When to breed a French lop?

[Zab]

What age do you usually find your Flops (does) ready to breed?
Especially you who breed your stock earlier than most show/pet people and find that good for the rabbit.

What do you look for to decide when she's ready? My other rabbits are more meat breeds and feel round and nice at 8 weeks old (which of course is way earlier than I actually breed them..) but Fläder still feels very bony at 16 weeks. I've heard 16 weeks is ok if the rabbit feels mature.. I also know flops mature later rather than sooner and I never expected her to be ready at this age, but when do I know if she's mature enough and in good condition? I suspect she'll always be bonier than the meatballs :3

 

[skysthelimit]

Usually when the doe reaches 3/4 of her senior weight.

Only time I breed later if is I plan to actively show the doe, but on some breeds, some don't even fill out well until they are bred.

 

[Zab]

hm... I don't think I'll keep her untill she's ready to be bred.. she's still smaller than the pelts and she's supposed to be twice their size. But a friend is interested in her, perhaps I can trade her foe one of her younglings..<br /><br />__________ Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:23 am __________<br /><br />So this is the deal; Fläder will be given as a trade for Lakrits and then we'll throw some future kits into the deal just to make it complicated. So she's no longer mine, I'll replace her with another doe. Possibly a kit from Madra or the sisters... there will be some inbreeding on the meatballs but the breeding stock won't be inbred at least... hm.. or I'll get a kit from Ericas does..

 

[skysthelimit]

Last thing you want is a doe that grows slowly as a meat breed. Just culled all of that out of my Rexes. They are no good as meat if they are 2-3lbs live weight at 16 weeks.