Tell Me About Meat Rabbits

[hippiehen]

Anyone who raises them! What are your favorite kinds? Where do you find breeders? Can you make money off them at all? (Or at least have them pay for themselves?) I'm very interested in rabbitry but it's all very new to me. I've read some articles online but I really like to get first hand info please!

Thanks

 

[FireTigeris]

I'd go Here:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=68

 

[bobwhitelover]

I don't breed them but i know own a rabbitry: Best meat breed californian :Look at the ARBA website: Yes u can make money off them their meat sells for quit alot.
Hope i helped
Taylor

 

[NewHopePoultry]

New Zealand Whites make GREAT meat rabbits.
I used to breed rabbits for meat. I never really made money off them, but they usually paid for themselves.

 

[Akane]

We have champagne and creme d'argent. They sell for $30-$40 each live so whatever we don't butcher is easy to make money off of. If it's legal to sell meat you butchered yourself (not here) you could probably make money off rabbit. I've seen it selling for $6-$8/lb in stores. Meat mutts and your common breeds generally only sell for $5-$10 live around here. The problem is start up costs. Just like chickens you can sell enough eggs to break even on your ongoing costs but you may have $1000s more in the coup. A year later I figure we've just finished paying for our starting stock but not for the equipment.

 

[reliant601]

I've been raising rabbits for 6 years you never make money off of these guys. It will just go straight back to the feed and such. I am still ongoing my search and I like the New Zealands. I look on Craigislist and also find breeders that have excellent stock.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I just recently got some meat rabbits, here is my blog/posting about my rabbits and my intentions with them:

My Meat Rabbits

I have three so far, one buck and two does. I will probably be getting a forth doe next week as I just have been emailing someone near me with Californians. They have been my biggest challenge as far as breed goes.

I have found a couple good sites on rabbits, and more specifically, meat rabbits:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/

http://rabbittalk.com/

-- There are many others, but these two sites have been especially helpful to me so far.

I am really enjoying my rabbits!! I plan to breed my first litter this week. My Champagne doe will be bred to a huge NZ buck. I am hoping my Champagne turns out to be a good Momma

 

[hippiehen]

Great info so far! I'd love to see pics of yalls set-ups and what not! My husband is very handy and we have loads (literally - truckloads) of scrap lumber and wire so we could build a hutch pretty much for free.

And of course! I didn't think about backyardherds!

 

[Akane]

When I calculate it we spent $5-$6 per rabbit in feed to raise our last batch of meat rabbits counting the feed that went in to everyone (does, bucks, kits...). They sell for $30 if we didn't use them for ourselves so eventually it would be entirely possible to make money. We've been covering our feed costs in sold extra rabbits for the past 6 months and I blew a bunch of cash I had from rabbit buyers on new budgie toys and perches. It would probably take many years to cover all startup costs but if we sold rather than used every rabbit we would definitely be making more than we spend monthly.

 

[rickerra]

Quote:
That is an impressive price to bring in for live rabbit. Who are you selling to? Restaurants or individuals... for meat or pets? Is it the breed that fetches that price?

I just got into rabbits. I have a 2yo breeding trio. Does are Amer. Chinchilla x Creme d'argent... and buck is Creme d'argent x Black NZ. They are some big buns!

My one doe was bred to unrelated male... and my other doe is bred to my buck. Looking to save the next breeding generation out of those litters... sell a few... and freezer camp the rest.

Cheers!