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12K views 49 replies 20 participants last post by  Equilibrium 
#1 ·
What are the usual rabbits that are for meat. Any that are better than the others?
 
#2 ·
There are several breeds of rabbits that are used for meat. The most common are Californians and New Zealands. Some other meat (and dual purpose) breeds include Cinnamon, American Chinchilla, Palomino, Satin, etc. What you are basically looking for is rabbit breeds that run in the 8-12 pound range for an adult rabbit. The giant breeds will get larger, but their meat-to-bone ratio is not as good.

Hope this helps
 
#5 ·
I picked up two Californians today. A buck and a doe. Will give them a couple of weeks to settle in, and will probably be breeding them around the beginning of next month. In the meantime, will have to get them used to being handled a little more, so they don't get too nervous when I'm out there tending to garden and "fertilizer removal" chores.
 
#8 ·
You are on your way , my friend...........does come into heat every 28 days, you put her in the buck's pen( that's a Kodak moment in itself) and then get ready for several babies.......most are good mothers........now, the trick is, to put them in the freezer at 12 wks.....they'll feed off of mom for most of the time......when they begin to eat pellets, it's time.
 
#14 ·
Dont forget to consider Florida Whites. They are simular to NZ but slightly smaller in frame compared to the NZ's, but they produce nearly as much meat due to the much smaller bone structure resulting in more meat per a pound of feed over the larger breeds. Smaller Rabbit, requires smaller housing and less feed yet produce a comparable amount of meat.
 
#16 ·
Build your hutch off the ground at a height that is convienent for you. Make sure it has a good roof. The doe will need a nest box for the babies. Run a ring of conc (4" thick) blocks around the hutches and stock red fishing worms. They will compost the manure. The hides can be tanned if you want to try to make fur. Dig a post hole in your garden, add a 2" pvc pipe to the bottom. Square up the hole and backfill with layers of manure hay and soil. plant tomatoes, cukes or melons and water through the pipe. Luck.
 
#17 ·
"NZ, Floridian, Californian....all are good meat rabbits( meaning food to meat ratio)........the Flemmish Giant is more bone than meat."

That sums it up. All will produce meat, but your best feed to meat ratio will come form the three listed above. You will butcher before they reach their largest size as there comes a point where you are putting too much feed in for the return. If you are buying feed, this adds up in cost. If you are gathering food, it adds up in labor. There are some good books on raising meat rabbits. Go to the local library and start searching other forums.
 
#20 ·
Here are some pictures of my hutches and rabbits. The "breeding pair" are Californians, and they are 4 1/2 months old. Good solid meat rabbits. The doe is in the double hutch, in the right-hand compartment. She likes to hide out in the nest box, though. The double hutch is the one where I had to replace all the wire, hardware, and paint. You can see the original color inside the nest box.

Property House Cage Window Building

Birdhouse Bird Domestic rabbit Beak Rabbit


This is the buck that will be the babydaddy. Sorry you can't see more of him, but he's busy stuffing his face.

Cage Chicken coop Animal shelter Pet supply Brick


This little guy is Snowball. He's (we think) a Dwarf Netherland. He's 4 years old, and is just a pet. He was part of the "package deal" when I got the double hutch.

Cage Animal shelter Pet supply Room Rabbits and Hares
 
#23 ·
I do not have a set of plans. I use to build houses and such so I guess i could take a swag at it with no plans. The only thing that has me stumped is the big dropping collector. I am thinking of an upside down pyramid from wood (with a glued on plastic coatibg) that is open at the point to drop the droppings in a 5 gallon bucket.
 
#24 ·
Re: meat rabbits

My shorter hutches have dropping pans on rails right below the bottom of the hutches. Since the large hutch didn't have one, what I did was add some rails about 7 inches down on thelegs, then today I put a board across the rails, and put a pan on the board underneath the bottom of the hutch.
 
#26 ·
Re: meat rabbits

For long term production, all metal has advantages over wood. The wood will get chewed and will get some soiling with urine. For a drop pan, a piece of discarded metal roofing works well. As does poly carbonate or fiberglass roofing such as one might put on a greenhouse or to let light into a shop. If you build a trough the width of a flat shovel, you can clean the trough out with one fair scoop into a bucket.
 
#31 ·
I ended up leaving the doe in with the buck all day, just to be sure. By the time I put her back in her own hutch, they were laying at opposite sides of his hutch, so hopefully "mission accomplished". Gestation for this breed is supposed to be 31 days, so the beginning of June, I'll know.
 
#32 ·
Oh yeah, she's "preggers"

Checked the doe again today...she is DEFINITELY preggers, and the nipples are protruding now, show she should be kindling in the next couple of days. :D:

Now, I just have to hope that the kindling goes well and that she doesn't eat her kits. Gee, with a litter of babies, the poop production is going to go up exponentially! At least I can use it to fertilize the garden!
 
#33 ·
Checked the doe again today...she is DEFINITELY preggers, and the nipples are protruding now, show she should be kindling in the next couple of days. :D:

Now, I just have to hope that the kindling goes well and that she doesn't eat her kits. Gee, with a litter of babies, the poop production is going to go up exponentially! At least I can use it to fertilize the garden!
the rabbit poop has worked great for my garden. I had a couple tomato plants that I thought were not going to make it, I hoed some rabbit poop around the roots and they are back like nothing ever happened.

Also my plants are bigger than most peoples plants that put theres out before me, I will be using that as fertilizer from now on.
 
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