and house our rabbits
for us. She drove more than two hours and brought her truck and horse
trailer and took the whole herd to their home. She refused to take any money for feed to house or livestock, she is truly a good Samaritan and we can thank her enough.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Needless to say, all
rabbit sales have to be put on hold at this time. Thank you for all
the prayers and messages and calls that we have received in support.
We will keep you updated on the status of the farm. I have included a
link to the video that I shot we we first arrived on the scene.
Thanks again.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you need a good
source for rabbits please contact our friends below:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Steve Coyne (Texas
Bunny Barn) Forney, TX 972-742-4922</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bonita Hunt
(Bailywick Rabbitry) Honey Grove, TX 903-946-4666</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-59215955160203960032017-04-29T06:20:00.002-05:002017-04-29T06:20:28.016-05:00Basgil/Borden, John Gillis Lines
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I1I1fnm9TpU/WQR2xlbaK5I/AAAAAAAABTo/W1VHyiXisMwQ8fmhpoZe6C0kR--edqL8ACLcB/s1600/BBJG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I1I1fnm9TpU/WQR2xlbaK5I/AAAAAAAABTo/W1VHyiXisMwQ8fmhpoZe6C0kR--edqL8ACLcB/s1600/BBJG1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have eight New
Zealand White (NZW) Basgil/Borden and John Gillis lines males and
females for sale. Both the sire and dam come from strong winning
bloodlines. We can pair any females with our two remaining
Basgil/Borden bucks (see our other post) for a great trio of NZW that
will start you on the road to success in breeding your own meat
rabbits. These rabbits would be a great addition to your rabbitry if
you are looking to add a new blood to your heard. They are $35 each,
or $30 each if you purchase them both. These guys are good lookers
and will not last long.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are loated in
Canton, TX, If interested you can send me a PM, or give us a call
(469) 526-3665 and leave a message as I am unable to answer my phone
during working hours, and I will get back with you as soon as
possible.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mAGQegUyIA/WQR24bTc12I/AAAAAAAABTs/kc-f3j3qWZw__LxmCR7cQJy7e4ujMlIjACLcB/s1600/BBJG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mAGQegUyIA/WQR24bTc12I/AAAAAAAABTs/kc-f3j3qWZw__LxmCR7cQJy7e4ujMlIjACLcB/s1600/BBJG2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-61196359312458095052017-04-29T06:01:00.000-05:002017-04-29T06:02:26.345-05:00Basgil/Borden Bucks<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have two New
Zealand White Basgil/Borden males remaining for sale. Both the sire
and dam come from strong Basgil/Borden bloodlines. These guys would
be a great addition to your rabbitry if you are looking to add a new
blood to your heard. They are $40 each, or $35 each if you purchase
them both. These guys are good lookers and will not last long.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are loated in
Canton, TX, If interested you can send me a PM, or give us a call
(469) 526-3665 and leave a message as I am unable to answer my phone
during working hours, and I will get back with you as soon as
possible.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0K4BAza57ow/WQRyD9D0KkI/AAAAAAAABTM/kzZTQz6dV6II6x71c-qKPnmqx801UvWEQCEw/s1600/BBBucks1720p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0K4BAza57ow/WQRyD9D0KkI/AAAAAAAABTM/kzZTQz6dV6II6x71c-qKPnmqx801UvWEQCEw/s1600/BBBucks1720p.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-54318865652705789072017-04-28T05:24:00.002-05:002017-04-28T05:24:21.204-05:00Self-Injury In Rabbits
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_m_kwwW7sB0/WQMXpmRLjhI/AAAAAAAABSk/NnzU0p6G9ngHS28WZv_onNQpx6PZFPTmACLcB/s1600/Selfinjurybanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_m_kwwW7sB0/WQMXpmRLjhI/AAAAAAAABSk/NnzU0p6G9ngHS28WZv_onNQpx6PZFPTmACLcB/s1600/Selfinjurybanner.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here on the TAP
Homestead and Rabbitry, we are a small working farm. The primary goal
here is to provide for ourselves as much fresh fruits (blackberries,
apples, and pears) vegetables, eggs, and meat (rabbit and chicken) as
possible. As well as supplement our income with rabbit and chicken
sales. We have taken the Blue Bell approach in that “we eat all we
can, and we sell the rest.” Because of this predation, injury or
disease that causes us to lose a productive animal is not something
that we like to experience. Unfortunately, it happens, and such is
the circle of life on the farm.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The purpose of this
article is to share with you the rare experience that you may have
when you embark on raising rabbits for meat and or sales. We have
been raising meat rabbits now for three years, and this was he first
time that we have had a rabbit engage in the process of self-injury
or mutilation. It is my hope that this article will shed some light
on this subject and although rare, if you happen to experience this
in your herd, you will know that you are not alone. Included at the
end of this article is a picture of the self inflicted injuries that
our New Zealand Red (NZR) buck had inflicted upon himself. They are
quite graphic, but I felt the need for them to be included so that
you could see the extent of what he did to himself in just a few
days.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Causes</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are many
theories as to why a rabbit begin to chew on their feet, but there is
no definitive test that can determine the exact cause of this
behavior. For the owner of a 'pet' rabbit, the first step would be to
take their animal to the veterinarian to have it examined, and a
multitude of tests run. However, for the meat producer or small
homesteader, this is most often not a fiscally reasonable option.
Spending $100 or more for a breeder that can be easily replaced by
another for $30 - $50 is somewhat wasteful, even if the rabbit was of
exceptional quality. So what causes a rabbit to engage in
self-injury? Self mutilation by rabbits may be caused be any one, or
a combination of the following.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the
<i>Textbook Of Rabbits Medicine</i>, 'The cause of self-mutilation is
not clear and it is likely that a number of conditions may result in
this type of behavior. Obsessive/compulsive behavior.,
hypersensitivity, harvest mite infection, atopy and contact
dermatitis are among the causes that have been considered. Many
rabbits carry Cheyletiella parasitovorax and/or Leporacus gibbus
mites and hypersensitivity is a possibility' (Varga p. 240). In
addition, the authors indicate that 'self-mutilation sometimes
appears to be a psychological disorder. Active, sociable animals seem
most susceptible. Environmental enrichment, including the opportunity
to exercise and a bonded companion can be successful in preventing
the syndrome' (Varga p. 240).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A five year study
conducted by scientists regarding the problem of self-mutilation of
laboratory rabbits began with the basic assumption that this behavior
was caused by poor nutrition, caging, social contact, and or
environment and care. The initial outcome of their study indicated
that there was no specific trigger for self mutilation. 'No other
behavioral abnormalities or signs of disease were evident.
Self-mutilation was seen both in stock, breeding and experimental
animals, in rabbits kept singly in cages and in those housed in
groups on the ground, in rabbits kept in different buildings and
under the care of different staff members. This behavioral
abnormality of Checkered crosses has also been observed in animals
after being placed into other institutions or private homes. No
evidence of an agent responsible for the occurrence of self-injury
could be found with parasitological, mycological, histological,
clinical or haematological examination' (<span lang="de-DE">Iglauer</span>,
et. al). Their conclusion after completing their five year study was
that the cause of the self-mutilation in theses cases was of a
psychological not physical condition. Once 'the condition was
recognized as an obsessive-compulsive behavioral disorder.
Thereafter, animals were hindered from inflicting further
self-injury' (<span lang="de-DE">Iglauer</span>, et. al).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It would appear that
the evidence strongly suggests, that when there is no physical cause,
that self-mutilation is rabbits comes as a result of a psychological
disorder, but other environmental, age, or stress related factors
cannot be totally ruled out. Some of the other factors that have been
discussed as possible causes for self-injury or mutilation include:</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pain from
arthritis (primarily in older rabbits)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nerve damage
related to previous injury or injection site</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stress and
boredom, a rabbit may chew on it's own foot when bored or stressed</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Contact
Dermatitis</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Presence of a
foreign body in the foot or fur</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Contaminated
food supply (rare)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hereditary
conditions (psychological disorders)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Infestation
of the skin by parasites such as fur mites or burrowing mites</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nDtT9mm9dqg/WQMVsCAoxtI/AAAAAAAABSM/Rfeh4eIgYrkZCK2vLXIsrONKkBHkqAHkQCLcB/s1600/Selfinjury1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nDtT9mm9dqg/WQMVsCAoxtI/AAAAAAAABSM/Rfeh4eIgYrkZCK2vLXIsrONKkBHkqAHkQCLcB/s1600/Selfinjury1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Prevention</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So how do you keep
your rabbits from self-mutilation? The problem is that without being
able to identify the exact trigger or cause of the foot chewing or
self-injury, it is rather difficult to prevent the problem. Having
said that, there are some overall strategies that you can implement
to possibly minimize any potential self-mutilation problems in the
future. As I mentioned in some of my earlier articles on rabbit
nutrition, a diet high in fiber is important to rabbit health,
supplying your rabbit(s) with something to chew on other than
themselves is important to relieve boredom. 'Chewing through a mound
of hay or grazing grass prevents boredom as well as providing
indigestible fiber. Toys, such as cardboard boxes or branches of wood
will also provide entertainment' (Varga p. 240). If however, the
problem of self-mutilation develops as a result of a psychological
disorder, there is really no way for you to prevent the problem from
occurring.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Solution</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We examined all the
possible things that we believed that could have led to this
condition in 'LER'. My wife treated his wounds, but he continued to
chew on his feet on a daily basis. Our initial observation was that
he did not have any pain and this activity did not keep from from
eating. In fact, because he exhibited no outward signs of pain or
distress, we did not notice this practice until he had be doing it
for a few days. Attempting to determine the cause, we examined all
the things which we discovered in our research regarding self-injury
in rabbits. There has been no change in his diet, environment, and we
do not believe that any new stressors were apparent that would have
been a factor. It could have been related to arthritic pain, but he
was only three years old, and he had no other outward signs of
physical injury that we could see upon examination. We could not find
any foreign object in either of his back legs or hocks that would
have caused him pain. Honestly, we were stumped as to the cause, and
whether it was physical or psychological in nature.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately, we
could not allow him to continue this practice. For us, as breeders of
meat rabbits and small time homesteaders, the only viable and humane
option was to euthanise our NZR buck LER. It is not something that we
wanted to do, or an action that we took lightly. LER had been a
really good breeder for us, and fortunately we had a son of his from
a prior breeding. In addition, we bred him the morning that we had to
put him down with one of our NZR females 'Dottie' so we will keep the
best male from this litter as well.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When you live on a
working farm, regardless of size, any and all livestock that you have
need to be able to perform at their designated function in order for
you to make ends meet. Any and every farmer I have known hates to
lose livestock to predators or disease, however both are an
inevitable part of farming and ranching. While our chickens and
rabbits are working animals, there is always a bit of angst when you
have to dispatch of an animal that you have become attached too.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately, we
have no idea what caused our NZR buck LER to start to process of
self-injury, but nothing that we did could stop him from hurting
himself. When we look back on all the possible causes, I am left to
wonder if it was indeed more of a psychological problem than a
physical one. Even with his self inflicted injuries, he never
displayed any discomfort and was able to breed this morning without
any problems. Whether it physical or psychological, at this point is
really not up for debate. I simply wanted to share with you our
experiences regarding this problem though rare as it is, it sometimes
happens. All you can do is to take the necessary precautions to
ensure that your rabbits have access to proper nutrition (food and
water), a clean home in which to live, and as stress free environment
as possible.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of course all is not
lost, as I mentioned, we have a breeding male from a previous litter
of LER's that was intended as his replacement, and we were able to
breed him this morning to one of our other red doe's, so his genetic
line will continue. So ends another day on the farm with both the
beginning and end of life. We will miss you LER. I encourage you to
do any additional research that you think may be necessary regarding
self-injury in rabbits. As always, if you have enjoyed this article
or have found it informative, then please share it with your friends.
Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook or Google+ so
that you will not miss any of our latest articles.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Author's Note: By
clicking on the link below you can download a free PDF version of the
'Textbook Of Rabbit Medicine'. It may be a bit technical, but the
information is quite through and something that every raiser of meat
rabbits should have in their library.</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Haddon, Celia,
Rabbits Which Chew Their Feet or Body, 2007, Accessed April 20, 2017</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="de-DE">F.
Iglauer, C. Beig, J. Dimigen, S. Gerold, A. Gocht, A. Seeburg, S.
Steier and F. Willmann. </span><span lang="en-US"><i>Hereditary
</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>C</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>ompulsive
</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>S</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>elf-</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>M</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>utilating
Behavior </i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>I</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>n
</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>L</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>aboratory
</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>R</i></span><span lang="en-US"><i>abbits</i></span><span lang="en-US">.
Lab Anim</span><span lang="en-US">als,</span><span lang="en-US">
1995, 29:385-393 </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Patry, Karen, <i>The
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver</i>, Storey Publishing, North Adams,
MA, 2014.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Van Pragg, Ester
PhD., Self-Mutilating Behavior In Rabbis, MediRabbit.com, Accessed
April 23, 2017.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://anatomiayplastinacion.wikispaces.com/file/view/Rabbits....pdf"><span style="font-style: normal;">Varga,
Molly BvetMed, CertZooMed, DzooMed, MRCVS,</span><i> </i><i>Textbook
Of Rabbit Medicine</i>, Butterworth–Heinemann Linacre House, Jordan
Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 225 Wildwood Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801-2041,
2002.</a></div>
<a href="https://anatomiayplastinacion.wikispaces.com/file/view/Rabbits....pdf"></a><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-44523932649673978292017-04-26T03:55:00.002-05:002017-04-26T03:55:19.651-05:00American Blue Breeding Pairs
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have two litters
from different bloodlines of American Blue rabbits for sale. These
gorgeous little guys and gals will be available for purchase on May
31<sup>st</sup> (10 weeks old). The sire and dam of both litters are
pedigreed and from different bloodlines so pedigrees are available.
These bunnies would be a great addition to your rabbitry if you are
looking to add a new breeding pair(s) to your heard. If you are just
starting out breeding meat rabbits these guys will get you started
out right! They are $30 each, or $25 each if you purchase two or
more. These guys are good lookers and will not last long.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If interested you
can send me a PM, or give us a call and leave a message as I am
unable to answer my phone during working hours, and I will get back
with you as soon as possible. You can check them out on the video below.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eaxvTP24dlo/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eaxvTP24dlo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-62287972513175111492016-09-02T13:21:00.001-05:002016-09-02T13:21:05.441-05:00Ear Mites<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K_2C3glA2QM/V8WBd4gbDSI/AAAAAAAABPM/08QgujyxL540ACNtsRKczxY_xF-JL8rRQCLcB/s1600/earmitebannerA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K_2C3glA2QM/V8WBd4gbDSI/AAAAAAAABPM/08QgujyxL540ACNtsRKczxY_xF-JL8rRQCLcB/s1600/earmitebannerA.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One morning while
doing your rabbit chores, you notice that your rabbit is shaking it's
head, or scratching it's years. Upon closer examination of the
rabbits ears you may notice small blisters and small areas of yellow
crusting scabs in the lower portion of the ears known as 'ear mange'
or 'ear canker'. At this point there is only culprit responsible for
this condition, the common ear mite. Ear mites are a member of the
<i>Psoroptes</i> or <i>Chorioptes</i> family. They are a blood
sucking parasite that burrow into the flesh of the rabbits ears and
lay their eggs in small tunnels as they suck blood from the skin. When
your rabbit feels the mites biting it's ears it begins shaking it's
head and scratching at it's ears which can cause more damage to the
ears.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The good news is
that by themselves ear mites are not deadly, however, untreated they
can cause significant damage and discomfort to your rabbit and they
can easily be spread from one rabbit to another unknowingly by you
the breeder. In worse case scenarios, the infestation can cause the
rabbit's immune system to weaken making it more susceptible to other
bacterial infections. If the inner or middle ear becomes infected the
rabbit(s) infected may develop wry neck (torticollis) which usually
results in the death of the rabbit.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So how did your
rabbits get infected with ear mites? There are many vectors that
could be responsible. Mites can be transported by a number of rodents
including mice and rats, as well as your barn cat if you have one.
They can live in straw and or the cracks of wooden hutches for a long
time and continue to re-infest your herd. They can be transmitted by
the breeder by unknowingly rubbing or scratching the head and ears of
a rabbit that has mites and then handling another rabbit without
washing their hands in between. Your rabbit can even acquire them
from any activity in which there are a large amount of rabbits
present such as a rabbit show, after all it only takes one newly
infected bunny to spread the mites to many others. However, the most
common way mites gain access to your rabbitry is when you bring a
newly infected rabbit into your rabbitry that has mites, but does not
yet show any signs or symptoms of the infestation. This is what
happened in our case. Fortunately, we soon discovered the problem and
because the rabbit was isolated, we were able to eradicate the mites
without any problem, and the rabbit involved is doing fine.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now there are many
different ways to treat ear mites. The most common non-medication
treatment option is the use of mineral or olive oil (way to
expensive, keep it in your kitchen) to coat the scabs and drown the
mites. There are also a few different “off-label” medications
that can be used to effectively kill the mites as well as their eggs.
Each technique has it's advantages and disadvantages whether it be
cost, length of treatment time, or possible side effects. The goal of
this article is to share with you the many alternatives that you may
choose to eradicate the mites from your herd should you find that you
have a rabbit with ear mites.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Non-Medical
Treatment</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The most common
non-medication type treatment for ear mites is called the 'triple 3'
or 3-3-3 treatment. This treatment involves coating all the scabs on
the ear with mineral oil once a day for 3 days to drown or smother
the mites. The easiest way to do this is to use a small medicine
dropper to place 3 or 5 drops of oil in ear year and then gently massage
the ear. If there are a significant amount of scabbing noted, then
dip a q-tip in the oil and gently coat the scabbed areas and
carefully remove as many of the scabs as possible without causing
further injury to the rabbit.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then apply the
mineral oil every other day for three applications. By this point the
ears should be looking much cleaner. After three applications,
continue to apply oil to the ears once a week for a total of three
more weeks. Hence the name 'triple 3' or 3-3-3. This technique not
only kills any active mites that may be infesting the rabbits ears,
it will also kill any mites that may hatch from eggs that were still
in the ear.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This process works
by actually drowning the live mites with mineral oil causing them to
die, the reason you have to perform so many applications of the
mineral oil is that the initial application does not destroy any eggs
that may be in the tunnels of the skin in which they are laid. These
eggs incubate for a total of four days then new mites are hatched. So
while one dose of mineral oil may kill the adult mites, four days
later any eggs left in the ear will hatch and the process will
continue unabated. Therefore to be effective you most perform
multiple applications of mineral oil as directed.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mineral Oil</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Strength: Do not
dilute</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dose: 3 to 5 drops
(Enough to coat the scabs on the initial treatment)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost: $2.00 for 16
ounce bottle (more doses then I want to count)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Availability: Can be
purchased at any drug store or supermarket.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The advantages of
this form of treatment is that it is extremely cheap and relatively
easy to perform. The disadvantages are that it is labor intensive,
and the process takes the longest time to eradicate the mites, and
you may have to perform the compete process more than once for severe
infestations. If you have a lot of animals it will take you along
time to treat them all.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Medical Treatment
Options</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are several
fifferent medications that can be used to treat ear mites in rabbits,
with the exception of 'Eradimite' all of them are considered
'off-label'. That is that the medication or treatment option is
effective for treating ear mites in rabbits, but that is not what the
original intended use of the medication was created for. Other than
Eradimite, the two most common forms of medical treatment used to
treat ear mites in rabbits is the use of the anti-parasitics
ivermectin and selamectin.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;">Eradimite</span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Is a topical ear
solution that uses pyrethrins (0.15%) and piperonyl butoxide (1.50%)
as it's active ingredients to kill the mites in dogs, cats, and
rabbits. Pyrethrins come from the chrysanthemum flower and have been
used in many insecticides since the 1950's, piperonyl butoxide is a
chemical that keeps the insects from being able to degrade the posion
therby enhancing the effectiveness of pyrethrins. The remaining
ingredients (98.3%) is essentially aloe vera. Pyrtethrins are a form
of nerve agent which excites the nervous system of any insect that
eats or touches it. This quickly leads to their paralysis and
eventually kills them. My research into this product indicates that
it does nothing to destroy the mites eggs, therefore it has to be
repeated several times in order to kill all of the mites in your
rabbits ears.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The recommended
dosage is to place 8 – 10 drops of the mediation in each ear, which
means that a 1 oz bottle will probably only be good for two to four
applications before you need to purchase another bottle. The
instructions for use state “Repeat every 2 days until the condition
has cleared up or as directed by your veterinarian.” As far as I
can tell, eradimate will kill mites in their various stages of
growth, but it does not effect the eggs which is why multiple
applications are needed.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have read on may
forums that pet owners claim that 8 to 10 drops are way to many for
their dog, cat, and or rabbit and they usually recommend only 3 to 4 drops. As I have
never used this medication, and do not know of anyone who has done so, I cannot verify if the lesser dose is
effective or not. There appears to be no specific 'weight based'
instructions for this medication, the only caveat is that it is not
to be used on dogs, cats, and rabbits less than 12 weeks old.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eradimite (Fort
Dodge)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Strength: Do not
dilute</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dose: 8 to 10 drops
per ear</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost: $17 – $20
for a 1 ounce bottle (about two to four applications)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Availability: Can be
purchased on-line or at some pet stores.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;">Ivermectin 1%
(Anti-parasitic)</span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Some would say that
the use of anti-parasitic agents is the easy way out, however it does
require the purchase of medication as well as syringes, and you need
to know the proper way to administer the medication to your rabbit.
The medication of choice is Ivermectin (Stromectol). Ivermectin is a
broad-spectrum anti-parasitic used to treat head lice, scabies, and
ear mites among other things in both humans and animals. The
effective dosage of ivermectin for rabbits is 0.018 to 0.025 ml of a
premixed 1% sterile solution for each pound that the affected rabbit
weighs. While a smaller dose may be effective, for rabbits with a
severe mite infestation, it is recommended that the dose used be
0.025 ml's for each pound your rabbit weighs. Some of the brand
names for ivermectin that you will find not only on the internet, but
at retail farm supply stores such as Tractor Supply include: Ivomec
1%, Vetrimec 1%, and Agri-Mectin among others.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Name: Ivermectin 1%
Injectable
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Strength: 10mg/ml</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dose: 0.018 –
0.025 ml per pound of rabbit</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost: $25 – $35
for 50ml bottle (about 400 – 450 doses)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Availability: Can be
purchased on-line, or locally at Tractor Supply, or at almost any
farm and ranch supply store.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of the three medical
treatment options, this is the cheapest as a 50ml bottle of
ivermectin will supply you with enough medication for about 400 –
450 doses for a 10lb rabbit making the cost around $0.065 per
application. The advantage of this treatment is that it 99.6%
effective after the administration of three doses. In addition to
killing ear mites, it also eradicates any fur mites the animal may
have. The disadvantages is that you need to also purchase insulin
syringes (which are relatively cheap) and you need to know how to give a
subcutaneous injection to your animal as you will need to administer this treatment once every two weeks for a total of six weeks.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<i>Breeders Note: Using insulin syringes to administer ivermectin is just about the only accurate way to administer the correct dosage of medication to your rabbit. Insulin syringes are broken down into a scale known as units. There are 100 units in 1 ml (millileter). I have taken the original recommended doses from the chart in the book 'The Rabbit Problem Solver' and added a column to the chart indicating the number of units of medication you should administer to your rabbit based on the rabbits weight. If you want to perform your own calculations simply take the dose in ml's and multiply by 100 (0.25ml x 100 = 25 units), it that simple.</i></div>
<i>
</i>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ivermectin should be
administered subcutaneously once every two weeks for 6 weeks (total
of 3 doses). To administer a subcutaneous injection, pinch up the
skin over the shoulder blades of the rabbit and clean the area with a
q-tip dipped in alcohol, or with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. Then inject the required amount of medication
into the tented area of the skin that you have just cleaned. Keep in mind that ivermectin is a thick and viscous medication and it takes a while to fill the syringe, and it will take a bit of pressure to inject it into to nape of your rabbits neck. Having a partner to hold the rabbit you wish to medicate is definitely an added bonus.<br />
<br />
<i>Breeders Note: There are a couple of other forms of ivermection such as pour-on, pastes, and even powders, none of which I have used. While there are a number of videos on YouTube from people who have given their rabbits ivermectin 1.87% horse de-wormer orally to treat ear mites, I cannot validate the effectiveness of the dose which is often described as "pea sized." I may delve into these other types of ivermectin in a future article, but for know, know that the subcutaneous route is safe and effective when administered correctly.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Revolution
(Selamectin 15mg topically)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Revolution for dogs
and cats can be used as an 'off-label' medication to treat ear mites
in rabbits. According the article 'Efficacy and safety of Selamectin
(Stronghold / Revolution) used Off-Label in Exotic Pets' in The
Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine (JARVM),
Stronghold and Revolution for puppies and kittens (5lbs and under)
can be used as an effective treatment for ear mites in rabbits.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In two independent
clinical trials a 15mg application of selamectin killed all of the
mites in rabbits whose ears were infested. In the first study, when
applied to the skin at the base of the neck either once or twice
after a single application of 15mg of selamectin (1 tube) no live
mites were recovered from day 7 through day 56. In the second case
study four 4-month-old dwarf rabbits who shared a cage all with ear
mites were treated with 15mg of selamectin, no mites were detected
after 7 days.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Revolution (Mauve
Colored Box)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Name: Revolution for
Puppies and Kittens < 5lbs (Mauve Colored Box)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Strength: 15mg per
tube, 3 tubes per box.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dose: 1 15mg
application (3 doses per box)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost: $25 – $30
(about $10.00 per application)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Availability: Can be
purchased on-line, or locally from Pet supply stores such as
Petsmart, Petco, or from your local veterinarian. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of the three medical
treatment options, this is the most expensive as one box contains
only 3 does (15mg per tube) of the selamectin making the cost about
$10.00 per application. The advantage of this treatment is that it is
99.5% effective after the administration of one to two doses. It is
easy to administer and takes no medical knowledge to do so. The
major disadvantage is the cost. If you are only treating one or two
animals this may be the route you want to go, but it is far to costly
to try and treat more than a few animals.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Prevention</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The old adage,
“prevention is always the best medicine” still applies to ear
mites. When bringing any new livestock into your rabbitry, the best
practise is to isolate them from the rest of your herd for a minimum
of two weeks, but four weeks is better. This will allow you to determine
not only if the animal has any ear mites that may have been
undetected by both the breeder and yourself when you initially examined the rabbit.
Keep in mind that no breeder that I have ever known intentionally
sold a rabbit infested with mites, but it does happen. After you
have treated your rabbits and they are mite free, you will need to
remove them from the cages and clean and disinfect your cages and any
plastic resting boards.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The following
instructions will demonstrate how we clean our cages here at TAP
rabbitry. We clean and disinfect our cages about every 6 months and
whenever necessary. We clean and disinfect our cages with both heat
and bleach. I use a butane torch and burn off any old hair from the wire
cage. Then I spray the cages with simple green and remove any
additional stuck on stuff with a plastic bristle brush. The cages are
then rinsed with the water hose and I spray the entire cage with a
1:10 bleach solution (1 part bleach, 10 parts water) and place the
cages in the sun to dry.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Make sure you also
clean and disinfect any plastic resting boards that may have been in
cages with infected animals. For this, I clean them with
simple green, and soak them in a container filled with a 1:10
bleach solution. Any wooden, sheet rock or other porous type resting
boards that cannot be disinfected with bleach should be thrown away
and not reused as the mites can live in the cracks and crevasses of
these items.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Conclusion</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have the
time, and you are only treating a couple of rabbits, then the
non-medical treatment may be the choice for you. Of all the treatment
options it takes the most time and if you have a rabbitry of any size
it will take you some time to treat all your livestock. It will work,
but it has the lowest success rate, (most often due to human error)
and may need to be performed more than once. It is however the
cheapest option, and the only non-medical option that I am aware of
for treating ear mites. I am not so sure that the use of eradimite is
any more effective than simply using mineral oil as eradimite does
not kill the eggs and you still have to perform multiple applications
just as you would if you were using mineral oil. If these were my
only two choices, I would definitely try mineral oil first before
ponying up the money for eradimite, but this is just my humble
opinion. If you are not wanting to medicate your rabbits then the use
of mineral oil is definitely the only avenue you have other than
destroying the animal and or animals concerned.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you do not mind
the use of anti-parasitics then Ivermectin is a good choice,
especially if you have to treat multiple animals. It is an
inexpensive solution when you figure the number of doses you can get
from one 50ml bottle, and with a 99.6% success rate it is hard to
beat. The downside is that you will have to wait for a minimum of two
months before you can butcher any treated animals for human
consumption to give the medication time to get out of their system.
Revolution (for dogs and cats) has about the same success rate as
Ivermectin, it is easier to administer, but is far more costly per
dose, but if you only need to treat a few rabbits, it is the easiest
of the three to administer. Like Ivermectin, a two month waiting
period is recommended to allow all of the medication to thoroughly
leave the rabbits system before butchering them for human
consumption.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It should be noted
that I am not a veterinarian, and I do not endorse any of the
products that are in this article regardless of whether I have used
them or not. Proper care should be taken whenever administrating any
medications to your rabbits and you do so at your own risk. I have
done my best to provide you with the necessary information so that
you can make an informed decision regarding how you may wish to treat
your rabbits if and when they become infected with ear mites. I
encourage you to do any additional research that you think may be
necessary regarding the side effects of he aforementioned medications. As
always, if you have enjoyed this article or have found it
informative, then please share it with your friends. Don't forget to
send us a friend request on Facebook or Google+ so that you will not
miss any of our latest articles.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Resources:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bennett, Bob,
<u>Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits</u>, (North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing, 2009).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fisher, Maggie DVM,
Beck, Wieland DVM, Hutchinson, Melanie J. DVM, “Efficacy and safety
of Selamectin (Stronghold / Revolution) used Off-Label in Exotic
Pets” in <u>The Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine</u>
(JARVM), 2007 (pp 87-96)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2449&Itemid=2716">Ivermectin forvetinary use on DOGS, CATS, HORSES, CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, PIG and POULTRY aganst external and internal parasites: worms, lice, mites,ticks, and flies. Accessed from www.parasitipedia.neton August 21, 2016.</a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Patry, Karen, <u>The
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver</u>, (North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing, 2014).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pbogen.pdf">Piperonyl Butoxide – National Pesticide Information Ceneter – Oregan State University.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pyrethrins.pdf">Pyrethrins –
National Pesticide Information Ceneter – Oregan State University.</a></div>
<a href="http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pyrethrins.pdf"></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite/Psoroptes.htm">Van Praag, Ester PhD, Ear Mite: Psoroptes Cuncul, accessed from www.Medirabbit.com on August 26, 2016.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Anti_parasitics/Ivermec.htm">Van Praag, Ester PhD, Ivermectin, accessed from www.Medirabbit.com on August 26, 2016.</a></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-90887713858615579512016-08-25T16:48:00.000-05:002016-08-25T16:48:36.837-05:00Linebreeding Meat Rabbits For Food and Profit
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Line-breeding is a
form on inbreeding that is most often used by successful rabbitry's
in order to maintain the desired genetic traits and characteristics
of their foundation stock. Instead of mating brother and sister
(inbreeding), linebreeding is the breeding of father to daughter and
mother to son to maintain and improve the herd. The process of
selectively breeding offspring to their respective parent has been
performed for hundreds of years with cattle, goat, pigs, sheep,
poultry, and rabbits by both farmers and ranchers. The goal is to
produce enough offspring in your rabbitry that you can put meat in
the freezer and sell quality livestock while maintaining a quality
genetically stable bloodline.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So what does a
genetically stable bloodline look like? Well with linebreeding the
goal is to be able (after several generations) to produce a specific
generation that still has 50% of each of the genome of the original
parents used as your foundation stock. Sounds almost impossible
right? Actually, it is pretty easy if you keep accurate records and
are careful with your breeding program.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be successful,
your breeding must be kept on strict lines and within limits, and may
be adopted for years without having to outcross any new rabbits into
your bloodlines. To aid you in your endeavor, you will not only need
to have a linebreeding chart, you will also need to know how to read
it, and that is the goal of this article. The process will become
clear once you understand how to use the linebreeding chart
accompanying this article.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Linebreeding
Chart</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To begin the process
we need an unrelated breeding pair of rabbits (male and female), this
pair will be known as your foundation stock or original male and
female. They are represented at the top of the chart simply as
'Female' on the left and 'Male' on the right. Each dotted line
represents a female (doe) and every solid line a male (buck). Where
the two lines meet there is a circle with a letter depicted
indicating what group the offspring of this breeding pair belong too.
In addition, there is a fraction indicating the amount of genetic
material (genes) that each parent has contributed to each offspring.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Getting Started
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once we have chosen
a breeding pair to become our foundation stock, we begin the breeding
process. All of the kits from this breeding will be labeled group A.
Looking at the chart we see that all of the kits born in this litter
will receive one-half (½ or 50%) of their genes from the original
male, and one-half (½ or 50%) of their genes from the original
female of this line.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once the rabbits
from group A reach breeding age (about 6 months), we will breed back
one of the males from this group to our original female (mother to
son), and one of the females from this group to our original male
(father to daughter). These two breedings produce the rabbits in
groups B and C, each of which possess three-fourths (¾ or 75%) of
the genes of the parent and one-quarter (¼ or 25%) of the genes of
the other parent. In this case, Group B carries three-fourths (¾ or
75%) of the genes from our original female, one one-quarter (¼ or 25%) of the genes from our original male, while group C carries
three-fourths (¾ or 75%) of the genes from our original male and
one-fourth (¼ or 25%) of the genes from our original female.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, how did we
arrive at these figures? Let's examine the kits produced in group C
by the breeding our original male with a female from group A. Our
original male carries 100% of his own genes and the female from group
A carries one-half (½ or 50%) of our original male genes. Adding
these two fractions together we get 1 ½. We then take 1 ½ and
divide it by 2 (because the breeding takes two rabbits) and the
result is that all the kits produced by this breeding (which will be
labeled group C) will carry three-quarters (¾ or 75%) of the genes
from our original male, and one-quarter (¼ or 25%) of the genes from
our original female (1 + ½ = 1½ / 2 = ¾ male genes). This same
principle is carried through out the chart with the number by the
circle indicating the fraction or percentage of the genetic material
that each parent has provided (left side of chart female, right side
of chart male).</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the third
generation we breed a male from group C to a female from group B.
Each of which contains three-quarters (¾ or 75%) of the genes of the
male and or female respectively. All of the kits from this breeding,
labeled group E, will contain one-half (½ or 50%) of the genes from
both our original male and female.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is determined
by adding three-quarters (¾, or 75%) of the females genes from from
group B to the one-quarter (¼ or 25%) of the genes from the female
from group C and divide by 2 (¾ + ¼ / 2 = ½ or 50%). Likewise we
add three-quarters (¾ or 75%) the male genes from group C to
one-quarter (¼ or 25%) of the males genes from group B and divide by
2 ( ¾ + ¼ / 2 = ½ or 50%). This is the objective of linebreeding,
namely to come back to a point in which the rabbits in your herd
contain one-half (50%) of the genetic material of both your original
male and female foundation stock. As long as we do this we are not
inbreeding, rather we are linebreeding. Therefore, each time we
breed without going outside the bloodline, we are maintaining the
genetic base of our original male and female rabbits.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next, we breed a
male from group B with our original female resulting in group D,
whose kits posses seven-eights (7/8 or 87.5%) of the original females
genes and one-eighth (1/8 or 12.5%) of our original males genes. We
also breed a female from group C, to our original male, resulting in
group F, whose kits possess seven-eights (7/8 or 87.5%) of the
original males genes and one-eighth (1/8 or 12.5%) of the original
female's genes. We will also breed a male from group F to a female
from group D, resulting in group I, and again we come back to our
genetic goal as all of the kits from this breeding contain 50% of the
genes from both our original male and female.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next generation
will produce kits having one-half (½ or 50%) of their genes coming
from our original male and female at group N by mating a male from
group J and a female from group H. Offspring from groups G and K if
bred together will also return us to our goal of producing kits that
contain one-half (½ or 50%) of the genes of each of our original
male and female foundation stock.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Following this form of
linebreeding enables the breeder to keep several different males and
females breeding that are genetically similar enough to retain and
improve on their original breeding pair without causing any genetic
anomalies or health issues.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The percentage of genes contributed from our original male and female for each group are
listed below in what I consider is a little more concise and readable format.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1<sup>st</sup>
Generation (Group A)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group A's Genetic
Makeup: 50% original female, 50% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group, to your original female to get group B, and breed a
female from this group to your original male to get group C.
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2<sup>nd</sup>
Generation (Groups B and C)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group B's Genetic
Makeup: 75% original female, 25% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to your original female to get group D, and breed a
female from this group to a male from group C to get group E. Breed
a female from this group to a male from group D to get group G.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group C's Genetic
Makeup: 25% original female, 75% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group with a female from group B to get group E. Breed a
female from this group to your original male to get group F. Breed a
female from this group with a male from group F to get group K.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
3<sup>rd</sup>
Generation (Groups D, E, and F)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group D's Genetic
Makeup: 87.5% original female, 12.5% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a
female from this group to a male from group E to get group H. Breed
a female from this group to a male from group F to get group I.
Breed a male from this group to a female from group B to get group
G.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group E's Genetic
Makeup: 50% original female, 50% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to a female from group D to get group H. Breed a
female from this group to a male from group F to get group J.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group F's Genetic
Makeup: 12.5% original female, 87.5% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to a female from group D to get group I. Breed a
male from this group to a female from group E to group J. Breed a
male from this group to a female from group C to get group K.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
4<sup>th</sup>
Generation (Groups G, H, I, J, and K)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group G's Genetic
Makeup: 81.25% original female, 18.75% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to a female from group I to get group L. Breed a
female from this group to a male from group J to get group M.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group H's Genetic
Makeup: 68.75% original female, 31.25% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a
female from this group to a male from group J to get group N. Breed
a female from this group to a male from group K to get group O.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group I's Genetic
Makeup: 50% original female, 50% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a
female from this group to a male from group G to get group L. Breed
a female from group to a male from group K to get group P.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group J's Genetic
Makeup: 31.25% original female, 68.75% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to a female from group G to get group M. Breed a
male from this group to a female from group H to get group N.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group K's Genetic
Makeup: 18.75% original female, 81.25% original male.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breed a male
from this group to a female from group H and you get group O. Breed
a male from this group to a female from group I to get group P.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5<sup>th</sup>
Generation (Groups L, M, N, O, and P)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group L's Genetic
Makeup: 65.63% original female, 34.37% original male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group M's Genetic
Makeup: 56.25% original female, 43.75% original male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group N's Genetic
Makeup: 50% original female, 50% original male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group O's Genetic
Makeup: 43.75% original female, 56.25% original male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Group P's Genetic
Makeup: 34.37% original female, 65.63% original male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are several
prominent breeders of meat rabbits throughout the United States that
have been successfully linebreeding for years. One of the more
successful pseudo-commercial type organic rabbit meat breeders is
Polyface Farms owned by the Salatin family who have a pretty
substantial herd of rabbits. They have been linebreeding meat rabbits
for more than 25 years with great success. So much so that they have
developed their own strain or bloodline of meat rabbits. Through the
process of linebreeding you can develop those traits you are looking
for in a specific breed of animal and continue to enhance those
characteristics to their full potential. This has been proven time
and again by breeders of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs through
specific lines of livestock that have been successfully breed for 50,
to 100 years and more without any new genetic material being added to
the herd.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now most of us will
never be breeding meat rabbits for that long, but it will probably
take you 1 to 2 years for each generation to work your way through
Fetch's chart that is listed in this article. That's 5 years in the
most optimistic view, but more likely it will take you 7 to 10 years
to produce a good quality herd while maintaining it's genetic
diversity. I say this because of the following reasons. First, in my
personal opinion you shouldn't start breeding your doe until she is 6
months old. Second, once your doe is ready to breed, you may have to
cull a few litters before you get the best male and female from each
group in order to breed for the next generation. Hey, but that's ok,
placing rabbits in the freezer is the main reason most of us are
raising meat rabbits. Finally, you have to consider that the climate
in which you live and the type of housing you use for your rabbitry
has a big impact on your breeding schedule. If you live in the south,
you will generally be unable to breed between in the months of May,
June, July, August, and most of September if you do not keep your
bucks in an air conditioned barn. In East Texas were we live, that
only leaves you with 6 to 7 months out of the year in which to breed
before the temperature starts to get above 80 degrees.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, by the time you
get to the 3<sup>rd</sup> generation you may have five breeding pairs
with some males and females breeding to more than one generation all
producing meat for your freezer and livestock for you to sell as you
look for that next best rabbit(s) to continue your bloodline. Who
knows, with proper herd management, maybe one day you can be
successfully breeding your own bloodline for more than 20 years just
as the Salatin's on Polyface Farm. As always, if you have enjoyed
reading this article and find the information here valuable, we ask
that you share it with your friends. Do not forget to send us a
friend request on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Similar Articles On
Our Blog:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/08/breeding-for-success.html">Starting A Successful Breeding Program: It's all In The Family</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/p-margin-bottom-0.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 1: Dominant And Recessive Genes</a><br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 2: Coat Color, It's In The Genes </a><br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-putting-it.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 3: Putting It All Together </a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G2911">Inbreeding: Its Meaning, Uses and Effects on Farm Animals, University Of Missouri,1993</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://georgiaorganics.org/for-farmers/line-breeding-for-better-livestock/">Comerford, Matt, Linebreeding For Better Livestock</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://onpasture.com/2014/10/20/breeding-matters-iii-inbreeding-vs-line-breeding/">Hartman, Morgan, Breeding Matters III – Inbreeding vs. Linebreeding. 2016</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bennet, Bob,
<u>Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits</u>, North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing, 2009</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Patry, Karen, <u>The
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver</u>, North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing,
2014</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-21322217778518881122016-08-21T18:30:00.000-05:002016-08-21T18:30:23.449-05:00Breeding For Success
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6gZaDHUayQ/V7n7GyVwTXI/AAAAAAAABN0/ggJrRzeE1iQfT1rmY5P7LqwbIl9j19I6gCLcB/s1600/linebreedingbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6gZaDHUayQ/V7n7GyVwTXI/AAAAAAAABN0/ggJrRzeE1iQfT1rmY5P7LqwbIl9j19I6gCLcB/s1600/linebreedingbanner.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Up to this point I
have written four articles about meat rabbit genetics and how to
breed for color and specific color patterns (solids, charlies, and
brokens), but I have never really tackled the specific subject of
establishing a successful breeding program. Because selecting a
specific breeding program and maintaining your herds health as well as
genetic diversity is so important, I decided to write this article
for those of you who are just getting started raising meat rabbits.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whether you are
breeding meat rabbits just to supply your family with a healthy
nutritious source of meat, and/or you want to be able to sell extra
livestock to off set your food costs; how you setup your breeding
program after you have purchased your first rabbits will have a
significant impact on your rabbitry's performance. The topics I am
going to discuss in this article are: inbreeding, linebreeding,
outcrossing (outsourcing) and crossbreeding. Before we get started,
let's look at a few important terms.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: red;">Inbreeding</span> –
Inbreeding is the process of breeding closely related rabbits such as
brother to sister.
With this type of breeding program all the rabbits in your herd are
closely related.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;">Linebreeding</span> –
Linebreeding is a specific form of inbreeding in which all of the
rabbits in the herd are related to a specific ancestor or ancestors
to maintain a specific trait. The genetic relationship of the rabbits
in linebreeding is generally further apart than with straight
inbreeding.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: red;">Outcrossing</span> –
Outcrossing or outsourcing is the method of breeding your livestock
with that of another genetic line of the same breed. No matter how
successful you are, eventually every breeder will look to add some
new blood into their herd.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;">Crossbreeding </span>–
Crossbreeding is the method of breeding in which two different breeds
of the same type of animal are bred to produce an offspring with
traits from both breeds.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Inbreeding</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If your are raising
meat rabbits for the sole purpose of meat, then in theory you could
follow a program of straight inbreeding. Rabbits raised using this
process will be closely related and will have offspring that are not
as genetically diverse. Because of this, inbreeding accentuates both
good and bad existing characteristics and or traits. If you are not
vigilant and do not cull your herd properly (removing rabbits with
poor traits), you will soon find that you will begin to have
substantial problems as the less desirable traits begin to increase
exponentially in your herd.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Problems that arise
with an inbreeding program include: malformed teeth, deformities,
smaller litters, higher mortality, and less disease resistance. Keep
in mind that if you later decide that you want to sell meat rabbits,
then you need to adopt a program of linebreeding as opposed to
straight inbreeding as no one will want to purchase your rabbits if
they do not meet the standards of the breed due to abnormalities, or
if the appear sickly.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Linebreeding</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Line breeding is the
selective process of breeding related animals, that have specific
traits that you desire to have in your future off-spring. The goal of
linebreeding, is to keep the amount that any one animal contributes to
the DNA of it's offspring at or below 50%. Therefore, line breeding
can be an effective way to improve the individual traits of the
rabbits in your herd. The genetic relationship of the rabbits in
linebreeding is generally further apart than with straight
inbreeding. A good linebreeding program involves the use of relatives
such as grandmother to grandson, grandfather to grandaughter, uncles
to niece, mother to son, father to daughter etc… With linebreeding as opposed to straight inbreeding
there is a little more genetic variation in your herd.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-4vBPXlIBg/V7n7S009NsI/AAAAAAAABN4/3YVAwT8ukQgJNN1GZrqFLi0t4HwXcg0hACLcB/s1600/linebreedingchartB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-4vBPXlIBg/V7n7S009NsI/AAAAAAAABN4/3YVAwT8ukQgJNN1GZrqFLi0t4HwXcg0hACLcB/s1600/linebreedingchartB.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is the type of
breeding program that is followed by most successful rabbit breeders,
whether they are breeding for meat or for show. While it is
technically a form of inbreeding, by following a specific line
breeding chart, you can maintain a wider genetic makeup in your herd
without having to worry about the problems associated with straight
inbreeding.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outcrossing or
Outsourceing (Bringing In New Stock)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
No matter how
successful you are, eventually every breeder will look to add some
new blood into their herd. Outcrossing or outsourcing is the process
in which you do this. Whether you are looking to improve a specific
trait such as fuller hindquarters, or a more luxurious coat, or you
simply believe your herd is becoming too inbred and losing vitality,
then outcrossing may just be the way to go.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are two
specific was to outcross your rabbits. The first, and the one that
most people will end up doing is simply purchasing a new buck for
their herd. The second option is to take one of your does to another
breeder to be mated with one of their bucks. Of the two, the first
option injects the most new genetic material in your herd and has the
most impact. By purchasing a new buck, as opposed to a doe, you can
use him to mate with all the females in your herd adding his genetic
makeup to your herd.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When outcrossing,
only choose rabbits with the specific traits that you are looking
for. If you are outsourcing using option one and are purchasing a new
rabbit, then it is my advice to purchase a new buck that is
pedigreed. A pedigree does not guarantee you that 'all' of the
offspring that this rabbit will produce will have the specific traits
and features you are looking for, rather it gives you a genetic
road map of the potential of the animal. Remember, it is not necessary
that the rabbits that you purchase come with a pedigree, rather they
should come from a long line of rabbits that carry those same
specific traits you desire. Personally, I would rather purchase a
quality looking rabbit without a pedigree, then purchase a less
looking desirable rabbit that has a pedigree. Yes, I have done this,
and over time (generally three to four generations) you can develop
your own specific pedigree.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have a friend
or family member that is a fellow breeder, or you know of another
breeder in your area that produces quality rabbits that has a
genetically different line of rabbits, then option two may be a
viable choice. This option is less desirable (because it has a lesser
genetic impact on your herd), but it is also the cheapest (does not
require the purchase of an animal). A variation of this theme is to
trade or barter one of your good quality offspring for that of
another breeders offspring. My friend Steve Coyne (owner of Texas
Bunny Barn) and I often trade livestock, and or outcross our does.
This has worked out well for both of us. While I originally purchased
all my 'John Gillis' line of livestock from Steve, I have since added
some Basgil/Borden bucks and does to our herd as well as a few from
breeder Bonita Hunt (who raises meat rabbits of show quality, and
wins a lot!) so we have different genetic lines.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Good and Bad Of
Outcrossing</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have read any
of my articles on rabbit genetics on our blog, then you know that all
rabbits will carry some recessive genes (genes that carry traits not
visible to the eye). Therefore, any new rabbit that is brought into
your herd will carry some of these recessive genes that will be
passed along to their offspring. So if the first generation of
outcrossed offspring is not exactly what you hoped for, keep the
offspring that have the traits you desire and cull the rest to the
freezer. Then take those offspring that you saved and breed them back
into your line. This technique will maximize the good traits that you
desire, while eliminating the transmission of less desirable traits
into your herd. By continuing to follow this process, you should then
start to have good results rather quickly, and you can keep your
freezer full of meat, which is my opinion is always a bonus.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Crossbreeding</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many of the rabbit
breeds we have today are the result of crossbreeding two or more
rabbits to create a unique breed. As mentioned, the process was
historically performed by breeding two different breeds with the
breeder keeping those offspring with the desired traits and culling
the less desired offspring. Through the process of inbreeding they
continued to refine those characteristics for multiple generations.
Then changing to linebreeding they continued to selectively breed
until they had a genetically different rabbit.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the home meat
breeder, crossbreeding usually means the breeding of two different
breeds specifically for meat to put in the freezer. While we do raise
two different breeds of meat rabbits here at TAP rabbitry (American
Blues, and New Zealands). We currently do not crossbreed. My friend
Steve Coyne of Texas Bunny Barn, raises the same breeds and has bred
crosses many times for meat. I must say that the crosses of New
Zealand and American Blue's that Steve has bred appear to be somewhat
larger than the New Zealands themselves and this may be an avenue
that we one day approach just to put meat in the freezer.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are wanting
to sell meat rabbits to supplement your income, be careful of crossing
breeds. If you are a sloppy record keeper, and do not keep your
crosses separated you could soon find that your herd of pure bred
rabbits all end up as hybrids. Now hybrids fine if you are just
producing meat, but not a good thing if your are telling your
customers that your rabbits are pure bred when they are not. Selling
someone a rabbit you claim is a pure breed when it is not is not only
a poor business practise, but it has a direct impact on both the
reputation of the breed as well as your rabbitry.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In animal management
whether you are raising cattle, sheep, goats, chickens or rabbits
linebreeding is the most common method for procreating and expanding
your herd. If you want to ensure long-term breeding success in your
rabbitry, then linebreeding is your best bet. By consistently mating
rabbits of similar backgrounds, you can keep the rabbits with good
traits and cull the rabbits with bad ones to the freezer. This
process will allow you to consistently produce good, healthy animals
without having too many surprises in your litters, as well as keeping
your freezer stocked with delicious and nutritious meat.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When the time comes
that you need to outcross by purchasing new livestock for your herd,
my recommendation is to purchase a good quality buck as it will have
the greatest genetic impact on your herd. If you can outcross with a
friend or fellow breeder for free that is even better. However, given
the choice to outcross for free to an inferior rabbit versus
purchasing a good quality buck should be avoided. No sense adding
genetic crap to your herd just because it is free. Free crap is
still...well crap. In my next article I will explain how to use Flech's linebreeding chart to help you implement a successful linebreeding program into your rabbitry. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope this article
has shed some light on some of the questions regarding breeding of
rabbits for meat production. Yes, these same principles apply to all
rabbit breeds whether you are breeding for meat or show. As always,
if you find any information in this article useful, please share it
with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on
Facebook or Google+.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G2911">Inbreeding: Its Meaning, Uses and Effects on Farm Animals, University Of Missouri,1993</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://georgiaorganics.org/for-farmers/line-breeding-for-better-livestock/">Comerford, Matt, Linebreeding For Better Livestock</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://onpasture.com/2014/10/20/breeding-matters-iii-inbreeding-vs-line-breeding/">Hartman, Morgan, Breeding Matters III – Inbreeding vs. Linebreeding. 2016</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bennet, Bob,
<u>Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits</u>, North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing, 2009</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Patry, Karen, <u>The
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver</u>, North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing,
2014</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fellow Breeders
Mentioned In This Article:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Steve Coyne (Texas
Bunny Barn) Terrel, Texas (972) 742-4922</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meat Breeds: New
Zealand (Red and White), American Blues</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lines: John Gillis</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bonita Hunt
(Baileywick Rabbitry) Dial, Texas (903) 946-4666</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meat Breeds: New
Zealand (Red, White, Blue, and Black)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lines:
Basgil/Borden, Robatham's</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-1764756071930434522016-08-07T12:41:00.000-05:002016-08-07T13:41:02.414-05:00Corned Rabbit<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gm3hcLukMkk/V6duuyOoubI/AAAAAAAABNE/ryO-dcGDUZEmgvafnjxkFq5H6oN9kfx2QCLcB/s1600/Cornedbanner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gm3hcLukMkk/V6duuyOoubI/AAAAAAAABNE/ryO-dcGDUZEmgvafnjxkFq5H6oN9kfx2QCLcB/s1600/Cornedbanner.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today we are going
to examine an alternative way to can and preserve your rabbit through
the process of corning. So what exactly is corning? Before the advent
of refrigeration, meats were often salt cured to preserve them, a
process known as dry curing. 'Corning' is an Anglo-Saxon term for
meats that were dry cured (preserved) by rubbing them with salt
pellets that were similar in size to corn, hence the term 'corned'.
Over time, this process was replaced by wet curing or brining, and
the term 'corned' became synonymous with the wet curing or brining
process.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When most Americans
hear the term 'corned' they think of corned beef, a dish that is
generally believed to be of Irish origin although it was also a
common Jewish practice. For most of us here in the United States
corned beef is most often served on St. Patrick's Day. On this day
many Americans cook corned beef and cabbage, which is the unofficial
dish of St. Patrick's Day.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The only
commercially prepared meat I have seen corned here in the United
States is beef, however, any type of meat can be corned.
Traditionally corning meat is accomplished by placing the desired
product (usually brisket) in a brine and left in the refrigerator for
7 to 10 days. The brisket is then placed in a large stockpot and
boiled and served with your sides of choice with cabbage being the
most common on St. Patty's day.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In this article I am
going to show you how we corn and pressure can our rabbit in one easy
step. Simply allow it to sit in the jar once canned for at least a
week and you will have some fantastic corned rabbit. I will be using
a modified version of the raw pack method. What I mean by this is
that the rabbit will be packed into heated jars raw, and then hot
brine will be added to the jars before placing them in the pressure
canner to be processed.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So where did I get
the idea for corning rabbit? Well the credit must go to John Fugozzie
who posted a recipe on corning rabbit on the 'Hostile Hare' Facebook
page. While John prepared his rabbit in the traditional manner of
brining it in the refrigerator and then cooking it, I decided to
combine the techniques of canning and brining in one step.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Corned Rabbit</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I like to use this
recipe for old bucks and does as older rabbits are tougher rabbits,
and the corning process makes them tender and juicy. Now I am not too
anal retentive when I debone my rabbits as I boil the bones and then
hand remove any meat leftover from the bones and then either use it
right away or can it as well. Of course the broth is then reduced
down to make rabbit stock. My point is that the amount of meat you
get for corning when you debone a New Zealand meat rabbit may be more
less than what I get, but I assure you nothing at our house goes to
waste. The two bucks that I butchered weighed about 10lbs each, and I
canned 4 pints of corned rabbit and an additional 2 pints of cooked
rabbit meat for a total of 6 pints plus about 4 pints of rabbit
stock. BTW, I used half of batch of the brine recipe.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Recipe</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
6 to 8 lbs rabbit
deboned (4 old rabbits)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 recipe of brine
(see below)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, I rough cut my
rabbit into about 1-inch chunks and then place it in the refrigerator
and boil all my bones and then allow them to cool so that I can pull
off the meat and reduce the stock some. Why do I do this before
corning my rabbit? Because I have a 23 quart pressure canner I have
the capacity to can all of the rabbit meat and stock at the same time
(even though the stock doesn't have to be processed this long). If
you have a smaller canner, then just do the corned rabbit first.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Brine</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For my version of
corned rabbit I used the basic brine recipe that John posted on
Facebook. While I liked the final results, my friend Steve Coyne
author of '<a href="http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/">I Grow Vegetables</a>' blog thought it could use an additional
tablespoon of pickling spice. So like all recipes, I recommend trying
it first as written and then adjust if the next time to suit your
personal preferences.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 gallon of water<br />
2
cups of kosher or any non iodized salt<br />
2 ½ teaspoons of pink
curing salt (Prague powder No. 2)<br />
3 tablespoons of pickling
spice<br />
½ cup of brown sugar.<br />
<br />
Combine all the
ingredients in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel, enamel ware,
Teflon coated etc...) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep
the brine hot. Put the cut-up pieces of rabbit into your heated jars
and cover them with the hot brine leaving 1 ¼-inch of headspace.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I place all my
pickling spices in the brine and simply add the brine with the spices
to my jars. If you do not wish to do this, then simply place the
loose spices in a small cheesecloth sachet and toss it into the
brine. When you are ready to add the brine to the jars simply remove
the sachet.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Chef's Note: Do not
confuse 'Pink Himalayan' salt with pink curing salt (Prague powder),
they are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably.</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Processing Your
Rabbit</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I mentioned that
this was a modified process of the 'raw' pack method. Generally when
you raw pack meats, you stuff the jars full and add salt if desired,
but you add no liquid. For this recipe, I packed the jars with raw
meat, but added my hot brine to the jars and then processed them as
raw pack. I did this because I wanted the rabbit to corn in the jar
allowing me to skip having to keep it in the refrigerator for 7 days
before canning.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once you have poured
the brine into your hot jars, remove any air bubbles, and add your
heated two piece rings and lids to the jar and screw them hand tight
and place them in your pressure canner. If you have read any of my
other articles you know that all meat and meat products (including
poultry, turkey, and rabbit) must be canned in a pressure canner. You
cannot safely can meat products in a water bath canner, I repeat, all
meats must be pressure canned.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XE6aDBFoxs/V6dvP1TgxbI/AAAAAAAABNM/QMP0vKuZi5AkCcDIeQ-lBHEzWiSy9syjgCLcB/s1600/Headspace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XE6aDBFoxs/V6dvP1TgxbI/AAAAAAAABNM/QMP0vKuZi5AkCcDIeQ-lBHEzWiSy9syjgCLcB/s1600/Headspace.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Chef's Note: To keep
the jars hot I left them submerged in my water bath canner with the
water at a slight simmer. If you were doing a large batch of rabbit
or other meat, you could wash your jars in the dishwasher and remove
and pack them when they are still hot.</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once you have all
your jars placed in your pressure canner process per the USDA's
Complete Guide To Home Canning Guide 5: Preparing and Canning
Poultry, Red Meats, and Seafoods as follows:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pints for 75 minutes
at 10lbs in a weighted pressure canner, or 11lbs in a dial gauge
pressure canner.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Quarts for 90
minutes at 10lbs in a weighted pressure canner, or 11lbs in a dial
gauge pressure canner.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once the rabbit is
processed and the jars have cooled, store them in your pantry and in
7 days you will have some of the best corned rabbit you have ever
tasted.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Serving Your Corned
Rabbit</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I mentioned, this
is a modififed version of a 'raw' pack and the results were quite
amazing, that is if you like corned or pickled meats. I must admit
that I have only eaten my corned rabbit in only a couple of ways
since I canned it, mainly cold straight out of the jar and it is
yummy! You can use this corned rabbit as a substitute for corned beef
in any corned beef recipe but it is particularly good in corned
rabbit and hash, and it makes an interestingly tangy version of
rabbit (chicken) salad. I am going to let John have the final word on
how he and his family likes to eat their corned rabbit “We love the
stuff. It can be mixed with eggs for an omelet, cooked with cabbage
etc. like traditional corned beef. By far, though, our favorite way
to eat it is toasted, on rye bread, with swiss cheese and a little
thousand island dressing. (Think Reuben without the sauerkraut).”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4zOxvwYDaI/V6dwL2s6NyI/AAAAAAAABNU/ZJYC3oBcNZE3Hu0P2Va0dMnUv2M4WoPqACLcB/s1600/Completedjar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4zOxvwYDaI/V6dwL2s6NyI/AAAAAAAABNU/ZJYC3oBcNZE3Hu0P2Va0dMnUv2M4WoPqACLcB/s1600/Completedjar.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Much thanks to John
Fugozzie for inspiring me to make a canned version of his traditional
refrigerated corned rabbit recipe. If you are looking for a way to
preserve older bucks and does that are no longer productive corning
is an excellent option. Whether you choose to go the traditional
route and corn your rabbit in the refrigerator like John, or can it
using my modified canning process, the rabbit will always be tender,
and flavorful. You can check out John's original recipe on Facebook
by clicking on the link below. As always if you have enjoyed this
article we ask that you share it with your friends, and don't forget
to send us a friend request on Facebook or Google+ so that you will
not miss out on our latest articles.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Similar Articles On
Our 'CulinaryYou' Blog:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://culinaryyou.blogspot.com/2015/08/if-you-are-raising-rabbits-for.html">Canning Rabbit and
Poultry</a></div>
<a href="http://culinaryyou.blogspot.com/2015/08/if-you-are-raising-rabbits-for.html"></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE05_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf">USDA Complete Guide To Home Canning Guide 5: Preparing and Canning Poultry, Red Meats,and Seafood.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/275170099295257/permalink/917395371739390/">John Fugozzie's
Corned Rabbit Recipe On Facebook.</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-49144253053560092912016-07-24T15:57:00.000-05:002016-07-24T15:57:35.796-05:00Breeding For Brokens and Charlie's<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
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<br />
<br />
In this article we
are talking about breeding New Zealand's (NZ) for specific patterns,
not necessarily for color. In order to do that we need to know
exactly what defines a solid, broken, or charlie pattern. According
to the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) there are only
three sanctioned solid colors of New Zealand Rabbits: red, white, and
black (blue is not yet an approved color). Solids rabbits are
generally considered 'self' colored rabbits, as they all carry the
(aa) allele pairing. The one exception in NZ rabbits is the New
Zealand Red (NZR). The NZR, while not only being the original color
of the breed is actually an agouti, which means that it carries
either the (AA or Aa) allele pairing. (For more information about
genetics and allele pairing see my three articles on NZ color
genetics). However, when it comes to breeding for patterns, the NZR
is considered a solid.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to ARBA
there are only two sanctioned broken colors of New Zealand Rabbits:
red & white, and black & white (blue & white is not yet an
approved color). A quality broken pattern is one in which both ears
colored, with color around the eyes, and on the nose. The body
pattern may be spotted, with individual colored spots or patches over
the back, sides, and hips: or a blanket pattern with color starting
at or near the neck, and continuing over the back, sides, and hips in
an evenly balanced pattern. Toenails may be white, colored, or any
combination of the two.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlies are the
red-headed step children of NZ rabbits when it comes to the ARBA as
they are not recognized for show purposes. In appearance, a charlie
looks like a broken 'lite' if you will (meaning it has a similar, but
a lot smaller color pattern due to their different allele pairing
(EnEn). While they are not shown much love by ARBA, for breeders
however, charlies are an important part of their breeding and
livestock sales as many people are looking for good quality charlies.
Of the three patterns (solid, broken, and charlie) the charlie
pattern is the least common.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Solids</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A solid black or
white New Zealand (NZ) rabbit should be the same color all over,
however that is not exactly true for all of the other colors of the
breed. For example, The New Zealand Red (NZR) has a red upper body
coat, while the fur on the belly is a lighter shade of red or
tan/cream color. For show purposes, the one thing that all NZ solids
(except reds) have in common is that their coat should not be
interspersed with any color of fur. When judging show rabbits even
one small hair of a different color located between a toe can cause a
rabbit to be disqualified.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Keep in mind that a
'solid' or 'self' colored rabbit may also be referred to as 'steel
tipped' if it carries the (Es_) allele. In rabbits with this allele,
the color of some of the hair on the fur will have silver to orange
coloring on the tips of the hair shaft. Other than being 'steel
tipped' If the rabbit in question has any pattern in which one color
is interspersed with another (red and white, black and white, or blue
and white) then it is classified as either a 'broken' or a 'charlie'.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken Pattern</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A NZ rabbit with a
broken pattern will be one of three color patterns (red & white,
black & white, and blue & white). The primary colored
portions of fur occur in a patched or blanketed pattern on the face,
ears, and nose of the rabbit. Ideally, a rabbit with a broken pattern
should have a balanced marking on its nose (full butterfly). The ears
should be totally colored and the front feet should be white. The fur
around the eyes is generally the base color of the rabbit with some
white interspersed. Overall, the amount of colored fur or 'broken
pattern' on the rabbit should be evenly distributed, however the
actual amount of color may vary from 10 to 70 percent. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlie Pattern</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A NZ rabbit with a
charlie pattern will be one of three color patterns (red & white,
black & white, and blue & white). Similar to brokens, a
charlie has it's own specific type of pattern. A charlie may look
like a broken, but there are specific patterns that are looked for in
charlies that brokens do not have. A distinct marking that generally
stands out on charlies is their abbreviated patch of color on their
nose. It is quite a bit smaller that the full 'butterfly' mustache of
a broken, hence the nickname “charlie” because this distinct nose
marking is similar to the 1920's comedic actor Charlie Chaplin.
Later, we will discuss how Charlies are genetically different from
patterned rabbits, and they often look like sparsely patterned
brokens, often having less than 10% color on a field of white fur.
While some brokens may look like Charlies, Charlies are a
distinctively different rabbit genetically. If the rabbit in question
has a parent that is solid, then the rabbit cannot be a Charlie. In
addition, if a rabbit that is suspected to be a Charlie and during
breeding it produces even one solid offspring, it is not a Charlie,
it is a broken. This will all be made clear when we examine the gene
that is responsible for these patterns, the English spotting gene.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRIr-vJFEZw/V5UrbOcS8DI/AAAAAAAABMs/xI4BJ08b08wquVbt-evsUTGo3QZuyVYSwCLcB/s1600/NZRbrokenDoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRIr-vJFEZw/V5UrbOcS8DI/AAAAAAAABMs/xI4BJ08b08wquVbt-evsUTGo3QZuyVYSwCLcB/s1600/NZRbrokenDoe.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The English Spotting
Gene:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The 'En' or English
Spotting gene is the gene responsible for producing both broken and
charlie patterns. As with color, breeding for a specific hair or fur
pattern is simply a matter of genetics. Every complete gene is made
of two allele's with each parent giving one allele to their offspring
to make a complete pair. If you understand nothing else, then this is
all you need to know, so I will repeat it, each parent gives one of
their offspring one half of the allele paring that produces the
rabbits specific color pattern or lack their of. Believe it our not
there are only three possible combinations. The rabbit either has no
pattern (enen) allele pairing, has a broken pattern (Enen) allele
pairing, or has a charlie pattern (EnEn) allele pattern.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Normally allele
pairings are written as two specific genes inside a set of
parenthesis. For example the charile allele pair is denoted as
(EnEn). To help make the concept of gene donation easier to
understand, I will write these pairings with a comma between them to
help those of you who are new to color and pattern genetics
differentiate between the individual allele's. Keep in mind that each
parent supplies one allele (or half) of the gene to make the allele
pair of their offspring. Just remember that the correct way to write
an allele pairing is (EnEn) not (En, En).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken Pattern
(Enen) or (En, en)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlie Pattern
(EnEn) or (En, En)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
No Pattern or Spots
(enen) or (en, en)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So let's look at
some possible pattern combinations when we breed a:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Solid (en, en) to
Solid (en, en) = 100% solids.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Solid to
solid will give you 100% solids, no ifs or buts here.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Solid (en, en) to
Broken (En, en) = some brokens (En, en), but mostly solids (en, en).</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You will get
the occasional broken here, but with three 'en' allele's and only
one 'En' allele, the mathematical chance that you will get a broken
in a liter is about 25%.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken (En, en) to
Broken (En, en) = some brokens (En, en), some solids (en, en), some
charlies (En, En).</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This
combination has the potential for the most variety. With an even
number of 'en' and 'En' allele's you will get will get a higher
percentage of brokens (about 50%), but you will get some solids and
charlies as well (about 25% each).</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlie (En, En) to
Broken (En, en) = some brokens (En, en), and some charlies (En, En).</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You will get
the occasional broken here, but with three 'En' allele's and only
one 'en' allele, you will get mostly charlie's (about 75%) while the
mathematical chance that you will get a broken in a liter is about
25%. There is not possibility of getting a solid rabbit from this
breeding.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlie (En, En) to
Charlie (En, En) = 100% charlies.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlie to
charlie will give you 100% charlies, no ifs or buts here.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Keep in mind that
these mathematical percentages will bear out over time with multiple
breedings. It is possible that in one breeding of broken (En, en) to
broken (En, en) that you get all brokens and no solids or charlie's,
that's simply the way genetics work. So keep that concept in mind
when you breed. The only two breeding combinations that will give you
100% known outcomes are solid-to-solid and charlie-to-charlie. The
rest of the time it is up to nature. However, keeping good breeding
records and knowing which pattern combinations have the potential
(mathematical percentage) to produce certain color patterns will help
you to be successful in your pursuit of breeding or brokens and
charlies.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asCD_jhc9x0/V5UYG_8SMFI/AAAAAAAABL8/InHnUCA_kUEUjE34lkTHQR3Obig2tUQCwCLcB/s1600/Colorpatterngenechart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asCD_jhc9x0/V5UYG_8SMFI/AAAAAAAABL8/InHnUCA_kUEUjE34lkTHQR3Obig2tUQCwCLcB/s1600/Colorpatterngenechart.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to
genetics, breeding for a specific color pattern (solid, broken, or
charlie) is quite a bit easier than trying to figure out the
individual color genome of each rabbit. After all, you only need to
know whether the buck and or doe is a solid, broken or charlie. The
rest is basic probability (mathematics), and nature will take care of
that for you. You may not get the exact outcome you want with every
breeding, but eventually with careful breeding the math works itself
out and over time you will see that certain breedings will give you a
certain percentage of broken or charlie kits that you desire. As
always, if you have found this article interesting or informational
please share it with your friends. Don't forget to follow us on
Facebook or on Google+ for the latest articles on our blog related to
raising your own meat rabbits.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Additional Articles
On Genetics On Our Blog:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 1: Dominant And Recessive Genes</a><br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 2: Coat Color, It's In The Genes.</a><br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-putting-it.html">New Zealand Rabbit
Genetics Part 3: Putting It All Together.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-putting-it.html"><br /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-60274553707017223692016-07-22T13:19:00.002-05:002016-07-22T13:19:31.973-05:00New Zealand Rabbit Genetics: Putting It All Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Du_zb3_Q7uE/V5JYVhBT4cI/AAAAAAAABKI/Vk7K9EazP_85YlA-vTa1jruawTMDapoywCLcB/s1600/Geneticsbannerpart3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Du_zb3_Q7uE/V5JYVhBT4cI/AAAAAAAABKI/Vk7K9EazP_85YlA-vTa1jruawTMDapoywCLcB/s1600/Geneticsbannerpart3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So how did I get
started down this road to try and decipher the genetic makeup of the
New Zealand (NZ) rabbit? The answer is pretty simple really. Like
many people new to breeding rabbits, I thought that If I bred a New
Zealand Red (NZR) with a New Zealand White (NZW) then surely I should
see some red, white, and possibly some red and white (broken or
charlie) offspring (kits) in my litters. What I found out was that
always got chestnuts, and or dark colored steel tipped kits from
these pairings with no whites, reds, or patterned (broken or charlie)
offspring. My NZR to NZR pairings always resulted in beautiful red
offspring with no variations in color or color patterns. While my NZW
to NZW pairings almost always produce white kits, I had one female
who continued to occasionally produce a black litter when she was
bred with a white male from another breeder friend of mine which kind
of baffled me. So I decided that after three years of raising and
breeding rabbits it was time to dive into the subject of genetics and
the NZ rabbit genome.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the second
article of this series 'Coat Color: It's In The Genes' we examined
the entire NZ rabbit genome or genotype and at the end of the article
I listed the basic genotype of each of the NZ rabbit color
combinations. Just for convenience I am going to re-list those color
gene sequences below for your reference.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Agouti (Chestnut):
A_, B_, C_, D_, E_, enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
White: A_, B_, cc,
D_, E_, enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Brokens:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Charlies:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I mentioned in
'Coat Color: It's In The Genes' all NZR's share the (DuDu), (SiSi),
and (VV) allele pairings so many breeders simply drop these when
denoting the NZR genotype. For the rest of this article I will be
doing the same, just know that if you want a complete 10 color genome
listing add the proper allele pairings to the genome. So The basic
genome of the breed would look as follows when abbreviated. NZ rabbit
basic color genome: A_, B_, C_, D_, E_, en_, W_.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Putting It All
Together</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Without DNA testing,
there is only one way you can try and fill in the blank spaces in
your rabbit's genome. It's the method that breeders of livestock have
used for thousands of years and that is simply breeding your rabbits
and writing down your individual results. If you keep through
consistent records you will eventually be able to fill in most of the
blanks on your rabbits color genome based on your own out comes. The
key here is consistency and good record keeping. If you are raising
meat rabbits for just meat then you probably do not care what the
rabbit's coat color looks like as all the meat tastes the same
regardless of coat color. However, if you want to breed for a
specific color or color pattern in order to increase not only your
breeding stock, but potential sales of breeding stock, then it is
good to have an idea of the genetic makeup of your rabbits.
Eventually most breeders not only want to supply their family with
meat to eat, but rabbit sales to supplement their income or at least
pay their feed bills.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
Agouti “Chestnut”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Basic Genome: A_,
B_, C_, D_, E_, enen, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
Agouti (NZR) is the original color of the breed. The upper coat is a
reddish sorrel color, with the pigment running the length of the hair
shaft. The coat on the belly color tends to be the same color with a
slight lightening or cream color in the middle of the abdomen, the
underside of the tail, the front or rear food pads and around the
eyes. Their eyes are brown in color. The NZR carries the agouti (A_)
gene and when breed with self (aa) colored NZ rabbits will possibly
produce steel-tipped kits as well as a variety of different shades
depending on other genetic modifiers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
Black</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Basic Genome: aa,
B_, C_, D_, E_, enen, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken Black Basic
Genome: aa, B_, C_, D_, E_, Enen, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
Black (NZB) has an upper coat with a uniform dark black throughout.
The undercoat may be a uniform, black color or it may be a dark
slate blue color with dark brown eyes. The NZB is a self (aa) colored
rabbit and when bred with another with self (aa) colored NZ rabbit
will possibly produce steel-tipped kits as well as a variety of
different shades depending on other genetic modifiers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand Blue</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Basic Genome: aa,
B_, C_, dd, E_, enen, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken Blue Basic
Genome: aa, B_, C_, dd, E_, Enen, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
Black (NZBL) has an upper coat with a uniform dark black throughout.
It is the dilute (dd) allele pairing that causes the black (B_)
allele to become diluted from a black to blue coat. The undercoat
may be a uniform, blue color or it may be a dark slate blue color
with dark brown eyes. The NZBL is a self (aa) colored rabbit and when
bred with another with self (aa) colored NZ rabbit will possibly
produce steel-tipped kits as well as a variety of different shades
depending on other genetic modifiers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B2V6F5Eg_0A/V5Jg_kgb6vI/AAAAAAAABK8/C2PD5UN6Hh0Simz2PMj1JygJFfcuaknYwCLcB/s1600/LER2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B2V6F5Eg_0A/V5Jg_kgb6vI/AAAAAAAABK8/C2PD5UN6Hh0Simz2PMj1JygJFfcuaknYwCLcB/s1600/LER2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand Red</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Basic Genome: A_,
B_, C_, D_, ee, enen, ww, rufus-modifier</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Broken Red Basic
Genome: A_, B_, C_, D_, ee, Enen, ww, rufus-modifier</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand Red
(NZR) is the original color of the breed. The upper coat is a reddish
sorrel color, with the pigment running the length of the hair shaft.
The coat on the belly color tends to be the same color with a slight
lightening or cream color in the middle of the abdomen, the underside
of the tail, the front or rear food pads and a around the eyes. Their
eyes are brown in color. The NZR carries the agouti (A_) gene and
when breed with self (aa) colored NZ rabbits will possibly produce
steel-tipped kits as well as a variety of different shades depending
on other genetic modifiers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
White or 'Ruby Eyed White' (REW)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Basic Genome: A_,
B_, cc, D_, E_, enen, W_</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The New Zealand
White (NZW) is probably the rabbit that most people think of when you
mention the words “New Zealand Rabbit”. It is the most
commercially produced as well as breed for show variety of the NZ
rabbits. In fact, it is the gold standard for commercial rabbit meat
production and laboratory testing as well as a great rabbit to breed
at home for meat production. The NZW is technically and albino (lack
of melanin), because the NZW is an albino, the other genes colors
that would normally make up it's genetic code are suppressed. That
does not mean that the other color gene's are not there, rather the
albino gene (cc) blocks the color of all the pigments along the hair
shaft and eyes, producing a white rabbit with pink/red eyes known as
a 'ruby-eyed white (REW)'. It can still be a carrier for all the
other genes, it is just that you may not see their expression until
you breed a white rabbit with a rabbit of another color.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh2wyfvFlao/V5JiocwSJJI/AAAAAAAABLQ/2Nq91-e9bPEopL0hutUAM0g5rF5g7yuqgCLcB/s1600/Luna2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh2wyfvFlao/V5JiocwSJJI/AAAAAAAABLQ/2Nq91-e9bPEopL0hutUAM0g5rF5g7yuqgCLcB/s1600/Luna2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Breeding Trials</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So let's look at how
you can begin to fill in some of the blank spaces on you NZ rabbits
genome. I have listed the basic color genome for our NZR buck 'Long
Eared Red' (LER) and the our NZW doe Luna which we have breed to
several times. For whatever reason she is most responsive to this
buck so I almost always breed her to him. LER's red coloring is right
in the middle of the red color range so my best guess is that he has
three rufus-modifiers denoted as (+++) at the end of his genome, the
words 'rufus-modifier' have been replaced by this notation. As I
mentioned earlier their pairings always produce either agouti's and
or steel tipped kits. Looking at the various litters that these two
rabbits have produced, I can now begin to apply some of my knowledge
to start and flesh out their color genome's.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: A_, B_, C_, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe “Luna's' Basic Genome: A _, B_, cc, D_, E_, enen,W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have bred these
two rabbits multiple times and I always get a combination of chestnut
agouti's and black cinnamon tipped steel kits, the majority of them
being steel tipped. So let's see if we can flesh out the color genome
of these two rabbits gene by gene. It is important to remember that
each parent gives one allele to it's offspring to complete the pair.
Knowing this, we can look at their offspring to help us to fill in
the blanks in their genetic color code.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Their last litter basic genome:
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 - Chestnut
Agouti's Aa, B_, C_, D_, Ee, enen, Ww</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5 – Black Cinnamon
Tipped Steels aa, B_, C_, D_, Ese, enen, Ww</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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A-Series Genes:
Agouti (A_) allele, and Self (a_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Agouti Rabbits (AA, Aa), Self Colored Rabbits (aa)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The A-Series of
genes has only two possible possibilities in NZ rabbits, agouti or
self. If one <span style="font-weight: normal;">dominant </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">agouti
(A_)</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">allele </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
present you get </span>a rabbit with agouti characteristics, if two
recessive agouti (a_) alleles are present you get a self colored
rabbit. Because the breeding of LER and Luna continue to produce some
self colored (black) rabbits with steel tips then the both must carry
the (Aa) pairing. So our first gene for these two rabbits is
complete.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, B_, C_, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, B_, cc, D_, E_, enen, W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
B-Series Of Genes:
Black (B_) allele or Brown (b_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Black Colored Rabbits (BB, Bb), Brown Colored Rabbits (bb)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This gene then
determines whether the rabbits base coat color is black or brown.
Because the black (B_) allele is dominant over the brown (b_) allele,
black is the most common color. The allele pairings (BB) or (Bb) will
always produce a black, while the recessive (bb) allele pairing will
always produce a brown rabbit. Because there are no brown colored NZ
rabbits, I will go out on a limb here and say that both LER and Luna
carry the (BB) allele pairing. It is possible that one of rabbits
carries the (Bb) allele pairing, but one of them is a (BB) for sure,
I just do not know which one at this time.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, C_, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, cc, D_, E_, enen, W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
C-Series Of Genes:
Complete (C_) allele, Incomplete (c_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Complete Colored Rabbits (CC, Cc), Albino Rabbits (cc)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The C-series of
genes determines whether a rabbits coat has complete color or no
color. The dominant (C_) allele allows all four of the dark and all
three of the yellow pigments to be present in the hair shaft. This
allows for full color development of the rabbits coat and works with
the E-series of genes and their alleles to produce ticking or steel
tipped colors in rabbits that carry the agouti (A_) allele. A NZ
rabbit with two recessive (c_) allele's is classified as an albino
(white rabbit with red eyes). Because multiple pairings of LER and
Luna have never produced any white kits, and you have to have a (cc)
allele pairing to produce white kits, we know that LER carries a (CC)
allele pairing. If he carried the (Cc) allele pairing, eventually
they would produce a white kit (cc), but this has never happened.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, CC, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, cc, D_, E_, enen, W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
D-Series Of Genes:
Dense (D_) allele or Dilute (d_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Dense Coat (DD, Dd), Dilute Coat (dd)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The D-series of
genes determines the depth of color of the coat of the rabbit.
Rabbits with at least one dense (D_) allele have full color shades
that are are darker (black or chestnut), and generally have brown
eyes. Rabbits with a dilute (d_) allele have a lighter more sedated
or dilute colored pigment in the hair shaft causing the coat to be
lighter in color. Unfortunately I have no definitive way to determine
the 'D' allele pairings of these two rabbits. All of their kits
appear to have a nice dark definitive coats, so I am leaning towards
(DD) for both, but because I confirm that I will leave them as
undetermined (D_).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, CC, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, cc, D_, E_, enen, W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
E-Series Of Genes:
Steel Extension (Es_) allele, Normal Extension (E_) allele,
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Non-extension (e_)
allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Steel Tipped Rabbits (EsEs, EsE, Ese), Black Rabbits (EE,
Ee), Red Rabbits (ee)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The (Es_) allele
works in combination with the agouti (A_) allele and is responsible
for producing the ticking or steel patterns (Gold or Cinnamon
tipped). So in order for a NZ doe to produce kits with steel
characteristics (tipped hair coloring) either the buck, doe, or both
must carry an agouti (A_) allele. If both rabbits in the breeding
pair carry the self colored (aa) allele pair, they cannot produce
kits with steel tipped fur. Because our NZR buck 'LER' carries a
non-extension (ee) gene, and NZR's also carry the dominant agouti
(A_) allele, and we get some steel tipped kits, then we know our NZW
doe Luna must carry the steel extension (Es) in her basic genome. In
addition, because all NZR rabbits are (ee), and this pairing never
produces any litters with red rabbits then her 'E' gene pairing must
be (EsE).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, CC, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, cc, D_, EsE, enen, W_,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
W-Series Of Genes:
Normal Width (W_) allele, Double Width (ww) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible allele
Pairings: (WW), (Ww), and (ww)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The dominant normal
width (W_) gene produces a yellow or white agouti color band in the
hair shaft producing a normal coloring. The recessive double width
(ww) gene doubles the width of the yellow or white agouti band in the
hair shaft causing the rabbit to have the characteristic agouti
patterns typical of the new Zealand Red. Because of NZR buck LER
carries the double width (ww) agouti gene which produces the standard
agouti patterns around the eyes, triangle at the nape of the neck,
feet, legs, ear, and inside of the belly. However, none of the the
steel tipped kits exhibit these patterns, and this pairing has never
produced any litters with red rabbits Therefore Luna must carry a
(WW) allele pairing.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZR
buck 'LER's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, CC, D_, ee, enen, ww, +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our NZW doe 'Luna's' Basic Genome: Aa, BB, cc, D_, EsE, enen, WW,</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For this particular
pairing of rabbits, fleshing out their genome was pretty
straightforward. The whole process is simply a matter of looking at
the types of offspring that this breeding produces. If Luna was bred
to a white buck, then I would have been unable to unravel both her or
LER's color genome as all the pigments in their offspring would be
suppressed by the (cc) allele which produces albinos, aka. Ruby-eyed
Whites (REW). Once we know the genome of the parents, we can then
produce an accurate genome of their offspring.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9PeRTr6ySA/V5Je_hyLLrI/AAAAAAAABKs/JorBm-OhTjwwdEhwp-z3ya0OonjMRcIsACLcB/s1600/chestnuts1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9PeRTr6ySA/V5Je_hyLLrI/AAAAAAAABKs/JorBm-OhTjwwdEhwp-z3ya0OonjMRcIsACLcB/s1600/chestnuts1.jpg" /></a></div>
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</div>
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Their last litter complete genome (almost):
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 - Chestnut
Agouti's: Aa, BB, Cc, D_, Ee, enen, Ww</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5 – Black Cinnamon
Tipped Steels: aa, BB, Cc, D_, Ese, enen, Ww</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know this may seem
like a lengthy process, but it is fairly easy, and once you have done
it a few times it goes really fast. You just have to understand that
determining the color genome of some rabbits is easier than others,
and you need to look at more than one litter to be able to accurately
determine the genetic color makeup of the rabbits in your herd. If
you have read all three of the articles in this series you may think
to yourself, I am just not interested in knowing this. That's fine,
but remember if you what to be able to produce consistent litters of
specific colors to sell as breeding stock, knowing the genetic color
makeup of your herd will help you to become more successful.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The more genetic
variables you have in your herd, the harder it is to consistently
reproduce the desired characteristics in your herd's offspring
whether it be size, shape, and or color. When adding new livestock to
your herd, a pedigree helps because it usually contains the basic
weight and color characteristics of the rabbits ancestors. Just
remember however that a pedigree does not always guarantee you
quality, that final determination must be made by you when you
examine the rabbit prior to purchase. As always, if you have found
this article interesting or informational please share it with your
friends. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or on Google+ for the
latest articles on our blog related to raising your own meat rabbits.</div>
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</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Other Related Articles:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 1: Dominant And Recessive Genes.</a><br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 2: It's in the Genes.</a>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Additional
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.arba.net/district/8/am-11-12-ericstewart.html">Stewart,
Eric, Rabbit Color Genetics (ARBA Article Of The Month 2012)</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-genetics.html">Rabbit
Genetics: The Basics Are Easy To Understand.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm">Rabbit
Genetics: A Genetics Primer.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-genetics/rabbit-color-genotypes-chart/">Rabbit
Color Genotypes Chart: 144 rabbit Color Coat Colors and Their
Genotypes. </a>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thebrc.org/">British Rabbit Council (BRC) </a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-51035243958101876072016-07-08T20:29:00.000-05:002016-07-22T13:25:25.169-05:00New Zealand Rabbit Genetics: Coat Color: It's In The Genes<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 12</style>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ycjqw7rRig/V4DOv8tPwDI/AAAAAAAABJw/rw7uCQjCpJ0NuE_8LFN_qGLlGwVjkYOLwCLcB/s1600/Geneticsbannerpart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ycjqw7rRig/V4DOv8tPwDI/AAAAAAAABJw/rw7uCQjCpJ0NuE_8LFN_qGLlGwVjkYOLwCLcB/s1600/Geneticsbannerpart2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To reiterate what we
talked about in my first article on dominant and recessive genes, a
rabbits chromosomes are strings of DNA that act as building blocks or
blueprints that determines the final characteristics or traits of the
animal. Each chromosome has an individual spot or location (loci) in
which a specific gene is attached. The buck and doe each contribute
one part of their chromosome's to their offspring. When these two
chromosomes combine together they form a chromosomal pairing in which
each chromosome supplies one allele to make a genetic pair. These
allele pairings then act together, alone or in combination with other
alleles and gene modifiers to determine a rabbits overall coat and
hair appearance.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In this second
article of the series, we will be examining how a New Zealand (NZ)
rabbits hair color is determined by a combination of multiple genes
and their allele pairings. The combination of allele pairings of each
gene act in conjunction with other genes to produce a variety of
different colors and patterns. A rabbit has only two possible
pigments that can be expressed in its hair, dark brown and yellow.
The absence of both pigments results in albinism (white fur). All of
the possible hair colors in a rabbit's hair shaft are simply
combinations of these pigments or lack thereof. This genetic
expression can appear on the same or different hairs, in certain
patterns, and in different intensities. Because we are going to be
looking specifically at the genetic makeup of the New Zealand breed,
there will be some genetic color traits found in other breeds that
are not present in New Zealand's.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In NZ rabbits, as
with most breeds, there are 10 genes (A, B, D, C, E, En Du, Si, V and
W) each with multiple alleles (gene variants) that determine the primary color and depth of a rabbit's coat. There are other factors
and color modifiers (rufus modifiers, plus/minus) that work in
combination with these genes and their allele's to control the
intensity and or depth of certain colors and or patterns. These color
modifiers are not single genes, but multiple ones that work in
combination to create a specific color pattern.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A-Series Genes:
Agouti (A_) allele, and Self (a_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Agouti Rabbits (AA, Aa), Self Colored Rabbits (aa)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The A-Series of
genes has only two possible possibilities in NZ rabbits, agouti (A_)
or self (aa). While other breeds carry the Tan (a<sup>t</sup>)
allele, purebred NZ rabbits do not.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">gouti
(A_)</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">allele</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">has complete </span>dominance
over the self (a_) allele. It produces a rabbit with a white or cream
(depending on modifiers) hair color on the belly, eye circles and
inner ear, and the rest of the hairs will be banded. So when you
separate the hairs and closer examine them you will usually see three
distinct color rings. The outermost color ring is determined by the
B-series and D-series genes and their allele's (see below), the
middle ring will generally be white to bright yellow, and the bottom
ring will be white to slate gray. This genome is responsible for the
“natural” or “normal” color of wild rabbits. In New Zealand
rabbits this color pattern is often called chestnut.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">When
two</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">recessive
s</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">elf (aa)
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">alleles
are paired together it produces a NZ rabbit that has a coat
completely made of one color</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Therefore,</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> a rabbit </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
self (aa) </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">allele</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pairing is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">bred
with another rabbit with the self (aa) </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">allele
pairing, they</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">should</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
never </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">produce a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">n</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">y</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">agouti </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">offspring</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you are looking to breed
for consistency of color in your heard, then it is important that you
acquire both male and female rabbits with </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
self (aa) </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">gene</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The self color is sometimes
called 'solid' by some breeders.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
B-Series Of Genes:
Black (B_) allele or Brown (b_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Black Colored Rabbits (BB, Bb), Brown Colored Rabbits (bb)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Almost all rabbits
regardless of breed will carry are either the black (B_) or brown
(bb) allele. The B-series gene then determines whether the rabbits
base coat color is black or brown. Because the black (B_) allele has
complete dominance over the brown (b_) allele. Black is the most
common color, as the allele pairings (BB) or (Bb) will always produce
a black or blue rabbit (see NZ Blue later in this article), while the
recessive (bb) allele pairing will always produce a brown rabbit.
Therefore, if two rabbits both have the recessive brown (bb) allele
pairing they will never produce any black offspring. If any pair of
rabbits produce brown offspring, then both the buck and doe must have
had at least one brown (b_) allele.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some rabbits look
like they have a brown coat, but they are not really brown. The most
common example of this is the agouti (see above), sometimes called
the “natural” or “normal” color of rabbits. While an agouti
or cottontail rabbit may appear to be brown in color, their coat is
actually made of different layers of banded phoemelanin (yellow) and
eumelanin (dark brown) hairs. This combination of colors may give the
appearance of brown rabbit, but a brown rabbit must have the (bb)
allele pairing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
C-Series Of Genes:
Complete (C_) allele, Incomplete (c_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Complete Colored Rabbits (CC, Cc), Albino Rabbits (cc)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The C-series of
genes determines whether a rabbits coat has complete color or no
color. The complete (C_) allele is dominate to the incomplete (c_)
allele. The dominant complete (C_) allele allows all four of the dark
and all three of the yellow pigments to be present in the hair shaft.
This allows for full color development of the rabbits coat and works
with the E-series of genes and their alleles to produce ticking or
steel tipped colors in rabbits that carry the agouti (A_) allele. The
New Zealand Black (NZB) is an example of a rabbit that carries the
complete dominant allele. When a rabbit receives two incomplete or
recessive (c_) alleles from it's parents it is classified as an
albino. The recessive (cc) allele pairing not only blocks all the
color of all the pigments along the hair shaft, it blocks all
expression of color in the rabbit producing a white rabbit with red
eyes (REW). The New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit because it has the
recessive (cc) allele pairing has a coat as well as eye color that
lacks any color pigment. They are in essence albinos, however they are carriers of all the other color allele's you just cannot physically see them. You may however see some of these allele's show up in their offspring when bred to a non-white rabbit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
D-Series Of Genes:
Dense (D_) allele or Dilute (d_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Dense Coat (DD, Dd), Dilute Coat (dd)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The D-series of
genes determines the depth of color of the coat of the rabbit. Dense
(D_) has complete dominance over dilute (d_), rabbits with at least
one dense (D_) allele have full color shades that are are darker
(black or chestnut), and generally have brown eyes. Rabbits with a
dilute (d_) allele have a lighter more sedated or dilute colored
pigment in the hair shaft causing the coat to be lighter in color.
Any combination of allele pairing in which there is at least one
dense allele (DD, Dd) will produce a rabbit with a dense coat with
(DD) being the darker of the two. Rabbits with the dilute (dd)
pairing have the lightest or most dilute coat color. If you want to
increase the depth of coat color in your rabbit's bloodline, then
breeding a rabbit with a (DD) allele can help you accomplish this
while breeding a rabbit with a dilute (dd) allele pairing will soften
or mute the color.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When a rabbit with a
dilute (dd) allele pairing also carries one of the black (BB, Bb)
allele pairs, the coat color is changed or diluted from black to blue
and causes the eye to be gray-blue. So we see that the B-series gene
and the D-series gene when combined can produce a totally different
color of rabbit. Breeders of NZ's have been developing a genetic line
of New Zealand Blue's (NZBL) for a few years now, but this color has
not been approved by the ARBA so there is no breed standard as of
yet. Therefore any rabbit that is blue in color must have a complete
dilute (dd) allele pairing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
E-Series Of Genes:
Steel Extension (Es_) allele, Normal Extension (E_) allele,
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Non-extension (e_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Steel Tipped Rabbits (EsEs, EsE, Ese), Black Rabbits (EE,
Ee), Red Rabbits (ee)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The E-series of
genes work in combination with the C-series of genes and the rufus
modifier to make a variety of small and subtle changes to the
pigments in the rabbits hair shaft that determines it's overall coat
color. There is a lot going on with this gene series; not only are
there six possible allele pairings (EsEs, EsE, Ese, EE, Ee, and ee),
there is more than one dominant gene although there is a specific
order of dominance that has to be taken into consideration.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In E-series genes,
the steel extension (Es_) allele is dominate to the normal extension
(E_) allele, which is dominant to the non-extension (ee) allele. The
(Es_) allele works in combination with the agouti (A_) allele and is
responsible for producing the ticking or steel patterns (Gold or
Cinnamon tipped) in some NZ rabbits. This combination of (A_, Es_)
alleles work together to accentuate or darken the characteristic
agouti type landmarks (eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet,
legs and the inside of the ears) of some rabbits. So in order for a
NZ doe to produce kits with steel characteristics (tipped hair
coloring) either the buck or the doe must carry an agouti (A_)
allele. If both rabbits in the breeding pair carry the self colored
(aa) allele pair, they cannot produce kits with steel tipped fur. In
NZ rabbits steel-tipped kits are most often seen when a NZR (which
carries the agouti gene) is bred with a self (aa) colored rabbit.
Obviously a NZ chestnut agouti has the potential to produce steel
tipped kits, but most breeders who sell breeding stock do not keep
chestnuts as part of their breeding program.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The normal extension
(E_) allele allows the complete expression of dark black/brown
pigment in the hair shaft (New Zealand Black). You have to remember
while the (E_) allele allows the complete expression of the
black/brown color, it is not the dominant allele here, rather it is
recessive to the steel (Es_) allele that is the most dominant allele
of the series.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While the (E_)
allele allows complete expression of the black/brown color, the
non-extension (e_) allele when paired (ee) together removes or
suppresses all or most of the black or brown pigment in the hair
shaft leaving yellow or orange producing a New Zealand Red (NZR)
rabbit.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
En-Series Of Genes:
English Spotting (En_) allele, Self Colored (en_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Pairings: Charlie Pattern (EnEn), Broken Pattern (Enen), and No
Pattern (enen)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the En-series of
genes (sometimes called “plus/minus” or “blanket/spot”), the
English spotting (En_) allele is dominant to the self colored (en_)
allele. The (Enen) allele pairing produces normal spotting of the
rabbits coat, rabbits with this allele pairing are known as
'brokens'. The (EnEn) gene pairings produce less spotting of the
rabbits coat than the (Enen) allele pairings, with the focus of the
spotting generally around the head area. Rabbits with the (EnEn)
allele pairing are known as 'charlies'. The final possible allele
pairing is (enen) which as mentioned causes the hair to have normal
coloring without spotting.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In addition, the
allele pairings of En-series gene work in combination with the allele
pairings of the C-series gene and other color markers to make a
variety of small and subtle changes to the color patterns seen in NZ
'broken' and NZ 'charlie' rabbits. The amount and location of the
spotting in 'broken' and 'charlies' can also be affected by other
color modifiers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Other Genes (Du
Si, V, and W)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Du-Series Of Genes:
Absence of Dutch pattern (Du_) allele, White Belt Dutch Pattern (du_)
allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Parings: Solid Color Rabbits (DuDu), (Dudu), Dutch Pattern Rabbits
(dudu)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The (Du_) color gene
represents the Dutch color pattern. In a Dutch pattern the front of
the face , front part of the body, and rear paws are white, the rest
of the rabbit has colored fur. The Dutch pattern (Du_) allele is
dominant to the white belt Dutch pattern (du_) allele. The (DuDu and
Dudu) allele pairings are present in solid colored rabbits causing no
dutch patterns. All pure breed NZ rabbits are (DuDu). Since we are
specifically talking about genetic coloring and patterns in NZ
rabbits, this is all we need to know about this gene.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Si-Series Of Genes:
Non-Silvering (Si_) allele, Silver (si_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible Allele
Parings: No Silver Color (SiSi), Silver colored tips (sisi)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Si-series of
Genes is determines whether the rabbits coat has white and/or silver
tipped hairs intermingled throughout the rabbits coat. The (Si_)
allele is dominant to the (si_) allele. Rabbits with the (SiSi)
allele pairings have normal colored coats (no white or silver tipped
hairs), while the recessive (sisi) allele pairing produces white and
silver tipped hairs intermingled throughout the rabbits coat. All
pure breed NZ rabbits have the normal (SiSi) allele pairing and
therefore have no white or silver tipped hairs caused by this
Si-series gene. Since we are specifically talking about genetic
coloring in NZ rabbits, this is all we need to know about this gene.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
V-Series Of Genes:
Normal Coat (V_) allele, No Color (v_) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible allele
Pairings: Normal coat (VV), Vienna Carrier (Vv), Blue Eyed White
(vv)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The V-series of gene
(a.k.a Vienna White) produces a rabbit with a normal coat color. As
with most allele's the (V_) allele is dominant to the (v_) allele.
Almost all rabbits carry the (VV) gene pairing which produce a normal
coat color. The recessive (vv) gene pairing produces a blue-eyed
white (BEW) rabbit, while the (Vv) pairing indicates that the rabbit
is a carrier for the Vienna White gene. All NZ rabbits carry the (VV)
gene, there are no blue-eyed NZ rabbits so none of the breed can
carry the (Vv) or (vv) gene pairing. Since we are specifically
talking about genetic coloring in NZ rabbits, this is all we need to
know about this gene.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
W-Series Of Genes:
Normal Width (W_) allele, Double Width (ww) allele</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Possible allele
Pairings: (WW), (Ww), and (ww)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The dominant normal
width (W_) gene produces a yellow or white agouti color band in the
hair shaft producing a normal coloring. The
recessive double width (ww) gene doubles the width of the yellow or
white agouti band in the hair shaft causing the rabbit to have the
characteristic agouti pattern areas such as: eye circles, triangle at
the nape of the neck, feet, and legs, as well as the inside of the
ears and belly (typical of the new Zealand Red).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Modifier Genes</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Rufus Modifier
(polygene):</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is unique in that
it is a stand alone gene and does not rely on any other particular
allele. As it's name implies, this gene modifier works in combination
with other genes to intensify the red/orange color of the agouti coat
in New Zealand Red (NZR) rabbit's. A NZR rabbit with multiple rufus
modifiers will have a darker, richer color red coat. A NZR with fewer
rufus modifiers will have lighter, duller red color. The rufus
modifiers are denoted as a number of plus (+) signs at the end of the
basic genome of red colored rabbits.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So here is where it
gets a little sketchy. Most of the information I can find simply
lists what the rufus polygene does, but does not give a definite idea
of the number of rufus modifiers found in NZ rabbits, however my best
educated guess is that there are five. So how did I come to this
conclusion? The British Rabbit Council (BRC) actually lists the
genome and breed standard for red rabbits on there website as:
A_B_C_D_ee +++ rufus modifiers. From this information along with
other information I have read, I believe that the NZR can have up to
five rufus modifiers (+++++) with three (+++) being in the middle or
the breed standard. If this is the case, then a NZR rabbit with five
(+++++) rufus modifiers would have the most intense red color, and a
NZR with two (++) or less would have a very light washed out color
red.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most Intense Red
Color: (+++++)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Balanced Red Color:
(+++)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Weak Red Color: (+)
or (++)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Plus/Minus Modifier
Genes</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The plus/minus
modifier genes work with the En, Du, and V genes to increase or
decrease the amount of spots or patterns of a rabbits coat. The more
plus modifiers that rabbit has, the more spots or colored hair
pattern they will have, the more minus modifiers your rabbit has, the
fewer amount of spots or colored hair pattern they will have.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Color Intensifier
Modifiers</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The color
intensifier modifiers. These modifiers can either darken the spots of
color and or the overall color of the rabbits coat, or lighten it to
a more diluted shade. I will have to admit that I cannot find any
additional information on what particular types of color intensifier
modifiers there are New Zealand rabbits. Perhaps if I purchased a
book that does a through in depth study of rabbit genetics it would
mention what exactly these modifiers are, but at this point this is
all the information that I could find on the subject.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
New Zealand Rabbit
Breed Basic Genome or Genotypes</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Below are the listed
basic genomes or genotypes for the NZ breed of rabbits with all 10
color genes represented. As all NZ rabbits carry the (DuDu), (SiSi)
and (VV) allele pairings you could drop these from the listing (must
people do) but for the purposes of this article, I wanted to try and
give your the most information possible regarding the breed.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Agouti (Chestnut):
A_, B_, C_, D_, E_, En_, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, En, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, En_, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, En_, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
White: A_, B_, cc,
D_, E_, En_, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Brokens:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, Enen, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Charlies:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Black: aa, B_, C_,
D_, E_, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blue: aa, B_, C_,
dd, E_, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, W_</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Red: A_, B_, C_, D_,
ee, EnEn, DuDu, SiSi, VV, ww +++<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So there are 10
color genes plus a variety of color modifiers that contribute to make
up your rabbits coat color. The reality of the NZ rabbit makeup is
that since (according to my research) all NZ rabbits carry the
(DuDu), (VV), and (SiSi) allele pairings, most people do not examine
these genes when they are determining the genome or genotype of the
NZ rabbit. It was goal in this article however to give you the most
in depth information possible so that you could examine your
livestock and begin to understand the genetic makeup of the NZ
rabbit. In the third and final article of the series 'Putting It All Together', I will show you how to put
this information together to determine the possible genetic genome of
your rabbits without having to do any DNA testing. It may not be as
accurate as a DNA test, but it the tried and true technique that has
been used by breeders for hundreds of years, way before DNA was even
discovered.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I am not a
geneticist, rather just a humble breeder of New Zealand rabbits that
happens to have a medical background so do understand something about
genetics. Having said that, I have tried to make sure the information
provided in this article is as accurate as possible. If you see an
error in my conclusions and have additional information regarding the
subject, please feel free to leave me feedback so that we can discuss
your findings. As always, if you have found this article interesting
or informational please share it with your friends. Don't forget to
follow us on Facebook or on Google+ for the latest articles on our
blog related to raising your own meat rabbits.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Other Related Articles:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 1: Dominant And Recessive Genes.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-putting-it.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 3: Putting It All Together.</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Additional
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.arba.net/district/8/am-11-12-ericstewart.html">Stewart,
Eric, Rabbit Color Genetics (ARBA Article Of The Month 2012)</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-genetics.html">Rabbit
Genetics: The Basics Are Easy To Understand.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm">Rabbit
Genetics: A Genetics Primer.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-genetics/rabbit-color-genotypes-chart/">Rabbit
Color Genotypes Chart: 144 rabbit Color Coat Colors and Their
Genotypes. </a>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thebrc.org/">British Rabbit Council (BRC) Website.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-16697998775901401552016-07-04T23:11:00.000-05:002016-07-22T13:25:46.721-05:00New Zealand Rabbit Genetics: Dominant And Recessive Gene's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-480jYqISTVQ/V3swkFe3i3I/AAAAAAAABHM/X-7jdjIUuXgKabLHi1QBA9HQpCHt4jZMACLcB/s1600/Geneticsbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-480jYqISTVQ/V3swkFe3i3I/AAAAAAAABHM/X-7jdjIUuXgKabLHi1QBA9HQpCHt4jZMACLcB/s1600/Geneticsbanner.jpg" /></a></div>
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Just as in humans, a
rabbits chromosomes are strings of DNA that act as building blocks or
blueprints that determines the final characteristics or traits of the
animal. Each chromosome has an individual spot or location (loci) in
which a specific gene is attached. When two chromosomes combine
together they form a chromosomal pairing in which each chromosome
supplies one gene to make a genetic pair. These gene pairings then
act together, alone or in combination with other genes and modifiers
to determine a rabbits overall coat and hair appearance. To be more
accurate, each gene is further categorized by it's specific function
or property known as alleles (which are different versions of the
same gene). So for the remainder of these three articles we will
refer to the individual gene's variations as alleles.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is of course a
pretty basic statement, and you could examine the structure of DNA
and chromosomes until your eyes glaze over, but suffice it to say all
you need to know is that both the buck and the doe each contribute
one chromosome to their offspring. These chromosomes when paired
together each supply one part of a gene (allele) pair that
individually or in combination with other allele's determine their
offspring's appearance (body shape, ear size, coat color and patterns
etc…). Before we get into the second article in this series, you
need to understand a few terms as well as understand how the gene's
allele's when paired together work to determine your rabbits final
coat color and pattern characteristics.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
First of all, every
allele is classified as either 'dominant' or 'recessive'. For
scientific notational purposes all allele's classified as dominant
are represented by a capitol letter, while their recessive
counterpart(s) are represented by a uncapitalized letters. A dominant
allele is just that, it dominates the pairing. For any pairing in
which there is at least one dominant allele, the characteristics of
that dominant allele almost always supersedes those of the recessive
allele. Most dominant allele's express themselves completely
suppressing any characteristics of the recessive allele. When this
happens it is called complete dominance. However, recessive allele's
can modify the expression of the dominant allele making subtle
changes to the overall genetic outcome. When this happens to
relationship of the dominant allele in regards to the recessive
allele is called incomplete dominance. In addition, an allele pair
can be made up of two recessive allele's which may produce a totally
different outcome.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So what exactly does
all this dominant and recessive gene mumbo jumbo mean? To keep it
simple, a rabbits dominant allele traits are visually apparent over a
recessive allele. That means you can see them when you look at the
rabbit. A rabbit's recessive allele traits are not visually apparent.
That means the characteristics of the allele are there, but you
cannot visually see them.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As a quick example
of how gene dominance works we are going to examine the B-series gene
whose allele pairings are responsible for producing black, blue (we
will discuss blue coloring in our second article), and brown hair
colors in rabbits. When it comes to color, almost all rabbits will
carry either the black or brown allele.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are only two
B-series gene allele's black or brown. The combination of these two
allele's determine whether the rabbits base coat color is going to be
black or brown. Since black is the dominant allele in this pair it is
represented by the capitol letter 'B', because brown is the recessive
allele in this pair it is represented by the uncapitolized letter
'b'. As the B-series gene is made up of a combination of these two
dominant and or recessive alleles, when writing them we indicate the
dominant black allele as (B_), and the recessive brown allele as
(b_). We use the '_' to denote the second allele which is absent in a
paring when we do not know what it is yet.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As mentioned
earlier, the buck and the doe each supply one chromosome to their
offspring to complete the chromosome's genetic pairing. As the
B-series gene has only two allele's black (B_) and brown (b_) there
are only three possible allele combinations. Their offspring can have
two dominant black allele's (BB), one dominant black allele and one
recessive brown allele (Bb), or two recessive brown allele's (bb).
Because black (B_) has complete dominance over brown (b_), any
combination of these allele's in which there is at least one black
allele (BB, or Bb) will result in black offspring. When two recessive
brown (b_) alleles complete the pair (bb) then the offspring will be
brown.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Terms Or Definitions</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alleles: Are
different versions of the same gene that can occupy the same position
on a particular chromosome and control the same characteristic such
as hair or eye color. Rabbits are diploid organisms because they have
two alleles, one at each genetic locus, with one allele inherited
from each parent.<span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;">In
our previous example, we examined the B-</span><span style="font-style: normal;">series</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
gene that could made up of pairs of either black (B_) alleles, brown
(bb) alleles or a combination of the two.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Chromosome: A string
of DNA made up of individual points (or loci) called genes. Rabbits
cells contain two sets of chromosomes, one set inherited from the
mother (doe) and one from the father (buck). These chromosomes
combine together to make pairs in which they share genes.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Genes: Are the
working subunits of DNA. They hold the blueprints or genetic
instructions that determine the rabbits genetic makeup (body size,
composition, hair color etc.) Genes come in multiple variations called
allele's which make up the gene pairing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is just a quick
example to show you how a chromosome's genes (and all it's allele
variants) work together to determine one color aspect of your rabbits
potential coat color. Now that you understand the 'lingo' it's time
to look at are second article 'New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 2:
Hair Color: It's In The Genes' for in in depth look at how to determine the color
characteristics of your breeding rabbit's and what to expect when you
breed specific color combinations of New Zealand Rabbits. I know
there may be a lot of new terms that many people are not familiar
with when it come to genetics and I will try and keep this
information as simple as I can. Maybe the following line drawing will
make my ramblings more clear. As always, if you have found this
article interesting or informational please share it with your
friends. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or on Google+ for the
latest articles on our blog related to raising your own meat rabbits.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a nutshell:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Two individual
chromosomes, each come from each parent.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These
chromosomes combine to make one chromosomal pair in the offspring's
cells.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This
chromosome pair Is made up of multiple genes (A, B, C, D, etc…)</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These genes
are made up of individual genetic variations called allele's.</div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The allele's
of the B-series gene that we examined in this article were black
(B_) and brown (b_).</div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Related Articles:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-its-in-genes.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 2: Coat Color: It's In The Genes.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-zealand-rabbit-genetics-putting-it.html">New Zealand Rabbit Genetics Part 3: Putting It All Together.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Additional References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.arba.net/district/8/am-11-12-ericstewart.html">Stewart, Eric, Rabbit Color Genetics (ARBA Article Of The Month 2012)</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-genetics.html">Rabbit Genetics: The Basics Are Easy To Understand.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm">Rabbit Genetics: A Genetics Primer.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-genetics/rabbit-color-genotypes-chart/">Rabbit Color Genotypes Chart: 144 rabbit Color Coat Colors and Their Genotypes. </a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-7785742251026027862016-06-19T05:06:00.000-05:002016-06-19T05:06:44.916-05:00Meat Yields<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iHJ2Tn74-JQ/V2Hxg4GJ-TI/AAAAAAAABFM/xlnmd8LL_DEHKnOYuuLoQQwWCnPfgidJgCLcB/s1600/Yieldbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iHJ2Tn74-JQ/V2Hxg4GJ-TI/AAAAAAAABFM/xlnmd8LL_DEHKnOYuuLoQQwWCnPfgidJgCLcB/s1600/Yieldbanner.jpg" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In my article 'Freezer Camp', I talked about the tools we use and
some of the specific techniques we use when dispatching and
butchering our rabbits here at the TAP <span style="background: #ffff00;">Rabbitry</span>
and Homestead. In this article I am going to talk about how we
process our rabbits and the the amount of meat yield on the four 16
week old New Zealand Cinnamon Tipped Steel's that I butchered when I
was writing the article 'Freezer Camp'. I have probably butchered
somewhere between 50 to 75 animals during our three years of raising
rabbits here on the homestead and during that time my processing
techniques have changed somewhat. When we first started out raising
rabbits I broke down the whole carcass dividing it into four separate
categories: 1) front legs, 2) hindquarters, 3) back loin or
tenderloin, and 4) the belly meat. The remaining bones of the carcass
were then boiled down and the meat removed from the bones. This meat
was then pressured canned in it's own broth for use in soups, stews,
casseroles, and cold rabbit (chicken) salad. Over the last year I
have somewhat changed my focus and now simply break my carcasses down
into three basic categories: 1) hindquarters, 2) back loin or
tenderloin, and 3) de-boned meat for sausage. The front or fore legs
are added to the pot with the bones after they have been de-boned and
are then boiled down and the remaining meat and broth is pressure
canned for future use. I still on occasion keep a couple of whole
rabbits for the freezer, but for the most part this is how we process
them here at the rabbitry.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Breaking Down The
Carcass</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have ever
broken down a whole chicken into edible portions, then you can break
down the carcass of a rabbit. To be honest there is not really a
whole lot of difference in the way the two types of carcasses are cut
up for cooking. I have been fortunate in that I have more than
eighteen years of restaurant experience and culinary training and
have broken down the carcasses of chicken, turkeys, ducks, goats,
sheep, pigs, and small game such as squirrels. If you have done none
of these, then finding a mentor or someone with butchering experience
is a great way to learn this necessary skill. If you cannot find a
mentor or anyone in your area that raises rabbits, then ask the
breeder that you bought your breeding stock from if you can help them
the next time they butcher. Be proactive, do not make the mistake by
waiting until you have rabbits that need to be butchered before
asking for help to learn how to butcher and or breakdown a carcass
efficiently.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meat Yields</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The one question I
seem to get asked most often and one I see most often on rabbit
forums and on Facebook rabbit groups is “how much meat can I expect
to get from a meat rabbit?” This entirely depends on the age of the
rabbits being butchered and how they are processed. So to that extent
I will try and explain to you how the determine the possible meat
yields of rabbits processed at home. So as I mentioned earlier, I
butchered four pure breed New Zealand rabbits (2 bucks, 2 does) and
the carcasses were broken down into hindquarters, loins, de-boned
sausage meat, and the bones were then boiled down and the meat
removed. When I talk about meat yields, I am talking about the actual
weight of the meat after all processing is completed. I am not
talking about “hanging or dressed” weight which is the weight of
a carcass after it has been gutted and cleaned and weighed with the
bone-in. What I am talking about is what is called the “retail or
edible” weight of the animal. The edible or retail weight is the
the actual amount of usable meat removed from the carcass which may
or may not include some of the bone after processing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3lcyL_8sOCA/V2MVVfOAJYI/AAAAAAAABGw/YrVAYQ7V6F4Sau8QKtmzNR73tNDg_oj7ACLcB/s1600/Meatvacuumsealed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3lcyL_8sOCA/V2MVVfOAJYI/AAAAAAAABGw/YrVAYQ7V6F4Sau8QKtmzNR73tNDg_oj7ACLcB/s1600/Meatvacuumsealed.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The four rabbits
that we butchered averaged just over 5lbs each (total weight of 336
ounces). I will admit up front that I did not weigh the carcasses
after they were dressed to get a hanging or “dressed” weight,
rather my focus was on the final retail or packaging weight. Once
processed, the final amount of usable meat or retail yield of these
four rabbits was 164.2 ounces or 48.8% retail weight (164 / 336 x 100
= 48.8%). I have included the following list of portions and their
weights for you to examine.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
8 Hindquarters,
vacuum sealed into 2 packages of 4, total weight 68.8 ounces.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
8 Back or
tenderloins, vacuum sealed in 1 package, total weight 19.4 ounces.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meat
de-boned and vacuum sealed to make sausage, total weight 54.0 ounces.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meat removed from
bones after boiling to make soup 22.0 ounces
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have listed the
industry average yields of processed cattle, pork, and poultry just
for comparison. There will be some slight variation related to the
breed and age of the animal but on average these yield percentages
are highly accurate and considered the industry standard. I have
included these examples so that you can compare and contrast your
rabbits yields with that of other animals. As you can see the final
retail weight of the rabbits (164.2 ounces) that we butchered is
comparable to that of commercially butchered pork and beef. If you
butcher and breakdown your own pork and beef carcasses your yields
may vary.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
TAP Rabbitry New
Zealand Rabbits, hanging weight unknown, <span style="color: red;">48.8%</span> retail or packaged
weight.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cattle produce on
average 55 – 65% of hanging weight, and 45 – 50% retail weight</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pork produce on
average 65 – 75% of hanging weight, and 50 – 55% retail weight.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Poultry produce on
average 70 – 75% of hanging weight, and 70 – 75% retail weight.*
</div>
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<i><br /></i>
</div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>* Poultry is the
only example listed which is sold completely bone in at your local
supermarket, therefore their retail weight tends to be the same as
their hanging or dressed weight. Portions of chicken that are de-bone
and prepackaged have a retail weight of approximately 60 – 70%.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yf3fRSXQSHs/V2HyBRB4AlI/AAAAAAAABFU/WpJUHYezwMcU6k0v_stm4LNeNE-dKCISQCLcB/s1600/rabbitricesoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yf3fRSXQSHs/V2HyBRB4AlI/AAAAAAAABFU/WpJUHYezwMcU6k0v_stm4LNeNE-dKCISQCLcB/s1600/rabbitricesoup.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.297"></a>
<br />
Conclusion</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.366"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.372"></a>
Raising livestock to help feed your family or supplement your income
is not difficult. It does take some hands on work on your part. On
average you can expect the rabbits you raise to produce the same
percentage of meat yields as pork or beef (about 50%). Because rabbit
is all white meat it is very lean and healthy when compared to beef
and or pork. And because of it's size, rabbit is a whole lot easier
to manage than pork or cattle and they take up quite a bit less room
which is a “win win” situation in my book. I hope this article
has shed some light on the kind of meat yields you can expect from
your New Zealand, Californian, and American meat rabbits. As always,
we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please
share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to
send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also
subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles
or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://askthemeatman.com/yield_on_beef_carcass.htm">Ask The Meatman: Beef Carcass Breakdown.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2012/07/10/yields-and-dressing-percentages/">Cornell University, Small Farms Program: Yields And Dressing Percentages.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.oda.state.ok.us/food/fs-hogweight.pdf"><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">OklahomaDepartment Of Agriculture, Food, & Forestry: Food Safety DivisionMeat Inspection Services.</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://posc.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2012/08/l-2290.pdf">Texas Agricultural Extension Service: Cost And Yield Comparisons Of Ready-To-Cook Chicken Products</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Related Articles On Our Blog:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/06/cooking-rabbit-age-matters.html">Cooking
Rabbit, Age Matters.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/06/sending-bunnies-to-freezer-camp.html">Sending Your Rabbits To Freezer Camp </a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-brautwurst.html">Making Rabbit Sausage: Brautwurst</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-spanish-style-chorizo.html">Making Rabbit Sausage: Spanish Chorizo </a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-92020681485798930062016-06-16T06:25:00.001-05:002016-06-16T06:25:29.209-05:00Sending The Bunnies To Freezer Camp!<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0T-r1ozHC5s/V1_WBC5DT1I/AAAAAAAABDc/QM3p3XZ01gwuU9sBJeMLQtyfvvPwSNr3gCKgB/s1600/FreezerCampbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0T-r1ozHC5s/V1_WBC5DT1I/AAAAAAAABDc/QM3p3XZ01gwuU9sBJeMLQtyfvvPwSNr3gCKgB/s1600/FreezerCampbanner.jpg" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If
you raise meat rabbits for you and your family as a meat source, as a
small commercial venture or a combination of both, there will come a
time when you will need to butcher some of your rabbits. Here at the
TAP <span style="background: #ffff00;">Rabbitry</span>, we primarily
raise meat rabbits as a healthy food source. We do sell breeders when
we can to help pay our feed cost, but that is not our primary focus.
While we will keep a small amount of inventory past 12 weeks of age,
most of the livestock that we do not sell gets butchered at about 12
weeks (3 months of age). That means that we butcher on average about
three or four times a year depending on the number of breeders we
have active at the time. The number of rabbits that are butchered
during each session depends of the size and number of litters that
our does have produced during the last few months.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In addition to
butchering young rabbits, every breeder will have occasion to butcher
older rabbits that have for one reason or another just earned
themselves a place in the freezer. We have had to butcher a doe who
no matter how many times, or with which buck she was bred, only
produced 2 kits with each litter. We have also had to butcher both
bucks and does that just would not breed for whatever reason. And of
course you may have to dispatch a sick rabbit on occasion. So as I
mentioned three or four times a year we send the rabbits to 'Freezer
Camp'. Not a term I coined, but one my wife saw somewhere so we
adopted it and that is what we call our dispatching and butchering
process.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mTJcsAkxp2I/V1_WSYWpCsI/AAAAAAAABDk/dQfHUu5z5rwesvckWG2NttCCGGLIS1iIwCLcB/s1600/Mysetup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mTJcsAkxp2I/V1_WSYWpCsI/AAAAAAAABDk/dQfHUu5z5rwesvckWG2NttCCGGLIS1iIwCLcB/s1600/Mysetup.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Breeders Note:
While I have seen on some of the rabbit breeding and homestead forums
on the world wide web that some people butcher sick animals and then
consume them, we do not nor would I ever recommend this process.
Regardless of the illness, sick animals are not recommended for human
consumption.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.2"></a>So,
welcome to 'Freezer Camp'. In this article I am going to talk about
the tools we use and some of the specific techniques we use when
dispatching and butchering our rabbits here at the TAP <span style="background: #ffff00;">Rabbitry</span>
and Homestead. I am by no means a professional when it comes to
butchering rabbits. I have probably butchered somewhere between 50 to
75 animals, not really a huge number. Rather my skill comes in the
form of breaking down the carcass and cooking of the animal as I
preformed a lot of this type of work in my 18 years in the restaurant
business. I mention this only because there are a lot of different
ways to dispatch and butcher rabbits and many people have their own
specific techniques or style that they prefer to use. I am a firm
believer that you find the process that works best for for you and
eventually with a bit of practise you will become quite proficient at
butchering your own rabbits.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdq-CyrkT2w/V1_Wc4KMfBI/AAAAAAAABDs/vSI-UINZY1k9AdpJkLwCaZufgp8ACIlrgCLcB/s1600/Tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdq-CyrkT2w/V1_Wc4KMfBI/AAAAAAAABDs/vSI-UINZY1k9AdpJkLwCaZufgp8ACIlrgCLcB/s1600/Tools.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tools Of the Trade
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.4"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.5"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.6"></a>
A couple of tools that have become integral parts of my butchering
process are my fillet knife, a pair of pruning sheers, and my rabbit
<span style="background: #ffff00;">gambrel</span> (animal hanger) in
addition to a sturdy, portable table and a cooler with ice in which
to pack the freshly butchered rabbits. When we first started raising
rabbits I tried an assortment of traditional butchering knives before
I found a knife that I was happy with. After watching my friend and
fellow breeder Ronda Jones dispatch a few rabbits using a <span style="background: #ffff00;">Rapala</span>
fish fillet knife, I knew I had found the knife for me. I chose the
smaller 6-inch knife available for about $13.00 at my local <span style="background: #ffff00;">Wal</span>-Mart
and it has been the best knife I have used for butchering rabbits and
small game. A fillet knife has a long thin flexible blade, and while
Ronda uses a longer more flexible knife, I find that the 6-inch
version has just the right amount of strength and flexibility for my
needs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.8"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.10"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.11"></a>
To remove the front legs and split to pelvis (makes it easier to
remove the <span style="background: #ffff00;">gastrointestional</span>
tract), I use a pair of Corona bypass hand pruning sheers. These
sheers are all steel construction and cut through bone cleanly and
with ease. In addition, I use these sheers in the garden and they are
fantastic. You can find them online or at your local Lowe's for about
$21.00. My friend and fellow breeder Steve <span style="background: #ffff00;">Coyne</span>
author of the '<a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas
Rabbit Barn</a>',and '<a href="http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/">I
Grow Vegetables</a>' <span style="background: #ffff00;">blog's</span>
turned me on to these sheers, and they are worth every penny. One
pair will truly last you a lifetime, unless of course you lose them.
One tool, two uses, gotta love it!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.12"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.13"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.14"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.15"></a>
There are many ways to hang your rabbits after you have dispatched
them so that you can actually start the butchering process. The tool
that I use is a home made version of a <span style="background: #ffff00;">gambrel</span>
(animal hanger) that my friend Steve <span style="background: #ffff00;">Coyne</span>
was using when I first got into raising rabbits. After using the one
that Steve had I knew I could make my own out of scrap PVC and some
wire, and that is exactly what I did. The <span style="background: #ffff00;">gambrel</span>
uses the weight of the rabbit to tighten the wire thereby holding it
securely in place, and it's unique design allows you to rotate or
turn the carcass as needed during the butchering process. I find
using the gambrel is earier and faster for me than trying to make a
cut in the leg and then hanging the rabbit by it's tendons. If you
are a hunter or know someone who is then you have probably seen or
used a <span style="background: #ffff00;">gambrel</span> to dress out
deer or wild feral hogs.</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dispatching
Techniques</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are a myriad
of different ways to dispatch your rabbits and they all have one
specific goal and that is to quickly and humanely kill the rabbit
with the least amount of pain and stress as possible. My father grew
up on a farm, and my grandfather raised rabbits as an additional food
source for his family. When I was growing up, I watched my father use
what I call the 'Karate Chop' method to dispatch rabbits. He would
take the edge of his hand and holding the rabbit by it's hind legs
deliver a swift blow to the back of the neck of the rabbit right
behind the head. I have never been comfortable with this technique,
but my father and grandfather were quite proficient at it. A
variation of this technique is to use a steel pipe or heavy wooden
rod or broomstick in place of your hand. My issue with this technique is that if
you miss, or do not deliver a fatal blow, the rabbit not only
suffers, but makes a painful crying noise much like that of a baby.
Miss once and you will never try this technique again.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.99"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.102"></a>
Cervical dislocation is another effective method employed by a lot of
breeders. The cheap and simple method is to place the rabbit on the
ground holding it by it's hind legs then place a large wooden rod
across the back of it's neck then place a foot on each side of the
rod as you pull back on the rabbits hind legs to dislocate the spine
and instantly kill the rabbit. My friend Ronda Jones dispatches her
rabbits this way and she is quite effective at it. I found this
technique to be to cumbersome for me especially if you have a
frightened or spastic rabbit on your hands. I like the idea of
cervical dislocation and it is quite popular. There is a commercial
product called the 'Rabbit Wringer' that many breeder use to dispatch
their rabbits, but it is quite pricey at $70.00. If you can <span style="background: #ffff00;">DIY</span>,
you can find a number of plans to make your own version of a rabbit
wringer on the <span style="background: #ffff00;">internet</span>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.104"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.139"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.147"></a>
The last technique that I am going to talk about is the one we use
here at the TAP <span style="background: #ffff00;">rabbitry</span> and
that is the process of shooting the rabbit in the head. For this
procedure I use a .22 caliber air rifle with hollow point hunting
pellets. It kills the rabbit quickly and humanely with one shot, that
is of course if you do not miss, but this has not been a problem for
me. The key when using this technique is to have a small area in
which to place the rabbit so that it's movements are minimized ( I
use a tote with straw as a 'kill bucket'). I already had a .22
caliber air rifle so this was a technique for which suited me well
with no additional outlay of capitol. The <span style="background: #ffff00;">Crossman</span>
hollow point hunting pellets that I use are cheap $6.47 for 500ct at
my local <span style="background: #ffff00;">Wal</span>-Mart and are an
effective killing pellet. If however, you do not already have a
hunting air rifle and had to purchase one, I think you would be
better off spending your money an a rabbit wringer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AGgWstS19eA/V1_Wsrwf7LI/AAAAAAAABD4/DewR6gD0HQoKGdziDO62tYHalsa2culBgCLcB/s1600/killbucket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AGgWstS19eA/V1_Wsrwf7LI/AAAAAAAABD4/DewR6gD0HQoKGdziDO62tYHalsa2culBgCLcB/s1600/killbucket.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.186"></a>
<i>Breeders Note: When purchasing an air rifle look closely at the
caliber of the pellet. Most air rifles used for hunting small game
are .22 caliber or larger. While brand and quality matter, you can
generally find them at most large big box retailers. The one I use is
an inexpensive <span style="background: #ffff00;">Beeman</span>, which
I have found when hunting small game to be not only accurate but
quite effective. I have never used the smaller .177 caliber air rifle
for hunting, while it's higher velocity is effective against
squirrels and small birds, I am unsure of it's ability to make a
clean kill on the larger meat rabbits so I cannot recommend this
caliber for dispatching your rabbits.</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.212"></a>
The Art Of Butchering</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.214"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.226"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.237"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.246"></a>
This article is not an in depth review on how to butcher a carcass.
While I watched my father and grandfather butcher a few rabbits when
I was growing up, my father never raised rabbits. We simply moved to
often during the 22 years that he was in the Air Force (USAF). Rather
I <span style="background: #ffff00;">learned</span> by purchasing and
reading a couple of books on butchering poultry and small game. In
addition, I looked at the multitude of videos on YouTube on how to
butcher poultry and rabbits. And while I knew how to effectively
break down an animal carcass due to my many years of restaurant
experience, the thing that helped me learn this skill the most was
helping my friends Steve <span style="background: #ffff00;">Coyne</span>
and Ronda Jones butcher. Even before my first rabbits were old enough
to butcher, I volunteered to help Steve butcher some of his animals
so that I could learn from his experience.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finding a mentor or
someone with butchering experience is a great way to learn this
necessary skill. If you cannot find a mentor or anyone in your area
that raises rabbits, then ask the breeder that you bought your
breeding stock from if you can help them the next time they butcher.
Be proactive, do not make the mistake by waiting until you have
rabbits that need to be butchered before asking for help to learn how
to butcher. I helped my friends Steve and Ronda butcher about thirty
rabbits on two occasions before any of my livestock was ready to be
butchered. I was a whole lot slower then they were, and I still am.
However, since that time I have butchered a lot of rabbits, not only
my own by many of my friends as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqM8C2qZJaE/V2E_qvx2yvI/AAAAAAAABEw/CTwZ2Ni7PlMZAYvzB8AOPscFfFe7it6NgCLcB/s1600/hangingrabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqM8C2qZJaE/V2E_qvx2yvI/AAAAAAAABEw/CTwZ2Ni7PlMZAYvzB8AOPscFfFe7it6NgCLcB/s1600/hangingrabbit.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I have included some video links with short descriptions of each of the videos below showing how to butcher and process rabbits. The breeder in each video uses a slightly different technique as well as an array of basic butchering tools. There are a lots of other videos on YouTube, but the ones listed in this article will give you an idea of the options and techniques used to butcher your meat breeders. Be forewarned that these videos contain graphic examples of rabbits being butchered. You should not be surprised as this article is about butchering livestock, but if you have young children, you may or may not want them to watch over your shoulder.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXAhzfqhMNE">Urban Survival Livestock: Raising Rabbits Part 4</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
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One of the first
videos I watched on butchering rabbits, and one I still like and
recommend. I like this video because it is informative and the breeder uses a
dislocation board to dispatch of his rabbits. Just by looking at the
picture, you could easily make one yourself out of scrap wood. I have
however seen some mixed reviews about using this type of kill board,
but the videographer in this video seems to have the technique down.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umRF1D3OsUc">How To Prepare And Cook A Rabbit: Field to Fork</a></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A video with more
emphasis on butchering wild rabbits, as opposed to domesticated meat
breeders. Scott's makes this technique look quick and easy and it
could easily be adopted by anyone with a small rabbitry. Not so sure
about freezing the rabbit with the skin on, but if you wanted too,
you could definitely gives this technique a try. There is a reason it
has over 1.5 million views.</div>
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</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OkXszeclxs">Daniel Salatin Processes Rabbits at Polyface Farms (Parts 1 & 2)</a></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This two part video
series shows a man that can butcher some rabbits using simple
techniques. He uses a heavy pipe to stun/kill the rabbits and then
hangs them with simple cord. In this series of videos he is talking
with people who are doing a tour through their organic farm in Virginia and answering
questions while he butchers rabbits. Some good information here and I
like his quick and fluid technique.</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.297"></a>
Conclusion</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.306"></a>
Raising livestock to help feed your family or supplement your income
is not difficult. It does take some hands on work on your part. My
wife is an integral part of our rabbitry as she takes care of the
rabbits on the days that I have to work. I do all of the butchering
and the breaking down of the carcasses, not that she couldn't do it,
but because I choose too. If you have ever lived on a farm, or raised
livestock, then you know that butchering an animal is not hard. It is
the process of dispatching the animal in a humane way is the hardest
part about.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.327"></a>
Having the necessary tools to perform the job makes the task quite a
bit simpler and more enjoyable. You do not need to spend a wad of
cash to do a through job. My grandfather dispatched and butchered all
of his rabbits using his hands and a simple skinning knife. I choose
to shoot mine then butcher them, others I know use cervical
dislocation, the choice is a matter of personal preference. The
hardest part is getting outside and making yourself do it for the
first time. Once you have taken that step, the rest is easy.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.366"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.372"></a>
In my next article, I will try to answer that one questions I see a
lot on Facebook and in the Homesteading forums on the internet
regarding the meat yield of butchered meat rabbits. I will also go
into detail about how we break down our rabbit carcasses for storage.
As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that
you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't
forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can
also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new
articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">Books
On The Subject That I Own:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.390"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.401"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.402"></a>
<span style="background: #ffff00;">Bezzant</span>, John. <i>Butchering
Small Game and Birds: Rabbits, Hares, Poultry and Wild Birds.</i>
<span style="background: #ffff00;">Ramsbury</span>: <span style="background: #ffff00;">Crowood</span>
Press, 2012.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.420"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.423"></a>
Burch, Monte. <i>The Ultimate Guide To Home Butchering: How To
Prepare Any Animal Or Bird For The Table Or Freezer</i>. New York,
<span style="background: #ffff00;">Skyhorse</span>, 2012.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.425"></a>
<span style="background: #ffff00;">Mettler</span>, John Jr. DVM. <i>Basic
Butchering Of Livestock & Game.</i> North Adams: Storey, 2003.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Related Articles:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/06/cooking-rabbit-age-matters.html">Cooking
Rabbit, Age Matters.</a><br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name=":10.1"></a></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-71197171396724549222016-06-01T17:55:00.000-05:002016-06-01T17:55:22.148-05:00Cooking Rabbit: Age Matters
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KyezT-aIUPA/V09dzutOgBI/AAAAAAAABDA/YMKGjiZ7bHgl0zdXjdxMgOjQHKwkr17XwCLcB/s1600/Rabbitbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KyezT-aIUPA/V09dzutOgBI/AAAAAAAABDA/YMKGjiZ7bHgl0zdXjdxMgOjQHKwkr17XwCLcB/s1600/Rabbitbanner.jpg" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
are few white meats that are as lean and delicious as rabbit. And
while you can substitute rabbit for chicken in many dishes, the
techniques for cooking can be slightly different and may require a
few extra steps or tweaks. Because rabbit is so lean, </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">overall,
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">slow
roasting and simmering techniques tend to produce the best results</span></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don't get me wrong, I often
brine rabbit so that I can grill it or bake it in the oven, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">however
depending on the age of the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">rabbit,
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">it</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
can </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">sometimes become quite
tough</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">f
you are new to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">raising and
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">cooking rabbit then the</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">re
are a few things you need to know to help ensure that the meals your
prepare with rabbit turn as tender and delicious as you intended them
to be.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">n
this article, I will </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">show
you how to choose some of the best techniques for cooking rabbit
based on the age of the rabbit. Sounds kind of crazy right? What most
consumers do not know is that poultry and rabbit are similarly
classified into categories based on the age of the animal. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">All</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
poultry </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">available for
consumption </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">classified
as </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fryer/</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">broilers
(9 to 12 weeks)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, roasters </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(3
to 5 months)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, and stewers
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(10 months or older). What
most of you buy when purchasing chicken at your local supermarket are
young hens that are fryers. The package may not specify 'fryers' on
the label, however 95% or more of the chicken purchased at your local
supermarket are fryers. Fryers are young, tender, and can be cooked
with just about any cooking technique with excellent results. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">So
what has this got to do with rabbit? Well rabbit is classified in the
same general way as poultry, and the same rules apply to taste and
texture. Commercially raised and butchered rabbit's like their
poultry counterparts are generally</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fryers </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(about
8 to 12 weeks)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">However,
most Americans who eat rabbit either raise their own rabbits or
acquire them via hunting so the age of the animal may vary quite a
bit. This matters because whether you raise and butcher your own
livestock or simply enjoy the hunt. The age of the animal will have a
big impact on the texture and flavor of the dish you wish to cook. So
to help you better create the best possible meals out of your rabbit
we will examine the four basic classifications of rabbit based on the
age of the animal (young fryers, fryers, roasters, and stewers).</span></div>
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Young Fryers: 2 to 3 months</div>
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<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
What I like to call young fryers are usually butchered at 8 to 12
weeks (2 to 3 months). Meat rabbits at this age are generally 4 to 5
pounds in weight and will dress out at about 2 to 2 ½ lbs bone in
weight. At this age the meat is the most tender and this is the most
cost effective age at which to butcher your rabbits. Once they get to
4 months of age your cost benefit ratio of food to meat produced
begins to drop dramatically. The flavor of the young fryer is the
most mild, and as the classification implies, at this age the rabbit
can be substituted for chicken in just about any recipe that you
would like including fried rabbit. Rabbit at this age is generally
fork tender no matter the cooking process. If you have ever bought
commercially butchered rabbit in the supermarket, this is the age at
which it is most widely available. Best uses: Grilled, sautéed,
braised, deep fat or stir fried, and roasted.
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Fryers: 3 to 6 months</div>
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</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As opposed to young fryers, fryers are slightly more mature and
usually butchered between 12 to 36 weeks (3 to 4 months). Meat
rabbits at this age are generally 5 to 6 pounds in weight and will
dress out at about 2 ½ to 3 lbs bone in weight. Some people make no
distinction between young fryers and fryers, however as the rabbit
begins to age the meat begins to have a greater depth of flavor, and
while still tender, it is not quite as tender as a young fryer. For
the home rabbitry, rabbits at 6 months are just coming into maturity
(healthy breeding age) and your cash outlay to get the rabbits to
this size from that of a young fryer may have actually doubled,
depending on your feeding program, while the meat produced by the
rabbit has not dramatically increased.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the rabbit gets older it begins to put on more muscle mass. While
this increase in muscle mass does mean that it has more meat, the
continued growth and use of these muscle fibers as the rabbit ages
makes the meat less tender. As with the young fryer the meat is still
mild, but not quite as tender, however as the classification implies,
at this age the rabbit can be still substituted for chicken in just
about any recipe that you would like, especially grilling, but if you
like fried rabbit, the young fryer is a better choice. We try and
butcher most of out rabbits here at TAP rabbitry before they get to
the six month stage, but sometimes you need to keep stock on hand at
this age in order to fill the need for customers who want mature
breeding pairs or to exchange livestock with other breeders. Best
uses: Grilled, sautéed, braised, deep fat or stir fried, baked and
roasted.
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Roasters: 6 to 12 months</div>
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</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These are your mature rabbits, and are butchered between 36 to 48
weeks (6 to 12 months). Meat rabbits at this age are generally 7 to
10 pounds in weight and will dress out at about 3 ½ to 5 lbs bone in
weight. The flavor of this rabbit is really rather nice, however
because of it's age, the meat can be quite tough. Rabbits at this age
are best roasted or baked over a prolonged period of time to allow
the fibers in the muscles to breakdown and become tender. There is
nothing quite as delicious as a slow roasted rabbit. If you attempt
to fry mature rabbits as you would a young chicken or rabbit fryer you will be disappointed
with the results. While the meat will have great flavor, rabbit
cooked at this age using high heat techniques such as frying or
grilling will most often be tougher than most people prefer.</div>
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</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here at TAP rabbitry any rabbit which we have not sold after six
months goes to what we call “freezer camp”. While we may keep the
hindquarters after butchering, at this stage in the animals life most
of the meat is de-boned and frozen until we have enough to make into
sausage. In addition, we cut up some of the rabbit and then boil it
until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. This meat is then
packed in it's own broth in mason (canning) jars and processed in a
pressure canner so that we have rabbit meat to use in casseroles,
soups, and even rabbit salad whenever we want. For information
regarding canning rabbit and other wild game or meat, check out my
article on '<a href="http://culinaryyou.blogspot.com/2015/08/if-you-are-raising-rabbits-for.html">Canning Rabbit and Poultry</a>'. Best uses: Roasted, baked,
boiled, poached, sausage, and canned.
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stewers: 12 months or older</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These are your mature rabbits, and are butchered after 12 months of
age. Meat rabbits at this age are generally 9 to 12 pounds in weight
and will dress out at about 4 ½ to 6 lbs bone in weight. Many
breeders will tell you that rabbits of this age have some of the best
flavor, the downside to eating mature rabbits is that they can be
really tough. Just as with poultry, and old rabbit is a stewing
rabbit. The low and slow process of stewing meats helps to breakdown
the connective tissue of older animals making them both tender and
delicious. As I mentioned these rabbits are generally ones that have
either outlived their breeding age or for whatever reason just need
to be butchered. We have had an occasional buck or doe here at the
TAP rabbitry that either just refused to breed, or continued to have
small litters of 2 to 3 rabbits.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Like
the roasters, rabbits which </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">we
do not</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> stew are either
de-boned for sausage or </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">cut
up, boil</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ed</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and then de-boned and then
canned in it's own </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">broth in
a pressure canner so that we have rabbit meat to use in casseroles,
soups, and even rabbit salad whenever we want. For more information
regarding stewing meats see my article on '<a href="http://culinaryyou.blogspot.com/2016/05/moist-heat-cooking-methods.html">Moist Heat Cooking Methods</a>' on my Culinary You blog.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">For recipes on making your
own rabbit bratwurst or chorizo sausage, check out my articles on
'<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-brautwurst.html">Making Bratwurst</a>' and '<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-spanish-style-chorizo.html">Making Spanish Style Chorizo</a>' on our blog.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Best uses: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stewed,
slow r</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">oasted </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
baked</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, boiled, sausage, and
canned.</span></div>
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Conclusion</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Raising
your own meat rabbits can be quite rewarding especially if you are
concerned about where the food you feed to your family comes from and
the conditions in which the animals are treated prior to butchering.
When cooking rabbit it is important to take into consideration the
age of the animal when trying to decide on a recipe. Remember,
stewers make lousy fried rabbit, but they make a great traditional
hausenpeffer (German rabbit stew). Fryers on the other hand are great
for sautéing, braising and or frying, however the delicate flesh of
the fryer can quickly become mushy when cooked using long slow
techniques such as roasting, baking and especially stewing. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Knowing
the age of the rabbit you wish to cook can help you to choose the
right recipe and or technique to create a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
tender and juicy </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">meal</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">mak</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
you look and feel like a five star Michelin chef. Ok, well maybe that
is an overstatement, but I guarantee you that both you and your
family will love the flavor and texture of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">home
raised </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">rabbit </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">when
cooked properly</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span>
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As always, we ask
that if you find this information interesting that you please share
it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us
a friend request on Facebook and Google+ or subscribe to our blog so
that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding
rabbit's that we have available for sale.</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">R</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">elated
Articles On Our Blogs:</span></div>
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<a href="http://culinaryyou.blogspot.com/2015/08/if-you-are-raising-rabbits-for.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Canning
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<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-brautwurst.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Making Rabbit Bratwurst (TAP Homestead and Rabbitry)</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-spanish-style-chorizo.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Making Spanish Style Rabbit Chorizo (TAP Homestead and Rabbitry)</span></a></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-69803232391834263062016-05-14T14:06:00.000-05:002016-05-14T14:06:28.040-05:00Making Your Own Cage Door Latches<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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There are many
hidden costs that most of us do not think about when starting a
rabbitry. While most of them are small and insignificant on their own,
they can quickly add up to become quite a tidy sum. One of the things
we do here at TAP rabbitry to cut down on costs is to make as many of
the items that we need ourselves whenever possible. If you have read
my series on cage building on our blog, then you will note that the
one thing that I did not cover in that three part series of cage
building was the making of the cage door latches.
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A cage no matter how
well it is built is not very secure without a good latch. Now there
quite a few cage latching options available on the internet, some are
better than others and the prices of such latches is somewhat
variable. Although cage latches are not overly expensive $0.85 to
$1.50 a piece, if you need say 30 latches this small price could
easily cost you a cash outlay of $25.50 to $45.00 depending on the
type of latch you are buying. The great thing is that you can make
your own cage latches for free in just a few minutes using materials that most of us have
around the house.</div>
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The focus of this
article is to show you how to make the most common form of cage latch
available for purchase on the internet for free. That's right, I said
for free! Today, I am going to show you how to make the same sturdy
and secure cage latches that we use here at TAP rabbitry out of
ordinary metal coat hangers that most of you have hanging in your
closet. Now, the type of hanger we will be using is the full metal
coat hanger, not the type you get from the cleaners with the
cardboard tube at the bottom. In order for this to work, you need a
one piece complete metal coat hanger. Once cut and straightened, each
coat hanger will produce two complete cage latches.</div>
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There are a few
items and or small tools that are not totally necessary, but they
will help make this process quite a bit easier. The first is a 1 inch
scrap piece of PVC pipe in which to wrap the metal wire around. A
small bench vise makes it easy to hold the PVC in place, but if you
do not have a bench vise, you can screw the PVC pipe to a bench or
scrap piece of 2x4 then clamp the 2x4 to your bench or table. In
addition, you will need a pair of vise-grip and needle nose pliers.</div>
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The Steps</div>
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Before we can begin
to start making the latches, we need to cut and straighten out the
coat hangers. You want to cut the coat hangers near the neck (see
picture above) then straighten them out as best you can. You should have
a semi-straight piece of wire approximately 34 inches in length
overall. Take this wire and cut it into two equal parts (each should
be about 17 inches long). Once you have all the wire cut for the
number of latches you need, you can start making your latches.</div>
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Step: 1 – Take
your 17 inch wire and make a small hook in the end about ½ to 1 inch
in length with your needle nose pliers. Then place the wire with the hook about 1 inch past the
edge of the PVC pipe and clamp it into place with your vise-grip
pliers.</div>
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Step: 2 – Then
bend the wire around the pipe to make a U-shaped bend.</div>
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Step: 3 – Remove
the wire from the pipe and then move your hand down the straight end
of the wire until it is even with the hook above and make a 90 degree
bend in the pipe.</div>
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Step : 4 – With
your vise-grip pliers, clamp the wire to the PVC pipe at the 90
degree bend. Then take the straight end of the wire and wrap it
around the PVC pipe twice to complete your latch. When done the
straight end of the wire should be pointing downward.</div>
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Congratulations you
have just made your own cage door latch in four easy steps. That's
all there is to it, now when you attach the latch to your specific
cage door you may need to make a slight bend or modification here and
there depending on the type and size of the cage wire that your cages
are made of. This simple latch can be used on either the top of the
door or the right side. If you have a door that swings open to the
left, simply flipping the latch upside down and it will still work
perfectly. I know because we had to do that to one of our cages.</div>
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Conclusion</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I realize that cage
latches are relatively cheap, and feel free to purchase commercial
latches if you want, know one is going to beat you up for it, at
least not us anyway. However, if you want to save a few dollars,
there are few latches easier to make then this type. Having said all
of that, these latches are made from hanger wire, and if they are on
an outside hutch, they will eventually begin to rust. On our outside
hutches, our original latches are about three years old, and I made
new ones for this article to replace a few that have become pretty
rusty. Making these latches only cost me 30 minutes of my time, and
heck it was raining outside anyway, so it was a good time to do some
cage maintenance. As always, we ask that if you find this
information interesting that you please share it with your friends on
Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on
Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you
do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new
rabbit's that are for sale.</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Related Articles On Our Blog:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/04/cage-building-part-1-gathering-your.html">Cage Building Part 1: Gathering Your Supplies</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/04/cage-building-part-2-size-and-placement.html">Cage Building Part 2: Size And Placement Matter</a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/04/cage-building-part-3-putting-it-all.html">Cage Building Part 3: Putting It All Together</a></div>
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</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-81341275041774533202016-05-12T04:46:00.002-05:002016-05-12T04:48:01.004-05:00Water: The Elixir Of Life<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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Keeping you rabbits
hydrated is extremely important. Summer will soon be here and
allowing your rabbits to have access to fresh water will help them to
survive the summer heat. On average, our New Zealand or American Blue
meat rabbits will drink about 600 to 900ml (20 to 30 ounces) of water
a day per rabbit. Depending on the time of the year it may vary
somewhat with increased water needs most often noted in the heat of
the summer months. If you feed your rabbits fresh greens or allow
them to graze on fresh grass they may get some of their water
requirements from this source, however rabbits fed pellets and dry
hay will need to have an ample supply of fresh water in order to keep
them fully hydrated. This is especially true if you live in a more
southern climate like we have here in Texas. So it is imperative that
you make sure your rabbits have access to fresh, clean pure water to
drink throughout the day.</div>
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In addition, does
who are pregnant or are lactating will consume quite a bit more water throughout the day. Once kits begin to reach
the weaning age and you have 6 to 10 or more in a cage with momma the
water uptake for that cage will increase significantly and they
should not be allowed to run out. Kits have a more fragile digestive
system and they should have ample access to fresh and clean water to
maintain their health during this early growth stage.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I mentioned, just
having access to water is not enough, your rabbits need to have
access to clean pure water to drink throughout the day. In order to
make sure we are providing the best possible water source for our
rabbits, we remove and wash our bottles and bowls at a minimum once a week (every
Saturday) to make sure that their water source stays clean and
bacteria free to help prevent enteritis and other complications of
the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Few things can kill a rabbit faster
than enteritis (which can be caused by a either a bacteria or virus).
Making sure your rabbits have access to fresh clean water may help
reduce the chances that they will suffer some GI distress, but
eventually all rabbitry's will have a few rabbits that get sick with
GI symptoms. The key is to try and minimize the risks.</div>
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I will be discussing
the use of three watering options for your herd in this article 1)
water bowls and crocks, 2) water bottles gravity fed vs spring
loaded, and 3) automatic watering systems. Of these three options if
you are just starting out most of you will be using either water bowls
or bottles. The use of automatic watering systems is slightly more
complicated to setup and maintain but does claim to have some
advantages that make it an intriguing option, but not necessarily the
best option for a small rabbitry.</div>
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Watering Crocks and
Bowls</div>
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Probably the most
common form of supplying your rabbit with water is via the use of
crocks and or water bowls. These options are my least favorite,
although with some ingenuity it can be the cheapest option. About
half of our rabbits here at the TAP Rabbitry are bowl drinkers.
Simply because when we purchased this livestock from other rabbitry's
they used bowls to water their herd. I have had some success in
transitioning bowl drinkers to bottles, but some adult rabbits just
will not learn to use the bottle. For our rabbits that have to have
bowls, we prefer to purchase the two piece 20 ounce bowls that twist
and unlock for easy bowl removal (Lixit Quick Lock Crock) so that
they can be placed in our dishwasher each week to be cleaned. They
tend to cost about $10.00 and can be found on Amazon or at most pet
stores. We do however have an assortment of bowls that we have
acquired over time and still use, but as I mentioned we prefer the
Lixit bowls. </div>
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If you are starting out on a budget, the cheapest bowl option is to buy large coffee cups or
bowls at the dollar store and zip tie them to the cage corner to keep
the rabbits from knocking them over. I know a few breeders who choose
this option and it seems to work well for them, the down side to this
option is that it makes cleaning the bowls or cups more difficult,
and you have to replace the zip ties each time you want to clean the
bowls or cups. In the long run, I think buying removable bowls is
cheaper, but it requires a larger layout of cash upfront.</div>
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Bowls and crocks
however are the least sanitary water option. Because your rabbit urinates and
defecates on the cage floor in which they walk, they can easily
transfer any bacteria from the cage floor to their water bowl when
they put their feet in their water bowl. They are after all animals,
and they do not care where they place their feet and they will stand
in their water bowl I guarantee it. Your rabbits will then drink from
these bowls which increases the chance that they will ingest some
bacteria which can cause your rabbit to have a bout of diarrhea with
deadly results. I am not saying that if you use bowls or crocks that
your herd is more susceptible to getting sick than if you use
bottles, what I am saying is that if you use bowl or crocks, you need
to be vigilant about cleaning them as they get dirty relatively easy
putting your herd more at risk for disease and GI distress. I have
found that because our rabbits do put their feet in their water bowls
so often, that a mucousy slime will quickly grow and we need to empty
and wipe out the bowls every couple of days in addition to washing
them once a week.</div>
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Water Bottles (Ball
Bearing Gravity Fed VS Spring Loaded Nipples)</div>
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If we had our
choice, all of our rabbits would be on the bottle or an automatic
watering system. The two big advantages to using water bottles over
crocks or bowls is that 1) they hold more water (32 ounces), and 2)
your rabbit cannot place their feet in the water making it more
sanitary. This means that you have to go out and water your herd less
often throughout the day, and they will have a sufficient amount of
water overnight when they are most active. In addition, because your
rabbits cannot stand or place their feet in the water bottle, you
have drastically reduced the chance that they will suffer from
bacterial illness of the gastrointestinal system due to dirty water.
</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are a couple
of different options when buying water bottles for your herd. There
are the gravity feed bottles which have one or two small ball
bearings in the spout, and then there are the bottles that come with
the spring loaded tips in the spout. The gravity feed bottles are
quite a bit cheaper (about half the price) than the spring loaded tip
bottles, but they are quite inferior in function. The gravity fed
bottles leak easily, and any time your rabbit bounces around the cage
water will leak from the spout. Our first two water bottles were of this
type, and I watched 32 ounces of water slowly leak from this bottle
as our rabbits moved around in the cage. To refill the entire bottle
you have to remove it from the cage wall and them fill the bottle and
then place it back in it's holder which is somewhat flimsy. In
addition, these types of bottles are difficult to clean even with a
bottle brush, there are some areas in which you just cannot reach. Needless to say, we only purchased this kind of bottle once, and we immediately returned all three.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I1AgEL6pYM8/VzL__ov551I/AAAAAAAABBE/B7NSGSzfmk8V6THFKjrN9dvxO8falws5QCLcB/s1600/springloaded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I1AgEL6pYM8/VzL__ov551I/AAAAAAAABBE/B7NSGSzfmk8V6THFKjrN9dvxO8falws5QCLcB/s1600/springloaded.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fortunately for us,
on a visit to our local Tractor Supply we discovered some 32 ounce
spring loaded tipped, top fill water bottles from Lixit. We purchased
one for a trial run and have been using them ever since for our
rabbitry. This type of bottle costs about twice the amount of the
cheap gravity feed bottles ($7.99 from our local Tractor Supply) but
they are definitely worth the additional cost. The best part is the bottles are even cheaper than the 20 ounce Lixit crocks (when
you add shipping), and they hold any additional 12 ounces of water
making this a “win, win” situation for us. If you are just starting out and you want to use bottles to water your herd, do not waste your money on gravity fed bottles, you will be disappointed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Automatic Watering
Systems</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Used by commercial
rabbitry's, an automatic watering system has a large reservoir that
holds the water for all of your cages. This water is then funneled
down to each individual cage by small flexible tubing that has a
spring loaded nipple on the end to allow the rabbits to drink from
it. This is the same type of spring loaded nipple that is used in the
Lixit bottles we use here at TAP rabbitry. I do not have any
experience with automatic watering systems and while they are
convenient and can save time when it comes to watering, I am not sure
how easy they are to clean and maintain for the small home rabbitry.
The use of black tubing helps to keep the growth of algae down (algae
likes light), but then you cannot physically see if the inside of the
tubing is dirty or has slime growing in it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My major concern
with this type of system for the small scale rabbitry is that if the
water some how gets contaminated with bacteria you could lose your
whole rabbitry overnight due to enteritis or other GI related
diseases. In addition, if one of your rabbits gets aggressive and
pulls off one of the nipples or chews through the tubing, your system
will empty itself and none of your rabbits will have water until the
problem is discovered. While this could be a minor inconvenience, if
you were gone for a day or two, you could come home to a severly dehydrated or dead herd.
Many people use a form of automatic watering systems on a small
scale, and one may be in our future. You can find many examples on YouTube, however, if you have less than
20 cages or are just starting out the spring loaded bottles in my option are the best option.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Water Additives: Are They Really Necessary?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Contrary to what
some people will tell you, rabbits do not need water with added
vitamins they should get all their vitamins and minerals from their
feed. Adding additional vitamins to your rabbits water may sound like
a good idea, however, these vitamins when added to water may encourage them to
drink excess amounts of water increasing their vitamin uptake, and
as we mentioned in our article on '<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/03/proper-rabbit-nutrition.html">Proper Rabbit Nutrition</a>', excess
vitamins can effect your rabbits health.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The one thing we do
add to our water is one tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (with the
Mother) to each gallon of water we give to our rabbits. It is said to
have many immune boosting properties and other beneficial side
effects when given to your rabbits. We started using this when we
first started raising rabbits, I cannot scientifically verify all the beneficial
claims (increased number of kits per litter, increased
breeding success, and many others), but we continue to use it on a
daily basis for it's positive immune properties. There are some
interesting articles on using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with the
mother on Rise and Shine's Rabbitry page '<a href="https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/01/26/apple-cider-vinegar-for-rabbits/">Apple Cider Vinegar For Rabbits</a>' and on Mad Hatter's Rabbitry page '<a href="https://madhatterrabbits.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/using-apple-cider-vinegar-with-rabbits/">Using Apple Cider Vinegar With Rabbits</a>. Check them out for more specific information regarding
using ACV in your rabbits water.</div>
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Conclusion</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A continuous supply
of clean, fresh water is essential to the health of your herd. There
are many watering options from the simple bowl or water crock, to
spring fed bottles, to automatic watering systems. For us here at the
TAP rabbitry we prefer the spring loaded bottles because of their
larger water capacity (32oz) and their ease of cleaning and
maintenance, and the fact that our rabbits cannot stick their feet in
them. There is nothing wrong with using bowls for watering, they have
been used for hundreds of years and we even have a few 'hold outs'
that just will not learn to drink from the bottle.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While we do not
think that our rabbitry is large enough to consider an automatic
watering system at this time, such a system may be an option for us
one day. Before that happens though, I will have to do more research
into the care and maintenance of such a system. For now, we will
continue using the spring loaded water bottles and crocks for those
rabbits that will just not learn to drink from a bottle.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to
proper rabbit nutrition, you may have some success in your rabbitry
buy using a less desirable pellet feed, however if your rabbits water
source is inferior and or contaminated both your rabbits health and
your rabbitry will suffer greatly. Water is the true elixir of life,
and making sure your livestock has access to such should be one of
top priority's in your rabbitry. As always we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to out blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbits that we have for sale. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
References:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mad Hatter Rabbitry:
<a href="https://madhatterrabbits.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/using-apple-cider-vinegar-with-rabbits/">Using Apple Cider Vinegar With Rabbits.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rise and Shine
Rabbitry: <a href="https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/01/26/apple-cider-vinegar-for-rabbits/">Apple Cider Vinegar For Rabbits.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-37469706191642237032016-05-04T09:19:00.002-05:002016-05-04T09:59:58.503-05:00Making Sausage: Brautwurst<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of all the sausages
we make, brautwurst are my wife's favorite. Based on a traditional
German brautwurst recipe, this recipe has a slight Texas style twist.
Instead of caraway seed, I use cumin in this recipe. As caraway was
not readily available, sometimes the early German settlers in Texas
were forced to use cumin as a substitute for caraway seed which was a
popular spice in Austria, Germany, Hungary. To be honest, most people
do not even notice the suttle difference in taste between these two
spices when making brautwurst, but if you want a more traditional
flavor, then substitute caraway seed for the cumin. However like
those early settlers, I did not have any caraway so I use cumin in
all my brautwurst.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As with most sausage
recipes, this recipe is originally made with pork, however pork and
rabbit which are both white meats, are very similar in texture when
cooked, and both make great sausages. Sausage making has always been
a way for farmers and hunters to preserve as well and use all the
meat from any animals they butchered or were able to successfully
kill during the hunt. On our small homestead we raise New Zealand
White (NZW) and the American Blue (AB) rabbits for meat. A great
thing about rabbit meat is that it is all white and very lean. To
make a good tasting juicy sausage, you do however need to add some
fat to any sausage to keep it from drying out. In this recipe as with
our chorizo recipe the fat content is 20 to 30%.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Recipe </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the fat
component we purchase a product called 'Wright's Ends and Pieces'. It
is, as the name implies the ends and pieces of bacon that have been
trimmed off during the processing and packaging of bacon. It comes in
3lb packages and is a great source of quality fat needed for sausage
production on a small scale. If however you are only making a 2 ½ to
5 lb batch of sausage a 1lb package of smoked sliced bacon will do
nicely.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Brautwurst</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 1/5 lbs rabbit,
deboned<br />
8 ounces (½ lb) ends and pieces or smoked bacon</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tablespoon minced
garlic</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tablespoon kosher
salt</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 ½ teaspoons black
pepper</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 teaspoon red
pepper flakes</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 teaspoon dried
marjoram</div>
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½ teaspoon cumin
seed, ground</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ teaspoon nutmeg,
ground</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ teaspoon
allspice, ground</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¼ teaspoon ginger,
ground<br />
natural hog casings.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
De-bone the rabbit
and chill thoroughly. Grind the rabbit meat and bacon together in
small batches using the coarse plate (chili grind) on your meat
grinder. Combine the meat in a bowl with the spices. Mix thoroughly
and refrigerate for an hour. After the sausage has cooled, take a
small portion and pan fry to determine if the spices in the sausage
need to be adjusted. If you are satisfied with the flavor, then it is
time to go ahead and grind the meat mixture one more time through a
fine plate (hamburger grind) on your meat grinder.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Chef's Note: You can
omit the second grind if you want it is not essential, it does
however help distribute the spices more evenly and makes for a finer
texture of the sausage, but it does not affect the overall taste.
There are some types of sausage such as kielbasa which is usually
stuffed with only a coarse grind, but I feel that double grinding
makes for a better texture and spice distribution.</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If the sausage
casings you are using are salt-packed, rinse and soak them for 30
minutes. If you rinse and allow them to soak while you are grinding
your meat, it will save you some time. Slide the casing onto your
sausage stuffer's tube. Put the meat mixture into the stuffer and run
the motor (or press the mixture, if using a manual stuffer), pushing
the mixture until it begins to emerge from the sausage stuffer. You
want to start pushing meat into the casing before tying off the end
to make sure no air is trapped in the casing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Chef's Note: You can
make sausage by yourself, but it can be a bit tricky depending on the
type of sausage stuffer you have. Better that you have a friend or
family member help, and then share some of your sausage with them.
Fellow rabbit breeder, blogger, and friend Steve Coyne from <a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit Barn</a> is generally my partner in crime when it come to making
sausage.</i></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tie the casing into
a knot and start extruding the meat into the casing, slipping more
casing off as necessary. You want the casing to be tightly packed
with the sausage mixture, but not so full that it bursts. At first,
this can seem tricky, but as you go you'll get the hang of it. Now
you have one long sausage. Gently twist it into 6 to 8 inch lengths.
Take a small sewing needle or sausage pricker and prick a few small
holes in the sausage anywhere you see air bubbles. Cut apart or leave
in a string and refrigerate until ready to cook, no more than two
days.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Long Term Storage </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To store any additional sausage you will need to freeze it. For short term storage you can freeze the links in zip lock bags, just try and squeeze out as much air as possible. For longer storage options, I prefer to use a vacuum sealer
such as my trusty old foodsaver. To store fresh sausage in the foodsaver or other vacuum sealer, place the links on a cookie sheet and then place them in the freezer for about two hours to allow them to firm up and then vacuum seal. If you try and vacuum seal them when they are still soft, it will squeeze them flat and or possible cause the skins to burst do to the vacuum. Freezing them for a short time before vacuum sealing prevents this.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Conclusion </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This recipe was originally posted on my 'Culinary You' food blog back in November of 2014, but I wanted to do slight update and then repost it here for those of you who are looking specifically for rabbit and or sausage recipes. As in my original post, our preferred way to eat brauts is to grill them for about 6 minutes per side using indirect
heat. (i.e. heat grill with both burners, then turn one burner off
and place sausage on side of grill without the flame, then reverse
the process). However you can cook them as you would any commerically prepared brautwurst.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As always, we ask that if you find this
information interesting that you please share it with your friends on
Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on
Facebook and Google+ or subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss
any of our new articles or our notices regarding rabbit's that we
have available for sale.<br />
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Related Articles On
Our Blog:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-spanish-style-chorizo.html">Making Sausage: Spanish Style Chorizo</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Pro-Stat Baseballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835433834091544952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952562631329241633.post-12574514113593219022016-05-03T05:07:00.000-05:002016-05-04T09:33:17.731-05:00Making Sausage: Spanish Style Chorizo<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vEKrBtG5N04/Vyh5PisIniI/AAAAAAAAA90/64jSMqXyd3Q55qkIiZeh83MUhsuRM-rfACLcB/s1600/Chorizobanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vEKrBtG5N04/Vyh5PisIniI/AAAAAAAAA90/64jSMqXyd3Q55qkIiZeh83MUhsuRM-rfACLcB/s1600/Chorizobanner.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today we are going
to be making a Spanish style chorizo sausage. Spanish chorizo is
somewhat different from the chorizo we see in the Mexican markets
here is south Texas. Local or Mexican style chorizo has an added
chili powder component and a few additional spices, and wil be the
subject for another article. As with most sausage recipes, this
recipe is originally made with pork, however pork and rabbit which
are both white meats, are very similar in texture when cooked, and
both make great sausages.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sausage making has
always been a way for farmers and hunters to preserve as well and use
all the meat from any animals they butchered or were able to
successfully kill during the hunt. On our small homestead we raise
New Zealand White (NZW) and the American Blue (AB) rabbits for meat.
A great thing about rabbit meat is that it is all white and very
lean. You do however you do need to add some fat to any sausage to
keep it from drying out. In this recipe as with our brautwurst recipe
the fat content is 25 to 30%, however the original chorizo recipe I
used called for 2lb 8oz pork fat for 5lbs of meat which makes the fat
content 50%. So if you want more fat in your chorizo, try using 2lb
8oz of bacon in this recipe.</div>
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For the fat
component we purchase a product called 'Wright's Ends and Pieces'. It
is, as the name implies the ends and pieces of bacon that have been
trimmed off during the processing and packaging of bacon. It comes in
3lb packages and is a great source of quality fat needed for sausage
production on a small scale. If however you are only making a 2 ½ to
5 lb batch of sausage a 1lb package of smoked sliced bacon will do
nicely.</div>
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Spanish Style
Chorizo</div>
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5 lbs rabbit,
deboned<br />
20 ounces (1lb 4oz) ends and pieces or smoked bacon</div>
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5 tablespoons
paprika</div>
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3 tablespoons red
wine vinegar</div>
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3 tablespoons cumin,
ground</div>
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2 tablespoons
cayenne pepper</div>
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1 tablespoon minced
garlic</div>
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4 teaspoons salt</div>
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1 teaspoon red
pepper flakes<br />
natural hog casings.</div>
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De-bone the rabbit
and chill thoroughly. Grind the rabbit meat and bacon together in
small batches using the coarse plate (chili grind) on your meat
grinder. Combine the meat in a bowl with the spices. Mix thoroughly
and refrigerate for an hour. After the sausage has cooled, take a
small portion and pan fry to determine if the spices in the sausage
need to be adjusted. If you are satisfied with the flavor, then it is
time to go ahead and grind the meat mixture one more time through a
fine plate (hamburger grind) on your meat grinder.</div>
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<i>Chef's Note: You can
omit the second grind if you want it is not essential, it does
however help distribute the spices more evenly and makes for a finer
texture of the sausage, but it does not affect the taste.</i></div>
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If the sausage
casings you are using are salt-packed, rinse and soak them for 30
minutes. If you rinse and allow them to soak while you are grinding
your meat, it will save you some time. Slide the casing onto your
sausage stuffer's tube. Put the meat mixture into the stuffer and run
the motor (or press the mixture, if using a manual stuffer), pushing
the mixture until it begins to emerge from the sausage stuffer. You
want to start pushing meat into the casing before tying off the end
to make sure no air is trapped in the casing.</div>
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Tie the casing into
a knot and start extruding the meat into the casing, slipping more
casing off as necessary. You want the casing to be tightly packed
with the sausage mixture, but not so full that it bursts. At first,
this can seem tricky, but as you go you'll get the hang of it. Now
you have one long sausage. Gently twist it into 6 to 8 inch lengths.
Take a small sewing needle or sausage pricker and prick a few small
holes in the sausage anywhere you see air bubbles. Cut apart or leave
in a string and refrigerate until ready to cook, no more than two
days. To store longer, freeze in zip-top bags with as much air
squeezed out as possible, or for longer storage use a vacuum sealer
such as a foodsaver.</div>
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Conclusion</div>
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This afternoon, my friend Steven Coyne author of the <a href="http://texasrabbitbarn.blogspot.com/">Texas Rabbit Barn </a>blog came over and and brought 12lbs of ground rabbit meat and I added 16 pounds of my own. Together we made 10lbs of chorizo and 20 pounds of bratwurst. Having a friend or spouse to help you make sausage is essential. You can do just about everything yourself except stuffing the sausage. We try and do this a couple times a year. Making sausage is a great way to expand the types of meals you make with rabbit, and it is a great way to introduce people to the taste and flavor of rabbit. </div>
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I like to grill my
chorizo, about 6 minutes per side on my gas grill using indirect
heat. (i.e. heat grill with both burners, then turn one burner off
and place sausage on side of grill without the flame, then reverse
the process). You can also pan fry them until done. I hope you enjoy
this recipe as much as we do. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding rabbit's that we have available for sale.</div>
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If you want to see us making sausage and being somewhat silly check out the video link below:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nbeetpgmvmI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nbeetpgmvmI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Other Related Articles:</div>
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<a href="http://taprabbitry.blogspot.com/2016/05/making-sausage-brautwurst.html">Making Sausage: Bratwurst</a></div>
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