Movin' Out Stock

This is something we talk about a lot on Rabbit Habbit- how do you let go of your stock? When has a doe or buck produced enough, how can you be sure you won't need them later on, etc?

Well- eek. Don't ask me! I'm the world's worst at letting stock go!

But then again, I do have to deal with it, so here is what I'm thinking.

Does: We're gonna try to move out the does at 2 1/2 years, assuming I've got a good replacement. If I don't, I may keep them slightly longer. If the doe doesn't make nice enough babies with my bucks after 2 different breedings, she's gone. Remember- because she doesn't work in your herd doesn't mean she won't work in someone else's!

Bucks: Ugh, my weakness! If I produce a buck better than Daddy and shows himself able to throw babies as nice, then the older buck is gone. If the buck becomes super ingrained in my lines, like Smooth Mover, they will also be moved out.

I managed to do this with Keep's Elm- his son, Keep's Forest, has proven himself on the show table and I knew early on that I liked Forest better- so I amazed myself by being able to move out Elm!

We need to STOP having "for-life-ers". Abby & Joe- BIS & BRIS- they are for-life-ers. Which means we've committed to keeping them until they pass, even when they are too old to produce. Oh joy, 2 cages gone and that much more feed to use! You can see why we made them for-life-ers though- our first huge wins.

I've promised one of my starter wooley does to a friend who's just getting started. She's having one last litter for me, then moving out! By already promising her, I keep myself on track to move her out. I've got a killer buck from her, a nice brood doe who I'm still working on getting started (ergh) and then this last litter, so she should be well represented here.

I'm going to be listing animals for pre-sale soon. There will be a few hollands, some mini lops, maybe a wooley or two. As long as I pre-sale them, I can force myself to move them out! If I have to think about it too long, I end up talking myself out of selling them, by thinking "I could just do this one last breeding, line breed, breeding with this buck, that buck... repeat that breeding.."

Ugh! Here's to hoping I learn to let go!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry