Rabbits - getting the meat rabbits around and saving money!

[Bettacreek]

So, Wednesday I picked up five young Californians, four does and a buck, for $16.25, total. They're all very nice rabbits, healthy, sturdy, young (maybe three months) and surprisingly calm. I've also finally found a cheaper source for rabbit feed. Instead of paying almost $15 per 50lb bag, the store in Bellefonte has it for $9.99 for 50lbs.

I live an hour away from there, BUT, I drive down there on a regular basis (boys' dad lives there, as well as my mother). So, I'll be picking up two bags on Monday (putting my rabbit budget -$110!), and will be buying it there from now on. I also built a four cage unit, giving each rabbit a 2'x2'x18" space. The male will stay in the cage that I had traded button quail for. I'm hoping to start bringing the budget up in about six months. I'll give it an entire year before deciding on which animals are loosing the most money, and deciding who stays.

 

[ems_chick]

we just ate our first "home grown" rabbit the other day... it was absolutely wonderful!!! Just keep culling as you need to and don't get attached, that last part is our biggest problem lol! If you keep that up then the $ kinda evens out

 

[Bettacreek]

Yup.

I plan to try to sell them, and cull off whoever doesn't sell. They are intentionally meat rabbits for our family, but, if I can sell them, I'd sooner make $10 per rabbit than kill off 2-3 to make one meal. Getting attached will be a little iffy. I've done quail before, even quail that I've raised, but the coturnix quail just aren't as cute at butcher age as bunnies are, lol. If worst comes to worse, I live with two men who are able to do it, both of which love to eat bunny, lol.

 

[ack123]

If you are looking to sell them for that much start some pedigrees on them. You can start by recording the breedings from each generation. most non pedigreed stock goes for about $5 an animal. But if you have a source that will pay you $10 an animal for non pedigreed stock, then thats a good deal. Even with pedigreed animals you can eat the extras. They just tend to sell better if they are showable and oyur buyers can see the bunnies pedigree.

 

[Bettacreek]

Quote:
Actually, it depends on the area. Around here, $10 is good for a non-pedigreed rabbit. Meat rabbits or the less common/super popular breeds may go for $15-$20 unpedigreed. Pedigreed rabbits are usually $25-$30 (once in awhile hitting $35). Giants go for $15-$50, depending on whether or not it has a pedigree and the breed, as well as the age. I may start a limited pedigree, but, it really doesn't help much, considering that I won't really be keeping offspring or getting new breeder bucks very often. They probably won't do well in the show ring either, they're just regular old salebarn meat rabbits.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have no problem with 18" high, but only 2'x2' is a little small for something as big as a Cali. 24"x30" is the minimum size usually recommended for a single mature rabbit of that size. If you tried to put an appropriate sized nestbox in a 2'x2' cage, it would leave the doe with almost no place to sit. I usually put my pregnant Harlequin does into 30"x36" cages, but then, I probably let the babies stay with mom for a few weeks longer than you will!

 

[Junkmanme]

I can't even FIND anyplace around HERE where I can buy Californians or New Zealand rabbits! (I'd LIKE to start with QUALITY pure-breds .....and keep it that way...........CHEAPER in the Long-Run.)

GLAD YOU could find those rabbits at such a good price!

-Junkmanme-

P.S. My "neighborhood" is full of wild, little, western cottontails...haven't seen Any Jackrabbits and definitely NO Snowshoe Hares.

 

[deb1]

I have thought of raising rabbits for food also. How do you kill them? Is it quick?

 

[ems_chick]

2-3 for a meal? we culled a 12wk buck the other day and realized that we should have only cooked half of it for the three of us... and we like to eat! they clean out a LOT bigger than you would think . deb1 we just break the neck, it's quick and painless

 

[Bettacreek]

2x2 is a good size for them right now (and for a good bit longer). I was planning on building other grow-out cages, but may in fact, build new breeder cages instead. I also did not plan to actually house does with litters in these cages. These were only for dry does or bucks. 30x36 was actually what I had in mind. I've seen that size mentioned a good bit for breeder does and their litters. I plan to keep the kits with my does for as long as I can. I have numerous does for a reason, I really don't want my does being over-bred, and feel that it's more cost efficient and smarter to keep the kits with the does for longer, then give the does a longer break between litters.

As for killing, I have seen something where you could probably pound a rebar into the wall somewhere, then hook it, put the rabbit's neck in the "hook" (hook end would face away from you and the rabbit would as well), then you pull. It's supposed to dislocate the spine without pain. There's also the option of a .22 pistol. The BF's brother held the rabbit by the ears and whacked the back of the neck, but I can't imagine that it'd be easy on the rabbit to be held by the ears. Granted, I'm sure it's not "easy" on the rabbit to be dead either.