What Are the Fine Meat Rabbit Breeds?

1 Fine Meat Breeds

New Zealand White: developed from albino individuals of the NZ Red then crossed with the Flemish Giant; now a wide meat and lab rabbit. Pure white, pink eyes, small head, upright ears, medium cylindrical body, round rump, strong limbs; does have a dewlap. Adult 4–5 kg, 7–8 kits per litter. Fast early growth (2.5–2.7 kg at 3 months); high yield, tender meat, good fur, strong disease resistance and fertility.

Belgian: from Belgium, then Britain, a large meat breed. Standard brown-yellow coat like a hare, hence ‘Belgian hare’; black eyes, large upright ears with black tips, larger body, longer limbs; 2.5–2.8 kg at 3 months, adult 5.5–6.5 kg. Advantages: fast growth, rough-feed tolerance, strong constitution, adaptation and full muscle; weakness: high feed need and high cage foot-disease rate, so large farms use it only as sire with small/mid dams.

Californian: from California, a mid-size standard meat breed, world-famous. White with black/brown ears, nose, limbs and tail — the ‘eight-point black’ (kits all white until first molt). Small upright ears, medium build, full hindquarters; bucks 3.6–4.5 kg, does 3.9–4.8 kg, 7–8 kits. Advantages: fast early gain, full muscle, strong adaptation and disease resistance; gentle, good-mothering, high lactation does — the ‘nanny rabbit’; genetically stable, mostly crossed with New Zealand White for commercial meat.

2 Note

Three fine breeds introduced; more to come.