When to harvest rex rabbits for meat, and when is best for fur?

[Starhollow]

Hi there! I got my first pair early this year and our first litter is 8 weeks old. Will I need to separate from mom now or can they hangout until the 16week mark when I can harvest. Also if I wanted to wait until the pelt was full would they be able to stay together that long? We have 2 hutches inside of a shed and I've opened the moms hutch to give them the shed space as well while dad is still locked in hutch. I'd love all the advice since I am new to all of this. TIA!

 

[a7736100]

I would harvest at 8 weeks or earlier for meat while it's still tender.

You'll have to separate the sexes. They may or may not fight in a group cage till fur harvest. If they fight they will damage the fur. I would harvest in winter when the fur is nice and thick.

You may find answers to fur farming here.
https://www.farmanimalreport.com/2020/02/29/beginner-guide-rabbit-farming-for-fur/

 

[Starhollow]

Thank you for the great article! I will deff find someone to help me sex them so I can properly separate them before the males start fighting!

 

[a7736100]

I'm not good at sexing. That's why sometimes I'm surprised by new borns in a group cage.

 

[mfalconer]

Personally I would butcher when young less than12 wk. 8 to 9 weeks is excellent. You can save furs from these young ones. They start to molt out of the juv coat around 10 to 12 weeks, so you may get hair slippage. These pelts are still fine to tan and learn on
They won't be the best. But hey it's rex! You can always keep a few longer to grow out. Over the years I've accumulated so many pelts I don't have time to deal with all them

 

[Starhollow]

Mine are 8 weeks now and don't seem big enough...what's the weight they should be at?

 

[Ducklove74]

About 5 lbs...litter size and type and amount of feed and of course genetics affect the time it takes them to get to this size..A bigger litter will grow out slower than a smaller one...normally my rabbits have a litter of 6 or 7 and I usually wait until 10 weeks but a litter of say 4 could ideally be 5 lbs at 8 weeks.

 

[Starhollow]

Thank you! That's the info I was looking for...5 pounds is a good weight...thank you again!

 

[Standardrexbreeder]

Rex are the perfect rabbit to raise for meat and fur I like to wait if you are going to raise for a pelt 6 months the meat isn't rough it is actually tender and you can even soak it in some butter milk I have raise flemish giants and Rex for 6 years and raised my rabbits to about 6 months if you can and butcher them at that age the pelt is perfect as well as the meat.