Dutch Rabbit for Meat

[DutchBunny03]

I'm sorry. Its sad when these things happen.
The only difference between white and colored NZs is the gene that makes them white. They are preferred for commercial use because the white pelt makes it easier to diagnose problems or dye the pelt.

 

[DutchBunny03]

With small meat rabbits, most breeders slaughter at the same time they would with a larger rabbit. They just get a smaller amount of meat.

 

[SableSteel]

Since the whites are more extensively used for commercial use and more common, they generally have better meat type and growth rate... Not that there aren't lines of colored NZ with good type and growth rate out there, they're just harder to find than good white lines

 

[DutchBunny03]

http://www.newzealandrabbitclub.net/

 

[OctoberKitty]

I'll go about getting a dutch buck to breed to my girl, but I'll get a trio of NZs for my main meat herd.

 

[DutchBunny03]

Nice choice. Dutch are also useful for pets, showing, and fur, as long as you wait until maturity, so your Dutch won't be useless. Have you decided what NZ variety you are getting?

 

[OctoberKitty]

I don't have any interest in shows, but I'm sure I could find a use for their fur. A chocolate buck popped up on a sale page, but he was posted by the seller I had issues with. I like the look of the chocolate Dutch so I'll probably try to find one later.

As for the NZ, I pretty much like any color except white. I found the red NZs while looking for a Palomino breeder. Since I couldn't find any Palominos I figured the red NZs were close a close second.

 

[DutchBunny03]

Are you butchering fryers or roasters? Roasters have a prime coat, but fryers are more economical to raise for meat.
NZ Reds are really good meat rabbits. They have a great commercial build. There are also broken NZs, which have a bit more of a pattern, and a lot of colors. They are really pretty.

 

[OctoberKitty]

I want to raise both. I planned to keep a few with desirable pelts for winter harvest. The rest would be fryers.

I see the red and broken NZs advertised most often. A man up north breeds white and a lady down south breeds black and broken black. I saw a lady the other day selling blue NZs. That was a new one I had never heard of or seen before.

 

[Bunnylady]

Blue isn't a showable color yet, but there are people working on that.