How much does a rabbit weigh? Breeds of meat rabbits. Breeding rabbits for meat

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Any novice farmer planning to work with these animals should know how much a rabbit weighs. The demand for meat will be guaranteed, because the benefits of rabbit meat are literally legendary, but it is important to be able to calculate what income to count on and what breed to start in order to ensure a profitable business.

Meat: general information

Rabbit meat is a dietary product that is beneficial to human he alth. It is easily absorbed by the digestive system, has high nutritional qualities. Already from six months it is recommended to start feeding babies using rabbit meat, which is rich in protein, mineral, vitamin complexes.

In terms of the concentration of nitrogenous substances, only turkey and hare are better than rabbits, while duck and pork dominate in fatty substances. The dietary indicators of meat from a rabbit carcass will be close to chicken, but the quality will be better. Up to 20% of the total mass - protein structures, fat - no more than 18%. In terms of concentration and set of vitamins, minerals, rabbit meat is better, as experts say, there is practically nothing.

Where to get it?

Indeed, having found out all the benefits of rabbit meat, everyone will want to know where to get such a unique product to their table. The owners of rabbit farms are sure for sure: you need to buy from them. In total, about two hundred varieties of animals are known, but not all meat ones. Most famous rabbits are a source of tasty meat and a beautiful skin, but some are too small to be used for food.

The most delicious and he althy meat can be obtained from a meat breed. There are several of the most popular rabbits currently farmed. It is they who are on sale.

California

How many farmers know how much a California rabbit weighs - this variety is currently one of the most popular. On average, the carcass pulls more than 5.5 kg, sometimes reaching six. The breed is suitable for our climate, well cultivated in industrial conditions, has a relatively small size, and the quality of the meat is excellent. One of the main advantages of Californians is precocity. By the age of five months, females are maturing, each time bringing a dozen rabbits.

California rabbits are a source of tender and tasty meat, which became the basis for classifying the breed as a broiler. In comparison with other varieties, the rabbit carcass here gives the greatest useful yield. Animals are distinguished by well-developed muscles, short bones.

New Zealanders

Many farmers also know how much a rabbit of this breed weighs - along with the Californian, New Zealand is bred most actively in our area. On average, live weight is up to 5 kg, body length reaches half a meter. Distinctivestructural features - a cylindrical compact body, a wide back, rich in meat. Especially vigorous growth is observed at an early age. The females of this breed are very prolific, dairy, one round gives the farmer up to 8 rabbits.

Industrial rearing of the New Zealand breed of rabbit allows you to get meat of impeccable quality. The muscles are predominantly located near the spine, the ribs are rounded, the shoulder blades are rather large. The muscle fibers on the lower back and sides are the most dense, although the density throughout the body is sufficient to speak of high quality. Yield from one rabbit - up to 60%.

White and German giants

Both of these breeds are considered high quality, and their meat is delicious. Whites are good for their performance. They belong to the meat and skin breeds of rabbits for meat production. The female for one okrol brings up to 15 cubs. A distinctive feature of the breed is unpretentiousness, undemanding to conditions. The white giant perfectly takes root in the climate of our country.

The German giant is known among specialists under the name "Rizen". This is a large animal. The answer to the question of how much a rabbit of this breed weighs may surprise you - sometimes the weight reaches 12 kg! The body is massive, rather wide, and up to 70 cm long. A distinctive feature is a powerful skeleton. Like whites, German giants give a rich litter - up to 12 rabbits at a time.

Grey giants

This breed of rabbits for breeding for meat is one of the meat and skin rabbits. The animals are quite large, and their meat is rated as nutritious and tasty, of high quality. The fertility of females is one of the reasons to choose this type of rabbit for your farm. On average, one litter gives 12 cubs. A distinctive feature is the high-quality feeding of the cubs by the female.

At a young age, gray giants grow quickly, fatten effectively and in a short time. On average, the weight reaches 7 kg, and the animal reaches full maturity by the seventh month of life. The weight of a rabbit is about 3.5 kg, in well-fed individuals the slaughter yield is up to 61%.

Soviet chinchilla

This breed of rabbits for breeding for meat enjoys well-deserved respect: it is characterized by both a powerful skeleton and an impeccable constitution. Animals are distinguished by a rounded croup, a wide, even back and a developed chest. The rabbit's head is of medium size and somewhat non-standard, elongated shape. The ears are small, stand straight, and the legs are low and powerful.

The average weight of a rabbit of this breed is 6 kg. Carcass dimensions: chest girth 37 cm, length slightly exceeds 60 cm. At a young age, Soviet chinchillas grow very quickly and actively, they are energetic, and are in good he alth. The positive qualities of the meat of this breed are noted: a large yield, good fertility and a decent slaughter yield. With proper cultivation, the Soviet chinchilla can give even better results than Californians, New Zealanders.

Belgian Flanders

This is such a breed of giant rabbits, the distinctive features of which are an indefatigable appetite and rich fluffy fur. However, despitelove of food, rabbits are exceptionally picky in their choice. On average, the weight of an individual reaches 12 kg, the body grows up to a meter in length, and the length of the ears is almost 20 cm.

Due to their impressive size, rabbits are considered profitable for farm breeding, as they provide a lot of meat. However, there are also weaknesses. For example, offspring, although numerous, rabbits give much later than many other varieties. The coat of the Belgian Flanders comes in a variety of shades of grey. It is often used to imitate expensive fur.

Giant rabbits: butterflies and rams

Butterfly is a subspecies that appeared around the eighties of the last century. Today it is rare, has a beautiful color with spots, thick white fur, valuable and soft. The spots are scattered randomly on the hearth. Despite belonging to giants, butterflies are quite small: up to 60 cm in length, up to 4 kg in weight. An important feature is the ability to multiply quickly and productively. Animals also grow very fast.

But the ram has not only a beautiful, but also a very unusual look, especially in comparison with the rabbits we are used to. His nose is decorated with a peculiar hump, and his ears and skull have a non-standard shape. Around the end of the first six months of life, the ears gradually begin to sag. Rabbits of this breed are distinguished by poor hearing, they are not afraid of external sounds. Good-natured, calm individuals are undemanding to the conditions of detention and easily adapt to the climate and other features of the area. soft andthick, their fur is highly valued. The coloration of sheep is varied. On average, the weight of one individual is up to 8 kg.

Blue Royal Giant

This is a rabbit with a dense coat and a unique blue color. Beautiful individuals are valued not only for their fur, but also for their meat. On average, the weight reaches 5 kg, and the length of the animal grows up to half a meter. It is said that it is the blue royal giant that has the most delicious meat. The advantages of the breed include rapid growth and the ability to bring rich offspring.

Meat quality: important factors

Breed is not the only important factor in determining how high quality rabbit meat will be. Much depends on the feed, on the conditions in which the animal lived. Currently, China provides the largest volumes of rabbit meat. According to experts, despite the numerous kilograms, the breeding of rabbits for meat in this country leaves much to be desired: the finished product is not very good.

Hungarian producers have a good reputation, supplying an environmentally friendly product to the markets of other countries. The demand for domestic goods is also quite active. There are several large and small farms in our country, the owners of which know from their own experience how much an ordinary rabbit weighs, how to fatten it so that the meat is of high quality. Products can be bought either in specialized branded stores or in large supermarkets. Rabbit meat is available to everyone, so you should regularly serve it to the tableis a he althy product, excellent even for dieters.

Rabbit giants: curious features

This category includes representatives of several breeds, united by one feature - large size. But their color can be very different. As a rule, giants breed excellently, grow quickly, have good productivity, and high-quality meat. Giants in the territory of the former Soviet Union are believed to have first appeared in the Poltava lands as a response to the crisis and food shortages in the post-war period. At that time, breeders set themselves the task of creating a he althy, large breed. It was decided to cross specimens of especially large sizes brought from other countries with local rabbits, perfectly accustomed to the climate and living conditions. Success led to the solution of the problem of lack of meat, first among the local population, and supplies to other regions gradually improved.

Currently, giants are one of the most popular breeds in our country. However, they are also in demand in other powers. Distribution has led to the development of several productive subspecies. For example, there are now giants - these are rodents whose sizes are even larger than standard giants, that is, the yield of meat from each individual is more significant.

Should I start a business?

Gigant breeding is considered a promising business area, but novice farmers admit that it is not an easy task. Rabbits live in cages, so you need to pick up such a roomya structure inside which the individual can rise on its hind legs. The presence of free space is one of the most important conditions for the quality growth of any breed.

To make the rabbit comfortable, the floor of the cage is covered with sawdust, straw, hay. From time to time, you need to enclose fruit branches so that the rabbit can gnaw on a solid object. To regularly feed the animal, it is necessary to provide a feeder, a large drinking bowl. The fluid is changed daily - this is a guarantee of the he alth of individuals. Rabbit bowls are more suitable for heavy ones, as animals can turn them with their noses.

In order for the female to give a normal birth, one of the corners must be equipped with a heating system - it is she who will choose it for childbirth. The fertility of modern breeds is quite high, birth control is not required, and small cubs at birth weigh no more than one hundred grams, but their number often reaches 7, and sometimes more. In just a month and a half, the weight of the young will increase to one and a half kilograms. To avoid diseases, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the cage - bacteria are dangerous not only for humans, but also for rabbits.