Growth Rate v. Confirmation

[chancock921]

Hi! First time poster here! I have a question. I have been breeding meat mutts for, well, meat for about 6 months. My first few litters so far did not hit "Excellent" growth rates according to the growth rate chart. But one of my latest litters has one buck and one doe who have. BUT here is my question. The buck, who I am tossing around keeping, is a little narrow at his base and loin as of now. Still on the fence about the doe as well, but I just don't know if I need another.

He is only 8 weeks and still has growing to do, but if he gets to 12-16 weeks and is still narrow, do I keep him and breed him to my wide does to potentially keep the growth rate and hope they pass on their width? Or do I cull him and keep the doe (she is slightly wider; I just have A LOT of does right now)? His sire is a little on the narrow side as well, but I have a few wide does that I just bred his sire to in order compare, he's making his rounds so to speak.

Basically, I guess it's simpler put, when starting out should you breed for growth rates then once those are consistent, breed for confirmation/structure? Or vice versa? I know confirmation can affect carcass weight and such.

 

[tambayo]

Part of confirmation is enough room for kits to be born, so wide pelvic canal i.e. straight hindlegs when you turn the rabbit on its back. It tells you how far apart the hipjoints are and the pelvic canal where the kits go through is between those joints. Also properly lined up front teeth are confirmation and pretty essential (along with the rest of the teeth, but that requires some tools to see well). So first select for health and able to breed/give birth easily. Add mothering ability (good nest building, cleaning, produce enough milk, ...) from first litter at 6-9 months (depending on breedsize, dwarf can breed at 6 months, giant will need 9) and a litter no bigger then number of teats the doe has (usually 8, dwarf can have 6), so all kits get the same chance or time to drink.
So an animal that comes from a well raised litter of breeding fit parents and either proves that herself or through his offspring and thrives under your management.
Growth rates are a later consideration, keeping in mind that those traits are for producing more meat per animal of that growing stage, but all rabbit breeds and confirmations are fine for eating. Focus on production first selects for getting fat and therefore infertile and health problems. Although feed rations play a part, there comes a point where taking a step back growth rate wise helps your breeding stock to stay healthy and fertile. Same also when you look at the example breeding schedules given. Those may be way to agressive for your situation and are problematic if you need to stop breeding for a while (weather, family emergencies and so on). And again there you end up hampered by the focus on rapid production. Bigger and faster are not (always) better. Build in some flexibility and resilliance to cope with life, reality tends to not care about schedules so much.

 

[chancock921]

Part of confirmation is enough room for kits to be born, so wide pelvic canal i.e. straight hindlegs when you turn the rabbit on its back. It tells you how far apart the hipjoints are and the pelvic canal where the kits go through is between those joints. Also properly lined up front teeth are confirmation and pretty essential (along with the rest of the teeth, but that requires some tools to see well). So first select for health and able to breed/give birth easily. Add mothering ability (good nest building, cleaning, produce enough milk, ...) from first litter at 6-9 months (depending on breedsize, dwarf can breed at 6 months, giant will need 9) and a litter no bigger then number of teats the doe has (usually 8, dwarf can have 6), so all kits get the same chance or time to drink.
So an animal that comes from a well raised litter of breeding fit parents and either proves that herself or through his offspring and thrives under your management.
Growth rates are a later consideration, keeping in mind that those traits are for producing more meat per animal of that growing stage, but all rabbit breeds and confirmations are fine for eating. Focus on production first selects for getting fat and therefore infertile and health problems. Although feed rations play a part, there comes a point where taking a step back growth rate wise helps your breeding stock to stay healthy and fertile. Same also when you look at the example breeding schedules given. Those may be way to agressive for your situation and are problematic if you need to stop breeding for a while (weather, family emergencies and so on). And again there you end up hampered by the focus on rapid production. Bigger and faster are not (always) better. Build in some flexibility and resilliance to cope with life, reality tends to not care about schedules so much.

Thank you SO much. This is what I was looking for