The search for good meat rabbits

[holdinggold]

She looks really nice!

 

[MissPrissy]

Here are my new additions -

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=775663#p775663

 

[BantyHugger]

LOL Miss Priss i just posted a pic of her there for you too!

 

[katemary63]

We raise meet rabbits. We have 3 Californian does and 1 Californian buck. Be sure to breed the does twice, about an hour or so apart. You are likely to get a good sized litter. However, we don't like it when there are too many because they don't grow as fast. Five to six is perfect.

We wean our kits about 5 1/2 - 6 weeks old, gradually, removing one or two kits every couple of days so the doe doesn't get mastitis. We do not separate them before butchering. I have large "grow out" cages I put them in, about 24" X 48" and that will hold 3-4 kits. We butcher them the minute they hit 5 pounds. Don't wait - the meat will be tought. Younger is better by far.

It is great to have a freezer full of rabbit meat. It is delicious, nutritous and inexpensive to produce. Animal processing is a part of real life weather you let yourself be exposed to it or not. Our 7 year old daughter helps to butcher the rabbits and loves the meat. Is is no problem for her. She has her pet rabbits that we dont' eat. The Californians are for the dinner table.

Our rabbits are housed in a three sided, covered run-in type shed. They are in wire cages. They are just fine in the cold. They do not tolerate the heat well and we have lost a couple due to high temperatures even though they have constant shade and water. Some people put 2 liters full of frozen water in with them when it is too hot.