Looking at kits to find a doe...

I'm going to keep one of the new litter (4weeks old now) as a doe for breeding. I've got 4 to choose from and need some guidance as to what to look for. I understand I don't need to make a decision until it's time for butchering, but I want to start to train my eye.

I've got one doe who is growing at a faster rate than the others...by a couple of ounces. She has very broad hips compared to the others, which I thought would be good for birthing? There is another who's just a little behind the first in growth, narrower (but fine) in the hips, but longer in the loin area..is this something I'd want for more meat?

The third in weight is...nothing really special about her. Just kind of well balanced looking.

The fourth is slightly smaller than the others, but she was the very first to come out of the nest and refused to go back in. She's always been "the first" to try something, and while she still nurses when Mama-san offers, she's not poking at Mama all the time like the others are. She's also quite a bit more active. (the other 3 are SLUGS)

You are an excellent observer, Ann.

I agree it is too early to make a final choice, so keep watching them over the next few weeks. Don't forget to keep temperament in mind and socialization as well... It's always nice to have a friendly doe you can pick up, turn over etc. rather than one who hates being touched.

Without seeing them, the faster growth and wide hips of the first one sound like good signs to me. Those wide hips not only good during kindling, they also indicate meaty hind quarters... definitely to be prized.

The long one may have more meat on the loin and a longer body (or so I have heard) may indicate a potential for being able to carry larger litters... but I tend to go with the wide hips. I sometimes pick out the keepers before they have fur... and I rarely have to change my mind. Don't forget to look at the shoulders too. While there is less meat on the front quarters of a rabbit, good shoulders can tip the balance of your decision, all else being equal.

Anntann":1blzlc3q said:

I'm going to keep one of the new litter (4weeks old now) as a doe for breeding. I've got 4 to choose from and need some guidance as to what to look for. I understand I don't need to make a decision until it's time for butchering, but I want to start to train my eye.

I've got one doe who is growing at a faster rate than the others...by a couple of ounces. She has very broad hips compared to the others, which I thought would be good for birthing? There is another who's just a little behind the first in growth, narrower (but fine) in the hips, but longer in the loin area..is this something I'd want for more meat?

The third in weight is...nothing really special about her. Just kind of well balanced looking.

The fourth is slightly smaller than the others, but she was the very first to come out of the nest and refused to go back in. She's always been "the first" to try something, and while she still nurses when Mama-san offers, she's not poking at Mama all the time like the others are. She's also quite a bit more active. (the other 3 are SLUGS)

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Sounds as if the forth one was the smallest of the group, may have come out early for food because it couln't compete with her sibblings. I would weigh all the kits, if you haven't, then weight them again in a few weeks and ccompare percentageof weight gain. I have found (keeping kits to 12 weeks) that the size of a kit as born has more to do with his mum than with his own genetic makeup. The best looking kits at 6 weeks will often not be the best looking kits at 12 weeks.

Often, I spot the animal I wish to keep fairly early and double check with growth and other factors, before I keep. Sometimes, though, I have to pic from several good does. Last week for instance, I separated 4 does (out of 7) out of a gorup of 9 kits. There was one I had been looking at early on, but 3 more had come on and had their pluses. I watched them more critically for a week, and weighed them, and got my selection down to 2 (one of which was the original doe I picked out). I wish I could keep both, but with some more litters coming on which I must keep does out of I probably won't be able to. I will raise both to 16 weeks. If I can't keep both, I will have 4 more weeks for them to develop before i have to choose.

Anntann":rlj07n2s said:

..is this something I'd want for more meat?

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I love your thinking this through so carefully - and I think your rationale is right on but I have to say the line I quoted made me howl with laughter .... :rotfl:

cause of course the answer is only if you want meat :grouphug:

Brody":1xabea3i said:

Anntann":1xabea3i said:

..is this something I'd want for more meat?

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I love your thinking this through so carefully - and I think your rationale is right on but I have to say the line I quoted made me howl with laughter .... :rotfl:

cause of course the answer is only if you want meat :grouphug:

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heh. :roll: the way things are going, I should choose the smallest and least likely to reproduce. If I had to depend on rabbit meat for meat...we'd be going vegetarian atm. Maybe I'll go into partnership on a "Ye Olde Rabbits' Home" - I'll be in charge of the meat guys "a place for your offspring to grow old gracefully. Hospice services provided"

we can have branches - east and central

We could have a southern one, too...send them down to AVD...on second thought, he'd just eat them.

which sloves the retirement factor some eh?

gee, WHATEVER I pick out to keep is a sure curse on that rabbit---

I LIKE shoulders--When I feel up litters for shoulders, I prefer that there be 'space' between the withers, with the withers not being prominent above the spine. This provides the potential for a few more ounces of meat. The correct placement of the shoulder blade to the3 spine3 makes for proper muscle development and conditioning. I found that if a 4 week old kit can climb straight up the side of a cage(usually, 30 inches) and get out-- then chances are pretty good it's shoulders have what I want...

:lol: I can see it now...you walk in, there's a kit on the ground looking at you "oh, hello there. you climbed up and out...are you my new doe?"

Anntann":3skx8q0x said:

We could have a southern one, too...send them down to AVD...on second thought, he'd just eat them.

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With carrots and potatoes

Ann, since you are not breeding for show..... why not just keep the one you like best?

avdpas77":3h5sve8u said:

Anntann":3h5sve8u said:

We could have a southern one, too...send them down to AVD...on second thought, he'd just eat them.

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With carrots and potatoes

Ann, since you are not breeding for show..... why not just keep the one you like best?

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oh...I can like ALL of them What I need is to train my eye to figure out which will make the best breeding...ya know? I can tell you which is best BALANCED in conformation..I've got a great eye for proportions...but that doesn't mean it will be good for MEAT. LIke....in hogs. Do you want more bacon? or bigger hams? or maybe you like the BUTT cuts best. that determines which breed or type is better for you to raise.

as long as I'm rambling, another "for instance": Mike likes dark meat on turkeys and chickens. doesn't like the breast at all unless it's in salad. so...if he were to choose all our poultry, we'd have Jersey Giants, and only heritage turkeys. Now me...I LOVE breast meat. so....when I choose chickens or turkeys to be a breeder, I keep the ones that have larger breasts. I have found that the heritage turkeys have LONG DEEP breasts...so even tho they look scrawny, there is a LOT of meat there.

so..I wanted to ask the experts, since I've not done this for real yet. Like when General Brown selects his does....he obviously has a type that he scans for.

and yah. I'll end up keeping the one that snuggles up the best

Since you are not planning on showing yet I would keep the doe that is biggest and growing the fastest.

Emily