Meat rabbit pose and things to look for

[Secuono]

This is what you don't want to see when you flip a rabbit. You tickle the stomach of they won't bring in their feet on their own.

 

[GBov]

That is a good picture of the feet, shall look at all of mine tomorrow.

 

[Secuono]

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

Must... have...

 

[mountainrabbits]

What a pretty coat color!

 

[Secuono]

She's lilac, molting like crazy.

 

[Frecs]

Okay, so, to get back on track after being blinded by beautiful bunny...

We are looking for:

shoulders: deep (measuring from table to top of shoulder)
Rise: (profile…shape of body) starting at neck, peaking at point above front of feet, gradual taper after that
Body: deep and wide –as wide as it is deep
Hips: wide and not pinched (as demonstrated by the hind legs position)

Anything else? did I get that right? and, do these apply to every "commercial" rabbit body?

 

[Secuono]

Don't have a SOP, but no one other than meat breeders seem to be breeding for good shoulders. They are hard to fix and even worse if the breed was a semi-arch/mandoline shape before.
Shows want a tight tall ball, filled out, even, nothing chopped or hard angles. Some of the nice ones make a perfect half circle, from nose, over shoulders to tail, really neat look.
Found this pic online.

<br /><br />__________ Mon Oct 21, 2013 1:45 pm __________<br /><br />how-to-pose-a-silver-fox-t15748.html

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Nice solid meat rabbit

Side


Top

 

[Frecs]

ummm...well, the Silver Fox were mandolin before and from what I understand there are a few breeders who still maintain that shape in at least a line or two. I've not actually accessed my rabbits. I will need to see if I can pose them and get pics.

From the pics I'm seeing, it seems that we are looking for (top view) no neck, wide shoulders, and wider hips. From profile/side view, a soccer ball or half-moon.<br /><br />__________ Mon Oct 21, 2013 2:17 pm __________<br /><br />As I have three litters due this week and I begin my "get serious about developing a meat herd" program...at what age can I begin to see the shape the kit has? I'll be weighing weekly but at what point should I begin to pose them and see how they are shaping up?

 

[Secuono]

I did it for kicks at 5wks, but don't really judge them until 8-12wks.

 

[Zass]

As I have three litters due this week and I begin my "get serious about developing a meat herd" program...at what age can I begin to see the shape the kit has? I'll be weighing weekly but at what point should I begin to pose them and see how they are shaping up?

between 12 and 16 weeks for me. I like to watch them grow a bit longer. I've had some rather amazing growth spurts in that age, and seen boring rabbits suddenly get interesting.

I know who to cull well before 8 weeks though.

 

[skysthelimit]

I can tell if that shoulder will be too long at 3-4 weeks. Either the skeleton has the shape or it doesn't. If I was just breeding for show, I would cull them then, but since I want the meat, I wait a little longer. Filling out takes longer, but if the shoulder is long, the feet are Ved, and the loin is narrow, that's knowable early on.

 

[Secuono]

What does a long shoulder look like? I've only heard of low and high shoulders.

 

[skysthelimit]

You are looking at the space between the shoulder blade and the neck. Usually if the shoulder is low, it's too long. I'm looking for the no neck look, instead of the long body look. If it peaks too far back, then the shoulder is too long.<br /><br />__________ Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:58 am __________<br /><br />The first one is not too low, but it is too long. And not really too long, but if I can get the second, then I prefer it. She's pushing here, but I've tried posing her over and over, there is no way to make that shoulder look shorter.

 

[GBov]

I have GOT to say a big BIG thank you to everybody who had made this thread so helpful, I am looking at my herd totally differently now.