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Author Topic: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?  (Read 174269 times)

Offline jackelope

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #120 on: April 27, 2020, 11:02:33 AM »
My .02, and I bet Jenna agrees......
You won't produce the same amount or quality of meat feeding them sub-par feed just like all other livestock. Feed them a quality, nutritionally complete feed pellet and keep the junk food salad, vegetables, weeds, grass, etc away from them.  They're cheap to raise considering you're processing rabbits at 10-14 weeks before they start growing fat and the meat quality diminishes. The first 3 weeks or so they won't eat much actual feed at all. They'll just start eating feed in that 3rd week.  A quality commercial breed rabbit will be 5 pounds or so live weight at 12 weeks. My friend has 2 litters of Californians right now that were 11 babies a piece. That's 35-ish pounds of meat in 12 weeks. If they're free fed and healthy, I bet they go through 50 pounds of feed per litter in that time including the mother rabbit, so $20 per 50# or so. I might be off in my feed guesstimate. A quality breeding trio should be in the area Jenna mentioned, although I think she's too cheap if the rabbits are good quality.

One of my friends who raises meat rabbits says 4 pounds of feed to 1 pound of meat.


:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

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Offline nwwanderer

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #121 on: April 27, 2020, 01:06:06 PM »
Nutritionally complete does not need to be expensive, a 20 cent a pound balanced diet will do exactly the same as a 40 cent a pound balanced diet.  With some study you should be able to do it for 10 cents a pound and have maximum genetic potential production.

Offline jennabug

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #122 on: April 27, 2020, 06:39:15 PM »
Also forgot to add that I pay more for feed supporting a small business. I would probably save quite a bit if I bought from a chain and had separate feeds for growers, show rabbits, and breeders.  But its easier for me to just buy 1 type.  :dunno:

Yes, jackelope, I undersell them. But I'm not in it for profit. My main buck got best of breed last fall and my does are good quality. I just want to enable people to raise the best rabbits they can if I have extras. The rest of what's left from my kits will be heading to the freezer though. The girls get the summer off.

Offline gaddy

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #123 on: April 28, 2020, 08:55:21 AM »
Thanks for the info  :tup:

Offline KFhunter

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #124 on: April 30, 2020, 04:32:26 PM »
Also forgot to add that I pay more for feed supporting a small business. I would probably save quite a bit if I bought from a chain and had separate feeds for growers, show rabbits, and breeders.  But its easier for me to just buy 1 type.  :dunno:

Yes, jackelope, I undersell them. But I'm not in it for profit. My main buck got best of breed last fall and my does are good quality. I just want to enable people to raise the best rabbits they can if I have extras. The rest of what's left from my kits will be heading to the freezer though. The girls get the summer off.


What do you raise?

Offline jennabug

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #125 on: May 01, 2020, 06:32:07 AM »
Also forgot to add that I pay more for feed supporting a small business. I would probably save quite a bit if I bought from a chain and had separate feeds for growers, show rabbits, and breeders.  But its easier for me to just buy 1 type.  :dunno:

Yes, jackelope, I undersell them. But I'm not in it for profit. My main buck got best of breed last fall and my does are good quality. I just want to enable people to raise the best rabbits they can if I have extras. The rest of what's left from my kits will be heading to the freezer though. The girls get the summer off.


What do you raise?

Champagne D'argents
I started with New Zealands until I found the Champagnes

Offline Machias

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #126 on: May 01, 2020, 09:56:02 AM »
Nice looking bunnies.  Once I get my hutches set up again, I'd love to buy some off of you!!
Fred Moyer

When it's Grim, be the GRIM REAPER!

Offline jennabug

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #127 on: May 01, 2020, 11:24:46 AM »
Happy to help fellow HW get set up.  :tup:

Offline Mark Brenckle

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #128 on: May 01, 2020, 03:15:16 PM »
Something that cute shouldn't be so delicious!

Offline jennabug

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #129 on: May 01, 2020, 07:39:07 PM »
Something that cute shouldn't be so delicious!
:chuckle:

Offline Machias

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #130 on: May 01, 2020, 10:10:28 PM »
Happy to help fellow HW get set up.  :tup:

 :tup: :tup: :tup:
Fred Moyer

When it's Grim, be the GRIM REAPER!

Offline jackelope

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Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #131 on: May 09, 2020, 10:23:13 AM »
My kid’s 4 day old litter of black Dutch weren’t getting fed by their mother and her other doe she bred didn’t take so my wife and her made a run to a friends house last night and put the 4 survivors in with a litter of 5 champagne d’argents. Hoping their momma is a milk cow and can get the Dutch babies back to healthy.
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

Offline jennabug

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #132 on: May 09, 2020, 07:49:58 PM »
My kid’s 4 day old litter of black Dutch weren’t getting fed by their mother and her other doe she bred didn’t take so my wife and her made a run to a friends house last night and put the 4 survivors in with a litter of 5 champagne d’argents. Hoping their momma is a milk cow and can get the Dutch babies back to healthy.
If she accepts them she will have plenty of milk. Mine have raised litters of 9 easily, and I've heard of larger litters of champagnes

Offline jackelope

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #133 on: May 10, 2020, 03:03:02 PM »
3 out of 4 died so far. I think they were too far gone. Not enough strength to survive.
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

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Offline Machias

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Re: Anybody breeding meat rabbit?
« Reply #134 on: May 10, 2020, 04:24:47 PM »
3 out of 4 died so far. I think they were too far gone. Not enough strength to survive.

Bummer, sorry to hear that.
Fred Moyer

When it's Grim, be the GRIM REAPER!

 


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