I've been raising meat-production rabbits since the mid-70's.
So....I can honestly say...I've got a little experience.
I've built five or six rabbitry's over the last 4 decades.
Back-in-the-day....I raised multi-colored meat-type...mutts.
I enjoyed the array of colors when the kits were born.
They were basically New Zealand's blended by colors.
I usually settled on 20-25 does for my herd. With several bucks.
Today.....I run two purebred lines...NZW's and Californians.
The first generation cross from a Cal buck over a NZW doe creates
an outstanding cross with excellent growth, good conversion,
and a low bone to meat ratio.
At the present...I've got a 42 doe herd with 6-7 bucks.
I like to breed 6-8 does at a time. Hence, the extra bucks.
The NZW's have gotten a 'bum-rap' over their temperament.
It wasn't the rabbit's fault......It was the breeder's.
Aggressive behavior can be easily done away with.
Don't breed stock that displays this type of behavior. Simple.
Through selective breeding you can develop a herd of excellent does.
Agreed.....all of them white/red-eyed rabbits are "BORING"!! :x
But, from a commercial standpoint...ya gotta use 'em!
Even the black-tipped Cals become blasé after so long.
If it weren't for the commercial side of my rabbitry, I'd go back in time.
Back to the time of multi-colored NZ based meat rabbits.
Something with a little pizzazz in color that would please the eyes.
Been thinkin' about doin' just that.
Grumpy
