# 4 week old rabbits



## Claude (Dec 18, 2016)

Here is a couple of pics of my first litter that survived the very first ones I had were born on the cage floor a lot later than they should of been so there was no nest box in the cage cause I pulled out after 45 days and no kits now before you all start in about chicken wire and wood floors on half of the cage these were the materials I had on hand to get started to try raising meat rabbits to help feed me and the 7 kids I am raising plus one more kid on the way I just found out about a week ago so not a lot of money to spend on welded wire or other cage materials.


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## Hopalong Causually (Dec 19, 2016)

Congratulations on your first litter.  I was there, myself, not too long ago.  It looks like the dam is a Californian.  What breed sire are you using for raising meat?

No criticism here for your hutches.  Making the best use of what you have on hand is a skill from which we all can benefit.


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## lcertuche (Dec 19, 2016)

It's hard to know what's the best way when you're starting out. You do what you can as far as taking care of the family and what could be better than fresh white meat.


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## Claude (Dec 19, 2016)

Hopalong Causually said:


> Congratulations on your first litter.  I was there, myself, not too long ago.  It looks like the dam is a Californian.  What breed sire are you using for raising meat?
> 
> No criticism here for your hutches.  Making the best use of what you have on hand is a skill from which we all can benefit.


The trio I got are all new zealand white Californian cross.


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## lcertuche (Dec 19, 2016)

That's a good mix for meat rabbits.


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## HomeOnTheRange (Dec 19, 2016)

Nice.  Congrats!


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## DutchBunny03 (Dec 20, 2016)

Your bunnies are adorable!!!! The Cali/NZ cross is probably the best meat hybrid, so great choosing! Your hutches look great.


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## Claude (Dec 22, 2016)

Thanks everyone and while I was cleaning the cage the other day I noticed one of the kits is definitely showing the new zealand white genes.  She is solid white no black or grey on her ears nose or tail all the others look more like a Californian.


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## DutchBunny03 (Dec 22, 2016)

Thats great! You can get some really cool color combinations from crosses. Are you planning to keep the pelts?


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## Claude (Dec 22, 2016)

DutchBunny03 said:


> Thats great! You can get some really cool color combinations from crosses. Are you planning to keep the pelts?


I'm thinking about it when I was younger I used to brain tan everything I killed while hunting and trapping but I had a lot more time back then that was before joining the army and having kids and now long work hours in a factory.  So not sure if I'll have time to properly do everything to properly preserve the hides. I'm thinking about giving it a shot and seeing if I can get it done with everything else going on.


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## DutchBunny03 (Dec 23, 2016)

Tanning/preserving hides sounds pretty time-consuming(you know much more about it than me, i've never done it). Usually, to get a good hide to tan, the rabbit should be slaughtered at around 10 months(roaster), as opposed to the more economical way to slaughter, at around 2 months(fryer).


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## Pastor Dave (Dec 23, 2016)

That is right. The mature species gives best hides.
I butcher at 10 weeks, and the hide is to tender and delicate. Just my 2 cents.


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## mygoldendoe (Dec 30, 2016)

If you got the freezer space available keep the skins. Clean real good and squeeze excess water out so no freezer burn bc it'll keep good quality for a year in the freezer..Store them up atleast. You can either tan later or get a good amount to sell to someone who does tan (or wants to learn). Edited to say: I make smaller type projects so mine don't need to be too tough like older pelts. Plus they are great to learn on for beginners


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## Claude (Dec 31, 2016)

mygoldendoe said:


> If you got the freezer space available keep the skins. Clean real good and squeeze excess water out so no freezer burn bc it'll keep good quality for a year in the freezer..Store them up atleast. You can either tan later or get a good amount to sell to someone who does tan (or wants to learn). Edited to say: I make smaller type projects so mine don't need to be too tough like older pelts. Plus they are great to learn on for beginners


I might do that because unfortunately I do have room in my freezer since I have been unable to get a deer yet this year which is unusual usually I've got at least one in the freezer most years im tagged out by now. 
I don't know what's going on I just haven't been seeing many deer this year and the few I've seen just didn't give me a shot not sure if it's hunting pressure from the other guy's the land owner let hunt there this year or coyotes or both. 
So it's looking like my decision to get started with meat rabbits this spring and summer was a good idea because now it looks like we will be having to buy beef this year. I was hoping to get my deer and use the rabbits to replace the chicken we usually buy that way all we would have to buy is pork and vegetables and only occasionally buy chicken or beef.


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## Claude (Dec 31, 2016)

Well finally had a little extra cash and decided to try updating my cages little by little yesterday could only afford enough wire to do one and a half cages so I made one last night and today got it finished and hung.  Just a little bit ago
I went from this





To this


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## Claude (Dec 31, 2016)

I'm hoping in the next few weeks or months on getting all of my cages switched over to all wire but time and money will tell if I can get it all done. And yes my old ones are made with old pallets for the base and floor and I didn't quite realize how good I put them together until I started ripping the one apart.


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## mygoldendoe (Jan 1, 2017)

Claude said:


> I might do that because unfortunately I do have room in my freezer since I have been unable to get a deer yet this year which is unusual usually I've got at least one in the freezer most years im tagged out by now.
> I don't know what's going on I just haven't been seeing many deer this year



Us too. The hunting club next door to our family land had some over hunting bad and then we saw them spotlighting on four-wheelers so it's running them all off and getting the ones that roam through the land we hunt. Driving us crazy. Usually we get 2deer and a hog but no luck this year. We also switched over to all wire slowly when we first started out. Thankfully we had my father's hutches to borrow as we did this transition. You'll get there! Your cage looks great btw!


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## DutchBunny03 (Jan 1, 2017)

Your cages look great!


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## Rabbit Sam (Jan 1, 2017)

DutchBunny03 said:


> Your bunnies are adorable!!!! The Cali/NZ cross is probably the best meat hybrid, so great choosing! Your hutches look great.


DutchBunny03, What makes them the best for meat? You are the second person I've read to say that.


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## mygoldendoe (Jan 1, 2017)

they get pretty large with a good meat to bone ratio.


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## DutchBunny03 (Jan 1, 2017)

The Californian and the New Zealand are recognized by most breeders, processors, fanciers, and judges as the two best meat breeds. They both have a feed-meat conversion ratio of about 4/1, and dress out very well. Mix them together, and you get a superior meat rabbit.


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## lcertuche (Jan 3, 2017)

...and even though they aren't as big as say a giant Flemish or American Chinchilla, they get up to weight faster for fryer is my understanding. I would like to work out a mix of my own with a giant thrown in there somewhere but for fast growth you chose best.


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## DutchBunny03 (Jan 4, 2017)

Yep. Also, giants eat a TON and need hutches bigger than most comercially available, and are big boned and just in general hard to keep.


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## Claude (Jan 13, 2017)

All I know is with the ones I got from this litter they all weigh 4 pounds right now planning on butchering when they hit 5 or 6 pounds. Which with the way they are growing I think will be by the end of the month or within the first 2 weeks of next month.


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## lcertuche (Jan 14, 2017)

Your going to be getting some great meat.


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