Photograph via snooOG

For open minded, uncensored discussion of rearing your own meat rabbits, Also processing and eating wild rabbits.

Rules:

  • You're likely to see graphic images of rabbit slaughter and processing on this sub, If you're not okay with that, please Visit our friends at /r/GeneralRabbitry or /r/Rabbits

  • Wheaton's Law Applies above all else, Don't be a dick.

  • While the subject matter involves the death of animals, there's no need for it to be anything but fast and humane.

  • We will attract People who disagree with us or just don't understand our lifestyle, Conversation and discussion is the goal.

  • We can't offer specific or detailed medical advice for your Rabbit, Talk to your vet. (Basic healthcare info is fine)

  • As far as we can tell you, It's probably a rabbit, for any more detail than that, talk to the breeder.

Our friends:

/r/GeneralRabbitry

/r/MeatRabbits

Placeholders in case of disaster:

/r/Cuniculture

/r/MeatRabbit

/r/MeatRabbitry

6,595 Subscribers

11

Is this fatty liver or something bad?

I was butchering this morning and found three rabbits with livers looking like this. Google gave me three ideas but I'm unsure which it is.

10 Comments
2025/01/01
17:34 UTC

4

Looking for Silver Fox kits NorCal

Yesterday we lost our favorite silver fox (8yrs) and three others to what looks like a bear cub. Cages were flipped and opened. Ripped into the rabbit shed and just started pulling down cages. Luckily, three Rex's made it and no kits right now. LGD chased it off before we could figure it out. It came in the heavey cover of rain. Also killed one flock of breeding GaNoi jungle fowl. I'm looking for replacement silver fox rabbits in a few weeks after we sterilize and rebuild. I'm around Shasta/Trinity/Humboldt California

4 Comments
2024/12/31
15:14 UTC

4

Hair loss

I have a couple of young rabbit which have been losing patches of hair to the point of bald spots. This was my first litter so I’m not super experienced with rabbit aliments, any ideas ?

6 Comments
2024/12/31
01:12 UTC

3

Doe lifts when you pet it

Hey everyone! So about a month ago i posted how I had a mean-ish junior doe (she would growl and grunt at my hand being in the cage and try to scratch) I kept her because it wasn’t extreme aggression, out of the cage she was okay being handled. Now she has a completely different demeanor, shes letting me pick her up without gloves and lets me pet on her. I also was trying to scooch her over in her cage (i was trying to clean it up, she was in my way a bit) and she lifted? Does this mean shes ready to be bred? Shes a New Zealand/Californian cross, about to be 5 months (im not going to breed her until she hits 7-8 months)

Eta: her vent is pinker than it normally is, and she tried to mount the blanket a couple times before i wrapped her up in it (she moves a lot)

2 Comments
2024/12/30
15:53 UTC

7

What's the youngest you've ever weaned?

I recently had a nursing doe die in the night after a rathe wild incident. Turns out a possum was trying to get in the rabbit cage, and the neighbor's dog ended up fighting the possum next yo the cage. It was a ruckus and the doe seemed to have had a heart attack. Her litter of ten was three weeks and a day. I expected thmall to die, but the next day they were all eating hay and drinking from the bowl. One died after a few days but nine are fine. It's 5 weeks now and they look great.

10 Comments
2024/12/30
15:23 UTC

6

Feed Ration

I did some math to make an 18% crude protein feed ration for rabbits with the help of ChatGPT and I need opinions on it. I do not currently own rabbits.

35% early flowering alfalfa 30% wheat middlings 20% black oil sunflower seeds 15% whole oats

Does this satisfy most other nutrients requirements (besides protein) and if not, what should I switch out, what supplements would I need, or what should I add for balance? Looking at ingredient labels on bags of rabbit feed, alfalfa meal and wheat middlings were the top two everytime. Some had soybeans, others had corn and rice. I did see oats on a couple.

Thanks!

7 Comments
2024/12/30
01:03 UTC

6

Breeding success notes.

In my short experience, it does not matter how many fall offs, or how many bucks breed with the doe, I have good size litter with one fall off and I had a single kit with multiple fall offs, I might be totally wrong but that was observed in my six months raising rabbits so far.

5 Comments
2024/12/29
19:46 UTC

8

Some help with a new mama

My pregnant doe has been late giving birth by two days now. I’ve been watching her closely and so confused at to what could be going on. She hadn’t build a nest and was just pulling straw out of the nest box I provided. I noticed she had moved the box, but I was just letting her be undisturbed. I began to assume that she just wasn’t pregnant and I was getting ready to retry.

I realized this morning that she actually did give birth! Not sure when it happened, but my wife found a nest built in the back corner of the hutch behind the nest box. Not sure why she did this, but she’s a first time mom so I’m guessing she’s just learning. All 7 kits are alive.

We dug out a little hole in the nest box and scooped the kits up in the nest made by mom and placed them in the box.

I’m here to ask if this is common for first time moms? Is there any reason for us to be concerned? And did we do the right thing by moving them into the nest box? I assumed if left where they’re at, they could get injured or roll out of the nest and freeze.

7 Comments
2024/12/29
17:53 UTC

2

Feed recommendations

Is this okay for all rabbits? Does bucks and grow outs?

18 Comments
2024/12/29
00:55 UTC

17

Looks like Somebunny is having babies tonight!

This is my second kindle, but the first for this Mama. At first I was concerned because all the fur was all over the cage, but she had it cleaned up and in her nest box. Wish me luck!

1 Comment
2024/12/29
00:09 UTC

8

What can I do with the pelts of 12wk olds?

I just processed 8 almost 12wk olds today. My dog isn't into any parts so I ended up burying everything but the meat and pelts.

I hate to just throw that many away but are they strong enough to do anything with?

Also how much fat do you leave on when processing? There is a lot around the kidneys and a couple good chunks on the shoulders. I pulled most of it off but is it better to leave those chunks on?

14 Comments
2024/12/28
21:53 UTC

3

Rabbit with tumors

One of my rabbits has a tumor. If we cull, is the meat still safe if we cut around the tumor? Or is it a complete loss?

4 Comments
2024/12/27
23:05 UTC

1

Second-round breeding aggression

After weeks of trying, two of my does have finally bred with the buck. Everyone was eager and the buck got three or four fall-offs in the morning matings. For both of them, though, I tried to have a second mating 8-10 hours after the first (I read that was a good idea to cover the bases for the does peeing off the semen before it could reach their eggs), and both girls were very aggressive toward to buck. Growling, whining, and biting. I held one doe for a forced mating but the buck was hiding from her at that point.

Is this aggression typical for an early evening mating attempt? Will my does still be likely pregnant without any fall-offs 8-10 hours after the first?

Edit to clarify: one doe was bred today, the other five days ago.

6 Comments
2024/12/27
03:35 UTC

19

Thank you all for your tips about water bowls! My dehydrated doe is doing fabulous and my buck has plenty of water and is getting huge!

This is the one who was dehydrated. She’s still inside as I do cage maintenance and she gets more muscle definition. Her poop was the size of a pinhead when I first took her inside, but now she’s nice and healthy!

3 Comments
2024/12/24
18:59 UTC

4

Breeding

Hey guys I had a question about breeding (this is my first year) so I need my tuscan(female) to my Californian (male) around November 14th now I put the breeding box in 3 days ago and she went inside it but now she's just shitting in it. Also I tried to pick her up and feel her stomach and she doesn't like that so I can't really tell if she is pregnant. I put her in with the male to see if he will hop on her and she started attacking the male. It also doesn't seem like she's doing anything that a bred rabbit is doing like stuffing her cheeks and stuff.

6 Comments
2024/12/23
19:48 UTC

5

Passing on blue eye/albino gene

I have a blue eyed doe and an albino buck (with red eyes). Both parents have recessive genes in each of their 2 alleles, what eye colour could I expect their kits to have? I honestly have no idea. Co-recessiveness?

If you know anything about rabbit genetics or whatever let me know please thanks

4 Comments
2024/12/23
01:33 UTC

9

Cold rabbit ears in winter

This is my first winter owning meat rabbits. They've seemed to be doing well so far. I have their hutches covered and they have ample hay, straw, and a nestbox to hide into.

My only concern is when I touch their ears, they feel cold. Does this mean they may be too cold? Are there other signs to look for to know if they're too cold?

I know some breeds can handle below zero temps (mine are Rex and New Zealand mix), but I wanted to check with more experienced rabbit owners to see if I should be doing more or if they are ok.

9 Comments
2024/12/22
03:18 UTC

7

Prices?

How much should I charge for meat rabbits? A litter that is around 6lbs at 9 weeks, and a doe that built a nest and due soon, would you even sell a doe that is due to kindle?

22 Comments
2024/12/21
03:59 UTC

8

Greenery to Plant under cage?

Totally new to rabbits. Their hutches are raised, the bottom is about 3 feet off the ground. Any value in the idea of planting some things under the cages this spring so it will grow up and around the cages for them to snack on? If so, what do you recommend. Located in south Pennsylvania.

11 Comments
2024/12/19
14:08 UTC

4

Preventing frozen water?

I just got my first meat rabbits- two New Zealand, one 2 months old the other 6wks, and I’ve had no issues with the older one, but the younger of the two had to be moved inside on Monday because she was dehydrated. She’s better now, and i’m keeping her indoors until she gains some weight, however I believe she was dehydrated due to her water freezing while I was at work- or due to her not wanting to use her bottle.

She drinks plenty of water if she’s given a dish, but she doesn’t seem to understand or like the bottle. I checked and it works- water can come right out, and she knows there’s a connection between the bottle and water because she was VERY interested in it and licking at it, but she doesn’t actively try to get water out by nibbling. Could this be from not liking cold water? Or being discouraged because it was frozen in her cage? I plan on going to tractor supply after work to pick up a heat lamp to point at their water bottles, however if anyone else has had any luck with anything else please let me know. It’s getting to 19°F consistently, so even if I thaw them before work and after their bottles freeze while I’m gone and when I’m sleeping.

15 Comments
2024/12/18
19:47 UTC

6

What should I use to treat the rain water I'm collecting for my meat rabbits?

I'm setting up a rain water collection system on my rabbit enclosure. It will filter out debris and dump into a closed 55 gallon drum. My concern is that it will start to get algae or other growths. Possibly bacteria??? I'm not entirely sure. Either way I want to keep my rabbits safe and healthy. So what chemicals or natural methods are going to be safe for the rabbits but also keep the water clean and pure?

6 Comments
2024/12/18
11:50 UTC

5

Breeding

I’m new to breeding rabbits. I have 2 does and a buck and I am having trouble breeding them currently. About a month ago, I bred the two does and was expecting them to have a litter each. The buck had 3-4 fall offs per doe. It appeared successful. It now seems like this whole entire time they were never pregnant these last 31 days or so which I find strange and disappointing. Anyway that is why I’m trying again, however one doe seems to just not want to accept the buck and the other doe is aggressive. The buck is pure white with blue eyes and I’m convinced is deaf. I think he could possibly be sterile? (Hence the unsuccessful first breed)

Anyway just let me know what you think thx 😊

20 Comments
2024/12/18
10:37 UTC

6

Dandelion root

I drink roasted dandelion root coffee. Anybody know if it would be ok to feed the used grounds to the rabbits? There are no chemicals, all natural and organically grown. I'm sure they still have nutritional value left after brewing, but I wasn't sure if roasting and brewing them first would cause any issues to arise for the rabbits. Thanks

7 Comments
2024/12/18
04:44 UTC

3

How long and how can I keep the meat stored without a vacuum sealer?

I have 8 that need processing this week most likely. I don't have a vacuum sealer.

Can I just put it in the freezer in a ziploc bag or something for up to 3 months or x amount of time or is there a different way I should store them until I can get a sealer?

19 Comments
2024/12/17
15:36 UTC

4

Transition from cages to colonies

I currently have a cage set up for my trio. The does have no interest in the buck right now going on three months. Looking at converting them to a colony. They have always been in cages anything I should be aware of when I build the colony setup?

TAMUK rabbits if breed matters.

Thanks for all the help.

11 Comments
2024/12/16
22:41 UTC

8

My current plan. Every helpful comment will be kept.

I’m going to buy two male rabbits and two female rabbits. Select the largest of their children and let them breed. Any flaws in the plan? Also cage building plans. I’m thinking right now a wooden box with chicken wire. One for each breeding pair and one for each gender of their children. I know they’d need a nesting box within it as well.

13 Comments
2024/12/16
19:14 UTC

9

Searching for Bulk Rabbit Food sources?

30 Comments
2024/12/15
22:53 UTC

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