How One Can Raise Meat Rabbits for Food – Beneficial Information
Raising meat rabbits is becoming enormously trendy. And it’s not hard to see why because raising other varieties of meat such as beef, chicken, and pork require more space and more work. As a bonus, domestic rabbits produce an all-white meat high in quality, low in fat, and easy to digest. In fact, a lot of doctors recommend rabbit meat for individuals with digestive problems.
Most everyone knows that rabbits can proliferate very rapidly and with just a single pair of rabbits it’s feasible to grow over 100 pounds of high quality meat each year. One doe can generate ten times her body weight each year. And the amazing thing is that she can produce it in a space smaller than 100 square feet. Rabbits can even be raised in a small apartment or garage. With a few pairs you can grow enough high quality meat to provide for a small family and have enough left over for your friends and neighbors. Chickens are another great way to raise your own meat, but they need a greater amount of space and effort.
With a properly made rabbit hutch about the only work that is normally necessary is to check their food and water every day, perform a visual health inspection, and keep a journal of reproduction results for each individual animal. Cleaning their cages every several weeks is also a first-rate idea. Bunnies are very healthy creatures and are generally able to sustain good physical health and productivity if housed in a clean hutch.
Unlike a lot of other creatures, infant bunnies are entirely provided for by their mother. She gives her young ones all they require. They are weaned at a month and a half to two months of age which is also when they reach fryer size. This means that when it comes to raising rabbits they may very well not need any assistance from you. The mother will do almost all of the work for you. The milk that a mother supplies to her litter is rich and nourishing and is all a new baby bunny rabbit will require.
Another benefit of raising bunny rabbits is that the meat is low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein, and easier for a person to digest than chicken, beef, and pork. In addition, there is no plucking necessary. When you’ve gained some skill you’ll become adept at pulling the skin off in very little time and have your meat wrapped and in the freezer in just 10 or 15 minutes. And if you enjoy gardening you’ll be happy to know that rabbit droppings make great manure. Fertilizer from a lot of farm animals will burn your garden vegetables, but rabbit fertilizer will not.
The ideal variety of rabbit for meat production is most probably the white New Zealand. These bunny rabbits are extraordinarily bulky and will grow to roughly 13 pounds when fully mature. The majority of producers don’t let them reach this size and will dress them as fryers at 8 weeks of age. The standard fryer weight is 4 to 5 pounds and the standard litter size for New Zealand does is 8 to 10 bunny rabbits.
Another notable breed of meat rabbit is the white Californian. They get up to 10 pounds at full maturity which is a little smaller than the New Zealand. Californian does also have fewer children in a litter than New Zealands which is 6 to 8 offspring. Sometimes breeders will cross breed these two types as they can generate exceptionally vigorous young. Raising bunnies for meat can be an enjoyable and rewarding venture if done correctly.
Obtain vital info regarding rabbit care facts plus lots of other exciting facts about rabbits.