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Comment by Julie on March 18, 2011 at 10:49am

Thanks Treasa!  Glad you like the cages.  Still need to get you the bag of Heinold to try.  Typically you'll want to feed one ounce of food for each pound of rabbit.  True meat breeds (New Zealands, Champanges, Satins, Silver Fox, Dutch, Florida Whites, Californians, etc) are the best for raising meat bunnies.  When you use commercial typed breeds (there's 5 different body types that all rabbits fall into) you'll have larger carcasses and they finish out faster than say semi-arched typed breeds, but some of the most efficient are Florida Whites.  Small rabbits, fast rate of growth.  Hay is a nice addition to their daily pellets, but it's certainly not required (same debate's gone on for years with horses getting pelleted hay vs baled).  We feed pellets with a mixed product that consists of wheat, oats, flax, black oil sunflower and a small amount of cracked corn.  Rolled Barley is an excellent additive as well.  Really gives the bodies a good hard finish rather than being spongy.

 

I've seen Treasa's NZWs and they're nice sized rabbits.  Good bone, but not too heavy to reduce the dress out percentages and they're very healthy kids too!

Comment by Treasa on March 17, 2011 at 8:04pm

yes I do how old are you looking for??  The babies will ready to go in a few weeks and I have the proven pair that will also be ready to go when the doe is no longer with her kits.

Comment by Treasa on March 14, 2011 at 6:53pm

I do feed them some veggies as treats but some vegetables like lettuce and the cabbage family can give them watery stools and this can spell death to a rabbit.  I stick to things like carrot, oranges apple, parsley, mint (not for nursing does) again these are treats i give pieces not whole

Comment by Dylan on March 14, 2011 at 10:05am

What does the hay provide that the pellets do not?

 

Do you feed them any vegetable leftovers?

Comment by Treasa on March 13, 2011 at 9:48pm

Hi Dylan, 

Here is an Example My NZ buck eats about 6-7 ounces  of pellets per day plus timothy hay.  His pellets cost me about 20 cents per day so at the most he is costing me 30 cents per day to feed.  He will eat more in the winter less in the summer.  I just watch his weight so he does not get too fat.  Fat rabbits do not breed.   With two bucks, two breeding does, two junior does and 17 kits.  I am presently going through about 2—50 pound bags of feed per month.   The stuff I feed is like 19.00 for a 50 pound bag.  There are cheaper feeds but I want healthy fast grow out on fryers.   Then you also need to give them some grass hay like timothy. By the bale is the cheapest.   The conversion rate of feed to meat is better on the New Zealand’s than my Americans.  Therefore  the New Zealand’s are a bit cheaper to feed.  One buck and Two Does would probably be all you need to feed your family.   Cages are your biggest expense. 

You will need a cage for each Doe and buck plus large grow out cages for kits once weaned.   If they are going to be outside they need shade and a way to keep cool in the summer

Comment by Dylan on March 13, 2011 at 8:09pm

How much on average do your rabbits eat at the different stages of their life.

Comment by Treasa on March 13, 2011 at 11:21am

no thanks needed you keep teaching me.