Which Buck To Keep?

[Mags]

I have 2 really nice NZ bucks (brothers), but I want to keep only one for breeding. I will sell the other. I need help deciding on which is the better one for improving my meat lines.

Buck 1 REW: Bigger buck by 1-2 pounds; I think he weighs around 12 lbs (not fat just a big boy). Broader in shoulders. Good loin. Sweet. Nothing structurally bad about him.
Buck 2 REW: Smaller than buck 1, I think he weighs 10 lbs. Has a deep and wide loin (prime for his structure). More narrow in the shoulders. Has straighter legs than buck 1. Sweet as well. Over all, he has better conformation.

Both are better than a lot of breeders I've seen. I don't have a scale, so I don't know their exact weights. Can somebody give me an idea of where my meet line will go if I keep one or the other? I have a NZ doe as big as buck1, another NZ and a Cali bigger than buck2, smaller than buck1. Hope this makes sense. I won't be able to get pics today.

Both bucks are not proven. Thanks!

 

[Mags]

PS. I'm new to breeding meat rabbits, I take market rabbit as a 4H project . Any information is helpful.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

I don't have meat rabbits but I would think that big and not fat would be better

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

How old are they? Is this full adult weight of both? I would opt for whichever gained weight faster, in hopes that the offspring will also reach a heavier weight more rapidly. If they are still growing, I'd not choose the 10lber as he's a slow grower compared to his brother. If neither seemed to grow faster, I'd probably choose the larger one in hopes the kits would be larger. But I'm no a genetics expert LOL, so maybe that's not the best course of action. If you have the space, retain both to breed for a litter or two and then determine who gave you better kits. Then you could sell the other as a proven buck as well.

 

[Mags]

How old are they? Is this full adult weight of both? I would opt for whichever gained weight faster, in hopes that the offspring will also reach a heavier weight more rapidly. If they are still growing, I'd not choose the 10lber as he's a slow grower compared to his brother. If neither seemed to grow faster, I'd probably choose the larger one in hopes the kits would be larger. But I'm no a genetics expert LOL, so maybe that's not the best course of action. If you have the space, retain both to breed for a litter or two and then determine who gave you better kits. Then you could sell the other as a proven buck as well.

Both of these guys are 11 months. They where given to me, so I don't know if one or the other gained weight faster. I do know their line info. I would love to hang onto them, but one has to go. Wish I could breed both. I don't think the big one will give my does problems. What would be too big for a doe? Only reason I considered the 10lb was becuase he keeps catching my eye, something about him makes me want to keep him, so I had to ask. Lol.

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

How much smaller is the other doe compared to the larger buck? Sound like not by much if she's bigger than the smaller buck. One or three pounds wouldn't really be much of a concern. I've paired a 12lb buck with a 10lb doe who gave me 11 normal kits and with a 9lb who gave me 6 large, fast-growing kits. You get more concern with a significantly larger buck (think 12lb to a 4lb). The buck could harm her during mating at that size difference, and the kits have the potential of being larger and more difficult to birth. Personally, if they are of the same litter, I'd opt for the larger buck since it seems like he got better genes by being bigger.

 

[Albert]

Only reason I considered the 10lb was becuase he keeps catching my eye, something about him makes me want to keep him, so I had to ask. Lol.

Always go with your gut feeling, if you let him go you be wondering what if?