# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Livestock and Animal Husbandry >  New Zealand whites

## carnivor way

hi every one 

 i just got a really good deal on some new zealand white rabbits & bought 15 . soo im back in the rabbits again . it has been a few (6) years since we last had bunnys. i still had a lot of stuff but we to update some things .

we will be raising then for meat , new zealands are a great meat breed. any how i thought that if any of yall are interested ? i could pots pics & updates as it gos a long . building new cages & getting set up for meat production . as well as feed used & meat produced , birthing & breeding schedule. 

so here is a pic of a few bunnys when i brought them in . 

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they are 4 months old  all most eating size .

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## crashdive123

We're always interested in breeding......wait - that didn't come out right.  Looking forward to seeing your progress.

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## finallyME

When I get back into rabbits, I am thinking of New Zealands.  They seem to be better suited for my purposes.  Keep us posted.

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## carnivor way

hi all
  and thanks for your interest . we got our old cages set up in the rabbit / chicken shed. sexed them and separated them. we now have 5 males & 8 females. we are feeding about a tuna can of feed per rabbit pre day right now . we water twice a day. we put the tow best males into cages of there own .

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and the frier males are together . new zealands are a great meat rabbit / they get big fast & taste real good!!

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the ladies are in three cages the first set we are keeping for sure.

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the other two sets are yet to be decided , some we will keep some we will eat.

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lastly a couple of pic of how the are set up right now.

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cage making and butcher day will be soon . ill post pics of both. ill need to stat a ledger on them soon also. we raise hogs , chicken, ducks . so the rabbits are fitting into the mix nicely. hope yall enjoy.

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## crashdive123

That whole rabbit with zombie eyes thing that they got going on is kind of disturbing.

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## Rick

My oldest son has a "wild" white bunny that sits on his porch in the morning. It was probably a pet that someone let loose because it got a little older and a little too aggressive  If you don't bother it the darn thing will hop up beside you and just sit there. If you try to pick it up it will growl at you. Who knew a bunny growled? It's a big rascal. Big enough the cats give it a wide berth.

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## nell67

Nice set up,NZW are a great choice for meat,and if you decide to sell meat rabbits they and californians are the top choices for selling,(meat buyers do not care for rabbits with brown or black fur,since that color fur shows up on the meat)also they are a great choice if you have a child in 4-h who would like to show meat rabbits,they are a money making rabbit as well as a table fare.

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## carnivor way

> That whole rabbit with zombie eyes thing that they got going on is kind of disturbing.


you should see it at night when ya walk in the door wearing a head light , a dozen pairs of red glowing eyes staring at you !! ya its a lil creepy.

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## carnivor way

> My oldest son has a "wild" white bunny that sits on his porch in the morning. It was probably a pet that someone let loose because it got a little older and a little too aggressive  If you don't bother it the darn thing will hop up beside you and just sit there. If you try to pick it up it will growl at you. Who knew a bunny growled? It's a big rascal. Big enough the cats give it a wide berth.


i have never heard a bunny growl , maybe ya need to get him laid . my wife says thats the best way to keep me from growling .

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## carnivor way

> Nice set up,NZW are a great choice for meat,and if you decide to sell meat rabbits they and californians are the top choices for selling,(meat buyers do not care for rabbits with brown or black fur,since that color fur shows up on the meat)also they are a great choice if you have a child in 4-h who would like to show meat rabbits,they are a money making rabbit as well as a table fare.


we are growing them for food , to broaden our menu . i had not thought of selling them . thank you for bringing that up . i may look in to it .

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## carnivor way

hi every one.

     we had a butcher day last week . put some bunnys in the freezer , 6 actually. after sorting though them, we kept 2 males in order to a sure we have a good breeding buck . we also kept 4 females .  when we start breeding in march if every one makes baby bunnys ok. we should be able to put 70 friers in the freezer by late fall . thats easily one meal a week .thats how i have it planed anyway , we will see how it works out .

here are some pics.

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i found these scissors , took a grinder to them now i use them to butcher with. 

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hope yall enjoy . any questions are welcome .

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## nell67

My does averaged 8 bunnies per litter,but it varied from 4 up to 15,breed each doe every other month and give her a month off between,I know people who bred back the day their does kindled,it ends up making does that stop taking care of their kits,they need a break too.with 4 does you should have no problems putting meat in the freezer

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## carnivor way

thanks nell . we plan to skip a month for the health & well being of our does . while we aren't exactly soft on critters . we aren't callus or harsh ether . we like happy productive critters .its funny how these rabbits just fit right in to our routine.  feed the hogs , feed the chicken & ducks , feed the barn cats , feed the bunnys , feed the llama , collect the eggs . we talk to them all every day .

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## Thomas Johnson

Looks good.. Rabbits are really underestimated! I have 9 does and they provide more than enough meat for me and my family of 4 people. And they are cheap and easy animals to keep.. and neightbourfriendly! :-)

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## finallyME

> My oldest son has a "wild" white bunny that sits on his porch in the morning. It was probably a pet that someone let loose because it got a little older and a little too aggressive  If you don't bother it the darn thing will hop up beside you and just sit there. If you try to pick it up it will growl at you. Who knew a bunny growled? It's a big rascal. Big enough the cats give it a wide berth.


Once I picked up an old female that someone left when they moved.  It would attack me and growl when I put my hand in her cage to feed.  She didn't do that too long, as my dog really likes old rabbit meat.

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## Thomas Johnson

> Once I picked up an old female that someone left when they moved.  It would attack me and growl when I put my hand in her cage to feed.  She didn't do that too long, as my dog really likes old rabbit meat.


hehe lol:-) Lets call that "learning by dying" ;-)

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## birdman6660

iwe have raised rabbits for years and have found that Californians have the fastest growth rate per pound of food fed ... they grow amazingly fast .. we feed corn and alfalfa ....  i know lotsa folks feed pellets  BUT  after teotwawki pellets will not exist  (maybe) and rabbits dont like their food changed up !

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## Durtyoleman

I raise mixed rabbits for meat...New zealand and california giant mixes, They get to size quickly and both are excellent meant rabbits. This morn I had an unusual occurrence which has me a bit annoyed. I build my cages in pairs and my California buck is kept in a set with one cage beside him empty at all times unless I am preparing to breed him to a female. This morning however I came out to check on the rabbits and found that the cage beside him had suddenly sprouted an old brown and white lop eared rabbit. At some time during the night or very early morn someone decided to abandon their rabbit by sticking it in the cage beside my prize buck! I am glad they didn't place in a cage with any of my rabbits but still I will now have to quarrantiene my best male due to some moron. And their rabbit will wind up dog food for a neighbors pitbull. The nerve of some people. They are fortunate I had not come out and found them with a hand in the cage because I likely would have shot them assuming they were stealing or harming my rabbits.
D.O.M.

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## oldtrap59

I have raised New Zealands since the middle 70's. I have had other breeds also but have always had the New Zealands. they are for sure hard to beat as far as growth rate is concerned. I was checking out some youngsters I have held back from a few april litters this morning. These does and bucks all weigh in the area of 7 lbs. My breeding does range from 10 1/2 to 11 1/2 lbs. and my main breeding buck this spring was a 9 month old that went about 10 1/2 lbs. All my rabbits are pedigreed or registered and I do show them once in awhile. However, all of them are not show stock and we eat alot of rabbit. As I have said before it doesn't cost anymore to feed a pedigreed or registered animal of any type but when the time comes to sell breeding stock you will see a big difference. Btw down here Igive my does the summer off as it is just to HOT.

Oldtrap

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## chinookpilot77

VERY interested in raising rabbits once I get out of the Army and settled somewhere for good.  I'd like to have goats, rabbits, chickens for meat and hens for eggs, and a huge garden....just can't do all that and move every couple of years with the military...booo!

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