New to meat rabbits. Questions for sourcing quality breeders

[Harbisgirl]

Good morning!
I'm going to jump into breeding meat rabbits this spring. I'm interested in Californians or New Zealands. I want QUALITY breeders from the start. There are no ARBA breeders in my area (rural North Idaho) so I need to learn how to identify the right traits from the get-go. I've been doing my homework so I know how to look for conformation, teeth, etc but what questions should I be asking the breeder? I do know that I want to know what the growouts are weighing at 8-10 weeks (aiming at 5 pounds by this age right?) but what else should I be asking about?

 

[tambayo]

Mothering ability from the first litter. So did the doe or the bucks doe need to "learn" nest making and such or not. For me good mothering is inborn, not learned, so mess up the first = go freezercamp along with if any surviving kits at 12-16 weeks, only exception would be me not providing what is needed.
Littersize is important, to many is just as bad as to few. For me the ideal is 3-5, but i raise dwarf rex for meat. For a standard size breed i'd say 6-8, since i can expect 8 teats on a doe that size and therefore all kits have the same drinking time per feeding. So ask littersizes and if any didn't make weaning/butchering age. Big litters with losses cost more in the end then smaller ones that have enough of everything and make it from conception to freezer.

 

[Harbisgirl]

Mothering ability from the first litter. So did the doe or the bucks doe need to "learn" nest making and such or not. For me good mothering is inborn, not learned, so mess up the first = go freezercamp along with if any surviving kits at 12-16 weeks, only exception would be me not providing what is needed.
Littersize is important, to many is just as bad as to few. For me the ideal is 3-5, but i raise dwarf rex for meat. For a standard size breed i'd say 6-8, since i can expect 8 teats on a doe that size and therefore all kits have the same drinking time per feeding. So ask littersizes and if any didn't make weaning/butchering age. Big litters with losses cost more in the end then smaller ones that have enough of everything and make it from conception to freezer.

Very helpful, thank you