Help with Project?

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

So... Once it get cleared by my leader, I want to do something special for my demonstration. It'd have to be for next years fair, since I won't have time between now and May 15th to do the whole experiment.

So what I want to study and look into is the embryonic growth of rabbits. I was going to keep it to just netherland dwarfs, but I'm thinking that it'll be a much better project to include multiple breeds. It'd be awesome to at least have a small, medium, and large breed. I got interested in this subject when I weighed a doe that was due the next day, and weighed her just hours after birth, and found that there was a six ounce difference between the two. A huge difference, for a two pound rabbit.

Errr. So. What this would require of all of you is 10 minutes of your time, every three days through out the pregnancy. Or perhaps every five... I'll do a test run over these next two weeks with one of my expecting does, and see how fast things change.

You'd need a scale, obviously. And I guess it'd need to be electric, because I'd like to run the experiment in grams, since the kits can be under an ounce... But I might be able to run the experiment in ounces, if it can go down the the tenth's in decimals.

And if you don't have a scale, and you feel nice, places like Fred Myers has kitchen scales for $25 or so that work perfectly.

If you'd like to help, it'd be amazing to post here with your breed, and if you'd be willing to do as many animals as possible for that breed. And no worries if someone's already doing it; different rabbitries make for even more diverse results!

Also; if anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE! I'm pretty clear on how I'll run it, but I'm not sure how I'm going to develop the information, and make it into a demonstration, both a speech and a poster.

 

[Jashaira]

I can help I got an english lop that is almost a week pregnant (I hope). She was 10.2lbs 3 days ago and today she is 10.4lbs

Also in about a month or 2 I am going to breed my jersey woolly

 

[Daenerys]

I think it would be good to get pictures of the rabbits on the scales so you can see for yourself the numbers. Not that people here are not trustworthy, but it leaves less room for errors in your data if you have photographs of the data sources, since you wont be doing so firsthand.

I'm in college for Zoology, I do lots of projects like this where I have to write lab reports afterwards and have to state all the possible errors in my experiments and what I can do to improve on it

Speaking of which, another source of error is the differences in the scales everyone is using. Considering this will be very small weight differences being measured, that leaves room for skewed results because scales could be off a gram or two. Also, if the rabbit just ate it may be a gram heavier, etc...I don't know how precise and scientific you want to be, but there is a lot that can go wrong

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

It's 4H. XD I don't have to be insanely spot on, but I do agree. I just assumed that it's hard for electronic scales to be off? Seeing as they zero themselves. But yeah, I see how the just eating thing could make a difference, since there could be up to a 3-6 ounce difference, potentially.

Lots of good things to think about. Thankfully, I have almost a year to do the whole thing, since there's no way I could have it entered in this fair. X3

And yes to the photos, probably. I'm rather trusting of people, but your brought up a good point there.

 

[iluvdutchrabbbits90]

I have a dutch due the 23rd. Is that too late? lol I could weigh her tomorrow if not

 

[TinysMom]

If it wasn't for the taking pictures of the scale part - I'd help.

But its too hard to get my flemish girls to sit and stay on the scales long enough for me to snap a picture.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

If you can do it in grams, I'd love a before birth, after birth, and ASAP weight of each kit?

Peg; it honestly just helps to confirm for people I have't spoken to, and aren't well known and respected around RO. I have faith that you wouldn't lie. XD

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

A possible control would be to weigh the rabbits at the same time each day. If you have a feeding schedule, then the rabbits should have eaten about the same amount by that time of day. You could do it before you feed, after feeding or what ever time works best for you.

Another thing is that if a scale is off, it should still be accurate in comparing weights with itself. If a doe weights 5 pounds at one time, then the next she weights 5 pound 3oz, it is a gain of 3oz, even if the actual weight is a bit off. If you are comparing each rabbit to itself, it shouldn't matter too much.

You could present the data as the % of weight gained by each doe. If you got enough for each breeds, you could do averages. The number of kits in the litter is also something to keep track of and how that affects the weight of the doe, like do 4 kits have a different weight before they are born than 6. It might even be interesting to see if the size of the buck compared to the doe makes a difference. Getting pictures of the does throught the pregnancy would be cool, you might be able to see her getting bigger. From the top, side and front/back would be good if you could get them.

 

[Jashaira]

Well I can try to get pics of them on the scale it is hard with my big Elops but I can try. I just bred my other Elop just a few days ago. So looks like 2 litters of Elops and in June I will breed the woollies.

Just tell me what types of pics you will want and I will try to get them. Hope I can help

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

That's what I was thinking Kate, I just haven't been wanting to type everything out. XD

I was planning on doing the math once the litters born, and keep track of everything on excel. At the end, I'd find out the weight gained per kit, and average it out throughout the whole pregnancy. The only factor I can't really take into account is the shear weight difference between peanuts, true dwarfs, and false dwarfs when their born. I'm sure there's equivelent in other breeds, but eh. I'd just have to deal with it as a part of nature we can't control.

XD This is just a stupid little 4h project. It doesn't have to be insanely scientific. X3 Just thought it'd be funner than: "How to groom your pet" or "The Rabbit Digestive System."

And yeah; photo's would be cool but I'll probably only have room for one or two on them... So I'd really like to do, perhaps, a Flemish Giant if Peg would like to participate, and a Dwarf. Different ends of the spectrum. Perhaps four photos? One per week. Or would that be five? X3 I can't count right now.