Mmmm good eats comin

[Kc_Kracker]

The bad news, I have rabbits to butcher this weekend. The good news, i got 32 FAT rabbits to butcher this weekend, time to fill the smoker and freezer! here come the grub! Mmmm smoked rabbit pizza 

[PlateauNDN]

I always wondered what recipe Elmer used.

[Kc_Kracker]

Yosemite Sam uses hasenfeffer lol

[jennabug]

Excellent! I have at least 16 to process next weekend.

[jackelope]

Nom nom nom

[Kc_Kracker]

We raise ca/nz crosses

[jackelope]

Cool.  We’ve been raising Californians and my daughter raises Dutch to show.

[KFhunter]

I'm going to jump back into rabbits soon, youngest daughter (7) wants something to show at the fair.   

We'll do meat rabbits because they sell at the meat market for a fair chunk of change, they give the rabbits right back to the owner a lot of times but not always.  Other daughter shows hogs every year at the fair and does well.

Going to build a new hutch first though, I got some ideas.

 

[jackelope]

When you say meat rabbits, what do you mean? I’m just curious. Our youth livestock sale at fair is a mandatory terminal cull so the kids don’t get them back. If the buyer doesn’t want the animal, there are turn buyers that will buy them for fair market value. We had rabbits sell this year anywhere from $300 for a meat pen all the way up to $400 for a single fryer. All of them were purebred rabbits. 3 of my Cali’s were in youth sales. 1 at the skagit county fair and 2 at evergreen state fair. They went for anywhere from $150-180 a piece.

[jackelope]

PS if any youth want Cali rabbits for a breeding project, I will pretty much give them to kids to get them started. Not adults but for kids participating in 4-h or FFA let me know. I’m a promoter!

[KFhunter]

When you say meat rabbits, what do you mean? I’m just curious. Our youth livestock sale at fair is a mandatory terminal cull so the kids don’t get them back. If the buyer doesn’t want the animal, there are turn buyers that will buy them for fair market value. We had rabbits sell this year anywhere from $300 for a meat pen all the way up to $400 for a single fryer. All of them were purebred rabbits. 3 of my Cali’s were in youth sales. 1 at the skagit county fair and 2 at evergreen state fair. They went for anywhere from $150-180 a piece.

meat rabbit I'm talking about the breed, typical meat breeds like NZW and Cali's  (which to me are the two top tier meat breeds) then 2nd tier meat bread would be: SFox, CD'A, cinnamons, satins, etc etc on down.  If a guy wants to practice putting up fur some of those breeds would be great. Your rabbit knowledge has probably far exceeded my own by now, I just had some for a few years as an adult and raised them as a kid, and just ate them all, I don't know all the ins and out of showing them at the fair.  I know some key things to look for on a meat rabbit as far as quality, but show me a dutch and I'm lost.

I guess your right about the cull, they often donate the animal back and the butcher picks it up at floor price on hogs so the kids don't actually take the animal back home from a meat pen sale, but I wasn't sure about how the rabbits worked, we don't have much of a market here (1 or two kids in the meat pen if we're lucky) so I thought the kids were taking them back home if the buyer didn't want to actually take them home themselves, which is highly likely.

[KFhunter]

KC sorry for the thread jack,  your pizza looks freaking awesome 

[jackelope]

The fairs are all different so you might be correct at your fair.  2017 we had 3 kids with rabbits at evergreen state fair. This year we had 11.  The rabbit program is growing over here but I’m sure a little had to do with dollar signs as well. When your kid is ready, let me know. My buddy and I have some nice Cali rabbits. Happy to set her up.

[KFhunter]

not until I get a new hutch tractor set up  (Oh, did I say hutch tractor??)    /grin

[jackelope]

Oh man. You’re going  to make my eyes bleed if you put them on the ground.

[Kc_Kracker]

KF its all good  Jackelope agreed, no ground hutches! at the very least put it on blocks or they will get foot rott. ill find pics of my hutches i made.

[KFhunter]

No they won't touch the ground. I don't want to deal with that mess.   Pasteurella city!

I just worded it wrong by saying tractor, it's a rolling hutch pulled by a garden tractor.

[jackelope]

Perfect.

[Kc_Kracker]

there ya go spread that pellet gold 

[jennabug]

I'm doing NZ and CDA.  I'm thinking I'll phase out the pure NZ and just do CDA and crosses.

[KFhunter]

I'm doing NZ and CDA.  I'm thinking I'll phase out the pure NZ and just do CDA and crosses.

better birthing rates? 

[jackelope]

KC, what all is on that pizza? And how are you smoking the rabbits?

[CaNINE]

Yes detailed smoking instructions please!

[Kc_Kracker]

i dont know exactly ill find out, my buddy makes it on his BGE hes awesome at pizza smoking 

[jennabug]

I'm doing NZ and CDA.  I'm thinking I'll phase out the pure NZ and just do CDA and crosses.

better birthing rates?

I like the loin a lot better on the CDA. And they're really great mothers so far. The NZ is better in heat and has larger litters so far. I've heard good stuff on the crosses too. Hybrid vigor, the tendency for genetic diversity to improve traits.

Edit: "loin", not "lion". darn autocorrect.

[Kc_Kracker]

we went with the nz/cali cross because yes big litters, they grow fast so we butcher them at 90 days and they and get 4-5.5 lbs of meat dressed out, and high meat to low bone ratio.

[jackelope]

You’re getting 4.5-5 pounds of meat at 90 days old?
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece. 

[KFhunter]

Doesn't take long to have more rabbit than you know what to do with that's for sure.

[Kc_Kracker]

You’re getting 4.5-5 pounds of meat at 90 days old?
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece.

yes thats why we do that cross, but i get lazy more like 120 days 

[jackelope]

You’re getting 4.5-5 pounds of meat at 90 days old?
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece.

yes thats why we do that cross, but i get lazy more like 120 days 

That’s impressive. Our Cal’s don’t even weight that much alive at 90 days.

[Kc_Kracker]

on average 4lbs dressed out but some are 5-5.5, it sure helps feeding them alfalfa and high protien food too, without it they dont get that big that fast. my wife goes all out on the feed.

[jennabug]

Wow! Impressive!

[Kc_Kracker]

It’s all about the breeding and feed!

[jennabug]

What do you feed yours?

[Kc_Kracker]

Well mommas get local grass and pellets, grow outs get alfalfa and high protein pellets

[pianoman9701]

That pizza looks great, KC.

[Kc_Kracker]

yes it was made by a friend on his BGE with some rabbit i gave him, mine didnt look as pretty but darn good