Weights for meat rabbits.

[HansenHomestead]

I am needing some advice on our meat rabbits. We have Cals, and Harlequin/Checkered Giant crosses for our meat stock. So their genetics are all for larger size. We have a litter that is 10 weeks old, and about 3 other litters that are 9 weeks old. I just did a weight check, and we're averaging 1 1/2lbs - 2lbs. Which seems a little small to me, we want to butcher at 10-12 weeks, and were hoping for at least 4-5lbs at that age. All the rabbits are on AgriMaster complete pellet 17, and also get different sorts of hay, and oatmeal.

Were we are we have not been able to find anything higher than a 17% protein feed. So we're probably going to start going to a feed mill 35 minutes from us that we know has more/better options.

What are some ways that we could get higher weights around the 10-12 week mark?

 

[Knacker]

I just posted yesterday our 9 week weigh-in of a NZW litter. The top 3 which will be kept for breeding are just over 4 1/2 lbs; the other 4 are around 4 lbs. If we hadn't weaned them at 4 weeks their weights would have been higher.

We feed them unlimited 15% protein rabbit rations, first cut alfalfa hay and supplement a small amount of BOSS and Calf Mana. Generally kits will grow slower in winter but we have a small propane catalytic heater keeping temps above freezing.

Our goal is to have all our grow-outs weighing between 4 and 5 lbs in the 8-10 week range. So far we are on track.

What are the weights of your breeders?

 

[HansenHomestead]

Our smallest doe weights I think 6lbs, and the others are 8-9lbs, and they are almost a year old.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I am needing some advice on our meat rabbits. We have Cals, and Harlequin/Checkered Giant crosses for our meat stock. So their genetics are all for larger size. We have a litter that is 10 weeks old, and about 3 other litters that are 9 weeks old. I just did a weight check, and we're averaging 1 1/2lbs - 2lbs. Which seems a little small to me, we want to butcher at 10-12 weeks, and were hoping for at least 4-5lbs at that age. All the rabbits are on AgriMaster complete pellet 17, and also get different sorts of hay, and oatmeal.

Were we are we have not been able to find anything higher than a 17% protein feed. So we're probably going to start going to a feed mill 35 minutes from us that we know has more/better options.

What are some ways that we could get higher weights around the 10-12 week mark?

first a few questions,
are you feeding the growing rabbits and nursing mothers on all they can eat "rabbit pellets"?
or are you limit feeding pellets?
do mothers or young look "unthrifty" rough coat, thin back etc.? [parasites, cocci]
How much Checkered do these rabbits have mixed in? [ In my experience, ... Checkered giants were great for adding mothering ability or lengthening out the frame in some meat lines , but grow-out times and carcass quality do not compare well with good quality New Zealand, or Cali. breed stock.] - I have no experience with Harlequin
Is there a chance that they are not getting enough water 24 / 7, to eat and digest all the feed they could be eating?
and lastly the pellets, -if the pellets are not from a manufacturer [ local milling Co.] with a good reputation, they could be tainted with mold toxin [, from long storage times] , or the pellets could be low in digestible energy, or digestible protein -- energy+ protein equal growth ,[ assuming there are no glaring vitamin/mineral deficiencies] .
Are you aware of any other rabbit producers feeding this pellet, could they have similar experience?
Too much hay in a growing rabbits diet will drastically slow growth rate, [low energy]

with good genetics and a good quality 16% pellet, I can get 4+ lb. fryer weights at 8 weeks.[with 7 or 8 kits]

 

[wamplercathy]

Here's what my averages have been looking like.

1st litter Doe 1:
9wks = 3.598lbs
Did not free feed doe at first, but quickly started.

2nd litter Doe 2:
8wks = 2.902lbs
Did not free feed doe at first, but quickly started.

3rd litter Doe 2:
6wks = 3.17
Free feeding from beginning.

4th litter Doe 3:
3wks = 1.05Lbs
Free feeding from beginning. Only feeding 2 kits.

Doe 1 and 2 are NZW
Doe 3 NZW/AmChin
Buck used NZW/Cal
Feeding:
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/16-rabb ... 76401/cl1/
and all the hay they can eat.
Do give a couple tablespoons of Boss to help milk come in. Only a couple times. Like 2 at morning feeding and 2 at evening feeding for the day of delivery. But that's all, don't want them getting too chunky. :x :lol: :lol: That's just not good for business.

Hope this helps,
Cathy

 

[HansenHomestead]

are you feeding the growing rabbits and nursing mothers on all they can eat "rabbit pellets"?
or are you limit feeding pellets?

All rabbits have a J-Feeder that I refill twice a day.

do mothers or young look "unthrifty" rough coat, thin back etc.? [parasites, cocci]

All mother, and kits have a nice shiny coat, and are quite fluffy. I did lose a few kits, but I chalked it up to the cold as it has been a bit bitter in the garage. I would say that I have 1-2 kits that look overall good in health, but have thin-ish back, but they have the Checkered Giant in them, and I have notices that they are more "lanky" than "round."

How much Checkered do these rabbits have mixed in? [ In my experience, ... Checkered giants were great for adding mothering ability or lengthening out the frame in some meat lines , but grow-out times and carcass quality do not compare well with good quality New Zealand, or Cali. breed stock.] - I have no experience with Harlequin

Checkered Giant is in 2 of our litters. So the kits would be Checkered Giant/Harlequin/Californian. I guess to better explain the crosses with my 2 breeders does is this. My doe Oswin, has the colors, and body type of the Checkered Giant (lanky, not thin, but small framed,) but her sister "B" has the colors, and body type of the Harlequin. (larger, and full bodied.) So their kits resemble their mother, with a bit of the Californian body mixed in.

Is there a chance that they are not getting enough water 24 / 7, to eat and digest all the feed they could be eating?

I do try to keep the bottles full at all times though most nights the kits will empty their water bottles while we are sleeping, and I do not refill them until the next morning.

and lastly the pellets, -if the pellets are not from a manufacturer [ local milling Co.] with a good reputation, they could be tainted with mold toxin [, from long storage times] , or the pellets could be low in digestible energy, or digestible protein -- energy+ protein equal growth ,[ assuming there are no glaring vitamin/mineral deficiencies] .

Right now we are buying our feed from a store called Farm & Fleet. We buy it in a 50lbs bag. When we get home I dump each bag into a big bin, and look through it as best I can, and I have never noticed any mold/off smells/or foreign objects in the feed. I did recently talk to my husband, and have decided to start going to a feed mill that is 35 minutes from there that another member of RT, DBA goes too, to get feed for his rabbits, and he recommended going there.

Are you aware of any other rabbit producers feeding this pellet, could they have similar experience?

No I am not, I really do not know many breeders around here, lol. The few I have heard about I did not hear many good details about.

Too much hay in a growing rabbits diet will drastically slow growth rate, [low energy]

The adults, and breeders get quite a bit of hay, but the kits I would say I toss some in with them maybe twice a week.

 

[Zass]

My harlequins are not efficient weight gainers.

I can put infinite good quality feed in front of them and all they gain is fat.

Great temper and mothering, and they sure can carry and feed large litters for their size!

I completely gave up on butchering near 8 weeks though, and content myself with processing closer to the 12-16 week range.

For me, being able to feed them less pellets, and a lot of forage, hay, and even kitchen scraps helps offset the cost of the longer growout time. I think I'm actually spending less money feeding the harlis to 16 weeks than the Silverfox and their crosses to 9 weeks.


As an experiment, perhaps you could try adding pumpkin seed to the next litters feed, starting with the dam when she gives birth.
It helps expel some parasites, as well as providing a very well rounded protein source.

 

[Knacker]

Our smallest doe weights I think 6lbs, and the others are 8-9lbs, and they are almost a year old.

OK. The parents of the litter I mentioned are both in the 11 lb range. Besides what other posters have mentioned you could very well be fighting max size genetics too.

 

[DBA]

have you bred straight cal to cal yet?
if not, try that, no mix breeding, just cal to cal. If you do, and use the cals you got from me, you should notice a pretty good jump in weight gain and growth.

BTW: I have a new buck and doe that I will introduce into the breeding program throughout the spring. completely new blood lines, but nice built rabbits. Once I get some litters from them, I will be able to see how long they will last in my breeding program. I just bred the buck to ALice yesterday. Alice is the mother of one buck and a doe you got from me. I will see what she produces. Then I will try the new doe (in another month or so) to Jasper (father of all of your cals) and see how she does, then breed her again to the new buck to see what she throws.
In any case, I should be able to help you out with a couple more does if you want to replace your meat mutts. Oh, and I have three litters of cals right now, but all of identical genetics of what you currently have

 

[HansenHomestead]

Hey DBA was hoping you'd jump in. Yes we have 1 litter that I took Luna, to Phantom. Which we got both from you, and they are still not as large as I thought they would be. Luna is due to have another litter on the 11th. We're also going to start going to the Wooster Feed Mill near you. I really do want to start getting them on a better preforming food.

All of our Cals are a good size, their kits are just growing slow as hell. Once we pet off this mixed litter we may be stop by, and pick up a Mini Lop. I've been wanting a lop anyways, lol.

 

[michaels4gardens]

JMHO, -- If the goal is to raise meat rabbits, -- then a focus on meat producing genetics is all important. The Breed, is less important than individual line qualities. Too many people get started in rabbit raising without a focus on exactly what their goals are.
If a person wants to raise pets, the goals and priorities are quite different. Trying to add color to a meat breed, so they can be more attractive as pets, is like starting completely over with a line of rabbits.
I suggest that... once the goals are determined, a "new breeder" should look around and find some "Proven breed stock" that match their goals, and go on from there. A gentile tweaking of known genetics, by careful selection is usually a success...,

- but-- breeding several lines, and breeds of rabbits together is going to be a big problem [ especially for an inexperienced breeder], in the short term [for 8 or 10 generations], I seriously doubt that most rabbit breeders can, will, or really want to- take the time to remake , and then prove new genetic lines. again--- JMHO

 

[Rainey]

Our smallest doe weights I think 6lbs, and the others are 8-9lbs, and they are almost a year old.

OK. The parents of the litter I mentioned are both in the 11 lb range. Besides what other posters have mentioned you could very well be fighting max size genetics too.

Mine are mutts, originally NZW and SF. I'm not feeding any pellets--they get hay, grain, roots, fresh forage, fodder (mix changes through the seasons) I have one doe just over 9 pounds but the others and the buck are 7-almost 8 pounds. I don't weigh at 10 weeks but the 8 week kits weight averages 2.5 pounds. I've often wondered how the eventual adult weight affects the time it takes to reach 5 pounds and am hoping the junior buck we saved last year (who is already heavier than either of his parents) will improve our weights. The best gain seems to be from 8 to 12 weeks, about half a pound a week. Then it seems to slow down again. But I don't have enough experience/records to be confident of that.

 

[Knacker]

Our smallest doe weights I think 6lbs, and the others are 8-9lbs, and they are almost a year old.

OK. The parents of the litter I mentioned are both in the 11 lb range. Besides what other posters have mentioned you could very well be fighting max size genetics too.

Mine are mutts, originally NZW and SF. I'm not feeding any pellets--they get hay, grain, roots, fresh forage, fodder (mix changes through the seasons) I have one doe just over 9 pounds but the others and the buck are 7-almost 8 pounds. I don't weigh at 10 weeks but the 8 week kits weight averages 2.5 pounds. I've often wondered how the eventual adult weight affects the time it takes to reach 5 pounds and am hoping the junior buck we saved last year (who is already heavier than either of his parents) will improve our weights. The best gain seems to be from 8 to 12 weeks, about half a pound a week. Then it seems to slow down again. But I don't have enough experience/records to be confident of that.

We have a NZB doe who is 10 lb and although she was bred with the same big buck as the 11 lb NZW doe, her litter's individual sizes are smaller and growing slower than when we breed NZW-NZW. Feeding is identical so all I can point to is genetics between rabbits.