Anybody breeding meat rabbit?

[jackelope]

Always wanted to try this. What kind of time commitment are meat rabbits? We had plain pet rabbits.growing up that we fed and played with but I'm curious if the time commitment for breeding and upkeep is significantly higher for meat rabbits?

My wife and kid have rabbits that they show. I assume they spend more time with them than you would meat rabbits because of grooming and stuff. Probably 30 minutes a day if they don't spend time playing with them or whatever. Once or twice a week we clean cages and that takes an hour or so dumping trays etc.
You can set up your rabbitry without trays if you have the place to do it and then use the poop for fertilizer. It's really great fertilizer. That would save cleaning time.

[Jpmiller]

So other than the butchering process there's nothing specific meat rabbits need? That's good to know. Really like eating rabbit the handful of times I've been given it.

[jackelope]

So other than the butchering process there's nothing specific meat rabbits need? That's good to know. Really like eating rabbit the handful of times I've been given it.

I think you need some cages to house your rabbits where they'll live and when they're kindling, then maybe cages for the grow outs after they're weaned. Babies are probably good together till 10 weeks or so, which I imagine is probably about butcher time depending on your breed and growth rate. Cages take up space. With 2-3 does and a buck you can make a crap ton of babies if you do it right. Meat rabbits are usually big so 24"x30" cages where they live and kindle and then a big place for the babies once the litter is weaned. It takes some space.
Quality pellets, timothy hay and wire floor cages. Figure out a way to dispatch rabbits....broomstick, bolt gun, hopper popper, etc.


 

[Machias]

I used to just club them at the base of the skull.  But I made a homemade rabbit wringer (look at Google images), very easy to make and really easy to use and kills them very quickly. 

[jennabug]

It's been super easy so far. I was even able to score cheap and free cages. The few we have now are in the house for the winter, in a utility room. But as we move in to spring they will be moved outside.  About the same maintenance level as chickens in my opinion.

I've been helping a lady butcher her extras in exchange for meat while my small set-up matures. So far we've made some pan-roasted, simmered in curry sauce, and jerky. Tacos next?

Bonus: All the waste has been going to the garden (rabbit waste is "cold" manure, so you can directly apply it in the garden without composting first.)

Machias, those are beautiful kits! Congrats!

My 4 surviving kits from the first litter are doing great, and I will be ready to re-breed my NZ doe next week. I did lose a couple after birth.
I'll be adding a Champagne D'Argent doe soon from a breeder who will also provide her with stud service until she can make an unrelated buck for me. I decided to keep the Champagnes are purebred and pass on the Silver Fox buck.

[jackelope]

There's nothing wrong with line breeding. Super common in the rabbit world.
Breed her back to her best male offspring.

[jennabug]

There's nothing wrong with line breeding. Super common in the rabbit world.
Breed her back to her best male offspring.

Yeah, I'm not opposed to that. Keeping my options open in the meantime. 

[HighlandLofts]

I will be picking up another buck tomorrow to breed on my two black NZ does, i,'ll breed my white broken red doe on the rex buck I have.

I used about half of the young I raised last year.
I am going to build new cages that will be a little user friendly.

I can,t figure posting pictures on here.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I will be picking up another buck tomorrow to breed on my two black NZ does, i,'ll breed my white broken red doe on the rex buck I have.

I used about half of the young I raised last year.
I am going to build new cages that will be a little user friendly.

I can,t figure posting pictures on here.

If you have an Apple Iphone try screen shooting your pic (I don’t know if that helps on android phones) then try posting, that works for me.

Good luck


BTW your pm in box is full.

[HighlandLofts]

I went and deleted a bunch of received pms.

[jackelope]

Right on.
The less wood your cages are built from, the better off you’ll be from a sanitation standpoint.

.02

[jennabug]

I will be picking up another buck tomorrow to breed on my two black NZ does, i,'ll breed my white broken red doe on the rex buck I have.

I used about half of the young I raised last year.
I am going to build new cages that will be a little user friendly.

I can,t figure posting pictures on here.

I need to get my larger cages set up soon. My two does both kindled this past week.
First timer (Champagne D'Argent) had 4 survive birth. The kits are really fat and well fed.
The NZ doe had 9 survive, though I had to assist with the sac on one of the kits. She has not yet figured out building a nest, but allowed me to put the kits into the nest I made in the nest box for her.

My 12 week kits aren't quite 5 lbs yet. We're keeping one, selling one to a new meat breeder, and processing the remaining two.  How large do most of you butcher at? They seem too small to process to me.

[jackelope]

My friend's 9 week old Californians are 9 weeks this Thursday and they're right around 4.5 pounds a piece give or take. They're headed to the freezer this week with the exception of 1 buck for a 4-H kid in our club and a doe he's going to keep back as a breeder.

[jackelope]

Just a heads up to all you rabbit folks.

http://www.thenav.ca/2018/03/16/deadly-rabbit-disease-strikes-nanaimo/

This has the potential to be a big deal. It's the same virus(different strain I guess) that they released in New Zealand to eliminate all the feral rabbits. NW Washington is in the 150 mile radius "red zone". Might be a lot of hype at this point, but either way it's something to be aware of. Hopefully it stays on Vancouver Island but it's really easily transmitted or carried to different areas.  If it makes mainland BC the kid's rabbits will probably end up locked down and she'll have to take a break from showing.

[HighlandLofts]

I bred the three does I have today, I will put them back in with the buck again tommrow.
I am going to build a couple or pens to finish the kits out in.
I will also be buying a galvanized garbage can to keep the feed in.
I have been using 5 gallon plastic buckets.