4 week old rabbits

[DutchBunny03]

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).

 

[Pastor Dave]

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.

 

[mygoldendoe]

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

 

[Claude]

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.

 

[Claude]

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

 

[Claude]

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.

 

[mygoldendoe]

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!

 

[DutchBunny03]

Your cages look great!

 

[Rabbit Sam]

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.

 

[mygoldendoe]

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