UPDATE pg 3 How many rabbits should I get LOOK WHAT I GOT

[popcornpuppy]

I agree with everything that every one has said.
I am just like the OP. I have 6 rabbits now. We started with just 2. They were "meat rabbits" I forget what breed exactly. They never mated in the 2 years we had them. We lost the female, found her passed on in the cage, so we got 3 young females ( New Zealand/California crosses) to replace the one we lost. Then, the male would not get the females pregnant when the females were mature. So we culled the male and replaced him. The only male we could find at the time was a french lop. He got the job done! Even though he is half the size of our girls, he got the job done. Since then we got one new female (same cross breed as our other girls) and one more male (also the same cross breed as our girls and we are working out the bredding schedule.
The reason for my long story is to make the point to start with 6! 2 males and 4 females. That way if one female is not ready or the male isn't doing the job, you can alternate certain males with certain females. Live and learn, and then pass on what you know. That's my moto.

As for the duel purpose, my advise is to advertise the babies as what ever breed you get. (I.E. California rabbits for sale.) If you call them meat rabbits, some people get freaked out. "How can you eat some thing so cute and cuddly?!!!!!"
Some folks do like large rabbits as pets, and some folks are looking for meat rabbits but may be afraid to say so out of fear of offending the breeder. Let the buyer decide based on the breed, and avoid words like "pets" that imply you would not condone the butchering of bunnies.

Hope this helps.



ETA: Now, I can't remember what breeds they are. It may be Giant Flemish/ New Zeland. The girls are huge no matter what the cross is, and they are sweet hearts!
pic of my girls when they were 3 months old:

 

[yellowrose]

I was also thinking of raising rabbits for food. I was wondering, what happens to the fur? Sold? Thrown out?

 

[popcornpuppy]

Quote:
Whatever you want to do with it.
Find out from local sources what the laws in your area are pertaining to that and who can help you with your plans for the fur. Where I live, it is illegal to sell any processed meat that is not FDA or Dept of Agri. approved. So I do bother trying to sell the fur . We tan the hides and my husband wants to make a rabbit fur blanket. I say it's his project, he can do it! I will probably toss out the fur we don't use.

 

[dntd]

I have 7 rabbits and I am forced to have them inside in an inclosed porch easy enough to take care of, I offer them a hay filled box and they use it, so much easier to clean, they still have some accidents but not that many. A rubbermade box under the cages will help catch the litter so that you can conpost/garden with it easier, will make the area smell better as the litter won't seep into the ground, with my 5 you couldn't even smell them at all with this method.

 

[Bettacreek]

If you really want to start out with six, and you want to go with two bucks, then go for two different breeds. Go for the angoras, then go for a breed that's bred for meat purposes. I wanted to do the same as you, breeding dual purpose rabbits, and angoras were on my list. I finally decided against them because of the maintenance. I then decided on standard rexes, because I planned to make mosaic blankets with the fur. I then decided against them because of maintenance again. They get sore hocks easily, so wire bottoms aren't the best bet for them, which means that you'll be cleaning the pen out constantly. I finally hit the sale and came home with Californians. Four does and one buck, then sold two does for more than what I paid for the entire group. That was a month ago, and now they're 4-5 months old, so I have a bit to go before breeding. Anyways, if you don't want to go with two different breeds, then only get one buck, that will maximize your finances.

 

[pdsavage]

Well ill see what i can get at the sale saturday....Ill post pics if i get some bunnies...

 

[ack123]

Quote:
You should go to reputable rabbit breeder. Watch the sale barns, and look those rabbits over good. Sometimes people sell sick ones at them. A lot of them end up being culls that don't make it in the breeding/show programs.

 

[Bettacreek]

Quote:
You should go to reputable rabbit breeder. Watch the sale barns, and look those rabbits over good. Sometimes people sell sick ones at them. A lot of them end up being culls that don't make it in the breeding/show programs.

If they're going for meat breeding stock, and they're careful, it can be much better to get them at a sale than from a show breeder. I paid $16.25 for my entire group (4 does, 1 buck), they were all about 3 months old, in GREAT condition and very friendly. If I had gone to a breeder, I'd have paid $15-$25 for one rabbit, not to mention the fact that many people won't sell to meat producers.

 

[ack123]

Quote:
You should go to reputable rabbit breeder. Watch the sale barns, and look those rabbits over good. Sometimes people sell sick ones at them. A lot of them end up being culls that don't make it in the breeding/show programs.

If they're going for meat breeding stock, and they're careful, it can be much better to get them at a sale than from a show breeder. I paid $16.25 for my entire group (4 does, 1 buck), they were all about 3 months old, in GREAT condition and very friendly. If I had gone to a breeder, I'd have paid $15-$25 for one rabbit, not to mention the fact that many people won't sell to meat producers.

Most rabbit breeders will sell to meat producers. In fact many that that also show, also grow them for the table. We have meat buyers come to pick them up at some of the shows that pay $1.00 a pound for them. In fact most of the rabbit breeds recognized by the ARBA are meat breeds. I think you are getting them mixed up with those that breed them as pets, and would refuse a sale to someone wanting to use them for meat.

Its true that you can get a decent rabbit at an auction, as long as you are careful and watch what you are buying. Sometimes to get really good stock to start with, its best to buy from a good breeder. That way you see their pedigree(if they show their stock), the breeding stock, and the health of their herd.

I'd rather pay the $25 for a healthy rabbit and learn to identify diseases ect from a breeder(esp if you are a newbie), then take chances of coming home with something that has been 'treated' and 'cured' of an illness, or is sick.

 

[Bettacreek]

Quote:
If they're going for meat breeding stock, and they're careful, it can be much better to get them at a sale than from a show breeder. I paid $16.25 for my entire group (4 does, 1 buck), they were all about 3 months old, in GREAT condition and very friendly. If I had gone to a breeder, I'd have paid $15-$25 for one rabbit, not to mention the fact that many people won't sell to meat producers.

Most rabbit breeders will sell to meat producers. In fact many that that also show, also grow them for the table. We have meat buyers come to pick them up at some of the shows that pay $1.00 a pound for them. In fact most of the rabbit breeds recognized by the ARBA are meat breeds. I think you are getting them mixed up with those that breed them as pets, and would refuse a sale to someone wanting to use them for meat.

Its true that you can get a decent rabbit at an auction, as long as you are careful and watch what you are buying. Sometimes to get really good stock to start with, its best to buy from a good breeder. That way you see their pedigree(if they show their stock), the breeding stock, and the health of their herd.

I'd rather pay the $25 for a healthy rabbit and learn to identify diseases ect from a breeder(esp if you are a newbie), then take chances of coming home with something that has been 'treated' and 'cured' of an illness, or is sick.

It all really depends. There are many rabbit breeders around here who don't allow meat breeders or anything of the sort. You can still learn from breeders, most aren't going to shun others and not teach them anything simply because they didn't buy a rabbit from them. Here, the auction is actually very good about auctioning off healthy animals. I'm quite happy with the rabbits that I basically got for free (after selling two does for more than I paid for the group). To be honest, I have to say that I'd rather buy from someone dealing with meat rabbits only, not show. They'll be more inclined to work their lines towards fast, efficient meat producers, while show breeders have to keep an eye on all aspects. Personally, I'm not really concerned about my rabbits having enough black on their faces or the correct color on their points. All of those reasons, on top of getting them for dirt cheap, are why I went to a sale vs. a show breeder. Knowing what to look for can help prevent you from bringing home sick livestock. Granted, you should know this even if you're looking for rabbits from a "reputable" breeder. As for being cured from illness, IMO, I'm again not concerned, so long as they're healthy. I would definately not buy an older "breeding age" rabbit from the sale, because they may have been culled from the breeding program for being bad for reproduction. Anyways, it all goes back to, if you know what to look for, and you're not looking for show breeders, there's nothing wrong with getting meat breeders from an auction.