Choosing Meat Rabbits

Choosing Meat Rabbits

Reading Time: 5 minutes

 

By Sherri Talbot While no one is sure when, where, or how rabbits were originally domesticated, they have been a meat source for humans for 20,000 years. Despite being more familiar as fluffy pets in the modern United States, rabbit remains a common meat source in many parts of the world, including the Mediterranean and China. Hunting wild rabbits has, in large part, given way to the breeding of bigger, meatier animals with a less gamey flavor and more tender flesh.

Rabbits are one of the leanest meats available — so much so that living entirely on rabbits can lead to “rabbit starvation” because they don’t have enough fat! They make an excellent, healthy replacement for fattier meats for those looking to improve their diet, and they are an easy-to-raise animal that requires little space.

However, knowing how to begin raising rabbits for meat can be daunting. Since they are no longer a common meat source in America, there are fewer resources for choosing a good breeding stock or recognizing good meat rabbits from poor ones. Here we will answer some of the most common questions about choosing meat rabbits and deciding which to cull and which to breed.

Breeds

Some common rabbit breeds are used for meat production, with New Zealand and California being the most common. Both are readily available, making them an easy choice for new breeders. American Chinchilla, Silver Fox, and Champagne d’Argent also produce excellent carcasses, but their presence on the Livestock Conservancies’ “endangered” list can make it difficult to find genetically diverse breeding stock. However, for those interested in both conservation and meat, they are well worth the effort.

Additionally, sales will often list available “meat mutts” that can be purchased quite cheaply. While inexpensive, these may be overflow stock, accidental breeding, or stock that a breeder wants to eliminate. They may or may not be a good breeder; it’s difficult to know what kind of carcass or flavor one may get, and bad body confirmation can cause health issues that are expensive to deal with. Remember, it costs as much to feed and house a poor rabbit as a good one! Of course, any new animal brought onto your property can be unhealthy, and quarantining them from existing animals is essential. However, there are a few things you can look for when choosing rabbits to lessen this risk.

Is the breeder willing to warranty the rabbit or rabbits? If a rabbit becomes severely ill within a week or two after you buy it and has been properly quarantined, the chances are the rabbit came to you with a problem. If the rabbit develops respiratory symptoms, head tilt, or another sign of illness and you can show no fault, the breeder should be willing to replace the rabbit or refund you. Please note this is not usually the case with injury since improper handling by a new owner or other factors could be the cause.

Housing

How do the cages/grounds look? While rabbit poop and general barnyard mess are to be expected on any working farm, if rabbits are trapped in their own poop, there is a greater chance of illness. Is the area well-ventilated? If the air is heavy with ammonia smells, the rabbits have likely been breathing this in. Remember that if you are not used to strong farm smells, what is overpowering to you may not be to the breeder. I rarely notice the rut smell my goats put out anymore, but to someone who has never smelled one, it’s very noticeable! If the rabbit has been in conditions where it cannot keep itself clean, this is also a concern.

General Health Condition

How are their eyes, teeth, and ears? Ensure the ears don’t flop unless the breed standard calls for it. Are they alert and responsive to sounds? Does the rabbit’s head turn toward one ear all the time? This can be a sign of an early ear infection or head tilt, which can be fatal. Are the eyes clear and bright? Do they focus and watch their surroundings? Are the teeth straight, unbroken, and the proper length? All of these are important in a healthy rabbit.

The back end of the rabbit should be broad.

How is the body conformation? Even an otherwise healthy rabbit may not have the build to be a good meat breeder. Since meat rabbits tend to get large, good conformation means the rabbit can bear its weight and that future generations will do the same.

When looking for new American Chinchilla breeding stock, place the rabbit on a flat surface with one of your hands over the eyes to keep it calm. The rabbit’s back legs should be tucked under it in a natural, relaxed position. Make sure you aren’t cramming the legs forward too far! Front paws should be outstretched, and the head should be in a natural position and relaxed. In this position, we run hands over the rabbits, feeling for abnormalities, scabs, tumors, etc., while helping the rabbit relax. Once you get used to this, it will also give you some idea if the rabbit has been handled regularly.

Checking the feet and gender.

An American Chinchilla should have a rounded body with little to no slope up from the shoulders. The more slope, the lower the quality of the rabbit. The back end of the rabbit should be broad. I have very small hands, so if I can easily get my hand over the rump, the rabbit is not kept — even for sale purposes — unless they have some other amazing characteristic. The back legs should also be parallel. The toes should not angle outward from under the rabbit.

When the rabbit is flipped over, you can take another look at the feet. With some rabbits, it is easier to see how the feet look when the rabbit is upside down with no pressure on the ankles. You can also check gender in this position. If you don’t know how, bring a friend who does. I always recommend doublechecking since breeders can make mistakes! Check for sores on the feet and signs of diarrhea in this position. Be very careful handling the rabbit in this position since the rabbit can struggle and get injured. If you break it, you buy it!

The dewlap is a sign of sexual maturity in does.

A final note: Other, rarer signs may not be listed here, so by no means should this be taken as a complete list of everything that can go wrong. Remember, each breed is a little different, so you should check the breed standards with the American Rabbit Breeders Association for the specific breed you are considering.


Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *