What age/weight do you process your meat rabbits?

[SarahoftheChick]

I keep hearing that 12 weeks is a good age, but I can't seem to get rabbits up over a couple of pounds at that age. The parents are quite large, but a living rabbit that only weighs 3lbs doesn't dress out to much. Any recommendations?

 

[cassie]

What kind of rabbits do you have and what are you feeding them? I used to raise New Zealand Whites. My bunnies would usually reach 4 pounds by about 8 weeks of age. I fed commercial rabbit pellets. The nursing mother and her litter were fed free choice.

 

[SarahoftheChick]

They are a NZ mix. I just weighed a couple here at 11 weeks and they are just over 3 lbs. I have to process this week no matter what because my son is having surgery next week and will be at the hospital for 3 weeks.

 

[cassie]

You either need to get better breeding stock or change the way you are feeding your rabbits. Or both. Something isn't right here.

 

[CityFarmer202]

i raise my NZW rabbits on pasture, so i don't have to pay for food, but it takes 5-6 months to get them to about 4-5 pounds. I would rather raise them freely and have to wait longer for them to grow out than eat gmo unhealthy rabbits.

 

[cassie]

If it takes six months to get your rabbits to what they should weigh by eight weeks, it doesn't sound to me like your rabbits are healthy so much as they are starving. You can get feeds that are not GMO, although all the hysteria about GMO feeds escapes me. If I were in your shoes, I would figure out what nutrients your rabbits are getting vs. what they need for optimum health and then supplement their pasture with the missing nutrients. I don't know what kind of pasture you have, but you can plant clover or alfalfa in it if there isn't any now. Just a suggestion. Of course if you are happy with the status quo, never mind.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have to agree with Cassie - an animal that matures to only half of what should be its adult weight doesn't sound "healthy" to me, it sounds severely stunted. If a Buff Orpington only grew to the size of a Old English bantam in 6 months, wouldn't it be obvious that there was something wrong?

 

[CityFarmer202]

Sorry, I was confused when i read your replies, and realized i said 5-6 months to 5 pound for butcher weight

My bad...I totally agree with you, those would be stunted and starving rabbits. To butcher on pasture, mine take around 2 weeks longer, so i butcher them when they are i was totally thinking about when i breed them for some reason. Thank you Cassie and Bunnylady for calling me out for that. I would feel so bad if they really took that long to grow out.

 

[cassie]

Thanks for clearing that up. I feel a LOT better about your bunnies now.

 

[CityFarmer202]

your welcome thank you again for calling me out on that.