Rabbit meat is becoming popular for numerous reasons. An increasing number of people have shown their interest in rabbit meat.
The increased demand for rabbit meat has encouraged more livestock farmers to raise rabbits for their meat. However, not all rabbits can be raised for meat.
One of the most popular rabbit breeds is the Rex rabbit. The question is are these good for meat?
Are Rex Rabbits Good for Meat?
Rex rabbits are the most popular rabbit breeds that are raised for meat.
The Rex rabbit meat is readily available. The price of Rex rabbit meat varies with the velvety pelt and meat-to-bone ratio.
Some of the reasons why Rex rabbits are the most popular rabbits raised for their meat are:
- Raising Rex rabbits is easy.
- These rabbits are large in size and produce a good quantity of meat.
- The meat of Rex rabbits is very tasty and can be used to make stews and soups and can also be enjoyed roasted or barbecued.
Is Consuming Meat of Rex Rabbits Good for Health?
Eating rabbit meat in general, regardless of which breed’s meat you consume, is quite healthy. There are plenty of reasons why you should consume more rabbit meat.
Rabbits consume foods that are rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins, which means their meat will have all of these elements in it, making rabbit meat super healthy for humans.
If you’re unsure about incorporating rabbit meat into your diet, the many nutritional benefits of rabbit meat listed below will surely change your mind!
High in Proteins
Rex rabbit meat is rich in proteins. Its nutritional makeup is mostly protein.
You get about 18 to 20 grams of protein with every 1000 grams of rabbit meat that you consume.
Rabbit meat contains essential amino acids that your body needs to stay healthy and function properly.
Moreover, rabbit meat is white, has low collagen content, and is therefore easy to digest.
Rich in Minerals and Vitamins
Another reason why you should consume more Rex rabbit meat is the plenty of minerals and vitamins that it contains.
Rabbit meat is a rich source of vitamin B12 and B3. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in producing DNA and red blood cells. It also helps the nervous system to function well.
Vitamin B3 is an essential vitamin for the body that the body needs to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart diseases.
Rabbit meat contains essential vitamins, but it also contains important minerals like selenium, potassium, and phosphorus, making it extremely healthy!
Low-Fat Content
Rex rabbit meat has fats in very minute quantities.
Consuming more Rex rabbit meat would ensure you don’t put on weight or put yourself at risk of developing health conditions associated with fatty foods.
In fact, rabbit meat is an excellent choice if you’re trying to lose weight!
Low Cholesterol
Another reason you should incorporate rabbit meat into your diet is that it has got low cholesterol levels.
The white meat of rabbits is absolutely healthy for human consumption as it contains sparing quantities of cholesterol that ensures that there are no lasting effects on heart health.
Also read: Are Backyard Rabbits Safe to Eat?
How to Choose a Rabbit to Breed for Meat?
If you’re planning to breed rabbits for meat, there are certain factors that you should consider when deciding on the best breeds to raise primarily for meat purposes.
Meat to Bone Ratio
Rabbits are very small animals. Even the biggest rabbits won’t produce too much meat. So, you’ve got to consider the breed that would give you the most meat.
Ideally, the rabbit breed that you choose to breed for meat should have an equal meat-to-bone ratio.
If the ratio of bone is more than meat, you’ll need more rabbits for the required amount of meat.
Pelt
To make the most of your rabbit breeding, choose a rabbit variety that has got velvety pelt that you can tan and use to make goods.
Raising rabbits for meat with a thick, velvety pelt will ensure there’s no waste and make your rabbit breeding experience worth it!
When raising rabbits for meat, meat shouldn’t be the only goal. Keep your eyes on all the possible prizes, which are meat and pelt in the case of rabbit breeding!
Size of Litters
Another very important factor that you should consider when raising rabbits for meat is the size of the litter the rabbit will produce.
Choose the rabbits that give birth to large litters. This would mean you’ll have more rabbits, and more rabbits would mean more meat!
Grow Out Time
If a rabbit takes too long to grow to a size when it can be butchered for meat, they aren’t the best choice for breeding for meat.
It means that you’ll have to wait for rabbit meat for longer.
Therefore, if you’re raising rabbits for meat, you should use rabbit breeds that grow quickly.
The best meat rabbits grow considerably in 8 to 14 weeks. The grow-out time varies drastically with the breed.
Also read: Is Rabbit Meat Halal?
Best Rabbits for Meat
Rex rabbits are the most popular rabbits bred for meat, but there are also many other breeds of rabbits that can be raised for meat.
Starting from the best, let’s look at why Rex rabbits are the best choice for meat and what other rabbits you can raise for meat production.
Rex Rabbit (Most Popular)
Rex varieties are, by far, the most popular and commonly bred rabbit varieties for meat. Rex rabbits are large in size and can weigh anywhere between 7 to 11 pounds.
Not only are they good for meat, but they also have a dense, velvety pelt.
A Rex gives birth to 6 to 12 bunnies per litter, making Rex rabbits the best type of rabbits that you can raise for meat.
New Zealand Rabbit
New Zealand rabbits are also a very popular meat rabbit. They’re almost as popular as Rex rabbits.
This rabbit breed is larger in size as compared to Rex. They weigh an average of 9-12 pounds. The best thing about these rabbits that make them good for meat is the quick grow-out time.
A New Zealand rabbit can be ready to be butchered for meat in as few as 8 weeks! As if this wasn’t enough, these rabbits can birth as many as 14 kits at a time!
If you choose to breed New Zealand rabbits for meat, you’ll have plenty of meat all the time!
Florida White
Florida White isn’t the best breed for meat production, but they are still bred for meat purposes quite widely.
This is because these rabbits are easy to raise. They’re very hard and don’t get sick too often.
Florida White rabbits are small in size. They weigh about 4 to 6 pounds, and they can give birth to 5 to 8 bunnies at a time.
Flemish Giants
One feature of meat rabbits that makes them good for meat is their size, and when we talk about size, Flemish Giants stand on top of the list.
These rabbits can weigh anywhere between 9 and 15 pounds. Although they’re quite big, their meat-to-bone ratio is quite poor. They grow to a butcher-able age slowly.
However, one good thing about Flemish Giants that brings it to our list of good breeds for meat production is the litter size.
They can birth up to 10 kits that would ensure a consistent meat supply.
American Chinchilla
When we talk about meat rabbits, our list can’t be completed without mentioning the American Chinchilla.
These rabbits are a considerable size. They weigh about 9-12 pounds and have an impressive meat-to-bone ratio. Another plus is the large litter size of 8 to 12 kits.
The American Chinchilla is typically cross-bred with Rex rabbits to improve the quality of pelt and meat-to-bone ratio!
Satin
Satin rabbits are among the largest rabbits that are suitable for meat.
Satin rabbits can weigh up to 12 pounds and give birth to 10 to 12 bunnies at a time, making them good for meat.
However, like other larger meat rabbits, Satin rabbits grow to a butcher-able size slowly.
American Blue
The American Blue rabbit weighs between 9 and 12 pounds. It produces excellent quality meat and also has beautiful, thick, velvety fur.
These rabbits can birth about 8 to 10 kits at a time.
However, their meat-to-bone ratio is poor, which is why they’re often cross-bred with Rex rabbits to improve the quantity of meat each rabbit can produce.
Rabbit meat is healthy and delicious. While most people only know about the meat of Rex rabbits, there are so many other rabbit breeds that produce good meat.
Rex rabbits are good for meat, but they aren’t the only meat rabbits that are commonly raised today.
Different meat rabbits are being raised with the growing demand for healthy white meat.
If you’ve never given rabbit meat a try, it’s high time you do! Cook it in a soup, make stew out of it, or simply roast it on a grill. You’ll regret why you hadn’t tried it so far along!
Other articles you may also like: