Keeping Meat Rabbits

[Pastor Dave]

If you feed straight alfalfa hay, you get no processed alfalfa, or processed meal, added vitamins, etc. It gives an average of 19% protein which can be too much, but they will eliminate extra nutrients. They still need Vit A and minerals you can get from a wheel or cube. I use ACV in the drinking water that helps with Vit A.

There are lots of good milled alfalfa-based rabbit pellet feed. I use a cup and a half pellet feed per day for seniors, and free feed lactating does and grow outs. What did you use for pet or show when you had them before? Use similar. I use Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS). I also use Calf Mana which is high in protein and calcium. I use less for senior bucks, or senior does not lactating, a little more for lactating does, and more for grow-outs.

Oh, yah, the hay issue. I use my own grass, timothy, red clover, fescue blend. It offers some nutrients, but it is filler. It is good to aid digestion and keep teeth worn down correctly. I free feed it at evenings.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

This is going to be short because I have a dinner date...with my husband.

Getting to 5 lbs. at 10 to 13 weeks seems to be the average with our meat rabbits, that is not determined by genetics alone. I prefer pedigreed rabbits even though I do not show, because most (NOT ALL) breeders that keep records and pedigrees also tend to take better care of their rabbits and have pride in them.

I always ask about their cages, if they are off the ground, because I do not buy rabbits that had been on the ground. What her rabbits are used to eating. If the rabbits she is selling have been handled much (and that is not a deal breaker if not, it just tells me more about the breeder focus). What sizes are her kindles on average or what they have been in lines from which you are getting yours. How closely related they are.

As to you other question:
I really am not an expert on a rabbit's nutritional requirements. I just know what we do and that our rabbits are quite healthy. I have a four-year-old doe that just kindled without losses, but I probably do not breed my does as often as others.

We give them hay as much they will eat down twice a day or for the day if we will be away, because leaving out too much can cause mold. The hay we get is a blend and rarely the same quality or quantity of the types. The grow outs get pellets that will last to the next feeding until culling or they belong to someone else.

 

[BoboFarm]

Thanks @Pastor Dave & @Tale of Tails Rabbitry So the breeder that said she doesn't feed hay hasn't contacted me. That information was on her website. The other breeder that I'm emailing is quite chatty and is volunteering information without me having asked yet. It seems she takes a lot of pride in her rabbits and their accomplishments. I will ask about feed and housing. What is a reasonable price for pedigreed 8 week old NZs?

It sounds like she's been breeding for smaller kindles with larger kits. She said she typically gets 5-8 kits per kindle.

She's recommending a quad, two does and two bucks, since I'm really trying to stay away from line breeding. She said that's what she usually recommends but most people in the area don't care about inbreeding. That's why she says there's a lot of poorly bred NZs in our area. She also said if she doesn't have exactly what I want then she has some other folks in CA that can help me. I'm getting a good vibe from her so far.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

It is so interesting what each breeder is trying to accomplish with their herd. Some go for number, others are trying to reach 5 lbs. at eight weeks, etc.

The rabbits I have bought without pedigree ranged from $10 to $35, with pedigree $30 to $60, show quality goes higher but I have not bought one. New Zealand Whites were on the lower end because, in part, there are many NZW breeders around us, but very few show or do pedigrees as most are meat breeders only. Actually, none of our NZWs came to us with a pedigree and it was not an issue because at the time we were just raising them for meat for ourselves. I have learned to not just buy the rabbit, but the breeder. The more helpful and enthusiastic a breeder is about his or her rabbits, the more it is worth to me, because they tend to be healthier rabbits and that is my highest priority.

I agree about a quad because if you lose your one buck then you are not breeding rabbits and buying in desperation. Been there, done that...recently...don't want to do it again!

On that note, I would try to stagger the bucks ages. If she does not have anything but juniors right now, I would buy one buck now and another six to eight months or more from now, either from her if she has the diversity to offer one unrelated or from another breeder. It is always a good idea to know at least a few other breeders in the area just in case. Unexpected stuff happens, but why spend so much feeding two bucks when you really do not need to do so.

As to line breeding, I do not condemn or condone on the issue. I prefer genetic diversity also, but I have upon occasion bred father to daughter and even half-siblings when trying to establish a genetic trait I liked that they both had. Rabbits are remarkably diverse genetically, which also makes it challenging to establish a genetic trait even with line breeding. I have learned to never say never with line breeding if done responsibly and I have not yet had any deformed or sickly rabbits from a line breeding.

 

[BoboFarm]

Thanks again, @Tale of Tails Rabbitry

I've checked out some other breeder websites for my area and they are very outdated. I've emailed some over the past couple of weeks and I haven't heard from them. I like that this gal responded quickly and is willing to refer me to other breeders if she doesn't have what I need. She's very active in showing and breeding. From a dog breeder's prospective, I like what I'm hearing thus far. A good breeder is worth their weight in gold. Their experience and guidance is invaluable. I don't mind paying a bit more for healthy, solid foundation stock.

I'm not completely against line breeding but I lean away from it if I can.

She said she gets her breeding stock from Rum Buns Rabbitry on the east coast. I'm not sure if that's of note.

 

[MG'S Rabbits]

Hi! so I'm totally new to this thread and I know it's old, but I wanted to ask @BoboFarm how your colony went? Also, I wanted to suggest watching some of Peebles Rabbit Colony's videos he raises califorians
in a colony and I love how he does it!