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Top 10 Meat Rabbits

September 14, 2014 by Tiffany Davis 42 Comments

Meat rabbit breeds for backyard homesteaders – the top 10 and one you really should avoid. Today I bring you the top 10 meat rabbits for backyard livestock. I am not listing these in any particular order other than the first 3 which we have raised ourselves.   Each of these meat rabbits have their own qualities that make it more desirable. Feel free to leave your choice in the comments.

Top 10 Meat Rabbits for Backyard Homesteaders

Meat Rabbit Breeds – Considerations

When you consider your meat rabbit breeds, it may be best to pick one you don’t find outwardly appealing; if that is going to make harvesting more difficult. I know many backyard homesteaders that will only raise white New Zealands for this reason alone. It is something to consider because death is part of raising a meat source on your homestead.

New Zealand

The New Zealand could easily be called the most popular of all meat rabbit breeds.  The breed has been around since the early 1900s and has been primarily raised as a meat and fur rabbit from the beginning.  They put on weight quickly with a good meat to bone ratio.  The full grown doe will be about 9-12 lbs while the buck will be 8-10 lbs.  We started with this breed breed in white because our initial research made this rabbit seem ideal for backyard homesteaders.   However, I found the does to be pretty aggressive and I actually never got our first doe to kindle (have a litter) even after several breeding attempts.

New to Meat Rabbits? See my article: Getting Started with Meat Rabbits

Californians

Another very popular meat breed is the Californian.   The Cali was originally created by crossing the New Zealand with a Chinchilla and Himalayan.  The Cali has a white body with black points on the ears, nose and feet.  Also a dual purpose meat and fur rabbit the Californian runs a bit smaller than the New Zealand at 8-10 lbs.  Our Californian doe was a personal favorite of my youngest daughter because of her gentle disposition.  Calis are great moms too!  I prefer a New Zealand buck to a Cali doe for optimal meat production – fast growing and large hind end.

Americans (pictured in the top photo)

This is the breed that we are currently raising.  This is classified as a “heritage breed” and still on the critical list.  The American comes in two colors, blue and white; we raise the blue variety.  The American is a large dual purpose rabbit that can reach 10-12 lbs as an adult with a lovely mandolin body shape.  I have found these rabbits to be some of the most gentle we’ve come across.  They’ve been the easiest to breed, with good sized litters.  My does are typically wonderful mothers who don’t mind me poking in for a head count, even shortly after birth.

Champagne D Argent best Meat Rabbit Breeds

The Champagne D Argent is one of the oldest recorded rabbit breeds, with a history back to the 17th century.  The beautiful rabbit has been raised for both fur and meat with a good meat to bone ration.  According to their club this breed is also known as the “Black Angus” of rabbit meats.  Generally docile and good mothers this could be a great starter rabbit or one to consider adding to your current rabbitry.

Florida White

Developed in the 1960s the Florida White is referred to as an “all” purpose breed.  This breed is quite a bit smaller than most traditional meat rabbit lines; but that size can work in your favor.  For those raising for meat for only 1 or 2 people or with very limited space, this little rabbit can offer a lot.  The adult FL White will get between 6 and 8 lbs with a light bone structure that offers an awesome dress out weight.  Their temperament is normally relaxed and great for beginning rabbit raisers, especially if younger children want to be involved.  I’d say they are a power packed rabbit!

Silver Fox

The Silver Fox is actually considered a “fancy breed” with dual or all purpose qualities for meat, fur and pet.  It has been part of the ARBA since 1925 but is currently considered a rare breed.  A large rabbit,  with adult rabbits weighing around 10 – 12 lbs.  According to the Livestock Conservancy is has one of the highest dress-out weights at nearly 65%.  The Silver Fox is a gentle giant that will  enjoy attention and are easy to handle for breeding.   This breed has a threatened status and could be a good breed to consider raising for show and sale as well.

Cinnamon

The Cinnamon has genetics that include Chinchilla, New Zealand, Checkered Giant and Californian and has been an officially recognized breed since the 1970s.  A beautiful rusty colored rabbit with dark points and best meat rabbit breedsticking, the Cinnamon is an impressive rabbit.  The Cinnamon is another breed that has been used as pet as was as for meat and fur; meat was the original intent for this breed.  This is a  large breed that reaches weights between 8.5 and 11 lbs.  The breed is known to be gentle with good mothers and litter size.  The only downside to the Cinnamon is that they can be difficult to find.

American Chinchilla

The American variety was developed from the European Chinchillas which were quite smaller than their newer American cousins.  Originally sought after for their beautiful fur the American Chinchilla is now considered a dual purpose rabbit for both meat and fur.  American Chinchilla are an excellent meat rabbit with a deep loin and broad shoulder; with 12 lbs adults being quite common.  They are currently still listed as endangered list and if you decided to raise this breed you may want to consider showing and selling.

Standard Rex

The velvety fur of the Rex rabbit has made it a popular fur rabbit.  I like this rabbit because you get a good meat producer with fur and pet qualities as well.  Top 10 Meat RabbitsThe breed comes in a wide variety of colors with adult weights closer to the Florida White, at 8 – 9 lbs.  Again, great for a smaller producer and someone that wants a pretty rabbit to raise.

Palomino

This beautiful rabbit was one of the first that we looked at raising a few years ago.  At the time finding Palominos in AZ was difficult but that seems to be changing. With smaller bone you’re going to get a good meat ratio from your grow outs, through you may find them a bit slower than some other commercial breeds.  They have good sized litters and excellent temperaments as well.  If you can find this awesome breed in your area it would be a wonderful producer and addition to your homestead.

Why no Flemish Giant? The Meat Rabbit to Avoid.

The Flemish Giant is a great rabbit and they are truly GIANT with rabbits reaching up to 20 lbs.  They slow growers who also require a lot more food.  They are also large boned making their meat to bone ratio low.  I have heard that Flemish crosses make a better choice if you want to use them in your homestead meat production.  Consider a Flemish doe and a New Zealand or Californian buck.

This are certainly not the only breeds that you’ll hear about or even want to consider.  Some homesteaders consider “meat mutts” a preferable rabbit for meat production.  Access your needs and start doing some research into these breeds to see if they meet them.  Remember that quality breeding cannot be overlooked and a cheap rabbit on Craigslist may give you exactly what you paid for.  Spend some time with reputable breeders that know genetics, keep records and keep a clean rabbitry.  Put the money and time into your breed stock – it will pay off in spades.

This is my list of the top 10 meat rabbits but it certainly isn’t an exhaustive list.  What meat rabbits would you add to the list?

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Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Backyard Livestock, Meat Rabbits Tagged With: backyard farm, backyard farming, homesteading, Meat Rabbits, small livestock, top meat rabbits, urban homesteading

How To Make Elderberry Extract & Green Thumb Thursday

September 11, 2014 by Tiffany Davis Leave a Comment

greenthumb

Welcome to this week’s Green Thumb Thursday; I apologize that I am running a little this week.  We are back to homeschooling this week and the new schedule has me hopping!

The feature this week is from Little Owl Crunchy Momma.  The momma is  Jacquelyn Byers and she has a wealth of information on her blog for you.  The post  I am excited to share with you is how to make an elderberry extract.  The elderberry has medicinal uses for the flu, immune boosting, sinuses, body aches, nere pain and even chronic fatigue.  It is also used to make wine and flavor foods.

I’m not sure where I could get my hands on some wild elderberry in Phoenix but I’m on the lookout. 😉

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elderberry

“Last year when we lived on the farm we found a large elderberry tree that had LOTS of fruit on it. We harvested a bunch (learn how you can, too!) and have since been enjoying finding new ways to use the berries. One thing I did right after harvesting the fresh berries last year was make elderberry extract (or elderberry tincture).

It’s incredibly easy, and super delicious. I use it to help make my elderberry syrup last longer (see my recipe). It’s also wonderful to add to cider in the fall and winter. Mmmmm. Delicious.”

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Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Blog Hop, Compost, DIY, Gardening, Green Thumb Thursday, Health & Wellness, Square Foot Garden Tagged With: backyard farm, Blog Hop, elderberry extract, elderberry tincture, Green Thumb Thursday, homesteading

Building Square Foot Boxes

July 25, 2014 by Tiffany Davis 1 Comment

buildingfeature

Building Square Foot Boxes

Building Square Foot Boxes really isn’t complicated.  If we can do it, anyone can!  Here is our step by step guide.

I know when we started I felt a little overwhelmed with all the information.  How to to build, what to used, how to fill them.  Today I am sharing one of my podcasts (from last year) on how we build our square foot garden boxes answering reader questions.

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Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Backyard Livestock, Gardening, Square Foot Garden Tagged With: backyard chickens, backyard farm, homesteading, quail, square foot garden, Squarefoot Garden

Green Thumb Thursday & What a Load of…Manure

July 24, 2014 by Tiffany Davis 1 Comment

greenthumb

It’s Thursday – so you know what that means….GREEN THUMB THURSDAY!  My featured share today  is from 104 Homestead – all about….poop.  No joke, you need to know your manure!  Be sure to check out her post and add your own to this week’s hop.  Looking for more?  Check out the Green Thumb Thursday Pinterest Board

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Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Backyard Livestock, Blog Hop, Gardening, Green Thumb Thursday Tagged With: backyard farm, Blog Hop, gardening, green thumb, Green Thumb Thursday, urban farm

What to Plant and When to Do It

July 13, 2014 by Tiffany Davis 2 Comments

As a beginner gardener my greatest frustration was not knowing what to plant and when to do it.  Living here in Phoenix, our growing season is usually completely opposite of the rest of the country; trying to follow most online gardeners left me with nothing growing, stunted growth or burned-up plants.  It was really important for me to find specific guidance on what to plant and when to do it!

So let me share the few sites and books that have helped me along the way.

What to Plant and when to Do It!  By ImperfectlyHappy.com

What to Plant and When to Do It

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Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Gardening, Local & Sustainable Tagged With: backyard farm, beginner gardener, gardening, planting calendar, planting guide, Urban Homestead, Vegetable Gardening

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