Meat rabbit suggestions

[Audrey]

I have this buck, Ser. Bun, a friend said he's probably a palomino cross, but I have no idea, someone dumped him off at my neighbors place. Though a bit thin, he looked full grown to me at the time, but has grown quite a bit since I got him 3-4 months ago. I just weighed him today and he weighs 10-11 lbs (using a crappy people scale). I am done with the mass produces, store bought meat industry. So I was thinking I should raise a few litters a year for meat rabbits. Would he make a good meat rabbit sire?

Also, what breed of doe would you all suggest I get to cross with him? There are people who sell white, red, and broken NZ, californians, american chinchillas, and there is one person that I know of that has some D argent champagne/statin/other mix crosses for sale too.

Ser. Bun

 

[Dood]

He looks like a nice meaty buck so I think he'll make a great sire.

If you want more with his colour then breed him to a NZRed if you dont care then any of the breeds you mentioned should work. Choose does with calm temperaments and who come from a long line of productive meat does that get pregnant easily, have litters 8 of or so, good milk production, are good moms and are meaty themselves

 

[ottersatin]

I believe a Satin would make a nice cross.
you could eventually through proper breeding choices
produce some pure Satins.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[grumpy]

He's a real nice looking buck. Any of the above suggestions
would work nicely.

grumpy.

 

[Audrey]

Thanks you guys! He's such a character too, one of the most people oriented rabbits I have ever personally known. I am really fond of how the American chinchilla does look, but I do love the idea of a satin doe as well! Oh decisions decisions! <br /><br /> __________ Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:07 pm __________ <br /><br /> ETA Maybe I should just get a chinchilla colored satin

 

[grumpy]

Are you sure he's not some pet that escaped. you may want to keep
an eye on the papers.

grumpy.

 

[Audrey]

Yes, he was for sure a dump off. My neighbor is the town "cat lady" and everyone dumps their cats off at her place, I think someone figured it would be a good place to dispose of a large, dominant, buck rabbit Lol. I did run an ad on CL in the found section, and then tried to sell him on CL for a few days before I decided to keep him. I also kept on eye on the bulletin board at the little grocery store out here. I am also confident that he didnt run off, because he does not run away. He stayed at my neighbors place for 2 days before I picked him up, and I let him out almost daily and he just hangs around the barn, and in with the goat bucks, and then I catch him when I want to put him away LOL. I think he just got too big, and too other animal aggressive, if they are scared of him, he will beat them up, he's been on time out in his cage recently for beating up a goat doe who is visiting here to be bred. Lol.

 

[Zass]

Well, he's a nice looking meat buck, that's for sure. Maybe he got dropped off for growing too big for a pet.

Since he's already a mutt, get any doe with nice traits to breed to him.
You might want to keep him penned in pretty well if your going to be depending on him for breeding.

 

[Audrey]

He gets way too cranky and upset when I keep him locked in his cage for too many days. He is too much of a free spirit, he won't be kept down, man LOL! Really though, it makes him so happy to be out and hang in the buck pen, and he's got good shelter there and I feel like he's pretty safe. He just gets so unhappy in his cage, its not worth it to me to keep him in there all the time. He's been on like every other day for a few hours, the last 2 weeks, and even that is not near good enough for him LOL.

 

[GBov]

He gets way too cranky and upset when I keep him locked in his cage for too many days. He is too much of a free spirit, he won't be kept down, man LOL! Really though, it makes him so happy to be out and hang in the buck pen, and he's got good shelter there and I feel like he's pretty safe. He just gets so unhappy in his cage, its not worth it to me to keep him in there all the time. He's been on like every other day for a few hours, the last 2 weeks, and even that is not near good enough for him LOL.

You could try him in a colony set up. A very large area with three does and lots of places to get in and under sounds like it would suit him just fine.

 

[Audrey]

Here are a few videos of how Bun spends his time out of his cage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M6gV4-ZzQM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH_sNhd8vwE

Special bonus in these 2 videos, Salt is blubbering on to the doe who is here to be bred, he's frustrated that her owner picked Mace instead of him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QOUoRo ... e=youtu.be

He's just chilling in this one. He literally does not leave the bucks sides when he's out, and if the bucks are turned out, they just hang out in the barn next to the doe pen, or in the hay stacks in the barn. My property is all fenced in, and the cats are all terrified of him, LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDFhE1Z ... e=youtu.be

My dad is building me a nice, big rabbit tractor for my future doe. I would be afraid to subject another animal to Ser. Bun 24/7 in a confinement together Lol. I know its unusual to have a semi free range bunny. He's really an unusual rabbit though. Its not something I would ever do with another bunny, and it only ever happened with him because twice he got out of the horse stall I would put him in during the day, and he just hung out the first day, and the 2nd day, he found the bucks and decided they were his best friends ever. It just kind of became a thing after that lol.