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

[Beekissed]

They look great!!! So cute still...love the head in the PVC pipe shot.

 

[Angelicisi]

Lol they LOVE those pipes. They have slap fights with one in the tube chillin and another wanting in hitting they others butt trying to push it through lol like giant hamsters (so far friendly and playful but we keep an eye on um)

Soon they be too big for them

 

[Beekissed]

I was just going to say that....gonna get one stuck in there soon with them big ol' NZ butts!

 

[Angelicisi]

So so questions for meat...share some thoughts?
At what age is a cost effective age to butcher?
Do you butcher on demand or seal and store?
How long is the refrigerated shelf life of a dressed rabbit?
Can I freeze them without damaging tender meat? We always bought fresh and ate same day lol
Do you grow to a specific weight to butcher or age? I'd like good size rabbits after dressed. I know rabbits are small but I'm thinking by 12 weeks would be a decent size?
Also, can we grow then out a lil longer to get a bit more size without sacrificing meat quality or tenderness?

 

[Beekissed]

So so questions for meat...share some thoughts?
At what age is a cost effective age to butcher?
Do you butcher on demand or seal and store?
How long is the refrigerated shelf life of a dressed rabbit?
Can I freeze them without damaging tender meat? We always bought fresh and ate same day lol
Do you grow to a specific weight to butcher or age? I'd like good size rabbits after dressed. I know rabbits are small but I'm thinking by 12 weeks would be a decent size?
Also, can we grow then out a lil longer to get a bit more size without sacrificing meat quality or tenderness?

Twelve weeks is considered market age rabbits and that's when most consider them at the optimal age for butcher. We've always canned the rabbits so not sure of the freezing...I'm guessing it would be much the same as with any meat, just have the right method. I think most do better with the sealed packaging. I'd say your fridge shelf life would be 48 hrs, max. if you want to preserve freshness and it's a good resting time for all freshly butchered meat.

Weights good for butcher are around 4.5-6 lbs but some like to take that higher, though it will have a less tender animal the longer you hold them over. And it cuts down on your feed conversion profits. I've not noticed too much difference in tenderness with an older, heavier market rabbit simply because these animals don't get much exercise and so the muscles don't gain much tone or toughness. We can most of ours so the meat tenderness isn't a factor at all...they can be as old as Methuselah and still come out tender.

 

[Angelicisi]

I was uploading to YouTube, waiting and looking at older videos...then saw one of my videos was unavailable
Whaaaa? Email stated that the "suggested viewer content" - the clips and stuff YouTube recommends after your video plays that I have nothing to do with lol - was "too provocative due to filters on the site and I need to make it an adult video and rate content as such for it to be viewable"
ahhh NO. Lol I'm not making bunny porn. I only wanted to show new breeders what the kick and snooze of a buck was. Not a seizure lol just a bunny getting it on and they want me in the adult section whoops

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I tend to process mine at 10-12 weeks. I have some people who prefer a younger, smaller carcass so I aim for 4lbs at 10 weeks... Sometimes I hit, in the dead of winter like this I tend not to so I try to keep them for a little extra time. However I also have crazy good dressage ratios. I have gotten a 3lb carcass out of a 4lb rabbit before.

Rabbit has a shelf life and stores much like skinless chicken. A few (2-4) days in the fridge for a fresh carcass isn't going to hurt anything if you cook it proper... I always let mine rest 24 hours in the fridge before freezing anyhow just to get past rigor.

If you're going to stew or can your rabbit meat, you won't have to worry about it being tender... But as long as you're raising them out "bigger" you may consider raising them to pelting age, or when their full adult coats come in around 5mos. This will give you something REALLY worth tanning and it will be a very nice hide. Your FCR will be awful, though, so make sure you're feeding them mostly hay!

What are you using for your FF?

 

[Angelicisi]

I fermented their regular feed and alfalfa cubes. He likes it enough so far, we'll see, I want him to consume a bit more based on dry feed consumption previously.


Each adult breeder eats 2 1/2 to 3lbs a week of pellets offered free fed and kits are free fed at 3-4 lbs a week pet litter (6-8 kits per litter).

Hay is always available, its like a hay party everyday lil

 

[Angelicisi]

Some baby weights
8/9 week olds

 

[Angelicisi]

Hubby finished an outdoor area for the rabbitry
Auto waterer getting set up yay!