6 week 2 day old kit weights

[mountainrabbits]

I just weighed my Florida White/Californian cross meat kits they are 6 weeks 2 days old.
Doe 1: 2lbs 3.2oz
Buck 1: 2lbs 1.7oz
Doe 2: 2lbs 0.1oz
Buck 2: 1lb 12.7oz

What do you guys think of that for a weight at their age?

(The father is the purebred Florida White and he weighs 5lbs 1.92oz and the mother is the Californian who weighs 9lbs 1.05oz)

 

[ladysown]

seems small...but they could all take after their father ......

 

[big bucks ny]

Keep the feed pouring I have a feeling they might suprise you in a couple weeks. I've had mine rocket grow in the last couple weeks.

 

[Miss M]

I have my first 3/4 Cali crosses (1/4 Pinto, our retired 5lb buck) growing out right now. They weren't very big at 6 weeks, though I didn't weigh them. Now they're 9 weeks and bearing down on 4 1/2 lbs... and, oddly enough, they look smaller than my meat mutts when they reached that weight at like... 15 weeks... :shrug: :lol: I guess they just pack it into a more compact package.

So take heart! They'll probably start growing like weeds really soon here.

 

[akane]

By 12 weeks when I used to start butchering the kits from my mini rex x creme d'argent buck crossed to creme and champagne d'argent does would make the same weight as the purebreds. They just didn't really grow after that while the purebreds kept going. Smaller rabbits have growth spurts earlier and they tend to be more compact for their weight. Probably a combo of lighter bone and less fat. Animals usually grow their skeleton first and put on muscle second. That means a smaller breed that matures sooner might have more meat at butchering time than a similar sized larger breed that is still growing bone.

 

[mountainrabbits]

I am hoping they hit a great growth spurt between now and their 12 week weigh out. My dh wants me to try to sell these 4 instead of eating them because they were born on a holiday and as our first kits that have done well out of this trio we got. That being said...they are cute and sweet and I babied the crap out of them buuuuut if they don't sell pretty quick after week 12 they will be going to Camp Chest Freezer I need to practice cooking me some rabbit! I have another doe due any day now so hopefully I will have some purebred FW kits to compare growth rates too. <br /><br /> __________ Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:18 am __________ <br /><br /> 9 week weight update
Doe 1: 3lbs 5.4oz
Buck 1: 3lbs 5.1oz
Doe 2: 3lbs 3.5oz
Buck 2: 2lb 15.5oz

Not very encouraging growth rate it seems like...and my FW doe missed so extra frustration there. Waiting for these kits to gt to a grow point where I can butcher them. Both does are re-bred but to be honest I am heavily considering replacing all three...I need to eat rabbit more first so again waiting on those 4 kits to grow out.
Ads I have open thinking about in the whole replace them all thoughts...I currently have 2 large stacker style cages that the does are in (kits are with their mom still) and one large plastic bottomed pet cage for my buck. I can add a second stacker style cage so that would give me 4 for does/kits and 1 buck cage. Very limited space since I have them set up in my third bedroom in my apartment.
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/grd/4339463766.html 2 breeding age Red New Zealand/Champagne DArgent/Satin X Does does $70
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/grd/4281809159.html 3 Satins 1 buck 2 does for $60
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/grd/4346933603.html Champagne D'Argent 3 bucks 1 doe $20 each