Favorite "meat mutts?"

[FourRingCircus]

So, meat mutts is a new term for me thanks to RT, but I am intrigued. I will have mostly NZWs, but also a Creme d'Argent and maybe a Chinchilla in the future. The Chin breeder I was talking to said that her Ch/NZW babies grew out faster and made for a great mix (aka, "meat mutt"). Just curious what others have tried crossing and what the results were? Our original plan was a Cali buck and NZW does, but he's now set to be processed this afternoon due to early symptoms of snuffles...

 

[katiebear]

First generation of crosses will give hybrid vigor..faster growth and stronger immune systems. .in my experience it drops off after that. But I still get great growth from my mutts. .I only have one "pure" she is a Flemish rew...my herd dam, if I get my way..I have one black chin X Flemish doe and her daughter probably headed to F.C. because they are not great milkers..nice size litters but slower growth than my FG. My favorite buck is her son he weighs in at about 17 lbs. He is going to be the sire from here on. I have a pretty chin buck but he only weighs about 8 lbs..

 

[Zass]

For just growth, I like SF crosses, but I don't like how skittish the kits can be.

My best growth has been from a 50% Lilac / 50% Silver Fox doe crossed to a Velveteen lop buck.
That was the only cross that ever produce true hybrid vigor for me, and gave 5 lbs at 8 weeks. :lol:

It was only the oversided velveteen buck from a specific breeder who did it. The other velveteen bucks just threw average meat mutt kits with similar does.

 

[Dood]

I am hopefully recreating the American Chinchilla with my meat mutts :cheesysmile:

I started out with 5 purebred and pedigreed AmChin but found their growth on a forage/hay/grains diet and disease resistance lacking. The production qualities, mothering skills and temperament were good in just 1 of the 3 does but better in their daughters so I didn't need to work on those too much

I've serendipitously improved on these two traits by crossing to a Flemish x NZ buck and a Mini Lop buck into my meat mutt bloodline and I hope to eventually consider them close enough to the AmChin SOP to call them that breed

I tried adding a California buck but the results were disastrous and all of that blood has been culled out of my mutts - as Zass mentioned , not all bucks or does from different breeds will be a good match and actually improve them - IMHO breeding is a lot of trial and error and an art form