Feeder Rabbits & butcher weight ?

[pintail_drake2004]

Things are going good. I sold 4 to be raised for breeders, and I have a meeting with a guy for some bucks to replace his tomorrow. I should butcher about 10 this coming week. NZW and NZW/Standard Rex cross. They come in to ~5.25-6lbs at 10 weeks. I made some rabbit noodle soup with the last ones I butchered, but plan on BBQ'ing some of these. Still trying to get consistent litters where I can butcher one litter a month for us. Sometime is doesn't work that way and they all come at once.

How do you guys get your rabbits to butcher weight at 8 weeks? I free feed pellets and hay, but they seem to take an extra little bit to put on that last pound. I've talked to other rabbit guys who butcher at 4.5lbs.

 

[chkncrazy]

Good point, I don't weigh my rabbits after they're butchered at 10 to 12 weeks, but I have pedigreed giant chinchillas.... and am now working on colorful mixed mutt breeds..... they usually get very heavy but I feed them a lot of things. I pick fresh grass for them everyday as long as it's not wet on top of feeding them their own hey and I also feed them Blue Seal show Hutch 18 which is 18% protein it's the best you can feed them. Also my uncle owns a bakery and I feed them pieces of stale bread, not all the time but I'll give them a few pieces weekly. I know a lot of people will probably disagree with the Bread..... but I've been doing it for 20 years and never had a problem...... also I mixer 18% feed with black oil sunflower seeds........ so basically they are bunch of spoiled pigs. Lol....
Aldo

 

[Polish Hen House]

I know this is not an answer to your question but is raising meat rabbits actually profitable/worth it? Where I am from not many people eat rabbit, so I was just wondering if there was a large market for it?

 

[chkncrazy]

I know this is not an answer to your question but is raising meat rabbits actually profitable/worth it? Where I am from not many people eat rabbit, so I was just wondering if there was a large market for it?

It really depends on location.... midtown is applications 1st through 3rd generations so they appreciate it.....as for selling ..... ehhhh it's ahobby and any I sell is a win lol.

 

[chkncrazy]

My Chinchilla Doe had 1 kit. Fat and healthy but just one
.......how does this happen ... I believe it was the buck she was bred during a 3 week heat wave above 90 degrees. Now I got 1 BIG FAT KIT