New Zealand Rabbit Kits At Last!

“One, two, three, four! five! six leetle rabbits!” —Mr. MCgregor
Heather, one of our New Zealand rabbits, had kits (rabbit babies) this week! When I peeked through her nest, I felt like Mr McGregor counting the Flopsy bunnies; though instead of only ‘six leetle rabbits’, I counted a total of eight!

After months of frustration, months of waiting for rabbits that didn’t want to cooperate, months of wondering who on earth came up with the saying ‘breed like rabbits’ when rabbits do not breed like rabbits, it’s such a huge relief to finally have bunny babies!

Even though these new zealand rabbit kits are meat rabbits and are destined for the freezer, they will be given the best life possible until their one bad day. It’s a privilege to know the animals on our plates have lived a peaceful and healthy life from beginning to end.

Here’s the rough schedule I’m planning on following (notes for future self):

9 days old: clean nest box just before their eyes start to open.

2 weeks old: re-breed mama rabbit.

4 weeks: remove nest box.

5 weeks old: wean babies, move to rabbit tractor.

6 weeks old: mama rabbit has new babies, process starts again.

10-12 weeks old: process day.

(Bob Bennet’s book Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits has been a helpful resource that’s provided a lot of much needed hand holding while I figure out what works best)

Now I just need to hurry up and build a mobile rabbit tractor for them to move into in a few weeks. I can’t wait to have pasture raised rabbit meat in our freezer and cupboards!