Butchering Age?

[Deleted]

Ok most Kits I've been letting get too Big. I usually wean at 6 weeks.

I'm thinking last ones I butchered 8 weeks might have been 10, all I know is they didn't look that Big but I found they were too Big.

What age do I want to butcher still have Good Frying size?

Rockpile 

[Wendy]

My brother used to butcher at 6 weeks. I think they are way too small then. I usually butcher at 12 weeks, but I like mine on the bigger side.

[Deleted]

10-12 weeks.

[Deleted]

Apr 20, 2015 1:21:22 GMT Wendy said:

My brother used to butcher at 6 weeks. I think they are way too small then. I usually butcher at 12 weeks, but I like mine on the bigger side.

I was thinking 6 weeks. And yes they look small but last ones I butchered we could get 4 meals out of each Rabbit.

I need something I can Fry Tender, don't have teeth.

Rockpile 

[Wendy]

Then I would go with 6 weeks. Makes them about the size of a squirrel.

[Deleted]

Our rabbits are large. We start butchering at 6 weeks because we don't like to freeze anymore than we have to. 2 each week. At 10 weeks, they are near double in weight, too big, too much fat for us, so we butcher the rest at 8 weeks and freeze the extra....James

[jamiecatheryn]

I am considering butchering our adult rabbits. Situation is a bit of a mess, we bought 2 does and the breeder was going to sell us a buck but he got a bad batch of Purina feed and the buck and most of his other rabbits died. So we have 2 never bred does 16 months old who aren't friendly enough to be pets, and no prospect of getting a buck soon even if they could successfully breed for the first time so late. I expect tough meat but I have a pressure cooker. They're about 14 lbs. Anybody dealt with butchering older ones? Kinda sad about it but my two youngest boys don't mind the idea. The older son gets upset about everything no matter what happens. I need to keep a pragmatic outlook here, since I'm feeding them and only getting garden fertilizer out of the deal.

[Deleted]

There aren't any other rabbit breeders anywhere near you?

[jamiecatheryn]

Nope not here, if I drove a couple hours maybe I could cross breed my nz's with somebody's cali's.

[Deleted]

Breeders cross NZ with Cali all the time. I'm crossing my Rex with Giant Chinchilla in some test breedings. I raise the GC for meat and the Rex for pelts so my Rex don't get butchered until close to 6 months. GC's can go to freezer camp any time after they are weaned.

I keep feed cost down by growing fodder and feeding from the yard & garden. My nursing does get 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 apple, a pinch of BOSS and some kale daily, along with big hand fulls of weeds from the yard. They always have hay available too.

[Deleted]

Where are you located? If you are just breeding for your own meat, who cares what you are breeding with. Surely someone in your area has a male rabbit. It doesn't matter what breed.

[jamiecatheryn]

The closest I've found for sale is 2 hours away, a bit too much to travel. Isn't over a year old dangerous for a first breeding though? That is what I read.

[Deleted]

No. It can be dangerous for guinea pigs as their pelvic bone can fuse. Not the case with rabbits. Somewhere along the way someone crossed the information with rabbits and everyone started spreading it as fact. You can breed a rabbit after a year old.
If she is overweight it may be difficult.
I'm trying to help you find a buck, even if its just a one time stud deal, that's why I asked where you are located.

[Wendy]

Yeah, if for your own meat you could use any old buck. Mine are all mutts & we get way more meat than we need.

[jamiecatheryn]

I'm in Somerset County, PA. It was Z-rex over near Washington PA that I dealt with before.

[Deleted]

Here is a list of some breeders in PA, listed by name and town, I don't know if any are in your county.

rabbitbreeders.us/pennsylvania-rabbit-breeders