Silver Fox weight?

[Bethany101]

I have some purebred silver fox, and some champagne mixes born around Easter, which puts them about 4 months old(all male, females were butchered at 10 weeks). I'm wondering what the average weight is for them at this age, I'm having trouble finding that info online- just adult weights and ideal butcher weights.

My males are all around 6.25-6.5lbs. One of them is a hefty 7lb, I'll definitely keep him. Is that normal/above/below average? Seems fairly large but this is my first batch. They are in a tractor in my apple orchard, so get lots of grass, apples/pears, and extra veggies with their pellets. Thanks everyone

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Are you talking about a real fox? Or a type of bird or something....

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are you talking about a real fox? Or a type of bird or something....

They're rabbits

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have some purebred silver fox, and some champagne mixes born around Easter, which puts them about 4 months old(all male, females were butchered at 10 weeks). I'm wondering what the average weight is for them at this age, I'm having trouble finding that info online- just adult weights and ideal butcher weights.

My males are all around 6.25-6.5lbs. One of them is a hefty 7lb, I'll definitely keep him. Is that normal/above/below average? Seems fairly large but this is my first batch. They are in a tractor in my apple orchard, so get lots of grass, apples/pears, and extra veggies with their pellets. Thanks everyone

You're going to want to look at the standard for the weights.

 

[Bethany101]

You're going to want to look at the standard for the weights.

As stated in my post, I have only been able to find adult weights and ideal butcher weights during my2 hour search online. I have not been able to find any growth charts or other information for specific ages between typical butcher age (which has passed) and adulthood.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

As stated in my post, I have only been able to find adult weights and ideal butcher weights during my2 hour search online. I have not been able to find any growth charts or other information for specific ages between typical butcher age (which has passed) and adulthood.

The standard has the weight ranges for juniors, intermediates and seniors. I don't know if there's an online version though. People don't typically talk about the butchering age and weight, since usually the standard breeds are going to weight close to the same as what they're supposed to for show

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Bethany101 - Check out BYC's sister site called BackYard Herds (www.backyardherds.com) and there are a lot of great rabbit folks there than may be able to help

 

[morganalefae]

dumb question why butcher all the females? if they are meat rabbits would it not have been better to keep a few females to keep breeding so you don't over breed the female you do have so you could rotate and give the females a small break? that aside male weight is around 8-10lbs from what lil I myself have researched (looking into meat rabbits atm) of course females are larger by a few pounds around 9-12lbs I believe.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

dumb question why butcher all the females? if they are meat rabbits would it not have been better to keep a few females to keep breeding so you don't over breed the female you do have so you could rotate and give the females a small break? that aside male weight is around 8-10lbs from what lil I myself have researched (looking into meat rabbits atm) of course females are larger by a few pounds around 9-12lbs I believe.

Those weights are for fully grown seniors, not the age the OP is looking for.

 

[morganalefae]

Those weights are for fully grown seniors, not the age the OP is looking for.

Think of it this way rabbits gain 90% of their adult body weight by 4 months. from 8 weeks to 8 months they can gain 0.5lbs to 0.75lbs more or less depending on the breed.

OPs rabbits are seen as adolescence (3 months – 6 months) Adults 1 year to 7 years and senior at least 7 years. If you think the life span of a silver fox rabbit is 5-8 years and bucks (males) weight 8-10lbs normally for a adult. Now OPs 4 month old rabbits weigh say 6-7lbs (whole numbers are easier for me) they are only 1-2lbs shy of the lowest end of adult weight at 4 months old.

I personally would say they (concidering what little I know about rabbits and this breed plus my preferance to round down or up to a whole number) are normal to edging to slightly above normal specially if they keep gaining at least 0.5lbs til they are 8 months. The best thing for the OP to do is track the weights of their bucks starting now specially if they plan on breeding from some of their own bucks. And keep recording weight week by week for both bucks and does in the future to work out their own average over a few litters.

I can only guess the reason for no to few resources with the exact info the OP is looking for is because few ppl are really worried about the average weight week by week/month by month etc for a rabbit that is normally ment for meat once it hits x weight at x age that is all that matters to them so they don't need to keep feeding it and they can plan the next litter of meat animals. Again this is just based of the little bit I understand of rabbits and this breed, so hopefully I was a lil more helpful.