# New Zealand cross?



## hoodat (Mar 7, 2011)

I got this doe at a pet shop for a bargain price since she was getting to big for the "cute baby" stage. I know you can't tell much from two pictures but I'm guessing she is a New Zealand crossed with something else and around 2 to 3 months old. How close do you think I am? What do you think of her conformations as a meat rabbit breeder? TIA


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## Bunnylady (Mar 7, 2011)

How much does she weigh now? I'm having a hard time getting an idea of just how big she is. IME, most of the brokens with so little color on them have had some Netherland Dwarf in their background. I'd put her age around 3 months, give or take a little.


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## dbunni (Mar 7, 2011)

As a breeder of broken NZ, I'm not seeing it in her.  Body is wrong.  Size looks to be way off ...  Broken reds are very uncommon.  Only a few breeders working with them right now.  And most are meated because they are having problems with the coloration/coat.  Personally, I would not use her in a meat program ... she is missing the important "meat butt" that gives us all that awsome meat... aka "wide load" when viewing from the rear.


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## hoodat (Mar 7, 2011)

I don't have a decent setup for weighing but I'd guestimate her weight between 3 and 4 pounds. I sell books online so I'm pretty good at guestimating weight.
You're right Dbunny she isn't real heavy in the hindquarters but since I'll only be using the meat for my own family that isn't the factor it would be if I was selling meat. I might be able to improve that in the kits if I can find the right buck.
If she has some dwarf in her that wouldn't be all bad. Actually I thought about Floridas since I don't need large rabbits but the stock is very hard to come by around here.


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## dbunni (Mar 7, 2011)

If she is just 3-4#, I would rule out NZ real quick.   For personal use, find a big butted buck and go for it!  The reason we push for the strong flesh on the behind in breeding, is that is where a lot of your meat come from.  Ribs are not the strength in the bun meat.  So if you have a nice rib working into a strong round rump (our top producers are as wide as tall in the HQ ... lots of meat there!) you will get more meat then a smaller HQ animal.  But ... we can all work toward it through selective breeding and enjoy the animals along the way!


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## hoodat (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks. That's probably the aproach I'll take. I'd hate to waste such a sweet tempered doe. I think she'll make a good mom. I'll just start with her and the best buck I can find and work from there. I'm only raising for my own use so nothing ventured nothing gained.


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## dewey (Mar 8, 2011)

Here's a (very bad) pic of one of my almost 12 week old NZ crosses that kinda shows the round rump.  It costs a lot more to try to grow out non-meat breed rabbits to butcher and the meat quality will suffer due to the advanced age at butcher...their feed to meat conversion ratio is an extreme money loser.  Just a thought, but have you considered possibly using that new doe to eventually sell her buns to those seeking smaller pets types?  Doing something like that could cover your meat rabbit raising costs.


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## hoodat (Mar 9, 2011)

If her kits turned out like her they would be great pets. She's a sweetheart. The trouble with raising for pets is you pretty much have to sell to all comers or end up with a surplus you have to butcher anyway. As so many posters on this board prove many people love and care for their pet rabbits but I have also seen a lot of neglected rabbits when someone buys one on impulse just because they're cute with no regad for learning to take care of them. I hate the idea of my rabbits ending up like that.


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