Teach a noob how to pick which meat rabbit to buy for breeding

[mudflap]

Might be the wrong forum but this seemed the best match because it's health related.

I have et a few but never raised rabbits before. I'm still looking for breeding stock but it occurs to me that I should learn the basics of inspecting a rabbit to determine whether it's worth buying before I buy one.

I've never seen a rabbit with ear mites but I reckon I should check the ears just to see if something is obviously out of whack. And I'm guessing if it's a doe I should count how many nipples she has. But what else should I look for? What are your top signs that this is a rabbit you SHOULDN'T buy?

And about the inspection, I'll never be able to pass myself off as a seasoned rabbit breeder but I don't want to look the fool doing it either. Should I pick up the rabbit and have at it like I've done it before, or have the owner hold the rabbit while I examine it?

 

[secuono]

Never counted teats. They roughly have 10, but not all. And they should be able to raise 8-9 kits without issue. If it's a proven doe, may check for mastitis. But idk how that may look healed. But you'll know once near delivery and one teat is deflated, or new infection- hard, hot, black, no milk coming out.

Hot ear base, flopped ear, sensitive to touch, yellow stain deep in ear are ear mite signs. Brown crust is mites. But sensitive to touch isn't anything without the others. I have several who hate their ears touched no matter what.

Check gender. Check lungs, nose, eyes, vent.

Ask for weight records of the litter. As proof they're growing properly. Breed and parent size is irrelevant if the kits don't grow at the correct speed.

Shape is important. Pose them, feel for muscle.



Front toe under eye.
Elbows down.
Rear toe under kneecap.

You want a thick, wide loin.

Wide shoulder to a wide hind. No V shape or tear shape from the top. Round hind. Again, no V shape there either.

Smooth area from loin to knee. Flat sides of thighs that go straight down. Wide foot base.

 

[Baymule]

Excellent advice

 

[Ridgetop]

First do you want to start with adults or youngsters? Breedig life in rabbits is not overly long - by 4 years they are pretty well done. I suggest yo start with yong rabbits abut 3-4 months old They can be bred at 6 months so you won't have long to wait and will have a longer breeding life.

Where do you live? Rabbits can tolerate extreme cold but not wind and rain so your housing will have to protect them from wind and wet. Extreme heat is their enemy and they will die easily from that. You can house them in hutches outside as long as they have shade. Tarps can be attached to protect them from wind and blowing rain. Make sure that they are not in direct sun. Closed in areas are not good either since rabbits need good air flow for health.

Some breeds are harder to deal with, are more sensitive to heat, and can be more difficult to breed. The most popular meat breeds (and easiest to find breedig stock from) are New Zealand Whites and Californians. Californians are my personal favorite. We raised NZWs for years, along with a few other breeds, but Cals are mellow tempered, and while Cal does are a pound lighter to handle than NZW does they will raise a litter to 5 lb butchering weight at 8 weeks. NZWs often take an extra week or so. There are many different breeds of meat rabbits so get the breed you like to look at best.

If you can find a rabbit show in the area, go to it. Often breeders will bring young stock to sell. The good breeding rabbit should be a standard size around 10 lbs.+ at maturity. Meat rabbits are judged on meat qualities so buying from breeders that like to show their rabbits will usually get you good meat qualities in breeding rabbits.

When choosing breeding stock, look for a wide loin, thick meaty hind leg, and good rise from neck to rear. The hips and rear should be wide, thick, and round looking down to the table when the rabbit is posed. There should be good fur covering on the underneath of the rear legs. Lack of hair on the underneath of the rear legs can lead to sores on the legs from the wire cage bottoms. There should be no sores anywhere, the eyes and ears should be clear and clean. Check the vent and rectum for scabs that could signal vent disease. Vent disease is a rabbit venereal disease that is contagious and causes breeding problems. Stay clear of rabbits with runny noses, rabbits die fast from respiratory diseases. There is no such thing as "just a cold" with rabbits.

Cages should have wire bottoms to allow poo and pee to fall through. Hanging the cages under a roof is best if you can, otherwise hutches on legs are another good option. The biggest danger to rabbits is neighborhood dogs, or other predators that get in the yard with the rabbits. If you don't have a fenced yard fence around the rabbit cages. There are good books on rabbit care and breeding.

Good luck.

 

[Finnie]

Shape is important. Pose them, feel for muscle.



Front toe under eye.
Elbows down.
Rear toe under kneecap.
View attachment 117110
You want a thick, wide loin.
View attachment 117111
Wide shoulder to a wide hind. No V shape or tear shape from the top. Round hind. Again, no V shape there either.
View attachment 117112
Smooth area from loin to knee. Flat sides of thighs that go straight down. Wide foot base.
View attachment 117113

I’ve always wondered what you were looking at when you posted pictures of your rabbits posed.