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best meat rabbits

37K views 55 replies 21 participants last post by  Tammy Norton 
#1 ·
So I drank a few (ok lots) for new years and my Wife and sister are doing Glee karaoke on the Wii... perfect time to make a post. Anyway, I currently run a 30hole rabbitry of show/pet rabbits and want to expand into meat rabbits and just wondered what everyones oppinion was toward what is the best breed.

I chose pet/show breeds because I can buy alot of meat for what I get for one Velveteen Lop.

I was leaning toward California reds or New zealand reds. Chose red cause white is boring. I read that either creme d'argent or Champagne d’Argent has a better taste (cant remeber which or is it both?). Then I read that Florida whites are the best fryers.

Perhaps here is a good pet/meat breed that I could just eat what doesnt sell.

What is your oppinion?
 
#4 ·
My woman has been checking into it also. We've had rabbits before but never on the scale that we are now considering. In studying up on the different breeds and traits, one thing we have learned is that eventhough they are bigger, the NZ and Cali rabbits are not very efficient meat producers. Meaning that for the amount of meat harvested a person has alot more feed invested compared to some of the more moderate breeds. We are still checking around and trying to learn, but Im pretty sure that we will be going with a smaller breed that has a better feed to weight gain ratio.

Tex
 
#5 ·
.... In studying up on the different breeds and traits, one thing we have learned is that eventhough they are bigger, the NZ and Cali rabbits are not very efficient meat producers....Tex
Well, if you can find a better meat breed, I'd like to know about it. We've been raising rabbits( Show and pets and meat) for about 10 yrs now. My DW developed a meat breed. With any breed, you want to selectively breed out the bad traits( meaning they won't breed, they just fight, they're too aggressive and bite and scratch and won't be handled, they won't pull hair and make a nest, they have the kits on the wire, they don't produce enough milk, they ignore their babies, or have some physical defect, etc, don't breed them, get rid of them)and keep in the good traits, including mating and breeding well, carrying well, taking care of the babies, having alot of babies and having spectacular offspring who take care of themselves. The DW mixed a NZ with a Florida with a Silver Martin and developed( meaning, kept and bred the best of the best and culled the inferior) a decent feed to meat ratio( 1-1 is decent) meat rabbit that consistantly had 15-18 kits and took care of all of them and they thrived.





Some rabbit breeds are pure breeds and alot are mixed What you want to do is begin collecting and then selective breeding to suit your needs. For instance, the Florida ( or the Cali) don't thrive in extremely cold weather. They thrive in,,,Florida. They were bred for that. Feed to meat ratio is important, but not the most imprtant thing, imo. To us, rabbits that consistantly take care of their kits( some bad ones will eat them or ignore them and let them die) and have big litters are the best.
 
#7 ·
I'm just telling you what we read. We did see on a couple od the different.nreeds that you can end up with over 300# of meat per year off of just a couple rabbits. I guess they are pretty prolific breeders.

Whatever we end up getting will have to be cold weather hardy. The temps get really low up here. I liked the idea of developing your own to suit a specific need. That may be what she does.


Tex
 
#8 ·
I had a 25 hole rabbitry back in 1993. I was selling rabbits to a rabbit butchery and made enough to buy feed and keep the cages in perfect order with a little left over.

Got out of it when a neighbors dogs (Pack) kept distroying the pens and eattiny my rabbits. I did call the cops, but it was not a high priority for them. I would put up a roof and fencing before I start another one.

With an uptick in the homeless dog population, it is a real threat.

Good luck.
 
#10 ·
Last year a dog destroyed much of my flock of chickens and ducks. I hatch most of my own which made it even worse. The dog ahsnt been seen. Either the new neighbors (dog owners) got the message or the dog was shot. For me, loosing birds sucks, for some people it means they dont eat.

I put up a fence that isnt complete and doesnt completely fence them in, but the **** and hawk attacks have dropped to virtually zero. There have been a few disapearing birds. maybe coincidence but my neighbr has no problem sice he fenced his ducks in even though the ***** and hawks could get into the area, they leave the ducks alone.

Anyway, I am buliding a hoop greeenhouse in the spring. Not that a dog cant get in but it should be a deterant. The fence will also be complete and eventually have a hot wire along the top (solar of course).
 
#9 ·
Lets get real- Those are some beautiful meat rabbits. The lionheads are nice too. I never raised lionheads ecause around here there are too many. Ive rescued a few and was lucky to rehome them at $10. Even had a hard time giving some away. I know it is different when they are show quality, I just prefer my Hollands that I can more easily sell. I also raise velveteen Lops (new litter last night), Dwarf Hotots, Mini Rex and English Lops. velveteen Lops being my favorite.

I am right now leaning toward New Zealand Reds. There is a local breeder and I love the red color. I understand that Calis are a little more aggressive and NZ's produce more offspring. Downside is I dont know if I can find an unrelated NZ red.

I was also thinking about Florida whites. I understand that they make the best fryers and have nice temperment. Their size would also allow for some pet rabbits to be sold.

Anyone raise standard rex or Blanc D' Hotot? May not be the best meat breeds but would allow other oppurtunities.

Any other suggestions?
 
#11 ·
I have raised rabbits for 20 years and have been showing for 5 or 6, so, I know rabbits.
No offense, but I am reading a lot of 'old wives tales' and mis-information on this thread.
First of all, most of the rabbit breeds mentioned have commercial body type. The argents, cali's, NZ of any color, etc. Any would be suitable for meat production.

In general, meat rabbits THRIVE in cold climates, yes, including Florida Whites. Rabbits suffer in the heat.
The average litter size for all these breeds is 6-12.

Aggression is a bloodline thing, not a breed thing. I once had Florida Whites, and the lines I had were very aggressive and very poor mothers. You gotta watch out for that in that breed, but they aren't all like that.

Behavior like that should be culled.
Florida Whites, Cal's, NZealands whites. These are the 3 breeds most commonly used in commercial situations. Because of that, temperament has not been a consideration and you have to chose carefully. If you are choosing for meat production only, you should chose a lesser meat breed. They are going to be hardier, overall. Hybrid crosses make excellent meat animals because of hybrid vigor.

Lionheads are worthless as a meat animals. Only a few varieties were recently passed for show in the last 2 years due to inconsistency in the breed. Most varieties are not showable.

With the exception of a few, most breeds of rabbit can be used for meat. New Zealands and Dutch are probably the top choices for feed to muscle ratio in the least amount of time.

The following breeds of rabbits have what is considered commercial body type, as in the most muscle mass to bone in the least amount of time.
French, Giant and Satin Angora
Blanc de Hotot
both Creme and Champagne D'Argent
Californian
Cinnamon
American Chinchilla
French Lop
Harlequin
New Zealand White, Red and Black
Palomino
Standard Rex
American Sable
Satin
Silver Fox
Silver Marten

Now a few of these tend to be larger at full growth: silver fox, californian, D'argents, giant angora (of course)
Satins and Silver Martins tend toward the smaller.
On average, breeds in this group should be in the 8-11 pounds range at full growth.

Florida Whites actually have compact body type, as do Dutch. Florida Whites are a smaller breed. Breeds in the compact class average in the 4-7 pound range, depending on breed.

I raise standard rex, tans, and angoras. Rex grow a little slower than some of the other commercial types. Tans only top out at 4 1/2 pounds, but we have eaten plenty of those. They are a full-arch breed.

I have raised creme d'argents, satin angoras, mini rex, netherland dwarf, mini-lop, cinnamon, satins, silver fox, and some hybrid crosses. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The best mothers were the silver foxes. The worst mothers were Florida Whites.
The meanest ones I ever had were Florida Whites, then cinnamons, overall.
 
#20 ·
I have raised rabbits for 20 years and have been showing for 5 or 6, so, I know rabbits.
No offense, but I am reading a lot of 'old wives tales' and mis-information on this thread..
Well, no offense, but that's a bit harsh to say " old wives tales" and misinformation. I would LOVE for you to point a wive's tale. As for misinformation, I'll address them thusly......

In general, meat rabbits THRIVE in cold climates, yes, including Florida Whites. Rabbits suffer in the heat.

Well, I don't know what you consider thriving, but how do you keep the new kits warm in sub zero temps? I would be willing to bet a dollar to a donut that NZ and Flemish Giants thrive better up North than Florida Whites do. You say you had Florida Whites, but they were all aggresive and bad mothers, maybe they hated the cold up there. We've had them for 6+yrs and not had a single problem with them. Go figure. Btw, you didn't mention that rabbits regulate body temp thru their ears, so yes, short eared rabbits don't thrive in the Florida heat/humidity, hence the Florida breed and rabbits ARE regional.



Aggression is a bloodline thing, not a breed thing.

Again, I disagree with this, we've had very aggressive mothers , but the children were not at all, so I'd say it's an individual thing that you can't predict or breed in or out. I said that any aggression or defects should be culled. Btw, you say that here, yet later on say that Florida whites are the most aggressive breed, so you contradict yourself.

Florida Whites, Cal's, NZealands whites. These are the 3 breeds most commonly used in commercial situations.
I don't recall anyone here showing an interest in a commmercial operation. The OP specifically stated he wanted meat rabbits for family conmsumption only.


Lionheads are worthless as a meat animals.
Really? So who said anything about using Lionhead for meat? Certainly not me. I said we raised show, pet and meat rabbits.


The best mothers were the silver foxes. The worst mothers were Florida Whites.The meanest ones I ever had were Florida Whites, then cinnamons, overall.
Well, you need to say that this is your opinion or your experience and not the gospel, because like I said, we have Florida whites and most are great mothers. Yes, some are not, but that's the case with all breeds. I wouldn't make the generalization that any certain breed is better or any certain breed is worst.

Btw, for as long as you've been breeding have you developed your own breed? Got any pics?
 
#16 ·
Are you sure NZ Whites are what you have? 15 pounds is BIG. A NZ senior buck should weight no more than 11 and a doe no more than 12, with the ideal weights being 10 and 11 pounds, respectively.

Maybe you are just estimating and I am being overly picky, but at 15 pounds, they're either not to standard or big fat pigs.

Don't get me wrong, if they are breeding and producing live kits and supplying your family with meat, then they are worth keeping. Just sayin.

Also, the poster is correct, you cannot compare the attitude of a dwarf to a lop.
Dwarfs of all types tend toward aggression. It's unfortunately part of the dwarfing gene. Docility comes with size, and in general, English Lops are just BIG BABIES.
 
#14 ·
Thanks everyone. I know that the bloodlines in the same breed can cause different amounts of aggression, but know one will ever convince me that on average Netherland Dwarfs have the same aggression as English Lops.

Oire, First time breeding rabbits or first time with this breed? Biggest problem I have with first litters is that the does sometimes dont know whats happening and they drop the kits anywhere. If you are in the cold, they wont last long. Sometimes the kits crawl our of the cage and fall on the floor. I stepped on a kit one time that was crawling on the floor. I also had a litter of 8. 6 fell into the drop pan that was sticking out a bit. Luckily I just cleaned it that day so they didnt drown. I usually breed several does at a time in case one doesnt want to raise their young. In the case of 6 kits in the drop pan, I wasnt sure if she would raise them, so I took 2 young and gave them to a doe with only 2 kits. she raised the two foster kids and lost 1 of her own.
 
#17 ·
I have NZ Giants and Calif Whites, and 10 lbs is big , I have raised them for several years now and even though they are great eating, they are a bit hyper when your holding them and end up getting raked with their claws a good bit. I found a "Black eyed" breed that I was told was an "American Checkered Giant" which I have a doe and buck now, and have turned out some great litters plus they cower down and settle down quickly are are easier to handle. As far as meat, they taste just as good, Color wise you get from solid black to black and white to some browns. Fun breed, large, easy to deal with.
 
#21 ·
We have a commercial rabbitry. When we first started I bred into a strain of what we call the Sky Island Cottontail, but you can find various cottontail-looking other places. Our customers prefer them 20 to 1. Most of out meat buyers refuse to buy anything else.

There is a difference in meat from breed to breed. In the USA people are generally stuck on the red-eyed white rabbits for meat. Worldwide, the Champagne d'Argent is likely the most popular. The meat of the Champagne IS different and it IS better; no doubt about it.

The real key is to harvest at about 8-10 weeks. A good meat rabbit will weigh 6-7 pounds at this age and will be very tender and moist. We ate one last night that was 16 weeks. We baked it and it was delicious but it was a little tough, not too bad but it would have been better 4 weeks ago.

Any rabbit can be a bad mother. Any rabbit can be a poor breeder. Any rabbit can be bad overall. Generally, rabbits are production machines, but every once in a while you get a bad one.
 
#22 ·
We have a source on d'Argents that we'd like to incorporate into our breed. While we're not a commercial operation, we do try to breed in big litters( and of course, a great feed to meat ratio). We find, with our breed, no later than 12 weeks is the optimum time to "put in the freezer", as it's just before they mature.

Alot of folks seem to think that the goal is as large an animal as possible, but that's not our goal. I'll take a smaller good quality rabbit( that has a large litter and takes care of thier young) over a poor large rabbit any day.

AFA taste, well, I'd have to have several different breeds, fried the same way, right in front of me, in a taste test, because they all taste the same to me( also, depending on their age, how you cook them and what seasoning you use, etc), delicious. We do sell alot of meat rabbits, but folks don't really care what the breed is, as long as they're plentyful and they're cheap.

Personally, I find that the Californian breed to be the most muscular of meat breeds.
 
#24 ·
getreal, the wives tales I read have to do with florida whites. no where I have ever read in any history says they were developed for the florida climate. If you have some documentation proving this, let's see it. Florida whites were developed for laboratory use. Also, California Red is a street name for New Zealand Reds. They are ARBA official, New Zealand Reds. It's important that people know this.

If you re-read my post, you will see that I stated why I mentioned the 3 commercial breeds. This is a thread about meat production after all.
You will also notice that I clearly stated in two separate places that my opinions on breed behavior were based on rabbits that I had.
I have had plenty of individuals that were aggressive, but in the hundreds of rabbits I have bred, mostly I have noticed its a bloodline thing. I have a tan doe now who consistently produces aggressive daughters.

I did not live in WI when I had Florida Whites. I lived much further south. It was a bad line. All of them were that way. I kacked the whole lot of them.
There are plenty of people up here, where it is cold, that raise FW and Cal's and they do just fine.

The reason I thought it important to point out that lionheads were worthless for meat is because the OP asked about meat rabbits. You felt the need to bring up lionheads, so I addressed them from a meat perspective.

I also need to correct an error I made in my original post. I double checked, and in fact NO variety of lionhead is ARBA sanctioned for show. There are still too many inconsistancies in the genetics and they continue to fail their presentations. But unless people keep breeding them and cull the defactors mercilessly, they never will. Good for you!

Ellen, the D'argents are outstanding meat rabbits, and for the OP worried about not finding diverse bloodlines for the New Zealand Red, if you are only interested in meat production, then cross breed. This will creat hybrid vigor, and you will likely be very happy with the results.

Oh, getreal, I have not attempted to create my own breed. Why? The ARBA recognizes 47 breeds of rabbit and there are dozens that are not recognized. I cycled thru a couple dozen of them over the years until I found what suited me. I show and we eat and sell the meat from the cast offs in our store, and yes, we are legal. I think I have taken what was available to me and done a damn good job of focusing on improving the breeds that already exist.

I enjoy what I do and that is enough for me. My secondary aim is assisting others with the knowledge I have gained over the years in my experience and my life in the show circles. Currently I am experimenting with tan and rex colonies for the decrease in use of commercial feeds. So far, the results are promising. Here is a link to the rabbitry pages of my website. There are no current colony pictures on it, and there are a ton of rabbits not pictured, but I have a busy farm to run. Only so many hours in the day to take photos of rabbits.
http://www.dollyrockfarm.com/Dolly-Rock-Rabbitry.html

One more thing. I forgot to add, I have relatively little trouble with babies and frigid temperatures. If it gets below 10 at night, I bring the boxes into the garage where its about 40 then return them to their mothers after 10am when the sun is the brightest, if the litter is under 2 weeks old. If a doe in my barn doesn't build a proper winter nest, I give her one chance to re-do. If they die from freezing the second time, then I cull the doe. If it going to be below zero, which is common, and I know a doe is imminent, I bring her into the garage for birthing night only, then she goes back out in the morning. For the most part, if a doe builds it right and is 100% protected from the wind, the babies will be fine. Rabbit fur is ultra warm.
 
#25 ·
One more thing. I forgot to add, I have relatively little trouble with babies and frigid temperatures. If it gets below 10 at night, I bring the boxes into the garage where its about 40 then return them to their mothers after 10am when the sun is the brightest, if the litter is under 2 weeks old. If a doe in my barn doesn't build a proper winter nest, I give her one chance to re-do. If they die from freezing the second time, then I cull the doe. If it going to be below zero, which is common, and I know a doe is imminent, I bring her into the garage for birthing night only, then she goes back out in the morning. For the most part, if a doe builds it right and is 100% protected from the wind, the babies will be fine. Rabbit fur is ultra warm.


That is good to know that the babies should survive freezing temps. I gave a new litter a light to take the chill off and the mother decided she liked the warmth and sat in the nest box smotheringa nd scratching the young. All 5 died.

I also talked to a lady who lets her young inside in the winter and brings the doe inside for an hour each night. The young live in the house until they are a week or two old. But if they will live in the cold then I wont bother. I am eventually building a hoop greenhouse for them which should keep them a bit warmer. I wish I would have already built it because we had a house fire this week. I cant thaw water bottles now and I have to haul water in to tend to them. Only 1 rabbit died... the one in my living room. The ones in the garage all survived.
 
#28 ·
You know, what it comes down to is this: Rabbits reproduce very reliably. They all grow into meat. They are all a great protein source especially in confined conditions. PERIOD! The meat gets tough the older they get, but even your old does and bucks need to retire sometime. Stew them, feed them to your dog, pressure cook them, or eat them tough. It will likely NOT be the toughest or worst meat you have ever eaten.

If you have small meat needs, go with a small breed or breed less often. Someone recently told me that a family of 4 needs 5 does and a buck to meet the needs of a family that size. That's crazy. Think about your daily meals. When you cook burgers for a family of 4, I think a pound of burger would be sufficient and provide leftovers for goulash or stew or SOMETHING. So, a pound of meat per day, and unless you're ONLY eating rabbit, which I wouldn't want to do that, one doe and a buck will produce 300+ pounds per year. Figure it out.

A chicken won't do that. Chickens are seasonal layers to some extent and definitely seasonal hatchers. My rabbits give birth at 10 degrees in the dead of winter. I don't know if chicken eggs would even be fertile in December.

If you want meat that's reliable, go with rabbit. Go on Craigslist under farm and garden and pick one up for $10. How sorry are you going to be over that? There is too much contention here over a rabbit. Get a reliable producer, and go with it. A MUTT will be fine. A free rabbit will be fine. A pet rabbit will be fine. A make-shift cage will be fine. Hand-picked feed, when available, will be fine. Pick extra to dry and carry you through the winter. Grow extra greens in the spring and summer to feed them. Feed them your vegetable scraps, carrot, turnip, and radish tops. They will love you and give you babies to eat. Let them loose on your grass. Rabbits are not complainers. If it's green and leafy they will eat it.

I raise a dwarf breed that tops out at 2 pounds. When they need to retire or are just poor producers, they end up on the table. No one complains that the rabbits tastes too small. It's rabbit. You eat it. RABBITS ARE LIVESTOCK. Some beef is better than others. Some chicken is better than others. Some rabbit is better than others, but some is always better than none.

Just do it!
 
#30 ·
You know, what it comes down to is this: Rabbits reproduce very reliably. They all grow into meat. They are all a great protein source especially in confined conditions. PERIOD! Just do it!
Well, no, there's more that can go wrong than not. Goats are easier than rabbits( they practically take care of themselves- they forage for their own food and drink) and provide milk and meat. Rabbits are reliable under perfect conditions, but you have to know what that is. Folks just can't get a some mutt rabbits and throw them in a hutch. The more confined they are , the more likelyhood of sickness and disease. I've seen just switching water bottles wipe out a dozen rabbits overnight. If you don't see the signs of pulling hair, they'll have their kits on the wire and they'll fall thru or die of exposure or get eaten and then you won't have any. There's stuff to know.
 
#32 ·
I like to stick to breeds that are known for meat, but would concider quality over quantity. I dont want to mess with too small a breed for meat... I imagine that cleaning a 10 pound rabbit isnt much more work than cleaning a 2 pounder. Also, I know that many smaller breeds dont put out as many babies at a time and in some cases, they were bred for pet qualities, not lack hardiness. For instance, Ive been finding out that my English Lops, which are a larger but not a meat breed, have more health problems than my other breeds. Breeding english Lops for meat would not be worth it to me. There is also boneyness to concider. I have a cross breed that hasnt yet sold butis so beoney, I wouldnt imagine he is worth the time to skin and clean.

Found out my neighbor has what appears to be a Champagne d'argent buck as a pet. Perhaps I will get a doe or two since I dont have to worry about the buck.
 
#35 ·
Space was a serious issue for me so I went with the Florida Whites as its a smaller breed meat rabbit that seems to have a comparable amount of meat after being boned out to some of the other larger standard breeds. Smaller rabbit, smaller cage needs, less feed needed. They werent as commonly available as the other breeds commonly used for meat and I did pay a little more per a Rabbit when I was getting started, but for me its been worth the added hassle and initial expense getting started.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Rabbit selection

A good rabbit breeder should be able to recommend the perfect rabbit for your meat and space needs. There is a difference in quality from breed to breed, but for the most part, it's negligible. I have rabbits, mainly 10-12 pound adult weight, that produce anywhere from 8-14 kits per litter, consistently. A responsible breeder can sell you one that will consistently produce 8-10 kits per litter, 5-6 kits per litter, etc. Responsible breeders keep records and selectively breed for every trait from the time it takes for a kit to reach 6 pounds on a certain amount of feed, to how many kits per litter a doe will have, personality, etc., etc. It's nice to know what you're getting based on your needs. No sense feeding a rabbit who requires feed for 15 kits when you only need 5 kits; it all makes a difference in production costs, labor, supplies, etc.

A great option is to have a community rabbit OR a co-op rabbit. Few places offer co-ops for rabbits but it works very well to get just what you need. Get a few people together, a few families sharing a buck and a few does is a great way to go. A 4-plex cage 10' long, new, will run you about $120, plus the rabbits at about free-$60, waterers and feeders at about $10, and feed.

Our cottontail tops out at 12 pounds for does on 20% less feed than any other commercial strain we have ever raised. Their litters are smaller; never over 11 kits per litter with an average of 8. The bucks are some of the nicest rabbits we have ever had, the does aren't social but they are non-aggressive, they would rather not be picked up. No problem. They're coats are still not quite reliably the same tones at adulthood; some silvering more than others. Still, locally, their meat is preferred 20 to 1 over ANY OTHER MEAT BREED that anyone in the area raises. Can't beat that!
 
#38 ·
It is a strain that we have been developing at our rabbitry with the back-up of a geneticist. We just call it the Sky Island Cottontail. It started as an fluke and unintentional. We noticed the growth was exceptional and, in general, they were eating less.

Without fail, and we work on averages, 3 of our cottontails side-by-side with 3 of any other strain (New Zealand, Californian, Champagne, etc), same sex and born on the same day, consume at least 20% less feed than the others. They grow faster and top out at about the same weight. 12 pounds for does and 11-12 pounds for bucks.

They are fairly mellow and great mothers. Like I mentioned, the litter size is NOT that of a commercial breed, but very, VERY suitable for home production. Regularly bred, you're going to get 80-100 rabbits per year from a doe and a buck. Multiply that by 4-6 pounds of meat. Not a bad home production rabbit. People are literally buzzing about it in the rabbit arena locally.
 
#40 ·
It is called a cottontail because it looks like a cottontail. It is not possible to breed wild and domestic rabbits and have them give live birth; there is a chromosome difference making it impossible.

I guess aside from working in the beginning without an end result in mind coupled with any trade secrets, intentional or unintentional, I can't really elaborate. It is not a breed that we would ever seek to make an official breed. It has just been an interesting study and experiment. The rabbits have been more than happy to oblige!

Photo can be seen here: Sky Island Cottontail

There are other domestic rabbits I have seen that have the appearance of cottontails but I am not sure of all the other qualities that we have brought out in ours.
 
#43 ·
Rabbits are not well suited for heat, period. Bucks, when temperatures rise above 83 degrees, become sterile until they are brought back to lower temps. The heat kills the sperm. Same thing happens when it freezes too hard; the testicles are drawn up into the abdomen where the temperature is in excess of 100 degrees. Keep that in mind. My does kindle at 0 degrees with no interference from me. The kits do fine as long as the doe is a good mother.

Rabbits DO need assistance cooling in hot climates. FULL protection from the sun and LOTS of circulation. In the summer I shower all of my rabbits. They actually enjoy it. If you see them laying on their side and panting they are seriously overheated. You need to be aware of this and KNOW that they DO get too hot probably every day. A sprinkler or misting system will be beneficial.

There isn't a rabbit breed that tolerates heat. Make certain all rabbits have full protection from the heat as well as a cooling system when necessary.
 
#44 ·
Ozzie, Nobreed is great in the heat but bigger eared ones tend to be a bitbetter since the ears can help them cool. been told that English lops fair better in heat but thos big ears rest against the boddy so I cant say how true that is. I am thinking a rabbit with bigger straight ears. Allways have two layers of shade. The hutch standing in the sun can get hotter than direct sun. so make sure the hutch has the shade of trees or artificial shade.. not just the shade that is part of the hutch.

I have given my rabbits frozen water bottles on the hotest days. Particularly pregnant does.

Ellen, never thought of showering the rabbits. always thought that rabbits hate getting wet. I gues it beats over heating. do you just use the garden hose?
 
#45 ·
I have given my rabbits frozen water bottles on the hotest days. Particularly pregnant does.

Ellen, never thought of showering the rabbits. always thought that rabbits hate getting wet. I gues it beats over heating. do you just use the garden hose?
I have a few does that are standoffish at first, but within a few days they get all excited and anxious when they see the other rabbits getting their showers. They know when I'm there in the heat of the day that they're going to get a shower. I just use a hose with no sprayer on it. I think there may be a picture in all the photos on this page: RABBIT SHOWER PHOTO. Sorry you have to go through all the photos (rabbits are cute though!). You tell me, how does the doe look who is getting her shower? She's NOT fighting me off and she is SOAKED. Look for the photo with the BLUE HOSE. Sorry I don't have a single photo.

I never tried the frozen water bottles but I collected hundreds of them to keep on hand just in case. If nothing else, they are storing water for drinking if needed.
 
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