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Rebecca · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject: Rabbit Meat

I wonder if anybody has experience in breeding rabbits for meat? My little girls raised some money for a charity called Bothar, and we were on line choosing what livestock to 'buy' for Africa. We choose a flock of Guinea Fowl, but I noticed one of the options were a pair of breeding rabbits for meat. I googled it and it seems that the New Zealand white is the breed of choice, which also happens to be the main pet breed!

Anyone have any experience? Its something I'd like to find out more about, including issues such as how children cope with with the pet/food boundaries!

Many thanks

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wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

I missed this post Rebecca. We kept meat rabbits for a number of years in the UK. An ideal enterprise for those with not much land. As you say the NZ White is the breed to go for. They can grow quite huge and have a very good meat to bone ratio. The Californian is another good breed. I shall do this again as the meat is great. I would be careful about giving animals to Africa. My mate with the goats did just that only to find that someone down south had brought them.
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blowin · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

I thought this thread over on the RC site was very interesting :
www.forum.rivercottage.net/viewtopic.php?t=20751&start=0