What type of rabbit do you recommend?

[YMS_1975]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum (this is my first post..hello!) and the reason why I joined is I plan on breeding rabbits for two purposes :

1) To supplement my dogs diet
2) To try eating myself ; I heard they're quite tasty! (Sorry if that's grossing anybody out)

I spent a good hour (maybe two) trying to find which breed would fit the bill, but can't seem to get a definitive answer. So can somebody recommend a breed of rabbit that will produce the most amount of meat?

From my research, a "Flemish Giant Rabbit" is what I should be looking at, but I figured you guys have much more knowledge on this subject so here I am.
Whichever breed you recommend, I'm looking for hardy rabbit, one that's easy to breed (very little problems or considerations) & will produce a significant amount of meat. Now what is "significant"? Whichever breed has the most meat on his/her bones.

Look forward to your responses!

 

[ZRab]

Flemish Giants aren't necessarily the most meaty cause they're big. New Zealands and Californians are probly the most common commercially grown rabbits for meat. Both which have good bone to meat ratio's. I raise NZW's.

 

[Zass]

I agree, larger rabbits means larger cages, and flooring that can handle more weight, and usually more bone on a carcass.

New zealands, californians and their hybrids are the most commonly raised commercial meat rabbits.

Unfortunately, a lot of "locally available" rabbits of those breeds tend to be meat mutts that just happen to have one of those breeds coloring. They may or may not grow well.

Unless you are getting top quality stock from a commercial rabbit breeder though, I tend to think that most medium/large breeds are about the same in backyard meat potential.

Depending on the size of your dog, there are also some very efficient smaller meat breeds, like florida white and dutch.

Meat mutts can be just as good as purebreds too, if you get them from a breeder who is careful about what they breed.

In the long run, the breeder you buy from will make a greater difference than the breed you choose to raise.

 

[Ramjet]

Yeah , I would avoid Flemish Giants .... Too big and very poor meat to bone ratio.

NZ's and Cali's probably offer the most growth potential if you get high quality stock but there are dozens of breeds along with mutts that are viable.

 

[wamplercathy]

Here are a few pages you might find useful:
feed-to-meat-ratio-t688.html
giants-for-meat-t26001.html
meat-bone-ratio-for-new-zealand-whites-t26211.html

Books you might find fun:
1. Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits, By: Bob Bennett
2. Rabbit Housing, By: Bob Bennett
3. The Private Life of the Rabbit, By: R. M. Lockley. The publisher is MacMillan (more for the pet lover but still a good read)
4. The Self-Reliant Homestead: A Book of Country Skills by Charles A. Sanders
5. Backyard Livestock: Raising Good, Natural Food for Your Family by Steven Daniel Thomas

There are several more but this is a good start.

Adding your location would help as well. There might be a RTer in your area. I contacted a couple that live in my area and they are a wealth of information and have been very helpful.

I have 2 NZW does, 1NZW/AmChin doe, and a NZW/Cal buck. Overall it's not necessarily the breed of rabbit you have but where you get your breeding stock. Look for a breeder that has a set up similar to what your setup will be. Also don't be shy ask questions, lots of them.
My doe cages are 2'Tx2'Dx4'L and for my buck his cage is 2'Tx2'Dx3'L. Any deeper and I would not be able to reach the corners.

Hope this helps,
Cathy

 

[YMS_1975]

Thanks guys!!!!

Your answers really helped me by giving me a specific breed(s) to start examining.
As for where I'll buy them, hmmmm...never gave it much thought. I've seen ads on Kijiji.ca and thought I'd pick them up from a closeby seller. I'm guessing that these are more like "backyard breeders".

I'll keep looking though and post any folliw-up questions.

Thanks again!

 

[Marinea]

You can find good breeders in places like Craigslist or Kijiji, you just have to do your due diligence. The ad itself is a good starting place. I would likely shy away from " Bunnies for sale. Black one and black and white one."

I advertise on Craigslist, but my ads are long and detailed. I also include lots of pictures. When I get calls, I have my breeding book and can answer any questions. We live in a very rural area, and Craigslist is just an easy way to reach more people.

 

[caroline]

I too advertise on Ebay classified [I think that's Kijiji] because in my area [central CA] there are lots of hassles advertising rabbits on CL,
even when it's in the farm and garden section. So I don't bother any more.

I too raise to feed my dogs and myself. Just started a litter of LGDs on rabbit. My son helped me harvest this weekend and I have made 20 quarts of ground rabbit so far. Glad I decided to get the electric grinder and NOT the hand crank one And glad the local grocery outlet had quarts of yogurt for $0.25. My freezer is FULL!

 

[Zass]

The term "backyard breeders" as a putdown doesn't really fit rabbit raisers, since many good small scale show/pet/or meat breeders do raise their rabbits literally in their backyards.

Many irresponsible breeders do advertise on Craigslist, just like many responsible and well informed breeders do.
Sorting through the adds can be quite a challenge.
My biggest red flag for breeders I avoid are those who do not know the actual color names or breed names for what they have for sale.
If someone is going to claim to have purebred (which means ARBA recognized breeds in the US) they should AT LEAST know the ARBA recognized color names, coat types, and acceptable colors those breeds come in.

Many people will state a breed name just to make a sale, but some actually do not realize that a coat color and a breed are not the same thing..

Not that being pure is always better. I've heard of of at least one show new zealand line that takes forever to grow, but has a nice body shape so the breeder keeps working with them.

I have had plenty of meat mutts that grew well, but my best growth was usually from very genetically different hybrid crosses.
Unfortunately, many local cali and new zealand lines seem to already be too genetically similar to produce much in the way of hybrid vigor.
(Due to people selling the crosses as purebreds :roll: )

As an afterthought, I recommend looking for the type off rabbit that doesn't get hormonal spikes and put their owners in stitches.

To me, this has become much more important than meat yield. :lol:

Breed seems irrelevant, but the breeder matters a great deal. I've learned to avoid anyone who calls a mean biting animal a "protective mother" and dismisses it as natural.

I know for a fact that aggression and mothering in a cage setup is not even remotely linked. Actually, the high strung animals are the only ones of mine that have ever trampled or even outright attacked their own kits.

Not saying that very hormonal does are bad mothers either, just that the trait is more wild and less domestic. My docile does have always managed to nest and nurse just fine without biting the hand that feeds them.

I just choose to raise domestic rabbits, not wild ones. :lol:

There are always routine tasks that put my hands or arms in the way of teeth. Such as nail trimming, grooming, brushing out cages, kit checkup (dead babies must be removed from a nest,) and filling water crocks in winter.

It's absolutely no fun (for me) to try to accomplish these tasks while an animal is trying to harm me. Other breeders may wear heavy gloves and not mind at all.

It's really up to you to determine what level of aggression you are willing to deal with, but it's certainly a factor in rabbit raising, and one new breeders are often not aware of.

 

[GBov]

Have you had rabbits before? If not then I would get any large, young, CHEAP rabbits you can get locally and use them to learn on. With not much invested the learning curve is MUCH less painful when things go wrong.

And go wrong they will, as well as right!

Oh, and be warned, rabbits are addictive!!!

 

[BlueHaven]

I think rex are nice. You get meat, and supersoft fur. They are also nice to show and for pets. You need to want to keep track of pedigrees and such though.
I like them, as I can sell a few to pay for their feed, and process the ones that are not up to snuff for show or pets. Love their sheared mink like coats. Nothing like them.

 

[Ramjet]

Have you had rabbits before? If not then I would get any large, young, CHEAP rabbits you can get locally and use them to learn on. With not much invested the learning curve is MUCH less painful when things go wrong.

And go wrong they will, as well as right!

Oh, and be warned, rabbits are addictive!!!

Very good advice.

 

[BlueHaven]

There are facebook pages with rabbit breeders in your area. Very nice for anything from meat rabbits, to any particular breed in your state.
Just look up your state rabbit breeders

 

[imajpm]

My very best growing fryers were a cross between two nice growing meat breeds. The New Zealand White and the Satin. The crosses out-performed the purebreds quite dramatically. My NZW and Satins are usually at 5 lbs by 10 weeks of age, the crosses hit that mark right between 8-9 weeks. If you buy local stock then I'd look for healthy, stocky rabbits, around that age and weigh them! If your growing meat you don't want anything slim and slow growing. I don't know why people keep recommending the Flemish Giant. Don't get those if your wanting meat

 

[ladysown]

I don't just have to look into the common varieties... Silvers, silver fox, argente creme, brun, the chinchillas, Lops, etc.

Meat mutts will work well too, just look around and see what's out there. You'd be surprised at the variety.

 

[TF3]

I agree with finding some likely local candidates and seeing how they go... keep track of everything as they grow and produce, so you can choose your next generation from the best growers.
The nice thing about rabbits is that with a little luck and a lot of planning you can get yourself to some good meat rabbits in a short time.
Keep only the best, eat the rest.
Hey! I like that slogan! Did I make it up or hear it?! LOL

I lucked out with a great producing doe as my first~ from a terrible breeder who has no clue about breeds or animal husbandry.
The doe is part Flemish and gives nice size to her kits without excess bone, or slowing their growth.
I have a NZ buck and a Cali buck and assorted mutt does out of them X my foundation doe and a couple others that have come and gone because they did not meet my expectations of them.

In 9 months I have moved through a lot of rabbits, frozen a good amount of meat, learned a million lessons and I am sitting happy with my stock, ready for spring breedings,
confident in the quality that I have to build on from here.
(and I live in a more remote area, low population, not a large agriculture base)

It is totally addicting.

 

[imajpm]

Yeah, no such thing as a rabbit hoarder :wr_wall: