When is the best time to process rabbits?

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Philip

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I have some meat rabbits that need to be processed the lady I bought the mom and dad from told me to process at 10 weeks? Dose that sound right? Their a mix of giant Flemish and new Zealand. They look small to me but this is my first time processing rabbits. Any help would be great!
 
First off, welcome to the forum!!! There is no hard and fast rule about when to process...some like 10 weeks, I personally wait to 16 weeks because I want to evaluate for possible show-quality rabbits. :) Some people prefer to wait longer, it all depends on what works best for you. :)

Sometimes they will look awfully small compared to their doe. Maybe try weighing them? Most folk with commercial-type stock aim for about five pounds before they dress them out.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes! :)
 
8-12 weeks or 5 pounds seem to be good guidelines to start with. I usually start looking at them at 10 weeks and when I feel they are big enough, I just process them on the first convenient day.
 
When they hit 5lbs. Different breeds and mixes will get there at a different time so you can't say butcher at x weeks unless you are talking a good standard commercial breed like pure NZ or cali from good meat stock.
 
I butcher at 8 weeks, no special reason it is just how we done it as long as I can remember.
when I get my heard back up and start breeding again. I will wait for them to reach 10 to 12 weeks.
I want to see if the extra few weeks will produce a better quality rabbit.
 
CWD":3jtijlzg said:
I butcher at 8 weeks, no special reason it is just how we done it as long as I can remember.
when I get my heard back up and start breeding again. I will wait for them to reach 10 to 12 weeks.
I want to see if the extra few weeks will produce a better quality rabbit.
Click to expand...

I personally think so...I got fed up with a line of obnoxious-tempered meat mutts a while back and decided to process a whole litter (plus their awful dam) when they were just eight weeks...and it wasn't as good as I was used to. :) I think the extra time gives them more muscle and they just have more mass...BUT, as with all things, YMMV. :)
 
It depends to a great extent to how you want to use them.For fryers 8 weeks is about right. They have to be tender for fryers. For stewing 10 weeks and up to full maturity (When you get around to it is the rule there). If you have a market for raw feed diet meat or use it that way yourself, that's a good niche for used up breeders.
 
Kyle@theHeathertoft":2kdqahjq said:
First off, welcome to the forum!!! There is no hard and fast rule about when to process...some like 10 weeks, I personally wait to 16 weeks because I want to evaluate for possible show-quality rabbits. :) Some people prefer to wait longer, it all depends on what works best for you. :)

Sometimes they will look awfully small compared to their doe. Maybe try weighing them? Most folk with commercial-type stock aim for about five pounds before they dress them out.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes! :)
Click to expand...


Thanks for the quick reply I will just wait a couple more weeks (till their 12 weeks old) and do it then.. This will be my first time processing. So I will keep you posted.
 
mine are meat mutts, but very large and bred for meat. no flemish in the mix.to me it seems after 12 weeks they get tuff!often ill start butchering them at 10 weeks for fryers and on into 12 weeks they will end up in the oven for bbq bunny.they git older than that and i will bone them out and make bbq boneless bunny.
 
I weigh mine and when they weigh 5Lbs. I butcher, usually at 10-12 weeks. I raise NZ, Calif, and Holland Lops.
 

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