Anybody breeding meat rabbit?

[jackelope]

Thanks! I'm hoping either this spring or fall to get our mini operation up and running. Slaughter and butcher was a common occurrence growing up and I hated it at the time but now I see it's value. Really would like to get the kids normalized to it before they're too old.

Processing a rabbit is a lot different than processing a pig or a cow. I can have one alive to skinned and gutted and ready to package in probably 5-10 minutes. It's a good gateway to the bigger stuff. Take a look at the hopper popper setup. You can likely make your own, but you'll get the idea.

[huntingfool7]

Thinking about getting into this mainly to expose my boys to killing and butchering. I love eating rabbit but not looking to have a freezer full of them, nor to have a whole bunch on hand. If I want just a small scale operation would a single doe and buck suffice? If I understand correctly a doe will put out several litters a year and if we butcher all of them and just keep the two adults that would be my ideal. Is that a bad idea or? I don't know how long they produce for before we would need to acquire new blood for breeding.

I'm really new to meat rabbits but this is what I'm planning.  Our line of Silver Fox are producing both Black and Blue color variations.

I started with a young pair that are on their third litter.  The first litter will be ready to process this weekend.  We are not separating the buck from the doe.  Once the little ones are out of the brooder, the doe puts the next batch in.

[jackelope]

Thinking about getting into this mainly to expose my boys to killing and butchering. I love eating rabbit but not looking to have a freezer full of them, nor to have a whole bunch on hand. If I want just a small scale operation would a single doe and buck suffice? If I understand correctly a doe will put out several litters a year and if we butcher all of them and just keep the two adults that would be my ideal. Is that a bad idea or? I don't know how long they produce for before we would need to acquire new blood for breeding.

I'm really new to meat rabbits but this is what I'm planning.  Our line of Silver Fox are producing both Black and Blue color variations.

I started with a young pair of that are on their third litter.  The first litter will be ready to process this weekend.  We are not separating the buck from the doe.  Once the little ones are out of the brooder, the doe puts the next batch in.

This would freak me out because I’m a little OCD about the rabbits.
I’d worry the doe would kill the buck. Mentally I also have to keep track of how much the adults are all eating. 
What do you mean by brooder? What’s your setup?
I can’t do the colony thing

[huntingfool7]

@jackalope  I'm doing the colony thing.  Brooder was the wrong term, it is just the nest box.

[jackelope]

@jackalope  I'm doing the colony thing.  Brooder was the wrong term, it is just the nest box.

10-4.

[Birdguy]

Thinking about getting into this mainly to expose my boys to killing and butchering. I love eating rabbit but not looking to have a freezer full of them, nor to have a whole bunch on hand. If I want just a small scale operation would a single doe and buck suffice? If I understand correctly a doe will put out several litters a year and if we butcher all of them and just keep the two adults that would be my ideal. Is that a bad idea or? I don't know how long they produce for before we would need to acquire new blood for breeding.

I'm really new to meat rabbits but this is what I'm planning.  Our line of Silver Fox are producing both Black and Blue color variations.

I started with a young pair of that are on their third litter.  The first litter will be ready to process this weekend.  We are not separating the buck from the doe.  Once the little ones are out of the brooder, the doe puts the next batch in.

This would freak me out because I’m a little OCD about the rabbits.
I’d worry the doe would kill the buck. Mentally I also have to keep track of how much the adults are all eating. 
What do you mean by brooder? What’s your setup?
I can’t do the colony thing

I am right there with you Jackelope! Having raised thousands of rabbits growing up there is no way I could leave the buck in with the doe. All the "old guys" from my youth beat it into me that the doe will harm/kill the buck if I ever put him in her cage! I will never forget some of those early farming notes....even if not totally true I could never do it.

[Jpmiller]

Anyone have any favorite hutch designs? Things that did or didn't work? I know there's been some stuff already on the thread here but nothing in a while.

[jackelope]

Anyone have any favorite hutch designs? Things that did or didn't work? I know there's been some stuff already on the thread here but nothing in a while.

All wire. No wood.

[KFhunter]

Drop down nests if you can

[jackelope]

Drop down nests if you can

Never really thought about this. What do you think is the benefit?

Not possible with our setup either way.

[jackelope]

The kid says she’s going to keep up her hobby for a while so we built her a shed this fall. There’s a 650cfm exhaust fan in that right corner, windows on both ends and up top there on the left. I used green board sheet rock and gloss paint to make cleaning a little easier. It’s cheap vinyl floor. I’ll do the ceiling in the spring. Ran out of time and had to move them in there.

[KFhunter]

Drop down nests if you can

Never really thought about this. What do you think is the benefit?

Not possible with our setup either way.

It's not a big deal if you keep your rabbits in a climate controlled Taj Mahal 

Seriously, the kits born outside of a nest box can't climb in, but can fall down into a nest. When it's cold you don't have a lot of time to gather them up and warm them.

The saying is: " they're not dead until they're warm and dead"

Lot's of kits have been saved in a woman's bra 

Not my woman though

[jackelope]

Drop down nests if you can

Never really thought about this. What do you think is the benefit?

Not possible with our setup either way.

It's not a big deal if you keep your rabbits in a climate controlled Taj Mahal 

Seriously, the kits born outside of a nest box can't climb in, but can fall down into a nest. When it's cold you don't have a lot of time to gather them up and warm them.

The saying is: " they're not dead until they're warm and dead"

Lot's of kits have been saved in a woman's bra 

Not my woman though

If does don’t give birth in nest boxes here, they don’t stay.

There’s no climate control in the rabbit Taj Mahal other than the insulation and the exhaust fan. It’ll be an experiment when it starts warming up. In theory with the exhaust fan, it’ll stay cool enough. I put windows that size on purpose so we can put a small window ac if needed. The 106 degree days here this past summer might have been too much I guess.  If it stays under 90, it’s a win. The ac constantly running in the garage was $$$. 

[KFhunter]

Agree, I didn't cull enough

Hard to find rabbits at the time in the desired breed

[jackelope]

Agree, I didn't cull enough

Hard to find rabbits at the time in the desired breed

Let me know what you’re looking for whenever the time comes. I probably know a guy.

Bred 4 does and weaned 2 litters this morning.