How to Raise Rabbits for Meat: Part 1 Breeding
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- Sarah kicks off this series with an in depth look at how we breed our New Zealand and Californian Cross meat rabbits. She covers how to select breeders, what age to start breeding, how long to leave the doe with the buck and much more! This is the first part of our series on raising meat rabbits, so don't forget to subscribe to see them all!
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Living Traditions Homestead is all about living a simple and sustainable way of life. We believe the world has gotten too “busy” and that people are missing out on many of the true blessings this world has to offer. We started as a small urban homestead in Gilbert, AZ and after the city grew up around us, decided it was time leave corporate America and take a big leap of faith by moving our family to the Missouri Ozarks.
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Our new rabbit cookbook can be found here:
Printed Copy: bit.ly/rabbitcookbook
Amazon Kindle Version: www.amazon.com/dp/B076QG3BJK
I used to breed at six months. I will try breeding earlier and see what happens. We used to keep the doe's until they do less than eights kits each kindle. Thanks for the information. God bless.
I'll have to check that cook book out
I'm glad I discovered your channel and subscribed. You did a SPECTACULAR job
teaching the topic. You couldn't have done any better. Bravo! I look forward to checking out the rest of your channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. God bless you.
wire floors are cruel, cages too small
Is there a special food/diet to feed a rabbit a week or more before slaughter to get better meat???
Sarah and Kevin, on behalf of my husband an I, thank you for all your rabbit raising advice! We hung our cages like you, checked our rabbits when we bought then as you suggested. Waited until they were of age to mate them. Made and stuffed their boxes as you showed us.... And today... 10 min ago, our rabbit, Bunny Mittens, delivered her first litter of 7 bunnies! All are well thus far and have full bellies!
Thank you foreverything!!!!
Brian and Andi
Also, I appreciate you guys making meat and potato videos and not with click baity titles or long lead ins to the info. Personally I watch these videos more frequently because I know they are informative and useful and I do t have to jump 15 minutes in!
Heyhey..... Just a hint: give the rabbits a shelf to sit on to rest their haxes and hide under and maybe some branches to chew on....it makes them happier and they put on weight easier
I don't have a dog in the fight, so I'll just say this. Anyone who is sensitive about raising rabbits to eat as food for the family---CHANGE the channel now. This is a homesteading video. Not a video about house pets. if you don't like what they are talking about---CHANGE the channel. They are kind enough to give viewers their experiences and knowledge. Now let's move on.
It doesn't matter if they're raised for pets or food, you still have to treat them well. And keeping them in wired cages without hay or straw is horrible and shows there's no respect for the animals whatsoever.
Nope. Also I don't see what that has got to do with it.
Sorry but this is inhumane no matter the reason
@@TheYabucoa13 Nothing "inhumane" about it. Snowflake.
I agree that you have to be humane and treat the animals well...but any animal rights activist, while they are well within their rights to shout and yell, they had better be STRICT vegetarians...i do NOT want to hear from hypocrits who on the one handle talk a lot about animal rights and on ther other woddle into McDonalds looking for a big mac!
This video was more informative than others because you actually showed the breeding process. I would never have guessed any of those times were successful. Thank you
Thank you for doing these videos!! The best thing about it is even though there are a few years old I am just now getting to the point where I’m trying to turn my Homestead into something and the information is never outdated!!! You guys are definitely my go to people, I always check your video list first whether I’m cooking something, raising some thing no matter what I’m doing!! Thanks again!!
Sarah you have presented this video so professionally, your were so informative, thank you
This series of "how to" rabbit homesteading videos is 10/10 the most informative, in-depth video on everything breeding/growing/harvesting meat rabbits on the internet. Thank you so much for this!
Your entire rabbit series was so helpful. Our 8 year old daughter is super excited to get her rabbits and we couldn't do it without your help! Thank you!
Thank you so much. This series has been amazing. You do an excellent job of explaining everything! Come on spring!!! I am finally ready to start!
We love your videos and watch often. I have raised and shown rabbits for a combined total of 20 years, while I am no expert I did learn a few things along the way. Please consider this input and not criticism. I agree it is critical concerning what age to start breeding. Many times I would see a fellow rabbit raiser show a rabbit for as long as possible ( up to 10 to 12 months), because it was winning so much at the show. Problem was many times once the doe reaches that age the breeding won't take at all. By waiting too long the doe can lose her ability to become pregnant.
On the other hand a doe's internal reproductive organs are not fully mature until she is at least 5 months old. She may be able to get pregnant at 4 months but it will be hard on her internal organs plus her motherly instincts are not fully developed at 4 months. I also believe in giving a doe a second chance at caring for her kits if she blows it the first time.
Secondly, when breeding I always hold the doe in position for the buck in his cage. the reason for this is because does vary greatly in how aggressive they can be toward the buck. Time has shown me there are three types of doe behavior when breeding.
the first type is like the doe in your video, she is fearful, runs and whines abit then submits and raises up for the buck.
The second type of does is the older doe who simply pulls herself down on the floor wire and won't even move. She's learned how to stop the buck and is very stubborn. several return trips may be necessary.
The third type of behavior is what I call the she devil. She is not afraid to attack the buck. If she is left with the buck for an hour she can injure the buck or intimidate him so badly he will refuse to even try and breed for six months until his confidence returns. This type of behavior is rarer than the first two but it only takes once to ruin a good buck. All three doe behaviors can be overcome by simply holding the doe in place for the buck, let him breed her twice, remove her and place her in a carrier cage (not her own cage, this keeps her off balance) for 45 minutes, return her to his cage for one more breeding which has two benefits. first it allows the buck to "recharge" and second, in that 45 minutes the doe will ovulate again which can give you larger litters.
I simply offer this input to help others learn from my mistakes, hope it helps.
Great info thanks
Amazing tips! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the info! Looking forward to starting with rabbits in the near future, so any tips are useful.
Thank you!!
Thanks!
This is my second time watching this series. Now I know what to look for. Thanks for doing this.
Thank you for the very informative video! I am getting my (meat) rabbitry started in the next month and I can't wait!!
Very informative and comprehensive video. You handled a sensitive subject with grace and tact. 👍🏼
Thank you for putting this together and making it available to people.
Watching again. Thank you! Needed to brush up before I get started.
I have been contemplating homesteading for awhile and this next year is my “urbanized” homestead self trial. There is a ton of stuff out there but I find your videos and approach at the various topics are easy to understand and makes approaching the doing of these things actually possible for me by removing some of my ignorance. I’ve known some who have gone about this lifestyle completely wrong just on the face of how they have done things but didn’t really see all the mistakes in their approach till watching you guys. So in a nutshell... Thank You.
Will Nixon roots and refuge has really great homesteader videos for urban gardening
My parents have about 50 free range (yes, no cages or fences!) rabbits on their 80 acre property and at any given moment you can see them in the yard or under porches, etc. The funny thing is they don't have a large area they travel. They stay around my parents house where there is shelter, only coming out of their nests and bushes to munch on the grass.
We are going to be raising meat rabbits, so I will be watching your whole season. So thank you!
We are just now venturing into meat rabbits within the next week or two. So glad i remembered this series you made years ago when I first watched it. Its going to come in handy! Taking notes. Thank you!
This video is the best. Simple, pregnant with information and well presented. I really learnt and enjoyed a lot. Need more. Keep the good work up.
I have plans for raising rabbits and have been studying up. Great class, I look forward to the series.
Thanks,
Susan
NW Georgia
Taking doe to buck is best for many reasons, we had a few does very territorial & if you tried to put buck in with them , bingo they try n castrate him in a moment. We always waited till 10 months to breed does or bit older. However we worked outside jobs . I know you can push them more , but 3 litters per doe per year was what we did. Normally 8 weeks apart.
Had 6 does to one buck , over 50 rabbits in freezer every fall or more
We've been subscribed for awhile and just remembered ya'll had these rabbit raising vids. Watching the series now. Thanks for sharing!!! On to Part-2 God Bless!!🙂
Wanted to say thank you. My husband and I have been talking about meat rabbits for a year now. Because of your video series we became informed and confident enough to give it ago. We purchased our first meat rabbits last week. They are happy and doing well. Thank you!
Your channel content is just so valuable. Thank you!!! From chickens to recipes, I’ve learned a ton. And now we have rabbits - lo and behold, to my pleasant surprise, you teach on that too! 🎉 🐇
We just got 13 New Zealands tonight working in cooperation with our friend. I was considering starting them out in tractors but I like your philosophy about keeping them in the barn and then finishing them on grass. Thank you Kevin and Sarah!
Thank living traditions for all your great Information on breeding meat rabbits
I've watched all your rabbit videos and after finally getting some homemade cages built I picked up our first three rabbits. A trio of red New Zealand's that a lovely old gentleman I met at our local park,who happens to own many animals on his 120 acres was kind enough to almost give me ti help get us started. Though I know we'll stumble along the way I doubt that we're ever gonna go backwards. We've been raising egg layers for a couple years now,but with recent events and what seems like the inevitable future raising more and more of our own foods seems like a smart choice. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.
Thank you for your shows. We love to watch you on TH-cam. We have a small homestead in the Northeast corner of Oklahoma
Great information. God bless Thank you for the Rabbit sheet, it's very helpful.
Fantastic video and channel! I used to raise Rabbits when I was in young and had two gorgeous Rex's, one black and one grey to start off with. I have been thinking about getting back into it again and these videos are helping. My biggest challenge in the past has been the strong Atlantic Canadian winters. If the droppings didn't fall to the ground they would freeze to the cage and clog up (almost immediately) causing some major issues. Even using hay and tarps over hutch I felt they were still cold, not really sure how to get around that yet. The aspect of raising rabbits that I liked the best is the droppings as it is a non-hot manure and can be used right away.
i started my first rabbitry today on april 18 2020 in northern Canada, 3 newzealands to start it off. Love your vds
Elmer Fudd sent me here to learn about those rascally wabbits ! thanks for sharing . what a great source of lean meat love yalls channel .Vernon
Just brought home my first meat rabbits! Excited and nervous!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and videos. Loove the breeding process. :)
Rewatching this series and taking notes. I kinda wrote off rabbits for a bit, but I'm really interested now. Thanks for these!
They are delicious fried like chicken.
When I was a kid, my mother was alone with 6 kids in the backwoods of Mississippi. She would go out with a slingshot and bring home rabbits, or squirrels to feed to us kids. My dad worked on a riverboat for months at a time, and pretty much abandoned her to raise kids alone.
We just got rabbits and this video is really informative thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on rabbits.its really been helpful in starting my own rabbitry
Watching this in 2020 and it’s still so relevant!! Great video!!
Talk about getting right into it. Though I was hoping this would be more of a setup type video such as setting up cages and prepare everything before actually going and getting your rabbits.
This video is very informative, thanks 😍
Breeding rabbit is very easy because it has 6-8 litter size
That buck probably needs a smoke and a cup of coffee after the second go!
Lmao
🤣🤣🤣🤣☕️ 🚬
Great video we are raising rabbits this year and this info will help us.
Just watched this video. I agree about providing protection in a barn. We just built our house with no out-buildings yet. My neighbor is going to build us a small bunny shed with a cement center isle, front & back doors and screened windows for ventilation. I plan to control the inside temperature for both bunnies and myself and only have cages on one wall for a few breeders. This is good for my husband & I. Looking forward to breeding Californians and some Mini-Lops for children's pets. Thanks for this great video!
I grew up with Californians and Mini-lops. Californians for show and meat, Mini-lops for show/pets. Well, one day we decided to put my old Mini-Lop buck with a Californian doe. Those were some interesting babies. They won the "all other meat" class at our fair, and had some of the best meat confirmation that I'd produced up until that time. They were larger than the pure Mini-lops and Californians and just seemed to have no issue thriving.
so, if you decide to breed for meat, try it out and see if it works the same. Ours turned out to look more like Californians, than Mini-lops, but they had the off coloring from the mini-lop buck.
I would love you're my neighbour if the shtf. I know I won't be hungry. A lot of great information👌. Nice video. Good job👍
I'm so glad I found you, folks. I've been living in the boonies most of my old life, have raised chickens, but wanted to raise rabbits and darn if you are reading my mind. I just started watching the simple straightforward Part 1 and am SO impressed. THANKS! I'll be following you! - HomegrownGranny
Thanks! Glad they have been helpful!
Thank you you really sead every thing I need good work and keep on
Very informative! Been wondering how young to breed. Guess I've got a few more weeks before we can get started!
Enjoying this series. Thanks for taking time to make this informative video.
Thanks....more to come!
WOW, very good information and very fast breeding.
I probably watch these videos thousand times.
Great info. Thank you. Love your farm.
This was interesting and I'm not sure I can raise them for food. It's something I'm thinking about but I love rabbits. I couldn't kill them myself. I got hooked on to you because I saw where White house on the Hill went to your farm. OMG, How wonderful that was for me. I'm buying land for a homestead next year and watching vids like crazy getting as much info on things as I can. From a lot of different peeps. I'm in Palmdale, CA. (weather like Arizona - where you were before), so I am interested in learning as much as I can. Thank you for sharing. God bless you all - Anna Banana.
I have my pet rabbits my does and bucks are not food their babies are i never name them ......make them happy and they have one bad day.
I wanted to start with 2 rabbits how do I know if am purchasing a pet rabbit? Because am trying to rear them for meat for my family. Is there a difference?
Great video....subbed. Thank you and God bless!
"he's liked her before!" - ha.!
And get dumped.....
:) ))))))) She should've sad, "HE FUC*KED HER"...!!!
she is so sweet and refreshing when she explains things
hahaha
Lol
Very informative channel. Thank you for sharing.
I would like to take a moment to thank you for your TH-cam videos on raising rabbits. Years ago I raised the small white meat rabbits but, I wanted to refresh my knowledge and thank goodness I did. Three weeks ago we bought large, mix race rabbits, two females, and a male, and we were told the females were not pregnant. One of the females wanted nothing to do with the male, she fought him whenever he would get near her. I tried off and on for 3 weeks. Saturday I noticed she was packing her mouth full of hay. So...10 pm Saturday night we made a baby box, just in case. Sure happy we did! Thank you for the time you take out of your lives to make these videos, they literally saved 10 lives. I say literally because it is still freezing here at night and the babies would not have survived without the box. Because of your video, I knew she wanted to make a nest with the hay. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-nom de plume ;)
Thank you so much! ~Sarah
i just started watching your videos they are pretty good
We started raising rabbits & chickens at the start of the pandemic. Now, were enjoying the meats & eggs. 🙂
Great lesson. Thank you. Blessings to you and your family 🛐🕊🛐
Thanks for the videos. I grew up with chickens for meat that we would butcher our selves but some day want to try and raise meat rabbits and tan there fur. Thanks again
Very informative..thanks
Excellent info sarah
My folks raise chickens for eggs. I recently wondered what it would take to raise rabbits for meat
I have no shelter for them at this time. Just getting myself knowledgeable in the process at this time. Just subbed your channel 👍👍
I'm learning to raise rabbits and thank you for this video, it really helps us who are just learning,I am from far country Indonesia Jokowi
Awesome info, thank you!
I don't think I could ever sell rabbits for meat but friends of mine do so thank you for these videos 😁
This was fantastic information. God bless.
Greetings from Belize, I am thinking of raising Rabbits thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
You're Welcome! Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss the upcoming videos in this series. We are glad you are finding it useful.
Subscribed! Thanks for sharing
One of man’s great spiritual tests is learning empathy towards others. 👌🏻
Very informative. Just looking to increase my knowledge for just in case. :)
Hi, just found your channel and i loved the way you explain everything in details. I would like to know when do you know that they are pregnant after the breeding process has occurred and how do you manage rabbit waste in your rabbit production unit.
Wish I had the space to homestead. Thanks for the video. There are many videos out there about a variety of different subjects having to do with diy for when maybe inflation and other factors may make it necessary for people to diy.
Thank you for the very informative video
Very informative, thanks a lot
excellent video. Thank you so much!
I am a vegan and had reservations about watching this part of your series. But if you are raising animals to use yourself I don’t have a problem with it. Also, you obviously treat your animals well while they are with you. Carry on!!
Great video. Appreciated.
Thank you, that was very helpful
ALWAYS LOVE your vids! Learning soooo much all the time! Wanted to ask what gauge/dimensions of wire you use for your breeder cages? I am having a difficult time finding 14g GAW here and that is what I see most recommend when building their own. Thx in advance!
Thank you for making such an informative video. This is extremely valuable to some of us!
Thanks for showing us how the pros do it. 👍🐇
Thank you for the valuable information
In the south there are other things to worry with on rabbits ,fire ants/wool's or worms/heat/snakes.
great videos thanks
Hi Sarah. I have just started growing fodder for my rabbits. I was wonder if you feed fodder or not. I know you tractor feed them. I was wondering if you do feed fodder how much you feed each rabbit per day. Thank you. Love you guys.
Thanks for the information. Just a quick question, are females pretty much always ready, or is there a time or season?
love your videos
Aloha, great vid & info. Mahalo.
Good! I'm very much impressed. I'm tired of buying rabbit's meat, Now I decide to keep raising for my own, but my challenge is food, the location where I am there is no special (ready made) foods for rabbits. so need the formula on about the gradients composition as to feed my rabbits right food
Check out the book called Beyond the Pellet. Great info about feeding rabbits without using pre-made food. We have that book listed in our Amazon shop. www.amazon.com/shop/livingtraditionshomestead
Nice video a big thanks Sarah
So glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my! I've always known that my English Angoras have a low libido but you rabbits breed so quickly! That's crazy.
thanks for the informative video
great video. BTW... my buck breeds my does all on the same day so they are happy to breed more than once/day. It makes keeping track of when kits are due so much easier... at least that works for me. Of course, the poor buck spends the rest of the month "unsatisfied" haha
Great video
nice job Sarah enjoyed this- Ruthie
Thanks for the vid!
Thank you soooooo much, we are going to be raising rabbits for meat. I will be following this series and multiple times for sure.
They are so cute. I have to be honest, the first couple of times of killing them for meat would be pretty tough for me. Got to do what you got to do though. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for the information