Best breed/lines

[CheleBelle75]

Good evening, when I raised meat rabbits 100 years ago I had NZ whites. I butchered around 12-16 weeks and the lines I had produced alot of meat at butchering time. I'm sure by now things have changed and I'm not dead set on NZ. I have read that different breeds taste different. Different grow out weights better mothers larger litters etc. I would like to hear other options, which lines produce etc. I'm all ears.. lol

 

[eco2pia]

In my humble opinion, what/how you feed/harvest likely makes a bigger difference to taste than breed, but I have never done a side by side taste test.

I currently have american chinchilla as my meat rabbits, and I can tell you they do not handle heat well. previously I have raised meat mutts, californian, and NZ. I also have some english angoras, but they are not for eating. I like color, so if I were looking for another meat breed I might consider standard rex, they make meat, show rabbits, pelts, and pets, so that seems to give you maximum options.

 

[CheleBelle75]

I live in the mountains and Temps don't get super hot. I am lookin at standard Rex and also considering NZ or Silver Fox. I read Silver Fox are better mommas and have larger litters. NZ I had were not very nice and litters weren't great as far as number of kits

 

[dlynn]

I live in the mountains and Temps don't get super hot. I am lookin at standard Rex and also considering NZ or Silver Fox. I read Silver Fox are better mommas and have larger litters. NZ I had were not very nice and litters weren't great as far as number of kits

I live in the north woods and we get cold, long Winters. My silver fox did well in -20* liked the snow. I raise in colony.use shelters and exercise yards they have free access during day.closed in at night Permanent den boxes they nest in. Free feed. Most made good mommas and daddy's. I've watched does nurse each other's kits and a buck who "snow plowed" paths in the snow for kits ( nose down pushing with his back legs) funniest thing to watch.) and helped chase kits from brush piles when I wanted to close them in at night. We keep replenishing brush piles gives them something to play, rest and hide in. They eat them too so pick safe branches. Litters have been from 6- 14. Tho all 14 didn't survive. She's a first time mom and has 11 doing well at 2 weeks. Hides are beautiful. Thick under fur and long silver ticking. I stared with a trio black, blue, and chocolate. Now have some lilac. So much fun to see those litters of different colors. I love my silver fox and enjoy watching the social interaction of a colony. Be warned. They are addicting. Thought we'd only keep a trio. But have expanded to 2 family groups
( one buck and several does each) and 2 grow out areas. My son calls it our Ewok village. What ever you choose have fun!

 

[CheleBelle75]

I live in the north woods and we get cold, long Winters. My silver fox did well in -20* liked the snow. I raise in colony.use shelters and exercise yards they have free access during day.closed in at night Permanent den boxes they nest in. Free feed. Most made good mommas and daddy's. I've watched does nurse each other's kits and a buck who "snow plowed" paths in the snow for kits ( nose down pushing with his back legs) funniest thing to watch.) and helped chase kits from brush piles when I wanted to close them in at night. We keep replenishing brush piles gives them something to play, rest and hide in. They eat them too so pick safe branches. Litters have been from 6- 14. Tho all 14 didn't survive. She's a first time mom and has 11 doing well at 2 weeks. Hides are beautiful. Thick under fur and long silver ticking. I stared with a trio black, blue, and chocolate. Now have some lilac. So much fun to see those litters of different colors. I love my silver fox and enjoy watching the social interaction of a colony. Be warned. They are addicting. Thought we'd only keep a trio. But have expanded to 2 family groups
( one buck and several does each) and 2 grow out areas. My son calls it our Ewok village. What ever you choose have fun!

Thank you. That is so interesting I had no clue. I plan on it.

 

[ladysown]

I might suggest that you go to a rabbit show and check out the fur qualities of a variety of meat rabbits and work with the ones that appeal to you most. Everyone's experiences with different rabbit breeds will be influenced by their care management systems and where they got their starter stock from.

 

[Olbunny]

We are linebreeding black NZ and Californian buck. And are getting a lilac color. We don't keep the hides as they have little value for us with the work involved in tanning. But we are producing some quality friers.

 

[TKT]

Good to know about the Chinchilla and heat. I am in mountains also, 4K feet, we only get down to around 18 degrees at the coldest, but can have days at 105 in summer.