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CunelliRabbits

CunelliRabbits

New member
Joined
Oct 6, 2024
Messages
3
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7
Location
South Africa
Hi everyone! I’m from South Africa and relatively new to breeding rabbits. I have some great mentors this side but always love learning more!

I currently breed standard Rexes and a proudly South African meat breed called the SA Phendula. Mainly started to provide meat for my family, subsequently fell in love with the Rexes. SA Rexes are smaller than overseas so they are primarily a pet breed although we are working towards increasing their size. We’ve had a ban on importing fresh bloodlines for decades so have to work with what we have.

I’m specifically really keen to learn more around genetics.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of our Phendulas
 

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  • Hooggenoeg Queenie Owned by Cunneli Rabbitry SA Phendula Agouti - 5.png
    Hooggenoeg Queenie Owned by Cunneli Rabbitry SA Phendula Agouti - 5.png
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  • Hooggenoeg Queenie Owned by Cunneli Rabbitry SA Phendula Agouti - 4.png
    Hooggenoeg Queenie Owned by Cunneli Rabbitry SA Phendula Agouti - 4.png
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I raise dwarf rex (adult weight about 1.8 kg) for meat. Pets are more selected for friendlyness, makes for more joy with care. And human fallacy it may be, animals that are likeable get better care and do better as a result.
Size is mainly relevant for animals in the context of what makes them thrive best. I had a small for the breed buck that was soso with vague tummy upsets, his daughters are/were good size and no problems. I suspect there was some issue with a bit of dwarfism poking through. Even without me wanting them on the big side of the breedstandard for meat i would want them on the big side for being healthier.

In your case breeding for bigger should not improve their wellbeing and therefore may cost you health and run up costs (along with eating more needing more room, cleaning and so on). Bigger is not always better, pick healthiest over just biggest or fastest growers. Same for littersize, loosing some because the doe has more kits then teats is pointless and may result in development problems in the others (not enough vit/min/essential aminoacids i.e. protein). Rabbits in standard size tend to have 8 teats pretty standard, so that should pretty much tell you how many kits will have full amount of time/chance at nursing from the doe per feeding time (usually around dawn and dusk or even just one of those times).
 
tambayo said:
I raise dwarf rex (adult weight about 1.8 kg) for meat. Pets are more selected for friendlyness, makes for more joy with care. And human fallacy it may be, animals that are likeable get better care and do better as a result.
Size is mainly relevant for animals in the context of what makes them thrive best. I had a small for the breed buck that was soso with vague tummy upsets, his daughters are/were good size and no problems. I suspect there was some issue with a bit of dwarfism poking through. Even without me wanting them on the big side of the breedstandard for meat i would want them on the big side for being healthier.

In your case breeding for bigger should not improve their wellbeing and therefore may cost you health and run up costs (along with eating more needing more room, cleaning and so on). Bigger is not always better, pick healthiest over just biggest or fastest growers. Same for littersize, loosing some because the doe has more kits then teats is pointless and may result in development problems in the others (not enough vit/min/essential aminoacids i.e. protein). Rabbits in standard size tend to have 8 teats pretty standard, so that should pretty much tell you how many kits will have full amount of time/chance at nursing from the doe per feeding time (usually around dawn and dusk or even just one of those times).
Click to expand...
The priority is definitely breeding for health and good temperament, but it would be fantastic to have a rex's sweet personaliy on a chunkier meat rabbit to make for easier handling! At the moment our standard rexes sit at an average of 6,5lbs , which isn't entirely terrible from a meat production point of view but comparing it to the 9-11lb average of the Phendulas and NZ's it's not great.
 
CunelliRabbits said:
Hi everyone! I’m from South Africa and relatively new to breeding rabbits. I have some great mentors this side but always love learning more!

I currently breed standard Rexes and a proudly South African meat breed called the SA Phendula. Mainly started to provide meat for my family, subsequently fell in love with the Rexes. SA Rexes are smaller than overseas so they are primarily a pet breed although we are working towards increasing their size. We’ve had a ban on importing fresh bloodlines for decades so have to work with what we have.

I’m specifically really keen to learn more around genetics.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of our Phendulas
Click to expand...
Welcome!
 
CunelliRabbits said:
Hi everyone! I’m from South Africa and relatively new to breeding rabbits. I have some great mentors this side but always love learning more!

I currently breed standard Rexes and a proudly South African meat breed called the SA Phendula. Mainly started to provide meat for my family, subsequently fell in love with the Rexes. SA Rexes are smaller than overseas so they are primarily a pet breed although we are working towards increasing their size. We’ve had a ban on importing fresh bloodlines for decades so have to work with what we have.

I’m specifically really keen to learn more around genetics.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of our Phendulas
Click to expand...
Welcome to Rabbit Talk. Everyone here is so kind and helpful I have learned so much more about rabbits. I raise Silver Foxs (and sometimes New Zealand SF mix) for showing and meat also because rabbits are awesome!
Ps. those bunnies are so cute🥰
 
Hi. I started breeding rabbits. Kind of mixing. More breeding success with CalfornianXDutch (used to think the Dutch was a Rex but by looks it's Dutch). I'm based in KZN South Africa and am seriously considering producing for meat (leaning towards rabbit biltong as a health product). I'm trying to find an abattoir but it's a struggle. All so far away and I'm small scale at the mo. I'm squeamish about doing the deeds myself (husband acts tough but don't think he'll do it) and we're in a suburb with kids so that's iffy. Selling as pets or as reptile feed is hard to come by. Apparently we need to follow regulations, bureaucracy, health codes but if we get an abattoir to do it all then good but struggling to find one near me. Any tips?
 
Natalie Chazvemba said:
Hi. I started breeding rabbits. Kind of mixing. More breeding success with CalfornianXDutch (used to think the Dutch was a Rex but by looks it's Dutch). I'm based in KZN South Africa and am seriously considering producing for meat (leaning towards rabbit biltong as a health product). I'm trying to find an abattoir but it's a struggle. All so far away and I'm small scale at the mo. I'm squeamish about doing the deeds myself (husband acts tough but don't think he'll do it) and we're in a suburb with kids so that's iffy. Selling as pets or as reptile feed is hard to come by. Apparently we need to follow regulations, bureaucracy, health codes but if we get an abattoir to do it all then good but struggling to find one near me. Any tips?
Click to expand...
We have a slaughterhouse near Pretoria that processes the bunnies for R10 each, I’m heavily considering my current 2 litters (16 kits) to be processed there even though they’ll just be for the family.

I haven’t tried to sell meat yet, right now the focus really is on pets and meat for the family, maybe even selling some of my good quality kits as breeders.

Honestly the processing isn’t really that bad but I am the only one in the family who is even willing to do it, and have done it so the buck stops with me 🙈 it’s much easier than chickens! I usually warn my kids what I’m about to do so they don’t come outside while I’m busy and get a shock. I’ve kept quails for meat for us for some time now so they’re sort of used to the idea of slaughtering animals we’ve raised
 

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