what do you breed?

[MamaSheepdog]

My main herd is Standard Rex. I chose them because I love the fur and they are considered a dual purpose breed, bred for fur and meat.

Next I saw some LionHeads on Craigslist, and made the mistake of posting about them here on RT with a link to the ad. The dastardly enablers here practically forced me to get them! :angry: Turns out they were WAY oversized at over 5lbs, but I decided to try breeding maned Rex coated rabbits, and am on my second generation.

Of the original LHs, the buck Kingston went to a friend of mine, and we ate Pride, the doe. When I saw her dressed carcass, I rather regretted bonking her on the head since she was huge and meaty- but her genes live on, anyway.

She hasn't been on in a while, but Lindsey'sWoolys kept posting pics of her adorable Jersey Wooly kits, and I got a raging case of JerseyWoolyitis, and bought a trio. Sadly, one of my does died in a heat wave when none of us were home. I have yet to have a litter out of Showoff, the remaining doe.

Next, I accidentally acquired a Beveren doe at a show.

a-case-of-accidental-rabbitosis-aquireosis-t11089.html

So of course, I had to get a buck, and arranged to purchase one at the next show. I have since added another doe. I have only had one litter so far.

Lastly, I won an American Blue doe in a raffle at yet another show, and bought the buck from the little girl who won him in the raffle. They are juniors, almost 4 1/2 months old now.

While I love my Rex, rabbit consumption here is ever on the increase, and they take a long time to growout, so I am looking forward to expanding with the Beveren and Americans... but they are too large for my 24" x 30" doe cages in the BunnyBarn, so they are housed in some of my smaller growout pens.

I actually started looking through the SOP yesterday for another breed that will fit nicely in my doe cages in the BunnyBarn. :roll:

 

[Miss M]

I have small meat mutts from a minilop buck and a small Flemish cross doe, which I am slowly replacing with better stock.

I have one NZW doe, a Californian doe, and a Californian buck.

I am starting with big meat mutts. Good stock as far as I can tell. And they all taste good

:lol: Yeah, our first rabbit was a minilop somebody abandoned, and we rescued. We bought a doe to go with him. The lady who sold her to us was very honest. She said that this doe and another were sold to her as kits as Flemish Giants. As this doe grew, it became obvious that she was not pure Flemish -- she did not develop the mandolin shape. She was selling both does as Flemish crosses, and buying new stock from someone she knew sold purebred Flemmies.

She estimated the doe should top out at around 9 pounds as a Flemish cross. She only attained a little over 6. That's not the lady's fault... she had no idea how the doe would grow out, she could only guess.

So... an under 5# buck, and a slightly over 6# doe... yeah, no big bunnies there. But they're all made of rabbit meat, so we've gotten by.

 

[paintrider89]

Miss M
I am going to breed down some of my bigger does to my dutch. I like the idea of having some smaller rabbits, as it's only me and hubby here. But I want the bigger ones for family get togethers, when people are over ect. I have herd good things about mini lop crosses for meat.

MommaSheep
Sounds like quite the variety in your barn. I had read that rex don't grow out as fast, but I love the soft coat. If standards were easier to come by around here...

 

[gulien]

PaintRider89 :

Your wish is my command, lol. Meet Helf's Romeo / aka: Poppa Hoppa
Chinchilla Satin Sr. Buck, and bewildered father of 10

 

[paintrider89]

PaintRider89 :

Your wish is my command, lol. Meet Helf's Romeo / aka: Poppa Hoppa
Chinchilla Satin Sr. Buck, and bewildered father of 10

:thankyou:
He's beautiful! Are his eyes blue? My hubby found a kit that is almost that color. A nzw/satin/Flemish. The kit is slightly different. But your buck can come visit my girls any day he wants to take a cross country trip.

 

[Miss M]

Miss M
I am going to breed down some of my bigger does to my dutch. I like the idea of having some smaller rabbits, as it's only me and hubby here. But I want the bigger ones for family get togethers, when people are over ect. I have herd good things about mini lop crosses for meat.

Dutch are supposed to be little meat bricks. Maybe minilop crosses do well for meat normally, but... I think you're Dutch crosses will do better.

 

[tailwagging]

Creme d'argent, Silver (fawn),Argent Brun, palomino,bew MR.

 

[akane]

Sable Netherlands. pet quality because show quality is so hard to find around here but we are searching and do have 2 nice bucks just our doe line is from a petstore purchase and a blue doe who is DQ for multiple reasons. However they've paid for our feed for the past 2 years. I get 5 emails a month wanting small pet rabbits. We did breed the odd mini rex but I just butchered my last buck and only have my pet doe who was my first rabbit. I have 1 creme d'argent doe left from my mutt projects who produces so well I can't part with her so I breed her to whatever else I have.

We are just getting started in american sables. We had a little trouble with our starter rabbits. 1 failed 4 litters and then died. Another died on her 2nd litter producing 2 does worth keeping in her first litter. 1st generation took a few 4th places at shows last year and our 2nd generation is in the nest box. We are having coat condition issues which has turned out to be the very high quality, rich hay we feed. For some reason it causes the american sables to molt nonstop. None of the other rabbits have a problem and a few of the sables are doing ok so we are selecting for those that do well on our diet. That way we can reintroduce the hay. It's much cheaper to feed them on half hay and half pellets than all pellets.

 

[paintrider89]

Miss M
I am going to breed down some of my bigger does to my dutch. I like the idea of having some smaller rabbits, as it's only me and hubby here. But I want the bigger ones for family get togethers, when people are over ect. I have herd good things about mini lop crosses for meat.

Dutch are supposed to be little meat bricks. Maybe minilop crosses do well for meat normally, but... I think you're Dutch crosses will do better.

I hope so. My buck is a solid little thing. So I would assumed crossed correct with big does I should do well. I'll keep you updated
You retired you lop right?

 

[JDWest]

For rabbits we breed purebred Flemish Giants and Astrex. I like ridiculously big bunnies. And i really like running my hands through my quirky Astrex's fur. We also breed dairy goats.
I say we since my man is the muscle, while i make the decisions...Together we are MasterBlaster! :-3

 

[Miss M]

Dutch are supposed to be little meat bricks. Maybe minilop crosses do well for meat normally, but... I think you're Dutch crosses will do better.

I hope so. My buck is a solid little thing. So I would assumed crossed correct with big does I should do well. I'll keep you updated
You retired you lop right?

Yes, he gave us one litter. Then he became too gentlemanly. :? We raised a buck and a doe from the litter (my kids' picks of our first litter), and the buck (Pinto) became our working buck.

 

[skysthelimit]

For some reason it causes the american sables to molt nonstop.

Had that problem with the JW. As soon as I introduced the higher protein feed the Rex started breeding, and the JW went into an ugly molt, of which the bucks are just recovering.

 

[amandainohio24]

We raise Lionheads (have Blue, Black, REW, Smoke Pearl, and Siamese Sable). I might be acquiring a very handsome little Tort buck here shortly. Just need to double check with my kids to see if they think he is as cute as I do. He is a tiny little guy weighing in at 2.1 pounds.

 

[Doug51]

I also have American sables only had them about 3 months now but really enjoy working with them nice and mellow I'll start breeding in sept. So hoping they will produce well.a couple weeks ago I bought a cinnamon buck and three does so we will see how they workout nice meaty good looking buns.I also have a tiro of standard chinchilla I thought I would try some just for the fun of it, not to impressed they are a pretty breed but gee a little to high strung for me so I think they will be leaving soon, and since I don't like having empty cages around I guess that means I can get more rabbits.I would love to get american chins but no breeders anywhere close to me I have seen a few ads on cl for some american blues a road trip may be in my future

 

[paintrider89]

Lol. Did his job once as thanks. Then became a pet. He had that planned just right.

 

[Blossomacres]

I breed French Angoras, New Zealand Reds, and Satins.

My French Angoras were the breed I initially started with and probably my favorite of the 3. I have been working very hard on breeding for rabbits that as I like to say - are built like a New Zealand and wool like a hybrid. So far I have been absolutely amazed with my litters. I specialize in red, shaded, and Ruby Eyed White. The French Angoras are easy maintenance, good mothers, gentle and friendly, and have good meaty bodies - so very multipurpose!

My Satin project is very small with only a breeding pair at this point. I am specializing in black and broken black at this point. These rabbits are gentle and very good mothers and are excellent meat rabbits. I have been very happy with how these babies have been progressing as well.

And then my New Zealands. I started out in the white but later switched to the reds as I loved the color. Currently I just have a junior red buck who is looking for a wife Sadly it is hard to come by a nice, deep red in our area so I am not jumping at whatever I find or see.

All my rabbits are pedigreed and show quality. I breed mainly for show but also for the fiber on my angoras and for meat. I regularly show so I am trying to keep my lines competitive and am currently just focusing on these 3 breeds so I can maintain the quality.

I also love other breeds but we all know that you can't have everything... I am limited on cage space and am in college and have to be able ot have enough time to care for what I have.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

Hollands

 

[paintrider89]

There is such a variety of rabbit breeds that everyone uses, and almost no one has only one breed. This thread explains why there is to much good info on this site!

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I just breed for meat and started with some Californians. The came as a package deal, so I also have a black and a broken black NZx. The broken is a buck who throws some blue kits, so I kept a blue. I recently added a NZW trio so I can keep a straight line of NZWS and a straight line of Calis and cross them for that hybrid vigor. I also have an extra trio of calis I got from my NZ breeder. Not sure where they fit in my plan yet. I really just breed for meat for my own family, but I have sold a few and traded some kits for the new calis and NZs.

 

[paintrider89]

I just breed for meat and started with some Californians. The came as a package deal, so I also have a black and a broken black NZx. The broken is a buck who throws some blue kits, so I kept a blue. I recently added a NZW trio so I can keep a straight line of NZWS and a straight line of Calis and cross them for that hybrid vigor. I also have an extra trio of calis I got from my NZ breeder. Not sure where they fit in my plan yet. I really just breed for meat for my own family, but I have sold a few and traded some kits for the new calis and NZs.

Sounds like you are set up well for what you need. I did some trading to get my herd put together is well. Isn't it wonderful that barter works in the animal world?