So you finally made
that decision to start raising meat rabbits, you have compiled a
massive amount of information and research and collected all of your
supplies. After looking at every possibility you have finally decided
on a specific meat breed. So you call up a few breeders with
anticipation eager to purchase your first rabbits, but no one has the
specific color you want. Disappointed you hang up the phone not
actually sure what to do next.
Let's step back a
minute and take a close look at why you are really wanting to raise
rabbits. If you are like most people who have begun to raise their
own meat rabbits, then your primary reason for doing so is to supply
a clean, safe, healthy and inexpensive meat source for your family.
Any of the more common meat breeds (Americans, New Zealand's, and
Californian's) will do this, and when dressed out on the table you
cannot tell a Black New Zealand (NZB) from a New Zealand Agouti (NZA)
or a New Zealand Gold or Cinnamon Tipped Steele .
My point is that for
meat breeding, the color of the rabbit has no bearing on the yield
and or flavor of the meat. Despite whether the rabbit is an American
Rabbit Breeder's Association (ARBA) approved color or not, a pure
bred New Zealand, Californian, or American rabbit's are all the same
once butchered and dressed out. That is to say, the meat of each
specific breed is the same, only the fur color is different.
The bottom line is,
color does not matter. So many customers call us here at TAP rabbitry
looking specifically for New Zealand White's (NZW) or New Zealand
Red's (NZR) because they are the most common colors of the breed.
They are sometimes disappointed, when I tell them we are out of a
specific color, or when I do not know of a breeder that has what they
are looking for. Unfortunately, they over look, the Steele Tips,
Agouti's, Charlie's and Brokens (although some people are
specifically looking for Charlie's and Broken's) simply because they
have not been educated about the other colors of the breed.
Tips For Purchasing
Your First Rabbits
1. Check out the
standards for the specific breed for which you are interested. There
is a ton of information on the internet and in books regarding breed
standards. We have two articles on breed standards here on our blog
for both The American Blue Meat Rabbit, and New Zealand Meat Rabbits.
Purchasing a good quality rabbit, regardless of fur color should be
your primary purpose.
2. Do not let price
point be your only deciding factor, a $10 - $15 rabbit is well a $10
- $15 rabbit. There is a old computer programming axiom “garbage in
is garbage out”. Ten dollar rabbits are usually of inferior
quality, having weak hips, backs, and are generally of poor health.
Having said that you should not pay out a fortune for a quality
rabbit either. While prices vary, a good quality meat rabbit (buck or
doe) should cost you about $35 - $50 depending on which part of the
country you live in and whether or not your breeder provides you with
a pedigree.
3. Do not let not
having a pedigree be your deciding factor. In this instance, refer to
tip No. 1. Having a pedigree does not insure that you are getting a
quality rabbit, it simply means the rabbit came from a quality or
verified bloodline. Despite their bloodline, even good rabbits can
produce less desirable kits. Some breeders sell these kits at a
discounted price, but remember “garbage in is garbage out”.
Having said that, a good quality show rabbit that is being sold with
quality body proportions but has a stay hair or slight discoloration
that would disqualify it from being shown can be a great to addition
to your herd. So again, when in doubt, refer back to rule No. 1.
4. Check out your
breeder. Look to social media and see what other people who bought
rabbits from the breeder have to say about their livestock and their
experience dealing with the breeder. A quick look at Facebook or
Google+ will defeinatley help you gauge the quality of the breeder
and their rabbits simply by looking at what people have to say about
them.
Conclusion
As a breeder, I can
tell you color should not be your primary deciding point when
choosing a rabbit for meat breeding. By all means purchase what you
want, but do not overlook a quality animal to add to your herd based
solely on fur color. A healthy rabbit with good breed characteristics
(meets the standards) will produce higher quality meat than a rabbit
of lesser quality. Do not let your desire to start producing your own
meat be curtailed for 6 to 8 months because you cannot find a
specific breed color. You can always add color into your herd at a
later date.
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