what age to butcher for meat AND pelt

[Zinnia]

I raise French Angoras and really need to get a handle on culling and using the meat and pelt.

I've been tossing the first crop of wool, harvesting the second crop and butchering after that... That generally puts me at around 4 months to butcher, but the skin seems too tender (fleshing is really difficult...).

Does anyone have advice on when to butcher for the best pelt, meat and wool from French Angoras?

Thanks,
Zinnia

 

[akane]

Normally 4 months would be fine but I believe I've heard from others on here that wool breeds are slower growing from putting so much in to their coats. It might take until 6months to get a good pelt. I'm not sure if they'd still be good as roasters at that age. If they really are growing a little slower then they should be fine as roasters instead of stew. You can crockpot rabbits of any age with usually good results.

 

[Zass]

And don't forget the meat grinder, if you have one! Older rabbits make good bunny burger.

 

[Sagebrush]

I need to get a grinder.....

 

[skip]

And don't forget the meat grinder, if you have one! Older rabbits make good bunny burger.

Now how did that never occur to me!? I just happen to have an amazing meat grinder, and an equally amazingly old doe processed!

May I hijack this thread slightly for the same question but with satins? I've only just started dabbling in pelts, and this is my first trio of satins. I've got a litter at six weeks now, and only one is spoken for so I'll be making space the old fashioned way soon enough. I was planning on growing them out to four months, since that's when my jr buck's coat grew into something respectable. That's an awfully long time to feed them though, and an awful lot of space to dedicate to keeping the peace with large litters. Is it unrealistic to expect to be able to get decent pelts out of satin litters, should I just stick to tanning older rabbits when they're retired?

The first pelt I tried was from a four month old satin buck, and while the fur is very pretty the skin is much smaller than the aforementioned old doe. Am I just setting myself up for too much work here?

 

[MaggieJ]

In France, Rex du Poitou rabbits provide a good pelt at about 20 weeks. I suggest you try your rabbits at five months rather than four. They should still be excellent roasters at that age. The Rex du Poitou rabbits are dual purpose. 60% of their value lies in their pelts; 40% in their meat. The fur is known as Orylag and it is very expensive.

http://www.rex-du-poitou.com/
http://www.orylag.com/version_anglaise/

 

[Zinnia]

Thanks guys!

I was getting so discouraged about this... feeling like I need to do this right or give it up. I will try going to 6 months, then.

I need a new strategy.

I think I need to breed only in the spring and get the little ones out in rabbit tractors to get full on grass. They'll have 6 months to grow without spending a fortune on feed. I'll need to pay attention to the wool in hopes to get a couple good crops before butcher.

How on earth are you all fleshing these guys? I can do deer, calf, goats... but these guys are not easy to flesh.... any tips?

Zinnia

 

[GBov]

If space is an issue just keep a few bucks back and grow them out for 6 months. They make tougher hides so the fur is better quality and a few at a time is easier on the budget than an entire litter.

I flesh under running water using just my fingers but many put the hides into a curing solution and flesh when they are done.

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't take pelts until the jr prime around 4-6 mos. I've found 5 is best too. I flesh after the first solution soak. It peels right off, usually in strips.

 

[Lloyd]

20 weeks I say is the minimum

 

[michaels4gardens]

Hides start to toughen up after sexual maturity, -[sexual maturity with large breeds starts at about 12 weeks,] so-- you need to wait until at least a month after that to harvest, if you want hides that tear less easily. [ fur goes in and out of "prime" - so you need to look at the fur and butcher accordingly, as your stock will have its own cycles], -The people I knew that raised rex fur, harvested at 5 to 6 months, - as far as tough meat goes, - if you brine the carcass in a salt/ water solution [1 cup salt / gallon of water- [use pickling salt or rock salt -not table salt ] in the fridge for a week, they will be surprisingly tender. You can freeze, or use any way you want after that.