New from KY

[Alaska Satin]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

So I guess my kits aren’t behind in weight. We have 4 NZ CA mix kits at 8 weeks and they weigh about 2-3 pounds. I thought they were under weight but maybe not… most sites say you can butcher at 6-8 weeks but I guess that’s just wishful thinking. I was considering giving them a more caloric feed like alfalfa, rolled oats or even some baby rabbit feed. We have them currently on 18% pellets and Timothy. Should we just wait till 12 weeks to butcher? Is fast growth rate more so connected with feed or genetics and selective breeding?

Thanks!
God bless you all

I guess I'd rather have NZs and Cals heavier than 2-3 pounds at 8 weeks, but you can certainly butcher them at that weight; or, if you're not in a hurry, go ahead and grow them out till they hit the weight you want.

Growth rate, like so many other characteristics, is the result of a combination of genetics and management. I found that selection of fast-growing breeders has increased the growth rate in my herd without changing feeding regimes, but if I tried messing around with the latter I might prompt some additional increases. However there's an interaction between what you feed and which animals thrive, and I've been at this long enough that I'm not inclined to make a lot of changes to my rabbits' routine at this point unless it becomes necessary (for instance, if the feed brand becomes difficult to find). Plus, adding more calories generally costs more money.

 

[Scooter1A]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

So I guess my kits aren’t behind in weight. We have 4 NZ CA mix kits at 8 weeks and they weigh about 2-3 pounds. I thought they were under weight but maybe not… most sites say you can butcher at 6-8 weeks but I guess that’s just wishful thinking. I was considering giving them a more caloric feed like alfalfa, rolled oats or even some baby rabbit feed. We have them currently on 18% pellets and Timothy. Should we just wait till 12 weeks to butcher? Is fast growth rate more so connected with feed or genetics and selective breeding?

Thanks!
God bless you all

Hi Kentucky! I have been processing NZ,Rex/CA at 12 weeks and always say I could have done this last week BUT only because my gambling thing has a harder time holding their weight. I think you should try them at 10, 11 and 12 weeks and see which one you prefer. It's all gonn'a be good.

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

Hi Kentucky! I have been processing NZ,Rex/CA at 12 weeks and always say I could have done this last week BUT only because my gambling thing has a harder time holding their weight. I think you should try them at 10, 11 and 12 weeks and see which one you prefer. It's all gonn'a be good.

I’ll definitely reassess them at 12 wks. I was really hoping to cull around the 6-8 wks marks to economize on time. I thinking of adding some hulled oats and even some dent corn to their diet. Hopefully that can help weight gain. They are in hutches all day. Is that maybe making them depressed and therefore not eating?

 

[Scooter1A]

I’ll definitely reassess them at 12 wks. I was really hoping to cull around the 6-8 wks marks to economize on time. I thinking of adding some hulled oats and even some dent corn to their diet. Hopefully that can help weight gain. They are in hutches all day. Is that maybe making them depressed and therefore not eating?

My 11-week-olds like their pellets and hay but not so crazy about oats yet. My doe loves them. They like greens so pick what you can for them and they need room to hop around quite a bit. I think my hutch is 30 in wide and 6 ft long so that's my nursery. I haven't wintered-over any growouts because I don't want to feed them but think I will this year. Then they will probably eat their oats and BOSS. Grow some asparagus beans when you can and feed those. Cheap and they love 'em. Have fun.

 

[dlynn]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

So I guess my kits aren’t behind in weight. We have 4 NZ CA mix kits at 8 weeks and they weigh about 2-3 pounds. I thought they were under weight but maybe not… most sites say you can butcher at 6-8 weeks but I guess that’s just wishful thinking. I was considering giving them a more caloric feed like alfalfa, rolled oats or even some baby rabbit feed. We have them currently on 18% pellets and Timothy. Should we just wait till 12 weeks to butcher? Is fast growth rate more so connected with feed or genetics and selective breeding?

Thanks!
God bless you all

I raise silver fox in a colony. I think a lot butcher at 8 weeks so they don't have to have space for the grow outs. when I bought my first trio the breeder said she likes to butcher at 16 weeks. Still tender enough and lots more meat. I follow that loosely, harvest when I need space. Usually harvest males first when they start getting a little feisty. females will grow larger. I have noticed harder to skin when much older than 4 months. Homesteadrabbits.com had this info( hope it's ok to share)

 

[Alaska Satin]

I’ll definitely reassess them at 12 wks. I was really hoping to cull around the 6-8 wks marks to economize on time. I thinking of adding some hulled oats and even some dent corn to their diet. Hopefully that can help weight gain. They are in hutches all day. Is that maybe making them depressed and therefore not eating?

For most of the year, my grow-outs are in cages, and I don't find they eat less. In fact during the few months I can raise them in the yard in tractors, they eat about half the amount of pellets as the caged bunnies. They also weigh less at harvest, but the difference seems to be mostly that the caged bunnies have put on a ton of fat, while the tractored bunnies are lean. I end up with about the same amount of meat, maybe even a bit more on the tractored bunnies. So you might think about that - adding oats and corn may end up just making your bunnies fatter, rather than more meaty. Since most breeders aren't really after fat - though you can render the fat - that can be an unnecessary expense. If you have enough rabbits, you might do a little experiment and supplement half of them, leaving the other half on pellets only, then compare the carcasses at harvest.

As far as size of the grow-out cage, my experience is that it does not need to be huge. Of course they should not be wall-to-wall, but it seems that having more than one rabbit in the cage keeps them active, with the exercise helping them to develop more muscle mass. The other side of that coin is that in most groups, there will be some resource guarding going on, and some of the bunnies at the lower end of the hierarchy will not grow as well. For those, if I can, I separate them from the larger group, and that usually results in their catching up to the rest (in spite of the fact that they are usually alone). Though if you have them in a really huge enclosure, more of a colony setting, with more than one source of food and water, that might not be such a problem.

I raise silver fox in a colony. I think a lot butcher at 8 weeks so they don't have to have space for the grow outs. when I bought my first trio the breeder said she likes to butcher at 16 weeks. Still tender enough and lots more meat. I follow that loosely, harvest when I need space. Usually harvest males first when they start getting a little feisty. females will grow larger. I have noticed harder to skin when much older than 4 months. Homesteadrabbits.com had this info( hope it's ok to share)

In my rabbits, the growth rate stays constant till about 16 weeks, and an added benefit of butchering at 16 weeks is that you're more likely to get a pelt worth keeping. There's a risk when waiting that long, though, since rabbits can become sexually active closer to 12 weeks. I can tell you that it's a bummer to have your son shout, "Hey, Mom, this one was pregnant!" That was a 14-week-old doe. Although I suppose that's not technically a problem, it felt awful and I don't want it to happen again.

That's why I butcher at 9-12 weeks rather than 16; I have plenty of rabbits and get plenty of meat, I spend less on pellets, and things are wrapped up in a shorter amount of time. Also, not only do I feel the need to separate the sexes by 12 weeks of age, but even in same-sex pens, the rabbits often start messing with each other, damaging the fur (again, that may not be a problem in a colony setting, I don't know). So, to grow rabbits out to 16 weeks for both pelt and meat, at least in my barn, I need to have a cage for each rabbit (sometimes two will get along if it's fall).

 

[Scooter1A]

For most of the year, my grow-outs are in cages, and I don't find they eat less. In fact during the few months I can raise them in the yard in tractors, they eat about half the amount of pellets as the caged bunnies. They also weigh less at harvest, but the difference seems to be mostly that the caged bunnies have put on a ton of fat, while the tractored bunnies are lean. I end up with about the same amount of meat, maybe even a bit more on the tractored bunnies. So you might think about that - adding oats and corn may end up just making your bunnies fatter, rather than more meaty. Since most breeders aren't really after fat - though you can render the fat - that can be an unnecessary expense. If you have enough rabbits, you might do a little experiment and supplement half of them, leaving the other half on pellets only, then compare the carcasses at harvest.

As far as size of the grow-out cage, my experience is that it does not need to be huge. Of course they should not be wall-to-wall, but it seems that having more than one rabbit in the cage keeps them active, with the exercise helping them to develop more muscle mass. The other side of that coin is that in most groups, there will be some resource guarding going on, and some of the bunnies at the lower end of the hierarchy will not grow as well. For those, if I can, I separate them from the larger group, and that usually results in their catching up to the rest (in spite of the fact that they are usually alone). Though if you have them in a really huge enclosure, more of a colony setting, with more than one source of food and water, that might not be such a problem.


In my rabbits, the growth rate stays constant till about 16 weeks, and an added benefit of butchering at 16 weeks is that you're more likely to get a pelt worth keeping. There's a risk when waiting that long, though, since rabbits can become sexually active closer to 12 weeks. I can tell you that it's a bummer to have your son shout, "Hey, Mom, this one was pregnant!" That was a 14-week-old doe. Although I suppose that's not technically a problem, it felt awful and I don't want it to happen again.

That's why I butcher at 9-12 weeks rather than 16; I have plenty of rabbits and get plenty of meat, I spend less on pellets, and things are wrapped up in a shorter amount of time. Also, not only do I feel the need to separate the sexes by 12 weeks of age, but even in same-sex pens, the rabbits often start messing with each other, damaging the fur (again, that may not be a problem Iin a colony setting, I don't know). So, to grow rabbits out to 16 weeks for both pelt and meat, at least in my barn, I need to have a cage for each rabbit (sometimes two will get along if it's fall).

Good info. I'm processing today right before 12 weeks. I find the pelts are pretty good at this age and always keep them. Going to experiment with mittens or something. Taking the winter off from breeding. I'll try my luck with my single doe to keep things simple. Changed my mind about 20 times on this. Need to build another shelter for either chickens or rabbits or maybe a shed for my stuff.

 

[Coinnin]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

So I guess my kits aren’t behind in weight. We have 4 NZ CA mix kits at 8 weeks and they weigh about 2-3 pounds. I thought they were under weight but maybe not… most sites say you can butcher at 6-8 weeks but I guess that’s just wishful thinking. I was considering giving them a more caloric feed like alfalfa, rolled oats or even some baby rabbit feed. We have them currently on 18% pellets and Timothy. Should we just wait till 12 weeks to butcher? Is fast growth rate more so connected with feed or genetics and selective breeding?

Thanks!
God bless you all

Hey OP here, still learning. Mine are at 14 weeks now and still under 2 pounds, I went ahead and separated them by gender and started giving them Alfalfa with their timothy hay, and they seem to be gaining weight faster now. But I've read that too much alfalfa can mess with their urinary system, so watch for dark yellow or thick pee if you're giving them alfalfa. I think genetics have a lot to do with it, I have a friend that has the same breed as me (palomino) and his got to 4 pounds in 12 week so twice as fast as mine.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hey OP here, still learning. Mine are at 14 weeks now and still under 2 pounds, I went ahead and separated them by gender and started giving them Alfalfa with their timothy hay, and they seem to be gaining weight faster now. But I've read that too much alfalfa can mess with their urinary system, so watch for dark yellow or thick pee if you're giving them alfalfa. I think genetics have a lot to do with it, I have a friend that has the same breed as me (palomino) and his got to 4 pounds in 12 week so twice as fast as mine.

Yes - under 2 pounds at 14 weeks is a decent weight for a dwarf breed! Palominos have standard senior weights of 8-10 lbs for bucks, and 9-11 lbs for does, and a reputation for fast growth rates. In the ARBA Standard of Perfection, Juniors (under 6 months of age) have a minimum of 4 lbs and a maximum of 8.5 lbs. Pre-Juniors (under 12 weeks) have a max of 5 lbs.

Possibly yours are a mixed breed of some sort. Without a pedigree, Palominos can be hard to identify for sure, since their particularly distinguishing feature is their color (golden or lynx), and those colors can be found in other breeds and many crossbreeds. That said, even purebred animals sometimes fall short of the breed standard. Two pounds at 3-1/2 month is pretty darn short, though.

As far as alfalfa, what I understand is that due to its relatively high protein and calcium content, and the fact that most rabbit pellets are made predominantly with alfalfa hay, adding more of it to adult rabbits' diets isn't ideal. For growing bunnies it's fine, but in adults the extra calcium can eventually cause kidney stones. The extra protein isn't always necessary either and ends up being excreted in the urine, which as I can attest, makes it both stinkier and much more attractive to flies. Some breeders use a higher protein feed for their milking does, but in my experience it hasn't seemed to matter; instead all of our rabbits get 16% pellets, and does with bigger litters get additional fats, usually BOSS, but oatmeal or Calf Manna seems to do the trick as well.

Feeding extra calories can of course increase weight, but I've found the increase can be due to the bunnies putting on gobs of fat. If you want fast growth rates and more meat in less time, you generally have selectively breed for that.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hey OP here, still learning. Mine are at 14 weeks now and still under 2 pounds, I went ahead and separated them by gender and started giving them Alfalfa with their timothy hay, and they seem to be gaining weight faster now. But I've read that too much alfalfa can mess with their urinary system, so watch for dark yellow or thick pee if you're giving them alfalfa. I think genetics have a lot to do with it, I have a friend that has the same breed as me (palomino) and his got to 4 pounds in 12 week so twice as fast as mine.

Yes - under 2 pounds at 14 weeks is a decent weight for a dwarf breed! Palominos have standard senior weights of 8-10 lbs for bucks, and 9-11 lbs for does, and a reputation for fast growth rates. In the ARBA Standard of Perfection, Juniors (under 6 months of age) have a minimum of 4 lbs and a maximum of 8.5 lbs. Pre-Juniors (under 12 weeks) have a max of 5 lbs.

Possibly yours are a mixed breed of some sort. Without a pedigree, Palominos can be hard to identify for sure, since their particularly distinguishing feature is their color (golden or lynx), and those colors can be found in other breeds and many crossbreeds. That said, even purebred animals sometimes fall short of the breed standard. Under two pounds at 3-1/2 months is pretty darn short, though.

As far as alfalfa, what I understand is that due to its relatively high protein and calcium content, and the fact that most rabbit pellets are made predominantly with alfalfa hay, adding more of it to adult rabbits' diets isn't ideal. For growing bunnies it's fine, but in adults the extra calcium can eventually cause kidney stones. The extra protein isn't always necessary either and ends up being excreted in the urine, which as I can attest, makes it both stinkier and much more attractive to flies. Some breeders use a higher protein feed for their milking does, but in my experience it hasn't seemed to matter; instead all of our rabbits get 16% pellets, and does with bigger litters get additional fats, usually BOSS, but oatmeal or Calf Manna seems to do the trick as well.

Feeding extra calories can of course increase weight, but I've found the increase can be due to the bunnies putting on gobs of fat. If you want fast growth rates and more meat in less time, you generally have to selectively breed for that.