What feeds we can feed rabbits?
How many times a rabbit can breed?
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Many breeders who breed for meat production feed a good quality pellet only. Hay is not needed but can be fed to replace some of the pellets.
A rabbit can be bred 2 weeks after kindling (give birth), her litter would then be 6 weeks old when she would give birth again. If you follow this schedule of breeding then the kits should be weaned at 5 weeks, which is the right age to wean a meat producing kit. This gives the doe a week without kits to build up her strength.
Commercial meat breeders follow this breeding schedule of breeding the doe when the litter is 2 weeks old. A doe who is kept on this schedule needs to be replaced with a daughter when she turns 2 years old. By this age on a heavy breeding schedule the doe is done and will start having smaller and smaller litters.
I suggest joining the ARBA to get more info and contacts for meat breeders.
The main role in their diet is hay and pellets of a good brand.
Well rabbits are fertile all year round, pregnancy lasts a month..
As many people are learning, rabbits are the most efficient meat producing farm animal. With 2 does and a buck from top meat producing bloodlines and breeds, you can produce as much as 300 lbs of meat per year. All that said, rabbits are an animal that take individual care, the reason they are not factory farmed.
I raise New Zealand whites and sometimes cross NZW does with a California buck to produce what are called "smuts"; hybrid kits that grow a little faster than purebreds and reach butchering size about a week earlier, usually 8-9 weeks get you a 6 to 7 lb. "fryer" that will butcher out to 3 to 3 1/2 lbs of meat.
I feed a high quality pellet with very high fiber content. Feed needs to be VERY fresh so buy only from a feed store that sells a lot of rabbit feed. Watch out for corn added to feed as this can cause enterotoxemia. I do feed a little high quality hay every day. I breed for 6 litters a year. I know some try for more, but you will lose more does and litters in my opinion. I breed on the first of the month every other month and wean kits at 5 weeks. Regardless, you should breed the doe before the kits are weaned.
Locate other rabbit breeders in your area and go to rabbit shows to make contacts with other breeders.
There are very good Yahoo groups for learning about raising rabbits. My favorite is:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Rabbit_Market/
My favorite site for supplies and meds for rabbits is:
http://bunnyrabbit.com/
and I’ve put together a "rabbit basics" page on my website at: http://www.donnybrookfarm.com
You are welcome to email me with additional questions at donnybrookfarm@yahoo.com
Good luck with your rabbit venture.