Anybody breeding meat rabbit?

[jackelope]

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.

[nwwanderer]

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.

[jennabug]

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. 

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.

[gaddy]

Thanks for the info 

[KFhunter]

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. 

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?

[jennabug]

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. 

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

[Machias]

Nice looking bunnies.  Once I get my hutches set up again, I'd love to buy some off of you!!

[jennabug]

Happy to help fellow HW get set up. 

[Mark Brenckle]

Something that cute shouldn't be so delicious!

[jennabug]

Something that cute shouldn't be so delicious!

[Machias]

Happy to help fellow HW get set up. 

 

[jackelope]

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.

[jennabug]

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

[jackelope]

3 out of 4 died so far. I think they were too far gone. Not enough strength to survive.

[Machias]

3 out of 4 died so far. I think they were too far gone. Not enough strength to survive.

Bummer, sorry to hear that.