Meat Rabbit Breeds

Question
I can find lots of information about New Zealand White and California rabbits and their qualifications as meat rabbits but I am having a difficult time finding this data about other meat rabbit breeds.  Can you help?  

I know that the commercial meat rabbit folks prefer the albino NZW breed but I want something different and don't care about the color concern. I want to know about the growth rates, dressout percentages, mothering and litter sizes, temperaments and other helpful meat raising concerns for the following breeds:

Champagne d'Argent
Florida Whites
Cinnamon
American Chinchilla
Creme d'Argent
French Lop
Hotot
Palomino
Rex
American Sable
Satin
Silver Fox
Silver Marten

Thank you in advance for any info you can help out with.


Answer
Hi Hannah.

Here in Mexico we do not have all those breeds so I cannot comment on them.  What I have done over the years is make up a gene pool of ALL the breeds we have here - looking for all the qualities you mentioned - but concentrating on mainly on two things - bone size and pelt weight.  If you have a large boned animal with a thick pelt when you convert to meat obviously the meat to rest-of ratio will be inconvenient.  The NZW is the best of all breeds for litter size and mothering skills, the California is good for "stick to the muscle pelt " The rex and satin I use to bring the bone size down. The Giantess I use sparingly to add faster growth and a better temperament ( their bones and pelts are way to heavy ).  In the end of the melting pot I have developed a small boned, thin pelt very very meaty rabbit.  I get 2.2 kilos at 50 days and 5.2 kilos at 100.  With a dressing out of 55 % with out heart, lungs, or liver ( I sell the liver separately )It has taken me seven years to get this far.  It sure has been fun !  I recommend you join the Yahoo group "meat rabbits" they can tell you more about the American breeds.  Have FUN and experiment to your hearts content.  One thing I advise - do not mate a huge buck to a much smaller doe as you can cause the death of the doe from to large kits.

No Hannah, I am sorry, the boarders are closed to live rabbits because of pandemic illness in rabbits.