Meat Rabbits? Anyone?

[pixie74943]

Wondering if anyone has/had meat rabbits?
How many to feed a person? Say if you were eating rabbit 2 or 3 times a week?
How many litters can a doe have a year?
Feed conversion ratio?
Price of Feed vs. How much meat? Was it worth it?
Do you have pictures of your set-up? I learn well from Pictures
What Breed of Rabbits?
Where did you get your rabbits from?

And anything else you can think of that may be important

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have 3 does and a buck. I do not produce as many litters as they are capable of , and we have more than enough meat for a family of four eating rabbit once every week or two. We can sell the extras for about a $1 a lb. Each of my does usually produce 8-10 kits. A bag of feed costs me about $15 and last me about a month feeding the buck and three does, and occasional litters. I give them the same hay that my horses eat. (grass hay) IMO it is very cost effective.

I have a californian doe, and buck, and two does who are a cross between Flemish giant and New zealand. the crosses I got from a friend who was getting out of meat rabbits, and the cali's I got from a rabbit farmer--they were commercial stock. Mine don't have papers, pedigrees or tattooes, nor do I want any.
Good luck!

 

[hollyk]

We have one california doe and one new zealand doe and one california buck. We have put 3 bucks in the freezer. One rabbit makes 2 meals for my family of 6 if I make dumplins or pot pies. For any other meal, one 5 lb rabbit will do. Doe can be re-bred just 2 weeks after giving birth. I wait a little longer. Given that one doe could give birth every 45 day or so- a few rabbits can feed a family how ever much rabbit meat you want to eat.
"Raising Rabbits the Modern Way" by Storey publishing is a great book. I got mine from the library.

 

[chinbunny]

Quote:
Does can produce five large litters a year. So you should a lot of good fryers from them. Rebreeding a doe two weeks after they give birth is too stressful on them, and will burn them out. The only time a doe should be rebred like that is when she has lost her litter. allowing them to nurse a litter while carrying another is also very stressful and hard on them. This is a practice that I would not recommend using unless you are running a commercial rabbitry. Even then those practices are also questionable. Places like that tend to overbreed their does, and wean their babies too early in order to keep up with production. Rabbits bred on a small scale don't have to bred like that. The best way that I have found that works and keeps does in good health and condition is to give thema clean break. Let them raise their litters till they are about 6-8 weeks old, give them about a week or two for a break, and then consider rebreeding them. Most times they are more then ready by that time. Also gives them a little time to recondition, and rest. Not only that breeds like newzealands can produce large litters of 5-10 at a time. That is why feeding that many, plus keeping them on a strict back to back breeding scedual is hard on them.

I get my rabbits from show breeders. My show rabbit culls also make nice little meat animals. I also buy some to breed with strictly for meat rabbits from the local livestock auction barn. They are also good animals to RAW out to your pets too. I thaw out a carcass once a week and cut it up and feed part of it to my dog. The rest is put back in the freezer and rethawed the following week. Helps save on dog food that way.

I have two meat breeds. Newzealands and florida whites. I also have a flashy show breed called a standard chinchilla. They also make nice meat rabbits. It just takes them a little longer to grow out then the others.

 

[BarbK]

I have 3 does and 1 buck. My feed costs $15/100# and I feed them the horse goat hay that I pay $50 a bale for.