The flesh of best meat rabbits is often used in a variety of cuisines across the globe, including stews, roasts, barbecues, and soups. The care and feeding of rabbits are usually inexpensive and not too difficult, making them an excellent choice for beginners.
There are a lot of upsides to raising rabbits for their meat. There is very little fat in rabbits, which contributes to their reputation as lean, white meat. In addition to that, it does not contain any cholesterol and has very few calories. In comparison to other types of meat, the rabbit has a lower sodium content and a greater proportion of metabolism, in addition to a higher concentration of phosphorus and calcium.
On your homestead, if you want to grow rabbits for their meat successfully, you must make sure you pick the right rabbit breed. Consumption is not possible with each and every breed of rabbit. We have compiled a list of the 10 breeds of meat rabbits that are considered to be the greatest in the world, as well as crucial facts on the breeds’ potential as producers of meat.
Table Of Content
10 Best Rabbit Breeds for Meat
- New Zealand Rabbits
- California Rabbits
- American Chinchilla Rabbits
- Champagne D’Argent
- Silver Fox Rabbits
- Satin Rabbits
- Cinnamon Rabbits
- Standard Rex Rabbit
- Palomino Rabbits
- Florida White Rabbits
New Zealand Rabbits
The New Zealand rabbit is the most popular and widespread breed for meat production. New Zealand rabbits are used in almost 90% of the world’s meat rabbit production. This rabbit breed may be appealing because of its rapid weight gain and high fat-to-bone ratio. Even New Zealand rabbits develop quickly. Kits weigh 8 pounds at 8 weeks old, whereas full-grown foxes weigh 9 to 12 pounds. The New Zealand rabbit, despite its name, is an American import that goes back to the early 20th century. Backyard homesteaders will find them to be the perfect meat bunny
2 . California Rabbits
The California rabbit, which may range in weight anywhere from eight to twelve pounds, is the world’s second most common breed for producing meat. This type of rabbit is considered a fancy breed since it is grown for its fur, yet it makes an excellent meat bunny because it is stocky and grows quickly. After being harvested, a sizable amount of meat may be obtained from them.
The California rabbit breed is known for having a mild temperament, which makes them simpler to bring up than other types of rabbits. They are the offspring of Chinchilla rabbits and New Zealand White rabbits being bred together.
3. American Chinchilla Rabbits
People think of the American Pygmy breed of rabbit as a multipurpose breed because it is raised both for its meat and its fur. They are stocky and can weigh up to 12 pounds. They are one of the best game rabbit types in the world. The American Chinchilla rabbit’s high-quality thicker belly and wider shoulder are used in smoked and cooked dishes from many different countries. The American Chinchilla rabbit is thought to be in danger of going extinct because it is used so much.
4. Champagne D’Argent
The Champagne D’Argent rabbit meat is recognized as the “Black Angus” of rabbit meats and is highly prized all over the globe. Since 1631, this breed of rabbit has been raised for meat. They were created in Champagne, France. The word “silver” is a translation of the second half of their name, D’Argent, which defines their fur. The Champagne D’Argent weighs around 9 pounds when fully mature. This breed’s flesh-to-bone ratio makes it an excellent meat rabbit. As a fantastic beginner rabbit for homesteading, Champagne D’Argent is ideal. Both fur and meat may be grown from them.
5. Silver Fox Rabbits
The Silver Fox rabbit breed, a favorite of homesteaders, has a variety of uses. The Silver Fox rabbit, regarded as a “fancy breed,” is distinguished by its fur. They may weigh between 10 and 12 pounds when used as meat. They have a disposition that makes them suitable as pets and make breeding and keeping them simple. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to locate the Silver Fox rabbit breed. Since they are rare, breeding them and selling the progeny will bring in more money.
6 . Satin Rabbits
One of the bigger and heavier kinds of rabbit, the satin weighs roughly 12 pounds when fully mature. It’s hardly surprising that Satin rabbits generate a considerable quantity of meat given their wider build. They are the best kind of rabbit for homesteaders to keep for meat. A meat rabbit with a calm and gentle disposition, satins are cold-resistant.
The very first litter of Satin rabbits was born at the home of Mr. Walter Huey. He did this while he was working on achieving his goal of perfecting his Havana rabbits. As a direct result of his efforts, positive kits for the satin gene were produced.
After some time had passed, the “Satin Havanas” were finally granted formal breed status by ARBA. After a number of years spent on improvement, the Satin rabbit was given association approval in the year 1956.
One of the most stunning examples of domestic rabbit breeds is this particular variety. Because of its unusual satin coat, it is known by that particular descriptor. Its fur has a translucent sheen because of a gene that is recessive.
White and a grey tinge were the two colors that were initially offered for the purchase of this breed. It is now available in more than 11 different colors to choose from.
There is no breed of meat rabbit that can withstand the winter better than this one. It has a reputation for having thick fur. When it is completely mature, it typically weighs somewhere around 12 pounds. It has the body shape of a commercial product.
7. Cinnamon Rabbits
This is a hybrid of the American Chinchilla and the New Zealand White rabbit. When this rabbit breed was being developed, producing meat wasn’t the original goal. However, the Cinnamon rabbit breed may produce a significant amount of meat, particularly for commercial purposes, with a mature weight of up to 11 pounds. The Cinnamon rabbit breed, so named because of its red hue, is highly prized for its fur and is kept as a pet. Cinnamon rabbits are hard to come by, however.
8. Standard Rex Rabbit
With an average weight of 8 to 10 pounds, the Standard Rex is on the smaller side for a meat rabbit but still yields a respectable amount of meat. They are perfect for a little homestead. The Standard Rex, which was created in France in 1919, is best recognized as a fur rabbit because of the velvety smoothness of its coat. Their placid personalities also make them wonderful pets.
9. Palomino Rabbits
The Palomino breed of rabbit is raised for its meat both on farms and in industrial settings. Palomino rabbits grow up to be 8 to 11 pounds and have been a favorite choice for eating bunnies for a long time. They usually make good meat and have a good meat-to-bone ratio. Palomino rabbits are easy to raise because they are friendly, but you need to be patient with them because they grow slower than other game rabbits.
Palomino rabbits can still be used for meat. They are a kind of very big rabbits. The bones of this species are smaller than those of other species. A bigger amount of meat to bones is good for breeders.
They have brown eyes, and their ears are big and stand straight up. There are two colors to choose from: Lynx and Golden. Because of their color, they are easy to find. Because of their beautiful color differences, they make great pets or show animals. They weigh between 8 and 11 pounds and grow quickly.
Palominos are kind, friendly, and gentle animals. They like being around other people. So, they’re great as pets. They might even be good with kids.
10. Florida White Rabbits
The Florida White rabbit breed, referred to as an “all-purpose” variety, is a perfect meat producer for tiny homesteads, feeding just 1 to 2 people with little room. Florida White rabbits are on the lighter side for a meat rabbit, weighing about 6 to 8 pounds. They compensate for their underwhelming size with a light bone structure. The Florida White rabbit breed is a fantastic option for inexperienced rabbit keepers because of its often placid demeanor.
Conclusion
With that out of the way, you ought to know very well the breed of rabbit you want to buy for yourself.
We hope that this article was a useful resource and that it satisfied all of your queries, whether you are an aspirant homesteader, a meat enthusiast in general, or simply a curious tourist.
Even though we undoubtedly passed over a lot of information on these breeds, we can confidently declare that our study’s primary goal—to provide you with the key justifications for why these breeds are among the best—was successfully accomplished.
