In 2023 I kept pretty decent records of weights for our rabbits, specifically the grow outs. I use a baby scale and mark a number in their ears with sharpie so I can easily identify who is who from one week to the next. Over the last dozen litters I’ve been able to see which bloodlines are more productive, as well as which ones are showing signs of improvement as they hit target weights on time or even early accordingly to standard commercial breed growth charts.

I start doing weight checks when kits are 5 weeks old, which is right around weaning age. From the 5-7 weeks kits are weaned from mom and separated by gender. They get weighed weekly up until their cull date (whether that be sold or butchered). This policy changes slightly for my breeders as I may not have the energy to include them on weekly weigh-ins if I have a lot of kits or the weather isn’t cooperative. The weight checks I absolutely make sure to do are when they get bred, and the week after weaning for does. In between there I try to make sure I weigh them at least once a month or if anyone looks like they might have gained/lost weight.

Why weigh the adults so often? Maintaining a heathy weight is part of keeping track of their general health. Rabbits don’t generally wear their fat where you can see it, instead it will pile on their internal organs which can severely impact their health and lead to complications.

Back to the grow-outs, the standard weights suggested for commercial breed rabbits is 4lbs by 8 weeks, 5lbs by 10, 6lbs by 12. Ideal weight (meaning exceptional growth) is 5lbs by 8 weeks. Why is this? Five pounds is the ideal butcher weight for getting the maximum amount of meat for the lowest feed cost. Around 10-12 weeks of age the rate of growth for the amount of feed a rabbit consumes drops significantly. In order to be cost effective, you want your kits to grow quickly and hitting 5lbs sooner is better.

So how do I get the growth I want? Mostly, this is based on selective breeding, I retain rabbits who have good grow rates themselves to become breeders and pass on those genetics. I also have a couple of does who produce great milk and generally get kits started off with good weights before they even wean. Another consideration is feed. I do feed a pellet with high protein which helps promote fast growth.

Those who pasture and forage raise their rabbits tend to see slower rates of growth, I notice this especially in my summer litters who receive more forage in their diets. The trade-off here is that the pasture/forage diet is cheaper than pellet and will generally produce a leaner rabbit as well. If you’re considering a forage diet for your rabbit, absolutely go for it, just know it might take a while to get the grow rates you’re looking for in a meat rabbit, and I highly recommend looking into sources to optimize nutrition and provide a well rounded diet.

The last bit I will mention here is about butchering weight.

About halfway through last year I started keeping track of carcass weights when I butchered. My typical yield, after removing fur and inedible parts, was typically 60-65% of the live weight (with bones intact). I tend to have very little fat in any of the rabbits harvested before 16 weeks and I have been able to use these weights to start calculating how well the rabbits earn their keep in terms of how much food the entire rabbitry consumes versus how much meat is provided. Generally speaking, we come out less than the cost of grocery store meat (so long as you aren’t counting the start up cost of cages, breeders, etc.).

These numbers have really solidified for me the value of our rabbitry, and it doesn’t even start to take into account the value of the pelts that I am leaning to tan, the excellent fertilizer we get for the garden that also feeds us, or the emotional value they provide. I am looking forward to seeing the numbers we see going forward.