Rabbit Q & A (all rabbit related questions are welcome)

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

Hey, my name is Sarah. I’m not on here much, but I will hopefully be changing that as I am looking at making a winter garden and will be having lots of questions.

Today however, I am just extremely bored and I’m out of projects to do. So, Q & A it is.

I personally have 15+ years of rabbit raising experience. Through these years I have gained most of my knowledge through 4-H/rabbit shows and the people associated with that, and meat rabbit/show rabbit-based websites. In the last 3 years or so I have also started exploring the online pet communities as well (though I have had pets the entire 15 years) to broadening my knowledge on the mental and natural needs of rabbits, in hopes to one day start a colony that is as close to wild rabbit life as possible.

Ask any questions you may have, and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge, questions such as:

What’s the best meat rabbit breed?

What’s the best setup for XYZ environment?

What breed is my rabbit?

What should I feed my rabbit?

etc, etc.

edit: Feel free to quiz me if you already have rabbits/don't have questions, just for the fun of it.

 

[Bacpacker]

Welcome from Tennessee

 

[Southernsurvivalist]

Best breed for meat for small homestead. Low maintenance. Gilfcoast of USA.

 

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

Best breed for meat for small homestead. Low maintenance. Gilfcoast of USA.

For a low maintenance rabbit, I would look for something with a normal fur type, with a fly back or snappy fly back texture. The best body type would probably be commercial; however some compact breeds could work as well (depending on how much meat you want to produce/how many mouths you are feeding)

There are three breeds that come to mind first when think low maintenance meat rabbits in hot climates, from first to last.

New Zealand

These are a staple breed in the meat rabbit community, they are about as basic as basic can get. They have a commercial body type, which is usually best for meat production. The average adult weight is about 9-11 pounds for bucks and 10-12 pounds for does. Grow outs can usually get to butcher weight (3.5-5.5 pound live) by about 10-14 weeks. The white variety is most desirable and most common due to its versatility in the fur market, but they are also recognized in black, blue, red, and broken. Temperaments vary drastically depending on lines and how they are raised, however they are usually pretty docile with the does being a little more feisty than the bucks (which is common in most breeds).

Florida White

This breed is common among meat breeders who don’t need to produce too much (like a single couple with only two mouths to feed). They have a compact body type but have been developed as a meat breed so have a good bone to meat ratio. The average adult weight is 4-6 pounds for bucks and does. Grow outs usually make butcher weight by 10-14 weeks (2.5-4.5 pounds). They only come in one variety which is REW so breeding for good color is easy (always a perk). Temperaments of this breed can be a bit more feisty than other breeds, however selectively breeding for good temperament can easily fix this.

Rex

Rex rabbits are known for their amazingly soft fur (see here for more info) and they are decile in temperament. They have a commercial body type, however, they produce slightly less meat than breeds like the New Zealand (something that can be selectively bred to improve). The average adult weight is 7.5-9.5 pounds for bucks and 8-10.5 pounds for does. Grow outs take around 12-14 weeks to get to butcher weight (3.5-5.5 pounds). They come on many varieties so can be fun for learning the genetics of that (of just go, “I can’t wait to see what I get in this little” after all pink babies over and over again can get boring). They are known for having amazing docile temperament in both the buck and does. Notable downfall: because of their unique fur texture the rex rabbits are more genetically prone to sore hocks no matter what type of flooring you keep them on. However, this ca be fixed by strict selective breeding and making sure the cages are made with the proper material, and the rabbits are provided with a resting mat. Although not the best meat breeds out there, I love this breed for household that have children or people who are looking for both meat and pet rabbits.



Most rabbits with a commercial body type and normal fur are a good bet. Try and buy within the local climate as those rabbits will do best because they do not need to adjust (I’ve seen stories along the lines of “I could only find this breed in Maine, but I really wanted them, when I brought them back to Texas in they died. I have no idea why.” Temperature shock buddy). As much as people rave about them, I suggest to stay away from the TAMUK “breed,” this “breed” was developed for high temperature resistant and is talked about a lot for people in the south. However, there is no standard for this “breed” and they have no set color that they come in so it is extremely common for people to sell any large mixed breed under the label of TAMUK for way too much money. It’s just a sketchy breed/market atm. Plus, like mentioned before, any rabbit bred in your climate will easily withstand said climate.

 

[Amish Heart]

Can any rabbit be a meat rabbit? What can you grow to feed your rabbits?

 

[Pearl]

Hi Sarah!! I know nothing about rabbits, but hope you do join in more often. Hope you find some answers!

 

[Supervisor42]

Can any rabbit be a meat rabbit? What can you grow to feed your rabbits?

I think so.
We only knew one species growing up: good ol' Peter Cottontail:
We ate good!

 

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

Can any rabbit be a meat rabbit? What can you grow to feed your rabbits?

Yes, all rabbit breeds are perfectly safe to eat (wild and domestic, hates and rabbits). One fun fact about “rabbit” meat though, rabbits are white meat while hares are red meat.

With that said it is not practical to eat all breeds. For instance, a mini Rex is a 3-5 ish pounds rabbit full grown, it’s is concussed a fancy breed and as such is not meant to grow fast or have good bone to meat ratio, their for it just isn’t worth the time, money or feed that would get it to a “suitable weight” (3.5-5.5 pounds, which is the standard for fryer weight minimums). That vs, let’s say a Californian. A breed that gets up to 9-12 pounds full grown that has been developed specifically for good bone to meat ratio and gets to fryer weight in about 10-12 weeks.
So, yes, you can eat any breed. However, for practicality reasons it is best to stick with the breeds that have been specifically developed for meat production (which are usually breed with a commercial body type).

Fun fact: Mini Lops (not Holland lops) were originally developed as a meat breed, they are mostly a fancy breed now and considers more of a pet breed. But a select few do still breed them for their original purpose.

 

[Peanut]

@Supervisor42 ... there are two species in these parts, regular sized and very large. The big ones are more brown in color and live in the swamp.

The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), also called the cane-cutter, is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States. The species has a strong preference for wet areas, and it will take to the water and swim.

@UpTown Family Rabbitry 2 Wish you luck with your project. I had rabbits for a few years but didn't have time to raise them properly. Dad and i were still farming, cattle and peaches.

Yes, welcome back, please post more!

 

[Supervisor42]

@Supervisor42 ... there are two species in these parts, regular sized and very large. The big ones are more brown in color and live in the swamp.
The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), also called the cane-cutter, is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States. The species has a strong preference for wet areas, and it will take to the water and swim.
@UpTown Family Rabbitry 2 Wish you luck with your project. I had rabbits for a few years but didn't have time to raise them properly. Dad and i were still farming, cattle and peaches.

Yes, welcome back, please post more!

We hit the 'cane-cutters' hard regularly too .
I was trying to grasp a term that people could recognize since these are not domesticated.

 

[Haertig]

I don't know anything about rabbits other than our yard is full of them. Sometimes we'll go out the front door and there are three of them there. Then out back there are four more. We go through cycles. Year of the Rabbit. Then Year of the Fox. Then Year of the Coyote. Repeat. This is the second year in a row of rabbits, so the traditional pattern has been broken. The foxes take over the yard just like the rabbits do. We'll find them curled up under the trees taking naps. The coyotes are more cautious. We can hear them right near us, but rarely see them.

Do you know how to get rid of these rabbits? They destroy the yard (the foxes don't). The rabbits sit there eating grass, and peeing in the same spot, until the area where they were dies off after a bit. I think it's the pee more than the eating. I don't really want to kill them, although that would be easy. They're not very bright. They come in different sizes, so they must be busy making more somewhere. There appear to be two types. The first type will run like hell when they see you. The second type sinks into the grass thinking that you won't see them (they're pretty damn obvious though!) We have mostly the second type. You could easily take these guys out with nothing more than a stick. But I don't want to hurt them, I just want them to leave. And after two years of them now, I don't want to wait for the next Year of the Fox to get rid of them. What is a good repellent for them?

We found a good way to hide the rabbit circles this year. We haven't taken good care of the lawn - didn't fertilize or use weed killer and have't watered as much. So the rabbit spots blend right in. I'd like a better way for next year though, assuming the Year of the Fox doesn't materialize.

Thanks!

 

[Pearl]

I don't know anything about rabbits other than our yard is full of them. Sometimes we'll go out the front door and there are three of them there. Then out back there are four more. We go through cycles. Year of the Rabbit. Then Year of the Fox. Then Year of the Coyote. Repeat. This is the second year in a row of rabbits, so the traditional pattern has been broken. The foxes take over the yard just like the rabbits do. We'll find them curled up under the trees taking naps. The coyotes are more cautious. We can hear them right near us, but rarely see them.

Do you know how to get rid of these rabbits? They destroy the yard (the foxes don't). The rabbits sit there eating grass, and peeing in the same spot, until the area where they were dies off after a bit. I think it's the pee more than the eating. I don't really want to kill them, although that would be easy. They're not very bright. They come in different sizes, so they must be busy making more somewhere. There appear to be two types. The first type will run like hell when they see you. The second type sinks into the grass thinking that you won't see them (they're pretty damn obvious though!) We have mostly the second type. You could easily take these guys out with nothing more than a stick. But I don't want to hurt them, I just want them to leave. And after two years of them now, I don't want to wait for the next Year of the Fox to get rid of them. What is a good repellent for them?

We found a good way to hide the rabbit circles this year. We haven't taken good care of the lawn - didn't fertilize or use weed killer and have't watered as much. So the rabbit spots blend right in. I'd like a better way for next year though, assuming the Year of the Fox doesn't materialize.

Thanks!

Good cats = no rabbits

 

[UrbanHunter]

Hey, my name is Sarah. I’m not on here much, but I will hopefully be changing that as I am looking at making a winter garden and will be having lots of questions.

Today however, I am just extremely bored and I’m out of projects to do. So, Q & A it is.

I personally have 15+ years of rabbit raising experience. Through these years I have gained most of my knowledge through 4-H/rabbit shows and the people associated with that, and meat rabbit/show rabbit-based websites. In the last 3 years or so I have also started exploring the online pet communities as well (though I have had pets the entire 15 years) to broadening my knowledge on the mental and natural needs of rabbits, in hopes to one day start a colony that is as close to wild rabbit life as possible.

Ask any questions you may have, and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge, questions such as:

What’s the best meat rabbit breed?

What’s the best setup for XYZ environment?

What breed is my rabbit?

What should I feed my rabbit?

etc, etc.

edit: Feel free to quiz me if you already have rabbits/don't have questions, just for the fun of it.

Welcome! You will fit in here perfectly!

I do 12 month gardening, with a small shelf based indoor growing station for winter stuff.
There are a number of old gardening threads because they/we start a new one every year....

I have always wanted to add rabbits to my mix, but I don't have much space and the wife has always been hesitant about rabbits, she likes chickens/eggs but we don't have enough space for that either. What do you think the minimum number of rabbits would be necessary to have a "sustainable" meat production operation? Just for a small family, not for resale... So I am thinking harvesting 1 or 2 per month....

Anyway Glad You're here! Welcome!

 

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

Can any rabbit be a meat rabbit? What can you grow to feed your rabbits?

The easiest way to answer the second question their is to direct you to this thread The New Safe Plants for Rabbits List

 

[joel]

Can any rabbit be a meat rabbit? What can you grow to feed your rabbits?

Yes, but some rabbits are grown for their fur, not their meat, which is eaten, but not the prime reason for rabbits.
In the last twenty years or so, some people treat rabbits like house cats.
I do not remember, if I even knew, what kind of rabbits we grew, but I trapped more wild rabbits in a rabbit box.
We feed the rabbits sweet potatoes vine that were trimmed from the SP beds.
Here is a great farmer that may help you. Rabbits start at 5:00.

 

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

What do you think the minimum number of rabbits would be necessary to have a "sustainable" meat production operation? Just for a small family, not for resale... So I am thinking harvesting 1 or 2 per month....

With the amount of rabbits you want to process, you could easily get away with just one buck and one doe. With that said, it is highly recommended to not have less than a breeding trio (one buck and two does) for safety reasons. Most recommend you breed two does at the same time, that way if one doesn’t take or if one has complications, you have the other to fall back onto/foster kits. With that said, I usually don’t do this and have only had complications once in my 15 years of breeding; as long as you invest in quality proven stalk you should be fine just breeding one.

Rabbits have been reported to have anywhere from 1-18 kits per litter, but the most common number among meat type breeds is 6-10. A rabbits gestation is 30-32 days, and kits take anywhere from 10-16 weeks to get to butcher weight. It is best to process rabbits when they are juniors (under 6 months of age) as any older than this the meat can become tough and is usually only enjoyable in stews.

For your wants I think having a breeding trio would be best, and I think a smaller meat breed such as a Florida White, Havana, Lilac, Rex, or Standard Chinchilla as these breeds average slightly smaller litters and slower growth rates. Breeding every 5 months should keep a pretty steady flow (if the rabbits have 6-8 kits per litter and you are processing 1-2 per month). If you wanted more production than this, with a two-doe rotation you could breed every 1.5 months as well. (see this post for more on breeding to weening).

As for space, it depends entirely on your preference. Some people love cages and will never want a colony, and some people love colony and will never do cages, their also the people that do an in-between type of setup. It’s a personal preference that only you can research and decide. However, I think a good general guide for colony, cages, hutches, etc. is that you will need to plot out a 10’ by 10’ area at the minimum dedicated to rabbits and all their supplies. (note: If you chose cages, I personally recommend using this as an absolute minimum cage size guide).

Making it sustainable money wise is mostly dependent on how/what you feed them and mow much that will cost you. This vastly differs from person to person/place to place and is another thing that you would have to research and decide on your own. Generally though, more money goes in than what comes out. (Unless you cheat people out of their money by backhanded sales of "rare colored Holland Lops for $500" fyi, anything over like $50 for a non show quality rabbits is a no go). Never underestimate the value of thier poop, both for your own use and to sell, I've had buyers say they would pay $50 for a 50lb feed sack full before.

 

[joel]

When I was young I heard about a kid in grade school that sold ribbit for breeding & meat.. He made money selling the red worms for fishing bait & after the worms where finished he bagged the waste and sold it azalea soil.
He made so much money, he did this for the rest of his life.

 

[Haertig]

A friend had a pet rabbit once. They had company over, and everyone was saying how cute their rabbit was sitting there on the coffee table in the middle of the group. Until the rabbit bounced up on its front legs and started spinning around peeing. Like a RainBird impulse sprinkler. The rabbit was no longer popular after that.

 

[UpTown Family Rabbitry 2]

When I was young I heard about a kid in grade school that sold ribbit for breeding & meat.. He made money selling the red worms for fishing bait & after the worms where finished he bagged the waste and sold it azalea soil.
He made so much money, he did this for the rest of his life.

Ya, you can make quite a bit of money with the red worms added in. That is something my parents always wanted to add to the rabbitry, but we never got around to it.

 

[joel]

Most people know about this, but for new comer, here it is.
This can be cured by chickens & eggs in the diet.
https://purposedrivenhomestead.com/2021/12/15/is-rabbit-starvation-real/