Meat mutts or...?

[Mickey328]

For those of you who raise meaties...do you stick with a breed, or just get what you can and breed?

I'm in a bit of a quandary and not sure which way to go from here. I started with a trio of SF. Lost one of my does and the other had a litter of 3, 2 of which survived...a buck and a doe. They recently went to new homes where they were looking to breed SF. Since that time I've put the doe in with the buck twice but she's not "caught" again; hoping to try again late December.

In the meantime, we acquired a couple of little mutt does...and in comparison, I DO mean "little", LOL. Neither was particularly nice or friendly and when one started biting, we bit back...she was very tasty. The other boxes, but doesn't bite. Even though she's only about 3 or 4 lbs, I put her in with the SF buck who's about 11 lbs. She had a litter of 7...all perfectly healthy and it turned out she was an excellent mother. The kits are just coming up on 2 months now and doing great.

I have an empty cage and Rabbitosis Acquirosis has set in. But...I don't know what to do. I'll need to see how the current kits fill out in the next couple of months...I'm pretty sure they're going to be smaller than I'd like. I could keep their mother (the mutt doe) and breed her more since she's such a good mom, but I suspect her kits will always be smaller than we'd like. I could keep one of the doe kits and breed her back to the buck in an effort to increase the size. I could get another SF doe and just stick with all SF. I could get another larger, meat breed...like AmBlue, or d'Argent, and cross them. So many possibilities!

It seems like now is a good time to be making some changes, since I don't plan to breed again til about late December; I don't want litters in the beastly cold or the hideously hot. And if I got a youngster now, she'd likely be about ready for breeding at that time.

What would you do?

 

[Dood]

Its nice thst the 3 pound doe is a good mom but unless you breed for pets I'd stop feeding her and I would eat her. I wouldn't waste my time on keeping a daughter and trying to increase size, I tried that but it didn't work out so well - the kits in the litters were all sorts of sizes, some 4 pounds some 8, and it was just frustrating.

Get a meat breed (or mutt) from production bloodlines that are at least over 8 pounds and use them for food.

 

[TMTex]

Its nice thst the 3 pound doe is a good mom but unless you breed for pets I'd stop feeding her and I would eat her. I wouldn't waste my time on keeping a daughter and trying to increase size, I tried that but it didn't work out so well - the kits in the litters were all sorts of sizes, some 4 pounds some 8, and it was just frustrating.

Get a meat breed (or mutt) from production bloodlines that are at least over 8 pounds and use them for food.

+1. I raise two "pure" lines for breeding stock. One line is New Zealand White and the other is Californian. I cross breed the two lines and add in a Flemish Giant to cross for meat. I also cull some of the "pure" lines for meat. The purebred Californians are outperforming the others so far, but New Zealands are supposed to be superior mothers. Time will tell.

 

[Mickey328]

Thanks for the benefit of your experience, Dood. Truly, my intent is meat...not show or breeding or anything. Maybe some day but not at the moment. Clearly I don't know much about breeding...I assumed I could continue to increase the size. Probably could eventually, but why create something new when there are already great meat breeds available?

Thanks to you too as well TMTex. When I planned to get into rabbits, I considered the NZ and Cal as well, but decided I wanted to go with a more heritage breed, hence the SF.

 

[skysthelimit]

I could get another SF doe and just stick with all SF. I could get another larger, meat breed...like AmBlue, or d'Argent, and cross them. So many possibilities!

Americans and Silver Fox are in the same size range. If you have SF that are not between 9-12 lbs at maturity, ditch them and get something else.

 

[Mickey328]

Thanks, sky. Both SF are right on target in terms of weight.

 

[skysthelimit]

Thanks for the benefit of your experience, Dood. Truly, my intent is meat...not show or breeding or anything. Maybe some day but not at the moment. Clearly I don't know much about breeding...I assumed I could continue to increase the size. Probably could eventually, but why create something new when there are already great meat breeds available?

I spent three years trying to breed up the Rex. It's not that easy, eventually I just culled and got something new. Nothing wrong with meat mixes, but get the size you want from the start. Size and fertility are something you want off the top.<br /><br />__________ Wed Nov 06, 2013 11:36 am __________<br /><br />

Thanks, sky. Both SF are right on target in terms of weight.

Oh good. Seems people have had a rash of small SF lately. I culled a doe that never reached senior weight, only 7lbs, and another that I had for a year that wouldn't take.

 

[Zass]

I raise SF and meat mutts:
The SF are better growers generally, and can be shown. That thick pelt is a bonus if you grow them out a bit longer(I tend to grow out the good ones to see if they are worth showing anyway, and mine grow faster AFTER weaning, I dunno why, but I suspect my doe of being none to great of a mother). I suppose they would be worth more if I ever sold any.

The meat mutts are close to the SF in size, but bear larger litters(9 to 11), have more milk(can nurse all those and a foster), are good foster moms, are super friendly and have more pelt colors for me to play with.
Basically, the meat mutts are here cause they really pull their weight.
If they didn't have all those qualities, I wouldn't even mess with them.

A doe who boxes me would be gotten rid of, so would anyone under 8 lbs.

 

[Miss M]

Clearly I don't know much about breeding...I assumed I could continue to increase the size. Probably could eventually, but why create something new when there are already great meat breeds available?

You could continue to increase the size, but it would take much longer then you would like, and your results, as Dood pointed out, would be inconsistent for a very long time.

Meat mutts are fine, but it's best to start big.

I've been breeding meat mutts for several years. Mine are small and grow out slowly. But they've been a good start, and we're working toward bigger bunnies -- Calis, specifically.

 

[Mickey328]

What great advice! Thanks all, I really appreciate it. Think Little Mama is bound for FC and I'm gonna start looking for a nice, BIG doe