Raising our New Zealand Meat Rabbits *Start to finish - Birth to processing* Possible Graphic pics*

[Angelicisi]

Yes....lol I love hauling stuff around and getting the "look" later from others wondering lol

Put it on a tarp, fasten it to the back of the tarp so it doesn't slide off ~ make it easy on yourself and give it more glide.  You've no idea how many bulky, moderately heavy things we ladies have moved with the use of tarps, blankets, rugs, etc. 

 

[pipemum]

In all my reading about meat rabbits, this thread has actually been one of the most helpful. Angelisci, your bunnies look great. I've never liked the albino look in animals (the red eyes, eek), but your rabbits are beautiful and I've reconsidered. If I were closer, I'd be contacting you for some breeding stock! Raising meat rabbits is definitely in my future--but as of now, I just don't have a climate controlled area for them in the summer, not even shade. Even if I built a shaded area for the rabbits, the rabbits would definitely suffer in the desert summer without cooled air. I'm working on a house addition that will incorporate an area for rabbits.

Anyway, I'll keep this thread marked. Have you processed any of the rabbits yet? I'm really good at skinning and gutting, but the 0.5 seconds it takes to kill is hard for me. I don't mind the death twitching when it's a chicken in a killing cone, but it's hard to deal with when the animal is in my hands.

eta: Your rabbit setup is so neat and clean. I know you work and have a family...how much time are you spending feeding/cleaning/caring for the rabbits in a normal day? I'm a bit worried about the upkeep.

 

[Angelicisi]

We haven't had to butcher yet. Almost at the right age but people want breeding stock from our does right now and I'm at least 3 litters away from filling specific grow out requests. We started for meat and people want 4H and breeders so far but we will definitely have extra bucks to process soon enough! (maybe...the bucks in rabbits seem much more popular than roosters lol) I plan on using a "wringer" to put them down. My dad used one similar and it was just, well easier and less messy. Recently I saw one on a video in use, we will probably make one like my dad used. We socialize our rabbits well so we can handle them without fuss making this way a lil easier. Basically a piece of rebar bent like half a wire coat hanger " < " mounted securely to the wall above or slaughter area work station. The rabbit is set down in front of it facing it, its head slipped between the bend in mounted bar and then back feet are pulled firmly straight back - snaps neck. It's instant and easier for me because I don't want to club anything if I can help it.


The set up was important because we were strapped for time. We have bins under each cage indoors that collect waste from wire bottom cages. Twice a week those bins get emptied and rinsed, takes about 15 minutes to clear and rinse all of them (12). The floor is swept out daily takes 2-3 minutes and they are all fed and watered daily. About 5 minutes.

Hubby is setting up auto waterer for them this week yay! This will save me a ton of time since feeders are a once a day check but only once a week fill.

And we plan on making a waste catch system to collect waste in buckets at end of cage rows instead of individual tubs for the new room on the rabbitry, he's still collecting material .

In all my reading about meat rabbits, this thread has actually been one of the most helpful.  Angelisci, your bunnies look great.  I've never liked the albino look in animals (the red eyes, eek), but your rabbits are beautiful and I've reconsidered.  If I were closer, I'd be contacting you for some breeding stock!  Raising meat rabbits is definitely in my future--but as of now, I just don't have a climate controlled area for them in the summer, not even shade.  Even if I built a shaded area for the rabbits, the rabbits would definitely suffer in the desert summer without cooled air.   I'm working on a house addition that will incorporate an area for rabbits. 

Anyway, I'll keep this thread marked.  Have you processed any of the rabbits yet?  I'm really good at skinning and gutting, but the 0.5 seconds it takes to kill is hard for me.  I don't mind the death twitching when it's a chicken in a killing cone, but it's hard to deal with when the animal is in my hands. 

eta:  Your rabbit setup is so neat and clean.  I know you work and have a family...how much time are you spending feeding/cleaning/caring for the rabbits in a normal day?  I'm a bit worried about the upkeep. 

 

[Angelicisi]

Funny, I got the REWs because I figured since they weren't a fav of mine they'd be easier to raise as meat then we started socializing kits...
It doesn't matter the look of a bunny once they melt in your hands over a scratch

But honestly, I still see them pan fried tidbits of smothered meat :O
Only my NZWs tho!

 

[pipemum]

Yes, for some reason, the all white helps me to see "dinner" too, and not just pet bunny. The wringer method is what appealed to me most as well, at least from processing videos. I set up my garden bench/processing station to be at a perfect height to install a wringer.

Okay, it's reassuring about the time spent. I will only be raising rabbits for my family, so I won't have too many animals to worry about!

 

[Angelicisi]

We have MANY. A simple trio is plenty for one family. Better even if you can get unrelated lines. You'll get along further with stock without inbreeding.

Yes, for some reason, the all white helps me to see "dinner" too, and not just pet bunny.  The wringer method is what appealed to me most as well, at least from processing videos.  I set up my garden bench/processing station to be at a perfect height to install a wringer. 

Okay, it's reassuring about the time spent.  I will only be raising rabbits for my family, so I won't have too many animals to worry about! 

 

[SA Farm]

I'm about half-way through reading this entire thread! Love it and all the information in it. I've been raising rabbits off and on for years and mostly have NZs now. Oddly enough, I was also home-schooled and am OCD with my animals with records and whatnot and love to research! Didn't do the vet thing, though my family thought it would be great for me.

Looking forward to finishing reading it, but I have bottle baby goats to feed!

 

[Angelicisi]

Awwww how sweet are they?!

I'm about half-way through reading this entire thread! Love it and all the information in it. I've been raising rabbits off and on for years and mostly have NZs now. Oddly enough, I was also home-schooled and am OCD with my animals with records and whatnot and love to research! Didn't do the vet thing, though my family thought it would be great for me. Looking forward to finishing reading it, but I have bottle baby goats to feed!

 

[Angelicisi]

Im starting off slow and a newb at meat rabbits on a mass scale (eventually!) So as these sets of kits grow out I'll have a lot more info to post...so far it's a lot of waiting, waiting on kindling, waiting on weaning, waiting on growing out, waiting on butchering lol but starting in the fall really helped us get set up and prepare for the killer heat coming. We started with a trio from 3 lines and now will have 5 lines and over 30 rabbits total but that includes kits. By summer I expect 16 breeding stock does and 4 stock bucks. The rest on site at that time will be grow out orders, meat, 4H and pets.

 

[Beekissed]

I love the waiting the best...that expectation and excitement is what it's all about. I like going out in the rabbit house at night and turning on the light, sitting on a hay bale and listening to them nibbling hay, moving around softly in their cages, tapping the water bottle. All those things are so very peaceful to me. We used to sit out there and just talk in a low voice about life and things and listen to that steady rabbit life going on. They are such quiet animals...they remind me of my hair sheep.