# How many does to feed a family



## The Tin Mom (Dec 30, 2008)

Hi, all...

I have searched and searched and cannot find an answer to this. We are finishing our greenhouse/rabbit barn and I am getting ready to order wire to build my cages. 

What I am trying to figure out is how many does I need to feed my family of five and then also have some extra. (Just an average)

Also-while I am asking - I have a friend who will butcher & dress them for a share of the meat - what is a reasonable share?

Thanks!


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

A lot depends on if you are going to feed just rabbit meat everyday, if you are, i would think you'll need at least 3 or 4 in case you lose a litter. if they each produce 6 every time, that should give you meat and some extra.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

For a family of 5 who want to eat rabbit 3x per week (figuring 1 rabbit per meal) you would need 12-15 fryers per month. I agree that 4 should give you enough to give your friend shares for butchering. I'd go with 6 does as breed-backs of every thirty days would be hard on the does. Then you could breed back every other month. Your does would last longer this way.


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## The Tin Mom (Dec 30, 2008)

Thanks!

I have more than enough room for that - guess my husband will get to increase his greenhouse space!


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

If you are feeding teenagers you can figure on needing 2 rabbits per family meal: at least my MIL used that many. She and her husband had 3 teenagers when she was raising rabbits.

When the teens started moving out she STILL butchered 2 rabbits at a time: one for the table and one for the freezer so it was convenient the next time she wanted rabbit. For her, 1 rabbit fed 3 large people (Teens and adults).

She averaged 6-7 rabbits per litter, and she liked to figure on having 1 litter a month to eat.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

One thing I find helpful is to think in terms of serving pieces. For us, a hind leg or loin is one serving. There are three of us here, so I like to butcher rabbits in multiples of three and then package the pieces so that each package is a meal of the same cut. I feel this makes the meat go further and it certainly simplifies cooking times. I usually use the front legs and rib sections for soup, stew or pot pie. Sometimes I add the flank steaks (belly flaps) to this and the giblets. (Rabbit giblets are mild and flavourful. Even if you don't usually like organ meats, the liver, kidneys and heart of rabbit are all delicious.) So three rabbits gives the three of us here two meals of hind legs, one meal of loin and one meal with leftovers of soup or stew or pot pie.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

before you increase your husband's share of the greenhouse - think through grow out space carefully! The rabbits grow out better and faster with less crowding. We got to like them to have decent room to move - no more than 4 per cage, preferably 3. So to grow out fully - we wanted one cage for the doe + buns, 2-4 cages for the litter she finished that is growing out, and depending on rebreeding dates, etc, maybe even another 2-4 cages from the first litter. Our doe had the potential to grow out up to 9 kits. In other words, 6-8 cages required per doe and offspring if we kept her kits coming regularly. 

for a fair share of processing for your friend, I would think for every 5 rabbits processed he/she should get one, perhaps even 1:4.

for portion size, 1 3 lb rabbit would feed our family of 4 big eaters well with one piece leftover.


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## The Tin Mom (Dec 30, 2008)

Wow, some good points, all! Glad I didn't tell my husband he could expand his greenhouse yet! LOL!!

Still figuring what I need! Thanks for the input!


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