Thinking about Meat Rabbits

[John Gusmano]

On the homestead, we are always thinking about renewable resources. Which has got me thinking about getting involved with breeding meat rabbits. I heard that just a single pair of rabbits can produce 180lbs of meat per year. Does anyone here in the swamp raise meat rabbits? I have a few questions for you…

Which breed? (New Zealand’s? Californian’s? Mixes?)
What type of housing system do you prefer?
What is the best feed to keep the rabbits healthy and provide good tasting meat?
How often should you breed?
And anything else regarding the subject!

I am just now looking in to doing this, so I am trying to get all the information I can. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

Have a great day everyone!

[farmertrappe]

I have not raised rabbits, but have been very interested in starting. Tons of resources out there to check up on. One buck and three does will give you the best feed to meat conversion there is. I've always figured I would raise New Zeals. My next homestead will have rabbits.

[patricimo54]

I have raised rabbits in the past, but on a very small scale. Something I am consider for the future. Looking forward to the responses to this thread.

[SkFarm25]

Hey John

I've had rabbits for a while now, I'll tell you how I do things and what I would do differently. Im no expert and I know I'm not doing it the most efficient way for the most meat per year sort of thing but this is just on my farm. I'm constantly learning a better way to do things with them, you tube has great info, but will depend on how deep you want to get into them, how much time space and money you want to put in.

I started out with 2 pure new zealand blacks, I had a small shed ( 8x10 ) that I used to brood chicks in that I no longer was using so I put them in there. I made a rabbit sized sliding door between the stud spaces and made a run out the back as big as I could. I know lots of people that keep them in cages forever, that works too and they will grow faster, but I wasn't fond of them never seeing the sunlight. Of coarse I fenced the bajeezus out of the run both sides and top as the hawks have been known to pick up a cat or 2 from my yard and the yotes will do their darndest for a free wabbit.

I only breed my rabbits once a year, most of the time I get between 5 and 10 bunnies at a time and that's all i need. But I know people who will breed them again immediately, but this is really hard on your doe. This year I got a couple pure Californians that I'm mixing in to see what I can get so when the bunnies are big enough ill sell what i can as bunnies and then sell the rest as meat and keep my freezer full as well.

I feed mine a little bit of everything and kind of give them the choice. I buy some feed pellets from my Ag store as well as grass in their run, hay in a feeder, a little bit of rolled wheat and a chunk of salt block for them to chew on if they want, and of coarse, green table scraps.

Remember rabbits will chew anything and everything so leaving exposed studs on the wall will leave them chewed down in a couple of months. Rabbits teeth constantly grow and they need something to keep them worn down. So anything you leave in the cage or pen will get chewed. This in mind, give some thought into what feeding and watering systems you will use, Don't use any plastic Waters or feeders and don't just use a bowl for each either. Also the size of feeders and waterers, so you don't have to fill them more than a couple times a week. I just bought some watering nipples you can thread in to a pipe or on the end of a hose into the side of their cage, I haven't tried them yet as the nights are still cold enough to freeze here but i'll let you know how they work when I get them put on.

If you planning on having a doe and a buck for breeding, pre plan a secure separate pen to separate you doe and buck when it gets about a week before her due date. The bucks don't take kindly to the new bunnies and he will kill them most of the time. You will want to make a nesting box for the doe and put it in her pen. The doe will start to pull fur from her belly and pack straw and hay into the box and make a nest, once born the bunnies will be covered with the fur from the nest to keep them warm. Tip: make sure there is nothing in the doe's pen or cage that the bunnies can get caught on or stuck in, poultry wire is awful for this. I usually don't have much luck with first time moms for some reason, but the second batch always works out, if this is the case, ill wait at least a week until i re breed. In the shed I built 2 cages to put bred does in, once bunnies are big enough i let everyone back out into the run


Pretty easy animal to keep, raise and butcher, damn tasty too! I hope you find this is helpful. Any more questions ask away, best of luck!

[John Gusmano]

Wow! That is INCREDIBLE ADVICE!!!! Thank you so much, if we could still give out Karma points on here, that post is more than deserving of one! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with me.

[ninedeer]

I have raised New Zealands for a time.I raise them for eating and sale some.I have a couple bucks and several does.they will produce a lot of Bunnies if I was to keep them bred.I have mine in 2x3 foot cages with a 2x2 nest bow on the back of the cage.I feed them some rabbit pellets along with hay.now that the weather is getting nice so the grass grows I feed them green grass.all through out the summer the get plenty of leavens from the garden.I keep salt and some mineral locks in the cage for them,along with plenty of water.the cages are set out side in a area where they get some sun along with shade in the heat of the day.Beside eating the meat the hide has some value,too.There are hat maker and crafters out there that will buy the hides.I also save the liver and hearts for trapping bait and catfish bait.
As mention they are fairly easy to care for don't take up a lot of space and provide some awesome meat.

[John Gusmano]

Thanks ninedeer! Much obliged!

[trappingtime0]

I am also just getting into it i got a few and bred them well some one i know did anyway we ard kind of doing it together but i dont know what im doing tet either

[histopicker]

I raised rabbits for meat and show for several years. I had Satins and New Zeeland whites, both produced equally well. I preferred the Satins because of their fur. They have translucent guard hairs and I would shave the pelts to make dubbing for tying flies. I ran 18 does and two bucks as breeding stock. I kept and sold the best stock and butchered the culls at about 6 weeks of age (4lb average). I was processing around 2000lbs of meat a year from these 18 does. I fed them rabbit pellets only that I purchased at the local feed store. This made the cost of meat due to buying feed about .75/lb. I was selling show trios (buck and two does) for 100.00 average which bought a lot of feed. I got burned out on the meat but sure wish I had some of it now. Good luck with your endeavor.