COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISIN<; 



53 



N 45952 



Figure 23. — Filling feed cart from bulk 

 feeder tank. 



N 45947 



Figure 24. — Filling hopper (self-feeder) 

 from feed cart. 



reach fryer weight even though 

 the pelts are not prime. In order 

 to yield a carcass weighing from 

 114 to 314 pounds, young rabbits 

 should have a live weight of ap- 

 proximately 3 to 6 pounds. Best 

 carcass yields are usually from 

 young rabbits weighing from 4 to 

 4% pounds, when weaned at 2 

 months of age (figs. 25 and 26). 

 These should yield a carcass (in- 

 cluding liver and heart) of 50 to 

 59 percent of the live weight, 78 

 to 80 percent of which is edible. 



For fryer production, medium- 

 weight to heavyweight breeds are 

 pi'eferred. Their young are most 

 apt to develop to the desired weight 

 and finish by the time they are 2 

 months old. 



A pound of marketable fryer 

 rabbit will require 2% to 314 

 pounds of feed, or a total of ap- 

 proximately 100 pounds for a doe 

 and litter of 8, from mating of the 

 doe to marketing of the young 

 when 2 months old. Good does 

 nurse their litters 6 to 8 weeks. 

 The young develop more rapidly 

 if they are in the hutch with their 

 mothers until they are 8 weeks of 

 age. By that time, the milk sup- 

 ply will have decreased, the young 

 will be accustomed to consuming 

 other feed, and weaning will be 

 less of a shock than if undertaken 

 at an earlier age. Young that are 

 weaned and held for several days 

 before market may either fail to 

 gain or actually lose weight. 

 Therefore, it is usually best to 

 leave the young with their mothers 

 until they go to market. 



If you want to produce fryers 

 heavier than those weaned when 56 

 days old, keep young rabbits with 

 their mother an additional 8 or 9 

 days. These fryers should gain an 

 average of 0.6 to 1.0 pound during 

 this period, if full fed a balanced 

 diet. However, they will require 

 more pounds of feed per pound of 



