Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 29, 2018, 07:43:24 AM
Post by: PlateauNDN on September 29, 2018, 09:40:37 AM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 29, 2018, 09:51:25 AM
Post by: jennabug on September 29, 2018, 01:17:39 PM
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 01:38:50 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 29, 2018, 02:05:52 PM
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 02:07:38 PM
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 02:18:50 PM
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.
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 04:40:24 PM
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 04:41:47 PM
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 04:56:15 PM
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.
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 04:57:50 PM
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 05:02:54 PM
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 05:04:29 PM
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 05:10:33 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 29, 2018, 05:25:07 PM
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 05:28:59 PM
I just worded it wrong by saying tractor, it's a rolling hutch pulled by a garden tractor.
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 05:31:22 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 29, 2018, 05:32:52 PM
Post by: jennabug on September 29, 2018, 07:49:40 PM
Post by: KFhunter on September 29, 2018, 08:00:41 PM
I'm doing NZ and CDA. :tup: I'm thinking I'll phase out the pure NZ and just do CDA and crosses.
better birthing rates?
Post by: jackelope on September 29, 2018, 09:50:51 PM
Post by: CaNINE on September 30, 2018, 07:16:04 AM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 30, 2018, 08:37:21 AM
Post by: jennabug on September 30, 2018, 02:46:04 PM
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.I'm doing NZ and CDA. :tup: I'm thinking I'll phase out the pure NZ and just do CDA and crosses.
better birthing rates?
Edit: "loin", not "lion". darn autocorrect.
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 30, 2018, 09:42:59 PM
Post by: jackelope on October 01, 2018, 08:13:34 AM
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece.
Post by: KFhunter on October 01, 2018, 09:59:46 AM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on October 01, 2018, 03:25:30 PM
You’re getting 4.5-5 pounds of meat at 90 days old?yes thats why we do that cross, but i get lazy more like 120 days :chuckle:
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece.
Post by: jackelope on October 01, 2018, 04:31:16 PM
You’re getting 4.5-5 pounds of meat at 90 days old?yes thats why we do that cross, but i get lazy more like 120 days :chuckle:
The last 2 litters of Cal’s we had were 11 a piece.
That’s impressive. Our Cal’s don’t even weight that much alive at 90 days.
Post by: Kc_Kracker on October 01, 2018, 07:45:30 PM
Post by: jennabug on October 01, 2018, 08:09:36 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on October 02, 2018, 10:07:26 AM
Post by: jennabug on October 02, 2018, 10:31:14 AM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on October 02, 2018, 08:44:48 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 03, 2018, 08:33:24 AM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on October 04, 2018, 08:04:55 AM