Meat Rabbits.

wayland · Meat Rabbits.

Have any of you`s guys thought of producing rabbits for meat? Although all our veg waste goes in the compost bins I would rather try and get something for the table from it. Rabbits will produce more prime meat than any other animal from a given space. it seems a good idea to me. We did keep NZ whites for a number of years and very good they were in our tiny garden. We will be getting some breeding stock from the UK next year. Wink

phil

I have thought of keeping a few NZwhites but the cost of breeding stock puts me off.

wayland

The last breeding stock that I got was from Melton Mowbray mart. Since bird flu the small livestock mart is closed so I have to get them from commercial breeders. I will get unrelated stock so If you want a few kits then no problem Wink

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Cheers.

tractorpunk

i'm trying to get started with a few rabbits here too. we picked up a couple of does this summer, i'm not too sure what breed they are, possibly English spots. they're not as fast growing as NZs and dont make such a good carcass but they were a lot cheaper and that counts for a lot around here!
I'm still waiting for a pure bred NZ buck from some folk in Monoaghan who claim to be the only NZ breeders in Ireland, (could be an opening for you there wayland)

I have noticed though that there seems to be a bit of a taboo about breeding rabbits for the pot. anyone who sees the does always starts looking at me very suspiciously and asking what i'm gonna do with them. it seems that they're a bit too cuddly for eating. personally i cant wait to get one in the oven

wayland

The Californian is another good eating rabbit which may be available. They are white with the occasional black spot. As to the taboo of eating rabbits. Young lambs are so cute but they still get eaten. I have little time for the softies who eat meat providing someone else does all the gory stuff. Good luck with your rabbits Tractorpunk.

phil

Chris i would certainly be interested, are you getting them sent over from the UK, or is it someone over here who breeds them.

patsonline

phil

These are the only ones i have found for sale in Ireland,what do you think of the price.

http://www.donedeal.ie/find/all/a...d/new%20zealand%20white%20rabbits

Camile

Hi guys,

No experience of rabbits except as pets .. but how about those Rex:
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/otheranimals/1014244

Less of an investment but would still make a decent meal me think.

Camile

Camile

Or try this guy:
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/otheranimals/1014244

He ain't too far from us ...

Camile

tractorpunk

i've heard that flemish giants are just too slow to mature to be practical for meat. NZ's and Californians are mature and ready to breed when they're 6 months old and have larger litters. they also have the best bone/ meat ratio of the giant rabbits.

I haven't seen NZ's or Californians cheaper than 50 euro in Ireland. my does were a lot less than that but the kits probably wont give as good a carcass as pure breds.

patsonline

Methinks that if the California/NZ whites are working out at approximately 50 euro apiece It might be easier to sell them on if their was a market for them, and then eat them in a couple of years when hopefully they were more available and less pricey.

Personnally I have never eaten caged rabbits, however I have 'heard' that the meat is much more tender than wild rabbits as they dont have the same exercise to toughen the meat, it is too long ago for me to remember how the wild rabbits of my teenage years tasted....and my Mothers cooking to boot! Can anyone enlighten me of the difference?

My OH has 2 does and a buck, Giant Flemish as pets, and the odd occassion that I have mentioned 'a mate that can Kill, skin and gut a rabbit in 2 minutes and 35 seconds ready for the pot' giving me lessons! has not gone down very well....I can tell you!

wayland

Your other half should fear not Pat as the Flemish Giant are of very poor quality meat quality. They are all bone and not much else. Your friend who can skin and draw a rabbit in 2 mins must have stopped for a fag in the middle of the job me thinks Laughing

. If 50 euros is the price over here then its a ripoff. Watch this space I will see what I can do Wink

patsonline

Thanks for that Wayland...I will be watching this space hoping for a good deal from you in the future, it would be nice to get unrelated Smile

does and a buck, however does it really matter? As in the wild, do the rabbits practice the same method?....I think not! Rolling Eyes

phil

Good point there Pat,if your only breeding for the pot it should not matter if its brother sister mating,a different matter if it was for future breeding stock.

wayland

Well if the mating of close blood relatives can produce a rabbit with eight hind legs then yes!, but for breeding for the pot and to provide follow on stock then I would not want to breed related stock. First crosses should be ok and is done in all forms of stock breeding but fresh blood has to be introduced at some point to avoid deformities and other bad traits. As to in the wild then a buck may breed as the dominant male for a while until he dies or is dethroned but as with most mammals, there is always a few bounders around waiting in the wings until his back is turned. Wink

wayland

Scanning around the numerous rabbit farms in the UK gives us an average price of £20. Although not a bad price I hope to better it. Hopefully, I may have some stock before Xmas.

wayland

Just got an email from another UK supplier. She quotes :- Bucks £10. Does under 12 wks £10. Does over 12 wks £15. Thats more like it me thinks.

phil

Chris that's a much more realistic price you can't go wrong at that sort of money.

tractorpunk

I finally collected my buck the other day, i've been waiting for him since the summer. 4 more months and he's ready to start breeding and then the bunny burgers are on me. cant wait

wayland

Good luck with your enterprise. As you live a bit nearer Phil perhaps you can supply him with breeding stock. We may have to wait untill the early new year for ours.

tractorpunk

sure, first kits should be due around end of march

phil

Sounds like a good plan,then in the future we could do a swap with wayland and bring new blood in.

wayland

A rabbit Co-op. Laughing

Sounds good too me. I intend to do a fair bit of foraging and even strip graze my stock, but a few rabbit pellets would not go a miss me thinks. Anyone stock these in decent quantities?

phil

If you want a good carcase in a fairly short time i think you would have to feed some form of concentrate.

tractorpunk

all we've found is various pet food mixes, but i think that the high protein pellets are mostly alfalfa based, maybe a few hand fulls of dried "alpha A" would be as good
a rabbit co-op sounds good to me too

wayland

I am almost getting excited Laughing

. I have a book, "Backyard Rabbit Farming" by Ann Williams. We got this book in 1978 and although now very tatty it is a mind of information. Lots of info on growing crops for rabbits as well as foraging etc. Recommend it I do.