Breed opinions?

[Mickey328]

At present, I have some mutts which will go to freezer camp as soon as we have weather decent enough for it. I have a purebred SF buck and doe. Last night, I brought home a gorgeous broken black NZ proven doe. I intend to breed both does to the SF buck once the new girl is out of QT...a month.

We got a new (to us) freezer a while back and I really want to get it filled this summer, so I'm looking at ramping up the rabbitry. I'll be attending a show on Saturday. A local friend has promised me an AMblue as soon as they're ready to go...another couple months...maybe in time for 1 late fall litter.

My main focus is meat but I like bunnies in general and am looking at adding at least a couple more breeders. What would you suggest, and why? I love the Rex fur and was thinking about one of those...maybe a Champagne d'argent...maybe a buck. Oh, so many rabbits; so little time/space! LOL

 

[wooly_queen]

New Zealands and Californians are the best for meat production. They will be the ones that grow the fastest because that is what they are bred for. I mean... anything can be eaten! lol So it's up to you! Champagne's are pretty for sure... I know a friend who raised them to eat, but they were butchered as fryers and that is when they are cutest! LOL They are all patchy colored with cute silvering patterns. I know plenty of people that use Rex for meat as well. They probably just won't be as big as an NZ or Cali will be at the same age. Might want to wait a little longer before butchering.

 

[skysthelimit]

What are your meat breeding goals? Fast growth? Large litters? Useful pelts? Color varieties? Each of those breeds ha s a pro can a con that is best answered by knowing what you are looking for in a rabbit. I have 3 meat breeds, and each with a different purpose.

 

[Dood]

:yeahthat: I started out just wanting meat.

Now I want good mothering skills, high fertility, pleasant temperament, ability to thrive on forage, resistance to disease, etc... and I am willing to sacrifice some meat qualities, at least for now , to get the other ones well stamped on my bloodline.

 

[Mickey328]

Oh boy...what I'm really looking for is a combination of all of it. I'm hoping for medium to large litters, say 6 to 10 ish. Good mothering, of course, docile temperaments, fairly fast growth...I'd like to butcher about 10 to 12 weeks, mostly as fryers but could do a few older ones as well. I'm certainly not opposed to having more than one breed, or crosses between them. I reckon the best thing is to just get started and keep good notes, huh? I'm afraid the disease will get me though...that I'll fall in love with the breeds and end up just "having" to have at least a doe and a buck of each! LOL

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm afraid the disease will get me though...that I'll fall in love with the breeds and end up just "having" to have at least a doe and a buck of each! LOL

This is no laughing matter, Mickey. :no: Raging Rabbitosis expressly targets the logic centers of the brain, leading to Rabbitosis Acquireosis (and in extreme cases Rampant Acquireosis! ) with no real forethought.

Much as it pains me to admit it, I, too, suffer from this debilitating, cage-space eating condition. I am at the point in my recovery- er! remission- that I am going to sell out of all but my Rex, Satins, and my little Leonis Rex "pet project".

If you are considering showing at all, I would suggest limiting yourself to just one or two breeds unless you have a gazillion cages.

In order to be competitive on the show table you need to be able to raise your show prospects one to a cage so they not only have unlimited access to their food and water, but so they don't get their fur or ears chewed, etc.

This applies to a lesser degree in any case, since you will need to keep replacement or sale stock from your breeders, as well as have growout pens for those destined for freezer camp.

Good luck. :clover: Be strong! :flex:

 

[Mickey328]

MSD, i've been successfully fighting the illness for a year now, but I fear I'm succumbing now Just made arrangements to pick up a 12 week Rex doe, a charlie, at the show on Sat. She can go in our small (24 x 24) cage through QT since she's only about 4 lbs now. But I'm thinking we're gonna have to get another cage or two as well. Now, one more buck...maybe a Champagne, and the little AmBlue. Is there a 12 step program available anywhere???

 

[MamaSheepdog]

MSD, i've been successfully fighting the illness for a year now, but I fear I'm succumbing now Just made arrangements to pick up a 12 week Rex doe. Now, one more buck...maybe a Champagne, and the little AmBlue.

Oh dear. I fear you have fallen hard.

Is there a 12 step program available anywhere???

But of course!

new-12-step-program-t8050.html

 

[skysthelimit]

LOl.

I have four breeds. What can I say?

 

[3mina]

I have only two breeds right now. Rex and Silver Fox, I raise for meat and I'm getting pretty decent growth rates on the Rex. The SF are very new in the rabbitry, as in my first two litters were kindled last weekend so I have no first hand info on them yet.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I breed only "muts" -replacement stock selection is strictly based on performance, growth rate, and conformation.
-about every few years I have bought a "purebred" buck for genetic diversity, -- but usually "his" offspring have performed less well then my "inbred muts" so end up not keeping them for breedstock, but there have been some notable exceptions who improved the lines a lot.
But now I only keep about a dozen does, so it is easier to keep the 2 lines I have seperate and then cross them back and forth.

 

[Zass]

I'm always tying to make a balance between mutts and purebreds. I have my own pet project that's eating up my cages space, but my kids always want a couple buns to show...

 

[Mickey328]

Well, we have 4 new buns! Got a proven NZ doe, and junior broken opal rex doe, a jr Champagne d'Argent buck (what a character!) and a sr chocolate mini Rex my hubby just fell in love with.

The plan is to breed the NZ and SF does to the SF buck when QT is done (about mid Feb). Hoping for a couple of big, healthy litters there. Figure I'll put the Champ to the Rex in the fall. Although...I may just have to get a Rex buck...that fur!!!

Rearranged the grow outs tonight...cross between our SF buck and a little mutt. They're at "that age" and I got sliced up pretty good. I was giving them some extra time, hoping they'd grow a bit more but I think mama's influence is just too much. Hopefully Wed will be decent weatherwise. Dave and I are both off that day and hope to get mama and the 6 kits all processed.

 

[grumpy]

My favorite meat fryer is the Cal Buck/NZW doe cross. They are awesome growers.
The crosses "look" smaller, but weigh more than the straight bred lines.
Nine weeks and they're close to market weight of 5pounds or more.
Can't complain only wish the conception rate would improve in this cold weather.

grumpy.