Starting to breed rabbits

Well I have now started breeding rabbits for feeders. I have a customer that I have been selling rats to that has gotten into retics and needs bigger feeders. Here is what is cool we can also eat them and my oldest son can show them for his FFA project. I'll be adding chickens to the mix soon as he will be raising them as well. Here are a couple of pictures of them before they had a romantic evening. My rabbit totals are 6 does and 1 buck.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...192529_304.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...192420_759.jpg

I was thinking of raising rabbits for feeders but it's not worth it when I can get them for $8 a piece (2lbs). Also, I think I'd become more attached to the rabbits, and feel bad offing them.

They're super cute though.

My rabbit would not like you lol
Ya got some cuties there!

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

I was thinking of raising rabbits for feeders but it's not worth it when I can get them for $8 a piece (2lbs). Also, I think I'd become more attached to the rabbits, and feel bad offing them.

They're super cute though.

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Thanks. Yeah it is not cost effective if you just need a few, but this guy needs a lot of them.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

My rabbit would not like you lol
Ya got some cuties there!

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Thanks, my youngest son has named all of them and claimed one as his own so she will be around for awhile.

Cute! I want to raise meat rabbits some day. I love rabbit, and it's healthier and more economical than some other meats. Around here rabbit tends to be hard to come by and expensive (I've seen it for as much as $12 a pound! but I think usually closer to $6-8 a pound).

What kind of rabbits would you use for feeding snakes? :P

Have fun with that. I almost started raising them for my retics, but with 10 retics, and the ability to pick up rabbits for under 10 bucks a hit (5 sometimes even), the cost of upkeep for rabbits is not worth it even in the long run. But it does add a new twist to things whne you can produce your own food.

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Originally Posted by Skilla6000

What kind of rabbits would you use for feeding snakes? :P

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I think it would depend on how large of a rabbit you'd need. Flemish Giants can get massive, which I think most would breed for adult retics. Otherwise just a normal rabbit, I think.

Yeah, for $8 my 2lb rabbit IS human grade as well. I have no interest in eating one though.

If I had the space, I would breed rabbits.
I don't have any snake large enough to take a rabbit, but they would be fed to my ferrets.

The best feeder/meat rabbits are New Zealands or Californians.
Their production is high for a good size rabbit and they grow fast.

Flemish Giants aren't a good meat rabbit. They have more bone mass than muscle/meat mass and only start to fill out when they are adults. Waiting for a grow out could take up too much space/time for it to be worth it.
And they are an expensive breed.
They can cost up to $100+ for a single rabbit....
And housing them would not be very efficient unless you have extra space since they can get up to 20lbs/small dog size.....

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Originally Posted by Skilla6000

What kind of rabbits would you use for feeding snakes? :P

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I am raising Californian rabbits. I might look into a hybrid that was breed to be more heat tolerant.

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

Have fun with that. I almost started raising them for my retics, but with 10 retics, and the ability to pick up rabbits for under 10 bucks a hit (5 sometimes even), the cost of upkeep for rabbits is not worth it even in the long run. But it does add a new twist to things whne you can produce your own food.

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It works great for me because I can sell them for feeders(just picked up another customer today), I can process for my own consumption and my kidos can show them in ag/FFA. PM me if you ever need any I go to Orange quite a bit.

Ill def consider that.


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I'm amazed at the variation in pricing, rabits are $8-10/lb here, if you can even find them.

Along with rats, we breed Zealand/Californian crosses. They fare pretty well out here in this swamp heat.

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Originally Posted by DNACurtusK

Along with rats, we breed Zealand/Californian crosses. They fare pretty well out here in this swamp heat.

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I've been looking into a breed called Altex that is breed to be more heat tolerant and it is a faster growing breed.

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Originally Posted by txcoker

I've been looking into a breed called Altex that is breed to be more heat tolerant and it is a faster growing breed.

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I want some Altex as well! I have a New Zealand pair and two California does. I breed for the table, but since I have a small family, I cull the smallest half of each litter and give those pinks to my bp's. It works out. Except for this Texas heat!