Having a hard time finding meat rabbits....**UPDATE** PICS

[OneAcreFarm]

Why does everyone want to breed Lops, Lionheads and Dwarves? :evil: That is practically all I can find nearby and it makes it really hard for me to get good meat/commercial types. :bunnyhop:

 

[Legacy]

I understand. I have had the same issues. I am glad I finally got some. It has taken me a good year and half to build up some breeders. Where abouts are you in Texas? I am in north Texas. I think one reason meat rabbits are so hard to find is the summer heat. Dwarf rabbits fit in smaller cages and can be raised indoors easier. People have a hard time keeping rabbits in the heat so unless they are really dedicated, they give it up.

I am so glad I made it through this summer with my breeders still alive. Well most of them anyway. It wasn't just that it was over 100 so much. It is was that it was over 105 or 106 so much.

 

[cmabb]

I have the same problem here and like you everyone and there dogs are breeding lops, lions or dwarves. I have to look on craigslist just to get anywhere. I know its not the best place but if you look hard enough you can find good quality rabbits.

 

[akane]

Plenty of them around here. I can't speak toward the quality but half the farmers with livestock have a few hutches of meat mutts. There are still a ton of those stupid little poorly bred lops and lionhead crosses though. They are bred with no attention to personality or health issues and then sold to everyone who wants a pet. We can't get our foot in the door with our mini rex and netherlands because every store has a contract with the 3 annoying lop breeders who churn them out by the 1000s every year. They also have a few dutch in the mix and they label all their medium-small mutts as "dwarf rabbits" and the stores claim they will all stay small but small is relative. A dutch is small but it is not a netherland dwarf.

 

[FurBabies]

Its hard to find breeders here in KY also. You can pretty much hang it up if your looking for certain pedigreed breeds around here. Just the ocassional feedstore mix breed litter is all you will find. So for me, I guess I'm going to have to take some road trips to buy the rabbits that I am wanting. Don't get me wrong, I love road trips, But a road trip for a $30 to $50 rabbits seems alittle crazy. Too bad you can't get rabbits shipped thru the post office like you can chicken. lol.

 

[RunninMI]

Yall should try hoobly.com and craigslist i find alot that way or maybe contact breed clubs and they can poit you in the right direction

 

[PulpFaction]

The worse thing we have to worry about is that practically everything is crossed with Flemish up here! Luckily, there are some good, solid Satins floating around and now some Silver Fox, but there are NO New Zealands or Cals up here!

 

[quintex]

Are you looking for breeds other than Californians?

I've been wanting some champagnes in the near future and haven't really been able to find any breeders that are relatively close by.

 

[rabbitgeek]

Have you thought about going to the Texas State Fair and looking for the meat rabbit breeders? I expect that if you can't buy something from a breeder at the fair you may be able to get some names so you can get on a few waiting lists.

Have a good day!

 

[akane]

Everything is part new zealand around here. Even some noncommercial types have been crossed to new zealand. You have to go out of state to get pure flemish or most purebreds that aren't dwarf and mini. I got my champagnes from wisconsin. Everything over 6lbs has been crossed to new zealand or occasionally californian somewhere in order to introduce new blood without expending the effort to get purebreds of that breed from out of state.

 

[hoodat]

Don't overlook meat mutts if you primarily want meat. There are breeders almost everywhere who have been improving their line of meat mutts till they equal or excell any pure meat breed. Granted some just let them breed willy nily till the line runs down but others work at improving their line and the breeders they sell are excellent for the purpose of a sustained meat herd.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Are you looking for breeds other than Californians?

I've been wanting some champagnes in the near future and haven't really been able to find any breeders that are relatively close by.

I have thought about Champs, Satins, Silver fox, as well.

__________ Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:38 pm __________

Have you thought about going to the Texas State Fair and looking for the meat rabbit breeders? I expect that if you can't buy something from a breeder at the fair you may be able to get some names so you can get on a few waiting lists.

Have a good day!

Franco, that is a good idea, but again, it is over 5 hours away. I live in SETexas, practically Louisiana, and Dallas is at least 5 hours for me. Even in Houston, which is two hours away, I am having trouble finding quality animals. By quality, I mean clean, well taken care of and not sick in any way. I don't really care about show performance, legs, etc.

__________ Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:40 pm __________

Don't overlook meat mutts if you primarily want meat. There are breeders almost everywhere who have been improving their line of meat mutts till they equal or excell any pure meat breed. Granted some just let them breed willy nily till the line runs down but others work at improving their line and the breeders they sell are excellent for the purpose of a sustained meat herd.

Not really alot of good quality meat mutts either. I think the heat has taken a toll, but also the meat demand here in Texas is not as much as other places. I am really the only person I know raising for meat.<br /><br />__________ Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:45 pm __________<br /><br />Ok, yesterday a fellow rabbit raiser in Texas called me and was saying that because of some unforeseen circumstances, she needed to stop raising rabbits right now. She asked me to take her rabbits, 12 Cali's, including a breeding pair about a year old, 6 5month olds and 4 3month olds! I guess Someone was listening...LOL! Anyway, I told her I would and we have been scrambling to get space ready for them. I pick them up on Monday!

 

[Fid]

I guess I'm lucky. I found a serious Silver Fox breeder not too far from me. Picking up three tomorrow when I get off work in the morning.

 

[Legacy]

woohoo, oneacre, glad to hear it!

 

[MaggieJ]

That's great, Shannon! Hope the new buns work out really well for you!

Ahem. We will, of course, require pictures in due time.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I guess I'm lucky. I found a serious Silver Fox breeder not too far from me. Picking up three tomorrow when I get off work in the morning.

Lucky you! The closest one to me is College Station, Tx about 3 hours away.<br /><br />__________ Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:15 pm __________<br /><br />

woohoo, oneacre, glad to hear it!

Yes, Legacy, I am excited as well! :bunnyhop: Almost everyone I talked to with Cali's either want more than I can pay or don't have what I want/need. Of course, it has been raining ALL DAY!!! The ONE day I need it NOT to rain in this drought, and we have more rain than we have had in months! :evil:

 

[rabbitgeek]

We once drove to Eugene OR (7 hours one way) to buy Satin Angora does because there was nothing closer. We had driven to Sparks NV (2 hrs) the month before to get a Satin Angora buck. Just depends how crazy you want to get.

I'll say a prayer for your new rabbits!


Have a joyful day!<br /><br />__________ Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:01 pm __________<br /><br />

Of course, it has been raining ALL DAY!!! The ONE day I need it NOT to rain in this drought, and we have more rain than we have had in months! :evil:

Yeah, I saw that storm on the weather report. You be careful driving around in that mess!

Have a good day!

 

[Dirk Chesterfield]

Congratulations OneAcreFarm

 

[OneAcreFarm]

My friend met me in Houston today and dropped off the buns to me. Pics below....
This is the oldest doe and the three month old kits in the top cage, with the five month old kits in the lower cage.

Here they are again checking me out.

This is the buck, giving me "the butt" :lol:

And yet again....

Finally! We get a pic of his face...He is a big boy!

This is another doe she had that is unrelated to the others.

I really like this doe, she has great temperament.

Also, she looks good to me and has wonderful rollback fur.


The one group got dirty in the box they were traveling in so I will need to somehow clean them. What do you all think?

 

[rabbitgeek]

Wonderful bunch of rabbits! A great score!

Have a joyful day!