Rabbit Colony Calculator

Colony math: does to kits

Medium-breed planning here uses 4.5 litters per doe per year and 7 kits per litter. Three does therefore project 3 × 4.5 × 7 = 94.5 kits, which we report as a 90–95 kits/year range so you do not treat a midpoint as a promise. Real weaning counts run lower after stillbirths and pre-wean losses — keep records rather than assuming every kit reaches the fryer pen.

Cage and space planning

A doe with a litter is planned at 30×36 inches (7.5 sq ft). Bucks use 24×30 inches (5 sq ft). Three does and one buck need 27.5 sq ft of cage floor before grow-out pens. Colony or tractor systems need still more floor per head; wire floors need resting boards so hocks stay sound. Stack cages with drip shields so urine from upper tiers does not foul the colony below.

Feed program

Breeding adults are planned at 5.5 oz of pellets per day (mid of the 5–6 oz band). Bucks use the same adult rate in this tool. Three does and one buck eat 22 oz/day, or 1.375 lb/day, about 502 lb/year. Grow-out fryers at roughly 3.5 oz/day are not included — add that separately once you know how many kits you keep to weaning at about 8 weeks. Unlimited alfalfa hay plus a limited pellet ration is a common alternative; watch condition so does do not get fat between litters.

Breeding schedule and welfare

4.5 litters/year is a realistic backyard target between “pet pace” and hard commercial schedules. Rebreeding too fast burns does down; skipping too long wastes cage space. Give each doe a nest box before kindling, keep kindling areas quiet, and cull animals humanely when temperament or production fails. Replace aging does rather than pushing them forever. A calm colony with solid conditioning almost always beats a crowded shed chasing maximum litters on paper.

Record-keeping basics

• Tattoo or ear-tag kits and log litter size, weaning weight, and losses.
• Track buck services so you know which genetics produce your best fryers.
• Note feed brand changes — gut upsets often follow a sudden pellet switch.
• Write kindling dates on the cage card so nest boxes go in on time.

Health habits that protect a colony: quarantine new stock, control flies and moisture under cages, and watch for sore hocks on thin wire. Heat is harder on rabbits than modest cold — shade, frozen bottles, and airflow save more kits in July than any feed tweak. In winter, stop drafts but keep ammonia down with dry bedding and clean trays.

If you sell freezer meat, plan processing day before grow-outs eat you out of pellets. The adult-only yearly feed figure (~502 lb for three does and a buck) is the breeding core; every kept litter adds weeks of fryer feed at about 3.5 oz per head per day. That is why the results panel calls grow-out out separately instead of burying it in a false “total.”

Frequently asked questions