Culling?

[Bunnie]

How do you cull your rabbits? In high school I had one baby that was deformed when it was born, I guess it would be called a peanut baby, missing a leg and extremely small. I wasnt sure what to do but it died within 24 hours of being born. I had never felt so bad for a creature before, but I didn't know how to cull it.

So now that I am getting back into bunnies, the breeder I was talking to me gave me a price for 1st cull, and 2nd cull. I didn't ask what he meant by cull but I will.

So how do you "cull" your litters? I only kept show quality rabbits out of my litters, at 6 weeks I sold what was obviously not show quality and culled the rest out as they got older, keeping one or two or none. But by "cull" for myself I mean I sold them to pet homes. If the owner brought me proof that the rabbit was spayed/neutered they got a full refund. And I didn't give pedigrees with the ones sold as pets.


This was some years ago, I am not sure how to go about it when I start breeding in the future, but I don't want to see any suffer like that little one did. And since we are getting into some meat production bunnies too, what is a safe quick method to cull those for eating?

 

[wendymac]

Basically the breeder goes through them the first time, figuring out which ones they want to keep a bit longer. Then they sell ("cull") the ones they didn't want to keep. After they age a bit more, they go through them a second time, selling of ("culling") those that don't want. Culling simply means removing from your barn...it doesn't always mean terminally, by a long shot.

We aren't permitted to discuss actual methods, but I'll shoot you a pm.

 

[Bunnie]

Oops sorry and thanks!

 

[MILU]

I'm surprised there's a topic about this at all, which is not against the culling

 

[Bunnie]

Am I being wrong? Sorry if I should not have posted this. I am just trying to advance myself and I would like to found a nice rabbitry and get involved in showing again. Things are alot different with ARBA than easy going 4H shows, so I am trying to learn as much as I can. I know the word "cull" has different meaning.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

The majority of individuals on this forum are pet owners, so the only "culling" we can discuss publicly is sales.

However, you are not wrong for wanting to learn more about the other side of it at all. It may be difficult to understand the importance of culling from a companion pet standpoint, but it's a crucial topic in the breeding/show world. I'm sure Wendy will have good advice for you, and feel free to PM me if I can be of any help too.

 

[Imbrium]

I'm surprised there's a topic about this at all, which is not against the culling

it's certainly been nice to have a lack of controversy in this part of the forums lately!

personally, I'm a pet owner who has never bred rabbits. I'm adamantly against bad breeding practices and crummy backyard breeders (which I assume we ALL are )... but I totally understand that good breeders, like the folks who hang out around here, work hard to further the breeds they care for and breed towards a purpose. those people deserve a place on RO where they can share advice and knowledge about what they do without being condemned simply for their decision to breed (no matter how responsible they are about it). after all, where are you guys supposed to be able to talk, if not on a rabbit forum?

 

[whitelop]

There is another rabbit forum, I'm not even sure I should promote another one on this forum; so sorry if I'm breaking rules! But its www.rabbittalk.com. They talk more about the "other" side to breeding on there and the other side of profit rabbit raising.
Since we're not supposed to really discuss those things on this forum, I thought maybe that forum would be of some more help to you!

 

[Bunnie]

Thank you all. Sorry I rocked the boat some, I honestly didn't mean to at all. I understand how someone with rabbits solely as pets would feel about it all.

When I was in high school I would consider myself as responsible a breeder as a teen could be. The babies I didn't keep to show were sold as pets with no pedigrees, if I sold one with a pedigree it was to another 4H member. I refunded the money for the rabbit if proof was given to me that it had been spayed or neutered, and had a discount given to them from the local vet, since it was for 4H. The new owners knew if they ever needed for some reason to re home their rabbit, I would take it back.

These were all my mini rex that I drove a long way to get and spent alot of time/money on I loved them very much, when I left home for college I sold them to another 4H kid in good hopes that they would take care of them. Not sure what they did, but the parents of the kid told my mom I had sold them "bad rabbits" that couldnt reproduce?? So they sold them all as pets and gave me my cages back.

At the current I only have 1 rabbit, I want to do this the right way. Sorry if I have offended anyone.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Bunnie you sound like you had a well thought out arrangement indeed

 

[Bunnie]

I love animals. They are a huge part of my life. I have never been anti breeding of anything, however I am very against bad breeding. No sense in it.

I do get tired of the comments from people, especially on my FB pictures of my rabbit, about eating them. Bonnie is a pet, she is not and will never be food.

 

[JBun]

If people were making comments about eating my rabbits, I think I would be unfriending them!

 

[BinkyBunny]

People can be so cruel! I don't care if my pet is an animal that may be eaten whether my pet is a potbelly pig or a rabbit or a dog! It's not kind to say you'd like to eat something someone else loves.... Just because something is edible doesn't mean you SHOULD be think about eating it....

 

[Imbrium]

Thank you all. Sorry I rocked the boat some, I honestly didn't mean to at all. I understand how someone with rabbits solely as pets would feel about it all.

Sorry if I have offended anyone.

lol, there was no offense - we were actually commenting on the *lack* of offense this time (which has occasionally been an issue when pet folks wander into the breeding/show section of the forums).

as you found out, discussion of actual dispatching methods for meat rabbits/babies who aren't going to survive isn't allowed according to the rules but since no one gave a public response, the rule wasn't actually broken (and you've hopefully gotten the answers you needed via PM). pretty much anything else breeding-related is ok .

 

[Trixie]

I love animals. They are a huge part of my life. I have never been anti breeding of anything, however I am very against bad breeding. No sense in it.

I do get tired of the comments from people, especially on my FB pictures of my rabbit, about eating them. Bonnie is a pet, she is not and will never be food.

I have friends that think it`s funny to comment on eating my rabbits when I post cute pictures. It`s always my guy school friends. lol But I said that how would they like it if they posted a picture of their beloved family pet, their dog (which I have 3 of) and said I`d like to eat it. It hasn`t happened since. Some people think that`s funny, not me!!

 

[KittyKatMe]

My best friend is always commenting on how she'd like to eat my chickens. That really gets on my nerves.

 

[whitelop]

My husband comments on how my rooster would look on a table, lol. Its not funny, but then it is. I know he wouldn't have the heart to hurt my big bird, first because he isn't a hunter and second because my rooster weighs 15+ lbs and has 2 inch spurs on both legs. He will take you down! hahaha.
My husband always says if the end of the world comes, were eating the rabbit first. Its still not very funny.

 

[Troller]

I'm an equal oppertunity carnivores. I sometimes tell my friends they'd be good on my table, that one actually looks like a roast. Maybe its a guy type of joke. Ive said the same for my pets, but it would never happen.

Culling however is a tough subject. I worked on a farm, and sometimes it was necessary and sometimes it was just supper. People I know are squeamish on the subject which I find somewhat hypocritical because when they go to a local supermarket what do they think are down those meat aisles (the ones who of course do eat meat). Culling for mercy is even harder. Actually, I don't know where I am going with this other then to say its tough even for those who are prepared to do so unless
they're unfeeling or lack the proper respect for nature.

 

[pamnock]

cull (k l) tr.v. culled, cull·ing, culls. 1. To pick out from others; select. 2. To gather; collect. 3. To remove rejected members or parts from (a herd, for example).