How To Choose Your Rabbit Breed For A Rabbit Breeding Company

September 27, 2021 0 Comments

The choice of rabbit breed for your rabbit breeding business will depend on the purpose of the farm. Some farms are dedicated to the production of meat rabbits, while others have rabbits for their fur. Outside of the field of rabbit farming, breeders also raise rabbits for the pet market or as a show animal.

When it comes to choosing a meat rabbit, there are two breeds to choose from. One is the New Zealand white, commonly known within rabbit circles as the NZW, and the other is the Californian. Desirable NZW traits include good carcass quality, rapid growth rate, good reproductive rates, and maternal capacity. An NZW can reach 3 kg (6.6 pounds) between 12 and 14 weeks of age. The percentage of seasoning of the rabbit carcass is approximately 50 to 54% of the live weight.

The Californian is slightly smaller than the NZW and has a lower final weight but has a higher percentage of carcass seasoning, since it is a proportionately meatier rabbit. The hybrids are produced by crossing California males with New Zealand whites, to try to combine the best of both traits. Sometimes the Flemish Giant can also be used as a terminal parent with the aim of obtaining higher meat yields despite its lower reproduction rates.

Other rabbit breeds that could be considered for rabbit meat include the American, the chinchilla, the silver fox, and the giant chinchilla, but almost all European rabbit breeders use the NZW.

If you are just starting out with your rabbit breeding business, it would be wise to start small, say with 20 females and $ 2, to get a feel for the business before investing fully. Always try to buy from registered breeders, as this should give you some guarantee of purchase. A good registered breeder will always try to correct a bad situation, as it is their reputation that is at stake. Also, not buying from registered owners poses the danger of buying animals that are not purebred, injured, possibly sick, or genetically defective.

For added protection, buy a registered rabbit. A registered rabbit is one that an authorized registrar of the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) has examined and certified as free from defects and disqualifications. The recorder has determined that the rabbit is healthy and is a good representation of the breed. The registrar examines the pedigree of the rabbit for accuracy and completeness. A copy of the rabbit’s pedigree is sent to ARBA. Buying a registered rabbit greatly reduces the chances of purchasing “unsuitable” animals for whatever purpose you have chosen to raise rabbits.

Some rabbit breeding companies focus on raising rabbits for their fur. There are a number of species of rabbits selectively developed for the purpose of collecting their skins for the garment industry. The Angora rabbit is one of the best suited for this purpose, but other breeds such as Sable, Satin, Silver Fox, and Rex could be considered. Fur can make some amazing rabbit products, although this may not be to everyone’s taste.

Therefore, rabbit farming fails in two main fields, one for meat and the other for skin, with the New Zealand white and the Californian being raised for the meat and the angora for the skin.

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