For those of you who raise rabbits for meat for your own family's use, what breed(s) do you raise ?
Why did you pick that breed ?
Why did you pick that breed ?
For those who raise for meat - what breed ?
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Largest meat to bone ration is New Zealand whites. Next probably Californians, then perhaps Rex,(plus great pelts) . Don't get fooled by the Flemish Giants who though, are large, have lots of bone and less meat. Some mix these breeds, some just use inexpensive meat mutts of mixed breeds as they are less expensive to buy. Most of the time, more money spent on better stock can mean more meat in the long run.
We started with NZW does because that was what we could find and a SF buck because we had read that they had a high meat to bone ratio and that they adapted well to natural feed. Two years later the originals are gone and all our rabbits are the resulting crosses--half to 3/4 SF. All have been raised without pellets. I'm not sure how much any of the generalizations about the different breeds really apply to particular rabbits. And I am a little skeptical about paying more means you get better rabbits. The great thing about raising for meat is that culling heavily is built into the purpose you have so you're less tempted to keep marginal individuals.
Knacker
Well-known member
We raise NZW's because at the time we started they seemed to be the breed of choice for meat. We will continue breeding them since we have been quite happy with their production value. Even a couple of the smaller does who's mature weight is less than 9 lbs produce 5 lb rabbits at the 8-9 week mark.
We have looked at Champagne D' Argent's as well but we do not have the space for another breed at the moment, and we have also thought of introducing some breed of rabbit that would not also help with meat production but also add some color variety to the offspring. We are not sure which breed would be good for that.
We have looked at Champagne D' Argent's as well but we do not have the space for another breed at the moment, and we have also thought of introducing some breed of rabbit that would not also help with meat production but also add some color variety to the offspring. We are not sure which breed would be good for that.
bigfoot_158
Well-known member
I started with Californians and the NZW are good for meat rabbits from what I have read. We will be getting NZW soon most likely the start of 2017. I pick the californians because I had them as a kid. 
I recommend New Zealands. Been raising them for decades.
I've recently acquired some American Chinchillas. I'm anxious to see if their dress-out ratios match those of the New Zealands.
As Rainey said, since you are culling for a purpose and keeping only the very best, improvement of your herd is built right in.
Best of luck to you!
I've recently acquired some American Chinchillas. I'm anxious to see if their dress-out ratios match those of the New Zealands.
As Rainey said, since you are culling for a purpose and keeping only the very best, improvement of your herd is built right in.
Best of luck to you!
At some point, I sat down and really sorted out what I wanted from the rabbits we were raising for meat.
I guess I mainly wanted a cute fuzzy animal to interact with.
1) I absolutely had to have good tempered buns.
Aggressive or neurotically high strung animals simply are not much fun for me to keep.
I like the kind that lean out of their pens to greet me with a nose sniff while I'm feeding them.
I also like rabbits that look forward to the greens and treats I bring, which leads me to the next goal.
2) I wanted rabbits that could thrive on a forage based diet. They didn't have to grow like a commercial meat rabbit on pellets, but they had to be able to handle all those greens (without much in the way of supplemented grain) and still be HEALTHY.
3: They needed to be medium sized, to best fit my cages. I'll be honest and admit that 10+ lb buns always seemed a bit cramped in my 24x48x18 inch pens.
I also had a hunch that a medium sized, slower growing breed may have a metabolism closer to a wild rabbit's, and thus may struggle less when given less in the way of concentrated protein and starches.
While I was on that line of thought, I also sought out a breed that was permitted a body that was a bit closer to a wild one's, 4: while still being an arba recognized and showable breed.
Rabbit-shaped rabbits were good enough for me, but I wanted the option to show too.
Well, my list of wants led me to: Harlequins and Silvers. Both were old breeds that had never really been raised as commercial meat animals. That seemed like a big green flag to me, since without any kind of large scale or commercial interest, one might be lucky enough to find rabbits who's lines had really never experienced much in the way of pellet-only selective breeding.
With that all decided upon...Which breed? I considered factors like: Interesting pelts, marketability, hardiness, fecundity, and availability.
Silvers never really were an option since breeders are so few and far between, but, there happened to be a great harlequin breeder, only 5 hours away.
I liked my starter harlis so much that I dedicated the whole rabbitry to raising just magpie harlequins sometime last year.
Right now, I'm SO HAPPY with these slow growing and skimpy carcassed rabbits. I sell too many, so really, rather few get eaten. That just means that I need to breed more of them. :twisted:
New litters are extra super fun, since markings are unpredictable. To help me out, my lines tend to throw LOTS of kits!
Either my hunches were correct, or else I was just plain lucky. They took to forage like fish to water, so feeding them all isn't too expensive during summer months.
In winter, I must be careful to avoid overfeeding on pellets, as they will quickly build up problematic amounts of body fat. I get bales of grass hay from a local farm. Lots of hay and fewer pellets REALLY helps cut cost, (compared with feeding commercial buns I've had before), as well as keeping their body fat down.
I typed all this up to point out that there are SO MANY different breeds for a reason.
I guess I mainly wanted a cute fuzzy animal to interact with.
1) I absolutely had to have good tempered buns.
Aggressive or neurotically high strung animals simply are not much fun for me to keep.
I like the kind that lean out of their pens to greet me with a nose sniff while I'm feeding them.
I also like rabbits that look forward to the greens and treats I bring, which leads me to the next goal.
2) I wanted rabbits that could thrive on a forage based diet. They didn't have to grow like a commercial meat rabbit on pellets, but they had to be able to handle all those greens (without much in the way of supplemented grain) and still be HEALTHY.
3: They needed to be medium sized, to best fit my cages. I'll be honest and admit that 10+ lb buns always seemed a bit cramped in my 24x48x18 inch pens.
I also had a hunch that a medium sized, slower growing breed may have a metabolism closer to a wild rabbit's, and thus may struggle less when given less in the way of concentrated protein and starches.
While I was on that line of thought, I also sought out a breed that was permitted a body that was a bit closer to a wild one's, 4: while still being an arba recognized and showable breed.
Rabbit-shaped rabbits were good enough for me, but I wanted the option to show too.
Well, my list of wants led me to: Harlequins and Silvers. Both were old breeds that had never really been raised as commercial meat animals. That seemed like a big green flag to me, since without any kind of large scale or commercial interest, one might be lucky enough to find rabbits who's lines had really never experienced much in the way of pellet-only selective breeding.
With that all decided upon...Which breed? I considered factors like: Interesting pelts, marketability, hardiness, fecundity, and availability.
Silvers never really were an option since breeders are so few and far between, but, there happened to be a great harlequin breeder, only 5 hours away.
I liked my starter harlis so much that I dedicated the whole rabbitry to raising just magpie harlequins sometime last year.
Right now, I'm SO HAPPY with these slow growing and skimpy carcassed rabbits. I sell too many, so really, rather few get eaten. That just means that I need to breed more of them. :twisted:
New litters are extra super fun, since markings are unpredictable. To help me out, my lines tend to throw LOTS of kits!
Either my hunches were correct, or else I was just plain lucky. They took to forage like fish to water, so feeding them all isn't too expensive during summer months.
In winter, I must be careful to avoid overfeeding on pellets, as they will quickly build up problematic amounts of body fat. I get bales of grass hay from a local farm. Lots of hay and fewer pellets REALLY helps cut cost, (compared with feeding commercial buns I've had before), as well as keeping their body fat down.
I typed all this up to point out that there are SO MANY different breeds for a reason.
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Knacker":2g21m30z said:
Are you saying you can produce a 5 lb Rabbit at 8-9 weeks?? It takes me 11-12 weeks with top bred Commercial New Zealand Whites..??
Frankallen":k2zb30jr said:
Frankallen. I've also kept mutts who's kits could hit 5 lbs in the 9 week range before. They had lots of kits too.
I also see 5 lbs in 12 weeks being frequently mentioned as the usual expectation for NZ.
I still don't really know what to think of that.
Crossing to an unrelated breed might produce some faster growing offspring. In the past Californians were often considered the rabbit for the job, but, I've seen lots of breeders report no real sucess with the cross. Maybe the gene pools are too close these days? Altex were pretty much created to be a new rabbit that would hybridize well with NZ, but I suspect there are LOTS of potentially fantastic hybrid crosses .
Bugs4H, the carcasses aren't really exceptional in any way, dressed, they just look like rabbits.
It's really just that they grow slowly, so I have to wait until 12 weeks(or later) to get the size my best mutts reached in 9.GBov
Well-known member
All I can say Zass is WOWOWOWOWOWOW are those some pretty bunns!!! And what a wonderful way to choose a breed.
I went with mutts to start with because thats what came my way first, then switched to NZs of color (and some rew as well) and now onto Rex with a few side trips into Florida White and harlequin. None as beautiful as Zass has though.
So far we have enjoyed all of them.
My next change will be harlequin Rex.
I think part of the fun of rabbits is how there are sooooo many choices.
And what a wonderful way to choose a breed.I went with mutts to start with because thats what came my way first, then switched to NZs of color (and some rew as well) and now onto Rex with a few side trips into Florida White and harlequin. None as beautiful as Zass has though.
So far we have enjoyed all of them.
My next change will be harlequin Rex.
I think part of the fun of rabbits is how there are sooooo many choices.
Knacker
Well-known member
Frankallen":1e42sda9 said:
Yes. I would say 50 - 60% (if not more) of our kits meet target weight by 8 - 9 weeks. The lingerers are a week or 2 behind. We came about some good stock when we started and we are in the process of building pedigree since none of them came with papers.
I don't know what else to say. I have nothing to gain by lying and we only breed for our own consumption. We lucked out?
The downside is we do have to deal with aggression from time to time with the does, but as we have become more comfortable with our stock they have become more comfortable with us. BOSS seems to make us well liked in the rabbitry
You are a very lucky person with Rabbits like that! Good Luck this year on your breeding...Thanks for explaining...: )
grumpy
Well-known member
Commercial New Zealand purebred base--Crossed with Purebred Californian Buck's.
59-62 percent dress-out average @9-10 weeks.
59-62 percent dress-out average @9-10 weeks.
We chose a American Chinchilla buck and Red New Zealand Does for our meat mutts. We chose the American Chinchilla because of its double use of fur/meat. We chose the Red New Zealand because we didn't love the White NZ's red eyes. However, now we just added a white NZ in hopes he'll add more growth to our meat mutts. We usually average around 3 1/2-4 1/2 lbs between 8-10 weeks at butchering.
I have mutts with a TON of color and also some pure rex. I think I currently have every color gene in my rabbits except, shaded, himi, and probably wide-band. They are hardy rabbits and I've been feeding more forage as time goes on with no ill effects. I originally had a smallish doe who's kits were between 3 and 4.5 lbs at 12 weeks. I've since culled her but kept a daughter and granddaughter that were the largest of their litters at 12 weeks. They give me a bit better weights generally with some hitting 5lbs at 12 weeks. I have one doe from unrelated lines who gave me 2 5+ pounders at 10 weeks on her first litter of 7. Later litters have been larger (10) and haven't grown quite as fast. There may also have been some hybrid vigor involved as I crossed her with a pure rex so I'm fairly sure their lines are not close together :lol:. I kept back the largest doe from the first litter and have crossed her back with her sire. She is now on her first litter. I don't think she's quite as heavy a milker as her dam but I'm also wondering if heat and age maybe a factor. Her dam was almost 8 months before she finally bred last fall due to my bucks going heat sterile. I bred her daughter at 5 so that I could get a litter out of her before the summer. The one litter of pure rex I have had was smaller than most of my mutts at 12 weeks but I ended up culling that entire line for health reasons.
Reading back through, I realized that I rambled badly :roll: :lol:
My point was that you don't have to have pure bred rabbits. I enjoy my meat mutts and have lots of really nice colors to play with. I will slowly be moving toward more standard rex but I'm crossing in my mutts and trying to keep the large litter size and general forage hardiness. Just breed toward the goal you want.
Reading back through, I realized that I rambled badly :roll: :lol:
My point was that you don't have to have pure bred rabbits. I enjoy my meat mutts and have lots of really nice colors to play with. I will slowly be moving toward more standard rex but I'm crossing in my mutts and trying to keep the large litter size and general forage hardiness. Just breed toward the goal you want.
