Meat rabbit pose and things to look for

Secuono · Apr 7, 2013

I think we need a thread that goes over what to look for when picking out meat rabbits and the terminology that goes along with them.
I just learned about 'under run', had to google it. But are there more phrases out there that some of us don't know?
Also just found out about feet possibly showing if the rabbit has 'pinched hips'!
I think we need a picture thread that goes over all of this with real rabbit photos and not just text and/or drawings, flaws as well as correct forms.
I'm easily finding lots of 'correctly posed [mini rex, holland lop, lionhead, etc], but not many for meat breeds.

Here are some links I found, hoping others can add their own images directly so we don't have to follow a link out for everything. Also, I'm not advertising these rabbitries, just finding places that show what's needed.
http://tonisconeys.webs.com/showpage.htm
http://www.rabbitsontheweb.com/node/31
http://chini-mini.com/ARBA_findings/compareisons.html
http://cottonwoodfarms.tripod.com/pencil.html

What I'm seeing that's missing is comparative photos of rear, aerial and underside.
I'm seeing ears used for depth, but what happens when they have long ears/too big for their heads, they seem to not be good enough, but that can't be right. Is there a proper way to measure how long meat breed rabbit ears should be?

JAA · Apr 7, 2013

Great idea for a thread. I want to learn more about this to. I hope many experienced meat breeders chime in about what qualities they look and breed for.

Big Tom · Apr 7, 2013

I like this idea. I just went to my first rabbit show and the judge kept talking about depth of shoulder while judging NZW and I couldn't for the life of me see the difference in what he was talking about. I'm hoping some pics would help.

Secuono · Apr 7, 2013

Ugh, I just found a mini rex who won '5 gc legs' and the picture shows it's back feet sticking out in a 45 degree angle...what the heck!

skysthelimit · Apr 7, 2013

When my rex breeder takes her picts, she always takes them from the side, top and rear.

__________ Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:30 pm __________

__________ Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:45 pm __________

__________ Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:53 pm __________
Depth, from the table to the top. If no, then it is a low shoulder. Less meat there.

You want the rise to start at the neck and gradually taper, to the highest point to be where the front of the feet are.
If it is in front of the feet, it peaks too early and the loin is long, not a balanced bun, if after the feet, it peaks too late, and the shoulder is long. Means less meat in the loin.

The body should be more wide than it is long, starting from the neck to the loin over the hip. And as deep as it is wide. Pinched shoulder--or the rabbit is narrow through the barrel. It should reach the peak, and travel smoothly over the hip, round, but not straight down or chopped off.

The hips should be a straight as possible. More meat.

SyP · Apr 8, 2013

Exactly what is so important about how straight a rabbits legs are when all we are going to do is eat him or her, I would think loin, ribs and shoulders would be way more important? Straight legs don't put meat in my tummy? :fryegg:

skysthelimit · Apr 8, 2013

That depends on what you are looking for.

This is what the OP asked for, I did not ask why, just answered the question, but I did say that wide hips, not pinched hips, (v shaped feet mean pinched hips) means a wider loin and more meat on the loins. Whether you breed for show (which I do) or meat (which I don't directly) then more meat is always good.

3mina · Apr 8, 2013

Pinched hips mean less meat and easier kindling

Secuono · Apr 8, 2013

skysthelimit":22q0kfce said:
That depends on what you are looking for.

This is what the OP asked for, I did not ask why, just answered the question, but I did say that wide hips, not pinched hips, (v shaped feet mean pinched hips) means a wider loin and more meat on the loins. Whether you breed for show (which I do) or meat (which I don't directly) then more meat is always good.

That's what I recently learned, too.
I had *thought* many of my rabbits had legs that slightly V when upside down, but I never checked them properly. I looked at each one last night and they all sit square on their hide end a couple I did flip and after I got them to pull their legs in, they were straight and nicely spaced. __________ Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:46 am __________ Can someone mark on pictures of rear and aerial photos of good and bad rabbits[poor conformation, not poor posing] to show what you're looking for?
I see butt pics and I really cannot tell them apart, they are all butts, some more round than others. Same with aerial pics, what are we supposed to be looking for?

skysthelimit · Apr 8, 2013

I wish I knew how to mark them.

From the top you want the shoulder to be as wide as the rear, or as close to it, like a loaf of bread. The rear should have an upside down U shape. See previous. __________ Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:36 am __________

Secuono · Apr 10, 2013

Here's my cali buck, he wasn't feeling like cooperating for butt and top pics. That's how he naturally sat, couldn't get the eye and front toe to line up, elbows were on the ground, though.

Whipple · Apr 10, 2013

3mina":1y7kwtbu said:
Pinched hips mean less meat and easier kindling

Harder kindling. Less room for kits to fit through.

Wyldrose · Apr 10, 2013

Here is a buck with pinched hips. Fuzzball is pretty thin, I've added BOSS to his pellets to try and add some bulk on him. He 4months old.
Not a good pic showing the "V" hind legs I'll try later when someone else is home to help!

Top view

I wanted to get his curly coat and color into my other buns but I am worried about passing on the pinched hips.

Secuono · Oct 15, 2013

skysthelimit · Oct 15, 2013

That is a nice wide shoulder, the rise is where is should, meaty hips, full. This is what you want on the show table and the dinner table.

Secuono · Oct 15, 2013

Yea, too bad she's decided to be a devil rabbit and still hasn't produced any kits, she's on her last try and then dinner. =(

mountainrabbits · Oct 17, 2013

What an interesting thread. I was raised all rabbits are meat but knowing conformation of a good meaty rabbit with reasons (like pinched hips etc.) seems wonderfully useful to know and look for! The extent of my meat mutt confirmation knowledge was that it seems to be common that you get a meatier rounder buck and that longer bodied does are better to fit more kits easier.
My Cali doe is longer and just not as meaty looking as I think Cali's should be-not that she is small by any means she is good sized and the right weight-she just looks bonier or un filled out to me...she is full grown a year or two old I think. Does anyone have "Californian" labeled meat rabbits that don't seem to be what they should be? It seems common here to mix lop, flemish, harlequin etc. with californian and label them all californians.

Secuono · Oct 17, 2013

My two cali were perfect show shape and now at a year old, they don't pose quite right anymore. But from the top, they still have the even, wide hips, shoulders and midsections [meatloaf shape].
They also didn't want to pose...
Last picture is from my old stock, a doe when she was young, not tucked in enough, though.

Frecs · Oct 17, 2013

Very good thread! I look forward to learning a lot about how to select good meat herd rabbits.

skysthelimit · Oct 17, 2013

Even though they are not posed perfect (they look good enough to me), you can see their fine qualities.

Meat rabbit pose and things to look for

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