Nz's vs champagne d'argent vs?

[azbowhunter]

The two breeders I know of in AZ that breed champagnes are sky island, and a nice lady near Wickenburg.
I like sky island, though the email I got from her was a little curt.
The lady in wickenburg is nice, was very helpful, but her stock came from sky island.
Yes, I can get started through them, art a cost of about $150 for 2 and 2, just picking them up when I make my run to show low in October to butcher my hogs.
Sky island also has a domestic cottontail breed that's quite intriguing...exceptional meat flavor i'm told.
No idea how the genetics would cross between those and anything else, if at all.
I will discuss these ideas with swmbo (she who must be obeyed) aka my honey, later this evening, as the meds start kicking in, but before I sack out.
Falling off a 16.2 hand horse sucks...thank GOD himself for copious amounts of Jack Daniels and Motrin!
Now, the kicker is in the morning...hope I can function at work!

 

[LauraNJ]

I think if the rarer breeds appeal to you, then you should concentrate on finding them. I struggled with the same thing. Do I start with easy to find breed that is not perhaps a breed that I am excited about but I would gain experience or do I start with a breed that really appeals to me.

I choose to just start with a breed that appealed to me, that I was excited about. THere are pros and cons to both ways of approaching it. At this point I am happy I started off with a breed that I really like. That every hutch has a rabbit I really wanted, that I didn't settle just so I could start breeding them.

I did start with relatively young rabbits and am glad I did. They have become used to our Lab, the kids, including twin toddlers, the neighbors dogs who come to visit and so on. They barely bat an eyelash at the riding mower or weed wacker or chainsaw running. It is all normal to them. Wishing you success in your search!

 

[Piper]

Time to get back on track here I think...lol
Piper, how goes your champagne breeding program?
How many different lines do you have?
Think you might have a pair of does you might be able to part with in the somewhat near future?

Woah - you did not change far enough, you need to change audiences, too.
It is Kyle@theHeathertoft that has the rabbits, you are interested in. Just how bad was the fall and how much liquid pain relief have you had. ))

 

[GBov]

I will put in a vote for NZs as I, mostly, have NZs. I love their size, their mellow natures and how fast they grow and how thick and fluffy their fur is.

And they come in many more colors than just white

Oh, and a HUGE vote for young stock. I jumped in to rabbits with a trio my hubby bought me but its only in hte last few months that I have learned to handle my rabbits without fear. Meat rabbits are BIG! And armed on five of their six ends!

I fell in love with American Chinchillas but am soooooo glad I settled for my NZs, we still havnt found more than one amchin in our area and she is a skittish thing and makes skittish babies. Having heard of fostering a skittish does babies onto a calm doe to see if they calm down, am planning to time Twitchy's next litter with Ruby's next litter and see if it works.

 

[skysthelimit]

So the debate is raging on FB, one person says champagnes are boney compared to NZ. I don't know but I do believe NZ's grow faster than anything.
The lady said she had some "colored" NZs, I surely hope so cause I don't care for REW. All things equal, I'll take the colored NZ over champagnes.

 

[LauraNJ]

The breeder we got our Beverens from also has Americans, Silver Fox, and NZs in White, blue and Red. I've thought about getting NZs in the blue or red but want to first get some Blue Beverens and Black Beverens so I can have Chocolates and Lilacs.

Rabbits are so, so addicting!

 

[WildWolf]

I found a breeder who breeds NZR, NZW, Champange D'argent, Silver Fox, Cal, and some pet types like English Spot and American. Anyway, I can't decide! I really like Silver Fox and Champange D'Argent, but I also like NZR... Is there a difference between their meat quality? Does one grow faster...? I guess it depends on the line, but still.

 

[skysthelimit]

As far as I know NZ's and Cals, NZW more so, grow faster than anything else there is, except Altex crosses.

And I've been told that heritage breeds like Silver Fox do have a different meat quality.

 

[GBov]

Right now I have NZ red, blue, black, gold tipped steel and rew. And the breeder I went to have broken in most of the above.

Addicting? OMG you are so right! :lol:

My last two litters made just over 5 pounds at 12 weeks even in the heat and with 14 in the grow out cage.

That is one really good reason to have NZs.

 

[azbowhunter]

Time to get back on track here I think...lol
Piper, how goes your champagne breeding program?
How many different lines do you have?
Think you might have a pair of does you might be able to part with in the somewhat near future?

Woah - you did not change far enough, you need to change audiences, too.
It is Kyle@theHeathertoft that has the rabbits, you are interested in. Just how bad was the fall and how much liquid pain relief have you had. ))

Hahaha! Yeah, I think I had a wee more than I thought...but it was only two!
The fall was pretty rough... I figure I fell about 6 feet, flat onto my shoulder and back, bounced my melon pretty good, too.
So, thanks for the correction piper!
Kyle, your thoughts on the subject?

 

[WildWolf]

So NZs grow faster and Champagne and Silver Fox have beautiful fur... I don't like Cals just because their nose-spot-thing (what do you call it?) looks weird to me when they are adults. Just my opinion

 

[3mina]

I found a breeder who breeds NZR, NZW, Champange D'argent, Silver Fox, Cal, and some pet types like English Spot and American. Anyway, I can't decide! I really like Silver Fox and Champange D'Argent, but I also like NZR... Is there a difference between their meat quality? Does one grow faster...? I guess it depends on the line, but still.

The fastest growers are the NZWs because they've been raised by large scale operations because of their white pelts that could be dyed into all sorts of 'other' furs. I've never seen a difference in meat quality between breeds in regards to taste. Quality can depend on age, health etc. Personally, I've never been that fond of NZWs but I've not had any amount of good luck with them.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

how goes your champagne breeding program?

I'll let you know once my does kindle. I bought a pair of five-month-olds a couple months back, they SHOULD be bred but alas, I suck at palpating so we shall see! If they did take, this'd be their first litter each. Plus I can't take much from the breeding except to see how the does handle being mothers, since the buck is a NZ.

How many different lines do you have?

Well, if I recall properly, my does are related. They're from the same breeder, anyways. I'm hoping to get a good buck to complement them soon but as I'm sure you are aware, finding good stock can be a real challenge! Until I get a decent buck, I'm keeping my NZ buck...though he'll go once I have a Champagne buck.

Think you might have a pair of does you might be able to part with in the somewhat near future?

If I don't have some good, pure Champagne kits born by next summer, I will be very unhappy indeed!

The think I've liked about my Champagnes is that nothing bothers them. The day I bought those two does, I imagine it had to be very scary for them...they'd been hauled all over, passed around to judges and things at the show, had to experience being sold and carted home by a total stranger, then placed in totally unfamiliar surroundings...and they were totally calm. One was doing happy "binky" hops as soon as she was in her new cage. They've never failed to clean their feeders out, they let me get ahold of them with no fussing, and they have already grown a fair bit. I'd say they are almost as large as my NZ bucks when they were the same age...and I like how the Champagnes are filling out.

Don't get me wrong, the remaining NZ buck (all others were eaten a while back) is a very nice rabbit, and I'm hoping these two litters of crossbred kits will be good "meat mutts," but for the docile, beautiful and tractable Champagne, to me there is no commercial-breed equal.

Plus with Champagnes you get the joy of color-changing kits!

Not that I'm biased or anything... :mrgreen:

 

[azbowhunter]

I just can't get past those satanic looking red eyes on the nz's.
In my mind, rabbits have darker colored eyes, luxurious and amazingly soft fur, and are quite playful.
Ok, now i'm definitely narrowed down to champagnes and silver fox...
Legend, how are your buns doing?

 

[3mina]

Ironically, the FWs are REW as well but don't have the same expression as the NZW, much nicer faces

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't care much for solid colored animals to begin with. I have lots of REW in my Rex lines, usually they get sold or culled, and I don't like their surprise genetics.

Honestly I want faster growth, but my Rex breeder also raises silver fox as well...

 

[OneAcreFarm]

My Cals and NZW are awesome rabbits! I thought the eyes were spooky at first too, but it grows on you...LOL! I also have Rex and just recently added American Blues to the mix. I would LOVE to eventually have some NZR as well...they are so beautiful!

 

[LauraNJ]

I found a breeder who breeds NZR, NZW, Champange D'argent, Silver Fox, Cal, and some pet types like English Spot and American. Anyway, I can't decide! I really like Silver Fox and Champange D'Argent, but I also like NZR... Is there a difference between their meat quality? Does one grow faster...? I guess it depends on the line, but still.

The Americans are a heritage meat breed, they just have a mandolin body shape. NZWs were developed by using the white Americans along with a couple other breeds.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

If you are looking for good size, growth and pretty fur...in addition to Champs and SF, American Chinchillas are great commercial body type meat rabbits. Big and meaty, with a lovely ringed fur....they are on the Critical list at the ALBC.

http://albc-usa.org/images/giantchincilla.jpg

The American Rabbit is a completely different breed...it has a mandolin shape and is recognized in White and Blue. Beautiful fur and lovely temperament.

http://albc-usa.org/images/american.jpg

Americans and Silver Fox are both on the Endangered list at the ALBC. I think whichever one you eventually chose, you will have a great time with. They all have really interesting fur and make great meat rabbits. Being a Heritage breed would just be a bonus!

 

[WildWolf]

I think I'm going to start with Champagne D'argent because the breeder (10min away!!!! ) has some from a doe who won Best of Show out of 200-ish rabbits! Although the Silver Fox was beautiful and they were pretty docile, and is a rare breed. But his New Zealand Reds were huge and docile too...