Mike Piazza wrote:As far as breeds Californians do well for us and New Zealand whites as well. I personally raise mini Rex rabbits because I just love them but they’re not exactly a meat breed size wise, they max out at around 6lb.
Texas A&M has done some good work with their tamuk line from what I hear but i don’t have a ton of experience with them.
I have raised Tamuk since Dec 2020. They are definitely more heat tolerant than the New Zealand that I had for a while. They are bred to have thinner fur, large upright ears with thin fur covering and a semi-arch or mandolin body shape. I don't notice them getting stressed until over 100 degrees and some have lines that do even better. I am in west Texas and had to drive 5-6 hours to get my stock so I do not personally employ a Darwinian management style and I do use a fan when it hits 100 and above (107 last week) and once in a while some large ice cubes like when I have a doe about to kindle and the temp popped up suddenly.
Other characteristics are good mothering ability and nice temperaments. There are two distinct kinds - a white Tamuk NZ developed first for more commercial use and a composite Tamuk developed for families that has many different colors. I will add a map that I have added to over the last year that shows a number of Tamuk breeders (the red pins). The main downside is that they are less meaty than a comparable NZ or Californian. I think they could be kept where you are though you would need to get
enough stock, and be certain it was full Tamuk stock, and be prepared to potentially lose the ones that were less heat tolerant. I would expect the difficulty to be over 110 degree with adequate shade and ventilation of
course.
Many of the contact info is FB because that is where it was compiled. I'd be happy to pass on messages if necessary.
The Rabbitry Map
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