Breeder Listing
General Information
Tips for Beginners
Three Weeks Before Show-time
Selecting Meat-type Fryers
Photos of ARBA Approved Commercial Type Meat Breeds
Showmanship
Other Links

General
Information

  Contact at least 2 breeders four-six months before the county show to reserve a litter

  Most counties accept any ARBA-recognized commercial meat breed, however, do check the rules for your county show.

  Does should be bred 100 days before day of show judging. Be sure to tell the breeder the date of your county show, so he/she can plan appropriately.

  If possible, raise 6-8 fryers to select ONE meatpen. This gives you a better chance of selecting a matching trio of fryers.

  A meatpen consists of a trio of matching fryers weighing 3-5 pounds. The meatpen is judged for (1) meat type, (2) condition, (3) uniformity, and (4) fur. See the ARBA Book of Standards - "Standards and Guidelines for Judging Meat Classes."

Tips
for
Beginners

1. If possible, keep kits (baby bunnies) with doe until show check-in.

2. If #1 above is not possible....keep litter together unless one gets under/over weight, ill, or start fighting.

3. Provide pelleted food at all times up to 3 weeks before the show.

4. Handle the fryers every day: trim tips of toenails, pet, "set-up," etc.

5. Lightly swab inside of ears with baby oil to prevent ear mites (3-4 weeks before show).

6. Provide a constant clean water supply.

7. Play a radio 24/7 to get rabbits used to noise.

8. Mark the left ear of each fryer with a permanent marker. Use letters, numbers, or symbols. This is so you can track each rabbit's progress.

9. How to clean that stained fur? Click here.

Three Weeks
Before Show

1. Handle and weigh rabbits daily. Judges can do their jobs easier when the pen of 3 sit still. And posing can be the determining factor when he/she is looking at two identical meatpens.

2. Monitor feed and weight gains for each rabbit on index cards. REMEMBER: Your goal if to get 3 rabbits weighing and looking alike by show day.

3. Feed a tablespoon of conditioning mix to each rabbit to enhance fur and condition. This is in addition to the regular pellet food. Want drop-dead, gorgeous fur? Email me.

4. Give rabbits a daily grooming by spraying hands lightly with water, stroke rabbit from head-to-tail to remove dead fur. Do one tail-to-head stroke for each 10 regular strokes.

5. TWO WEEKS BEFORE SHOW- Fryers should weigh 4 pounds. That way it's easier to work them up to 5 pounds in 2 weeks instead of holding them back for 2 weeks. Holding feed back to control weight means the rabbit will lose flesh condition, hurting your show chances.

Selecting
Commercial
Meat Type Fryers

Keep in mind how meatpens are judged:

  Meat Type.....................................40 points
  Condition of Flesh..........................30 points
  Uniformity of Body & Weight.......20 points
  Fur..................................................10 points

Let's discuss each one.

1. Type is the shape of the body. Study the handout, courtesy of Judge Mike D'Amico. Click here. Study and then examine as many fryers as possible till you understand what he means by "commercial type."

2. Condition is how the animals look and feel: firm, solid, and clean. Again all 3 should show the same condition. Skin should be tight over the body. Hopefully, the fryers have NEVER been picked up by the scruff of the neck.... that pulls the pelt away from the muscle, making for flabby-feeling shoulders.

3. Uniformity is how well you have matched all 3 fryers. They should look like carbon copies or tripletts. A judge advised me that matching TYPE is the most important consideration. It's nice to have them at the same weight, but not the top priority. Do try to get them within 2-3 ounces of each other.

NOTE: Do not have one outstanding rabbit and 2 mediocre-typed rabbits in your meatpen. That one "Superman" is really obvious to a judge and makes the others look bad. Instead go for 3 matching mediocre rabbits if that's all you can match. Save "Superman" to "kick butt" in the Single Fryer competition.

4. Fur is fur. It should be clean with no chewed or bare spots, and in "prime." That means it should show the natural texture (what you feel) and density (what you see) as described for your breed of rabbit.When in "prime," the fur will naturally fly back to its smooth natural position when stroked from tail to head.

FUR is often what determines Grand Champion from the Reserve Champion. It's the final determining factor when the judge is looking at 2 identically-typed meatpens.

Showmanship is the fun part of the livestock show. It is a competition to demonstrate to the judge what you know about rabbits. You must study (yes.....study) and here are some sites to help you:

  Island Gems Rabbitry

  Tranquil Acres Rabbitry

  Gallant Knight Rabbitry

  Quiz 1

  Quiz 2

  Quiz 3

  Rabbit Clinic

  Texas 4-H Rabbit Project  Excellent source of information and possible scoresheet

Texas Rabbit Connection  Connecting People With Rabbits

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