Would you buy these rabbits at this price??

[Stephine]

Yes. You can't show them because no ARBA (?) standards and there are no pedigrees. Only "Did you get them from the college directly?" or "Is it a line from ______ (fill in reputable TAMUK breeder)?"

I have been happy with my choice so far. Most have good dispositions, they grow fast, the fur is pretty but shorter and thinner and the ears are large and upright.

My goal is to become one of the reputable breeders.

Fantastic!
They look adorable! How is their temperament?
I have only had pet rabbits and I can no better imagine breeding rabbits for eating than I can doing that with dogs, but better heat tolerance is very useful for a pet rabbit as well...

 

[Ridgetop]

Ok. Here is my info for what it is worth.

Bunnylady is right. Pix show nothing in structure. Meat rabbit structure IS THE SAME STRUCTURE YOU WANT IN A MEAT BREED SHOW RABBIT! The reason I say that is that the Standard of Perfection for meat breeds is completely based on where the meat is on the skeleton. It is imperative that you be able to feel the rabbit when choosing a good one. It should carry meat from the shoulders back through the loin, which should be wide. The hind quarters should be high and rounded, since they carry the most meat on a rabbit You should not be able to feel boniness anywhere. Excessive shortness in body will short you in loin meat capacity. Excessive length will also be faulted since it will make a more cylindrical shape with less meat.

Price is dictated by the area you live in, the number of rabbit breeders in your area, and the breeds that are available. If you have trouble finding a breeder check with ARBA.

When it comes to colors in New Zealands, you do not breed the colors together. Breeding a very good black or red NZ is more difficult since the gene pool is not as large. If you are going to show, color depth and intensity must be taken into consideration. The red and black NZs are sometimes a bit smaller or not of as good quality as the whites since the whites have been bred as the standard commercial meat breed for many more years.

Again, as so many others have said, you need to know the age (in months) and weights on the rabbits you are buying. Weights at the appropriate ages is extremely important for meat breeds. If the rabbits are undersized do not buy. Don't expect them to catch up or have a growth spurt, Rabbits are a very short lived species and their growth is completely finished by 10-12 months old. If you buy an undersized young rabbit thinking to give it extra groceries to grow it out, you will just have an undersized adult rabbit at maturity. This is the same for bony youngsters. Don't be fooled into thinking that they just need more feed to plump up. At the right age and right weight, the meat they carry is the meat they will produce. Remember you are not growing roasters so you don't have 6 months to grow meat on the carcass. Meat rabbits should be 5 lbs. at 8 weeks old. That is the age you will butcher a fryer. Again this is a highly inheritable gene so make sure to get rabbits that grow well early.

Breeding age for meat rabbits start at 6 months. When buying a Trio (2 does and a buck) does should be younger than the buck. The age of a buck at breeding can be older but breeding age does who must wait for the buck to be old enough to breed them are at a disadvantage. Does need to be bred around 6-8 months. Any older and they often become difficult to breed. Commercial breeders who want a doe who will be very productive, breed at 6 months. A good choice in finding a Trio is to buy a bred doe, a younger doe, and a buck. The bred doe will produce a litter and her better doe kits can be kept for future breeders with the buck you have purchased. If she does not produce a litter, you have not lost anything since you can breed her to your buck. Bred does often cost more.

Now some info on pedigrees and records.
Pedigrees and registration:
Rabbits - show rabbits -are a little different from other species that you will want to get registrations papers on. First, most breeders normally do not register rabbits until they have achieved the necessary 3 "legs" for their championship. To register the rabbit you have to get the rabbit tattooed with an ARBA number by a Registrar, submit the 3 generation pedigree, and the Registrar will register the rabbit with ARBA. Registrars usually only work at shows, otherwise you have to find one and drive to their house with your rabbits. There is a registration fee. If your rabbit has finished the requirements for its's championship, then you submit the 3 "legs" - (paperwork mailed to you by ARBA after the show results are all calculated) - to ARBA and they will issue the championship certificate for the rabbit. Most breeders only register their champions since it can run into $$$ to register all rabbits in their breeding program. My DH had over 100 breeding rabbits in his barn when he was showing. We registered the Champions which meant he had about 20 registered rabbits, the others were does put into breeding service before finishing their championships, youngsters just starting out, or bucks waiting to finish. Does are harder to finish since the rabbit show season stops during hot summer weather and if your doe reaches 8 months with only 2 "legs, you go ahead and breed her before she gets that last leg. If you wait until she is a year or older to breed, she often won't breed well. After the have a litter, most does don't show well since they lose some coat. Also breeders prefer to keep them breeding, particularly if they are good specimens since they will produce more showable rabbits.
So we have established that the paperwork you need to get from the breeder is a 3 generation pedigree. Unless you buy a Champion the rabbits will probably not be registered yet. When buying stock from an established breeder they will also be able to show you the parents, possibly the grandparents, siblings, etc. of the rabbits you are looking at.

Records:
If you are planning a meat operation you will need records - NOT ON YOUR PURCHASED YOUNG TRIO - but on their parents and grandparents. If the breeder is thorough and keeps good records they will be able to show you several generations and produce cage cards showing breeding history on does and bucks. The doe's histories are the most important because they will show the number of successful breedings, litter size, survivability of the kits, and number weaned. You need to only buy does from does that are successful breeders and mothers. This is a highly inheritable trait. Bucks are also important, but any buck that does not or cannot perform will be sold or eaten. The does' histories will give you the information you need to choose good breeding prospects - both doe and buck choices for your Trio.

Make sure to keep good records on your own breeding operation. Records are imperative for a successful breeding plan. Cage cards are the best since you can not things on them right at the cage and have any info right at your fingertips in your rabbitry. Cage cards should contain the tattoo numbers of the rabbit, and birth date. Mine also had the parents numbers on them. The does' cards should also show dates bred, buck used, date kindled, number of kits born - both alive and dead, and often numbers weaned. Buck cards can just carry their number, parents info, and their birth date.

Hope this information will help you with finding good stock.

 

[Longhornbreeder101]

Pics can we see

 

[Tre3hugger]

Doe

Buck

 

[Tre3hugger]

@BooksAndChooks @Larsen Poultry Ranch @TaylorBug Don't they look great! I feel like I am lucking out. In 24 hrs they should be mine!

 

[Ridgetop]

The doe looks nice but the buck is really short coupled. Could be the way he is stacked. What breed are these, how old and what do they weigh?

 

[TaylorBug]

@BooksAndChooks @Larsen Poultry Ranch @TaylorBug Don't they look great! I feel like I am lucking out. In 24 hrs they should be mine!

That's exciting!! And (not to steal your thunder haha) but I found out that my senior mentor just bought out a neighbor's American Chins and he may have some for me to show in the fair this year!

 

[Tre3hugger]

That's exciting!! And (not to steal your thunder haha) but I found out that my senior mentor just bought out a neighbor's American Chins and he may have some for me to show in the fair this year!

That's awesome!

 

[BooksAndChooks]

@BooksAndChooks @Larsen Poultry Ranch @TaylorBug Don't they look great! I feel like I am lucking out. In 24 hrs they should be mine!

Excited for more pics!

 

[Hideaway Pines]

Ok. Here is my info for what it is worth.

Bunnylady is right. Pix show nothing in structure. Meat rabbit structure IS THE SAME STRUCTURE YOU WANT IN A MEAT BREED SHOW RABBIT! The reason I say that is that the Standard of Perfection for meat breeds is completely based on where the meat is on the skeleton. It is imperative that you be able to feel the rabbit when choosing a good one. It should carry meat from the shoulders back through the loin, which should be wide. The hind quarters should be high and rounded, since they carry the most meat on a rabbit You should not be able to feel boniness anywhere. Excessive shortness in body will short you in loin meat capacity. Excessive length will also be faulted since it will make a more cylindrical shape with less meat.

Price is dictated by the area you live in, the number of rabbit breeders in your area, and the breeds that are available. If you have trouble finding a breeder check with ARBA.

When it comes to colors in New Zealands, you do not breed the colors together. Breeding a very good black or red NZ is more difficult since the gene pool is not as large. If you are going to show, color depth and intensity must be taken into consideration. The red and black NZs are sometimes a bit smaller or not of as good quality as the whites since the whites have been bred as the standard commercial meat breed for many more years.

Again, as so many others have said, you need to know the age (in months) and weights on the rabbits you are buying. Weights at the appropriate ages is extremely important for meat breeds. If the rabbits are undersized do not buy. Don't expect them to catch up or have a growth spurt, Rabbits are a very short lived species and their growth is completely finished by 10-12 months old. If you buy an undersized young rabbit thinking to give it extra groceries to grow it out, you will just have an undersized adult rabbit at maturity. This is the same for bony youngsters. Don't be fooled into thinking that they just need more feed to plump up. At the right age and right weight, the meat they carry is the meat they will produce. Remember you are not growing roasters so you don't have 6 months to grow meat on the carcass. Meat rabbits should be 5 lbs. at 8 weeks old. That is the age you will butcher a fryer. Again this is a highly inheritable gene so make sure to get rabbits that grow well early.

Breeding age for meat rabbits start at 6 months. When buying a Trio (2 does and a buck) does should be younger than the buck. The age of a buck at breeding can be older but breeding age does who must wait for the buck to be old enough to breed them are at a disadvantage. Does need to be bred around 6-8 months. Any older and they often become difficult to breed. Commercial breeders who want a doe who will be very productive, breed at 6 months. A good choice in finding a Trio is to buy a bred doe, a younger doe, and a buck. The bred doe will produce a litter and her better doe kits can be kept for future breeders with the buck you have purchased. If she does not produce a litter, you have not lost anything since you can breed her to your buck. Bred does often cost more.

Now some info on pedigrees and records.
Pedigrees and registration:
Rabbits - show rabbits -are a little different from other species that you will want to get registrations papers on. First, most breeders normally do not register rabbits until they have achieved the necessary 3 "legs" for their championship. To register the rabbit you have to get the rabbit tattooed with an ARBA number by a Registrar, submit the 3 generation pedigree, and the Registrar will register the rabbit with ARBA. Registrars usually only work at shows, otherwise you have to find one and drive to their house with your rabbits. There is a registration fee. If your rabbit has finished the requirements for its's championship, then you submit the 3 "legs" - (paperwork mailed to you by ARBA after the show results are all calculated) - to ARBA and they will issue the championship certificate for the rabbit. Most breeders only register their champions since it can run into $$$ to register all rabbits in their breeding program. My DH had over 100 breeding rabbits in his barn when he was showing. We registered the Champions which meant he had about 20 registered rabbits, the others were does put into breeding service before finishing their championships, youngsters just starting out, or bucks waiting to finish. Does are harder to finish since the rabbit show season stops during hot summer weather and if your doe reaches 8 months with only 2 "legs, you go ahead and breed her before she gets that last leg. If you wait until she is a year or older to breed, she often won't breed well. After the have a litter, most does don't show well since they lose some coat. Also breeders prefer to keep them breeding, particularly if they are good specimens since they will produce more showable rabbits.
So we have established that the paperwork you need to get from the breeder is a 3 generation pedigree. Unless you buy a Champion the rabbits will probably not be registered yet. When buying stock from an established breeder they will also be able to show you the parents, possibly the grandparents, siblings, etc. of the rabbits you are looking at.

Records:
If you are planning a meat operation you will need records - NOT ON YOUR PURCHASED YOUNG TRIO - but on their parents and grandparents. If the breeder is thorough and keeps good records they will be able to show you several generations and produce cage cards showing breeding history on does and bucks. The doe's histories are the most important because they will show the number of successful breedings, litter size, survivability of the kits, and number weaned. You need to only buy does from does that are successful breeders and mothers. This is a highly inheritable trait. Bucks are also important, but any buck that does not or cannot perform will be sold or eaten. The does' histories will give you the information you need to choose good breeding prospects - both doe and buck choices for your Trio.

Make sure to keep good records on your own breeding operation. Records are imperative for a successful breeding plan. Cage cards are the best since you can not things on them right at the cage and have any info right at your fingertips in your rabbitry. Cage cards should contain the tattoo numbers of the rabbit, and birth date. Mine also had the parents numbers on them. The does' cards should also show dates bred, buck used, date kindled, number of kits born - both alive and dead, and often numbers weaned. Buck cards can just carry their number, parents info, and their birth date.

Hope this information will help you with finding good stock.

What a wealth of info you just gave. I have been breeding for a few years, but you put things in here I did not know. I appreciate you going to all this work to pass along your knowledge!