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Want a rabbit?

2/17/2013

7 Comments

 
As people look to alternatives for raising their own meat, rabbits usually come  to mind.  Rabbits are a viable choice whether one lives in  the country or the  city.  Rabbits have been a staple for many families through  very difficult  times. My father raised rabbits, and starting in ‘29, he survived  the  depression delivering and butchering rabbits on site. He continued to raise   rabbits until his death at age 81. We have been around rabbits all of our lives,   having grown up with my fathers’ vast experience, and continued with our love  of  rabbits, breeding Rex Rabbits by choice.
                                 Where's that wily w'abbit?
So, you've decided that rabbits would be great, but now what?  What breed do you choose?  There are hundreds of breeds,  ranging in every  country, some are acknowledged by the American Rabbit Breeders Association(ARBA)  and there are just as many that are not.  They can range in size from the  Lionhead 2.5-3.5 lbs. (from the United States), to the Spanish Giant 12.5-15  lbs. (from Spain).  That covers the range of standard breeds, meaning those are  the normal or original breed, then comes the mini's.  There are quite a few that  have been 'downsized' such as: mini-Rex, mini-Lop, and more. 

How about  colors? Most breeds can have multiple markings and  colors, such as the Rex's broken black, black otter, castor, black, sable, and  on and on.  There are certain breeds that have specific markings for their  standard, such as the German Angora that can be white or albino.  Remember the  familiar New Zealand with its red/pink eyes and white fur? The so called, meat  rabbit averaging 9-12 lbs. New Zealand rabbits can also be red and broken black.   Too much information, right? Definitely can be, so here are some rabbit  basics.
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Nudge, standard Rex, black otter
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Amor, standard Rex, broken black
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Castor, standard Rex, castor
The larger the rabbit breed, the longer it takes for the  rabbit to reach sexual maturity: the smaller breeds can breed at 3 months;  larger breeds, by 4 months, the largest 5-6 months. Though they reach sexual  maturity at an early age, it still is better NOT to breed your rabbits until  around 7 months of age. Of course, the larger the breed is, the more meat you  can get; however, the cost to get the meat increases due to feeding costs, the  time it takes to get them there, etc.

                         Rabbits breed like,  well.........rabbits!
A lot of websites say you can breed your rabbits up to four  times a year, it is far better to breed your rabbits only twice a year. Rabbits
that are bred four times a year, are not the best producers, kindling only 4-6  kits, and their breed length is on average 4-5 years, some as short as 3 years.  By breeding twice a year, you can successfully breed your does from 5-7 years,  (producing 6-10 kits (baby bunnies)), some very good does can last a few years  longer, and use a buck up to 6-9 years.  

Here is an example of our breeding with 4 Rex does and 2 Rex
bucks:

        Bred 2 times a year each, average kits per breeding 6. (our does average 6-10).  This would be (at 6 each) 48 kits born a year.
        Rex rabbits average 4 lbs at age 6 months; output would be 192 lbs of meat a  year from Rex rabbits. Higher with does that are exceptional breeders, like our  Myshi handling 8-10 kits a breeding.
        We have found that the age of 4-6 months is the best butcher age for our Rex  line, costing us on average 40¢-45¢ per lb of meat. After age 6 months, the cost  of feeding (especially the larger breeds) increases higher than your actual  return on meat.

                         196 lbs of meat a year!

Larger breeds, such as the New Zealand can be butchered at 3-4  months depending on the meat return you require and what feed costs you want to  pay.

Rabbit is also a great alternative to the other 'white meat',  has far less fat than chicken, and is also far healthier than the 'stuff' you  find in the store. So, considering the cost to produce, the ability to raise in  most areas, and the actual ease of doing so, rabbit is a great first step to  achieving self sufficientcy.
Like or not alike?

                            Other things to think about.........
Not all rabbits are the same, as their sizes and colors have  shown, but what other things are there?  Try personalities!  There are certain  traits stronger in one breed than another.
        Flemish Giants are very high strung, somewhat the ‘princes’ mentality, requiring a lot of “maintenance”. Better suited for pets, then meat rabbits.
        California breed is kknown for their biting, aggressive nature, and for needing routine grooming.  (This is not an absolue, but some traits are more so in one breed than another).

There are some differences with physical traits as well. 
        Lops, all breeds, have the dropping ears that most know about, risking ear  problems such as mites.
        Angoras and some lop breeds have long hair, adding grooming to their care needs.
  
Enough for now...........next time BREEDING & BABIES!


Blessings
Brenda Lee
7 Comments
Mary carlin
3/13/2016 01:03:03 pm

I am interested in buying some New Zealand whites and was curious if you have any or are planning to breed some for sale.

Reply
Brenda Lee link
3/13/2016 04:03:14 pm

Sorry, but we don't have New Zealand rabbits anymore. We live the Rex breed because their size is better suited to our small, two person, home.

Reply
Kelinci link
1/8/2017 01:20:37 am

Thanks for your info.

Reply
Rachael Zenobi
5/6/2017 09:26:38 am

I am Looking for rex rabbits

Reply
Brenda Lee link
4/30/2018 01:37:42 pm

Sorry for the late reply.....we don't have any Rex rabbits for sale, our gene pool is limited.

Reply
Katherine mitten
4/22/2018 08:46:46 pm

I would like to raise meat rabbits do you have some new Zealand s, for sail?

Reply
Brenda Lee link
4/30/2018 01:36:41 pm

No we don't raise New Zealands

Reply



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