Giant Chinchillas are the only breed of rabbit in the US judged on meat quality first on the judging table.

These large animals are very productive, weaning large litters, and growing quickly to a higher weight than many meat rabbits, within 8 weeks.

A truly large size rabbit, they need large accommodations and  a resting board if raised on wire - a piece of sturdy plywood or thick plastic cutting board will do.

• Type - meat, some fur
• Size - large
• Production Capability - rapid producers of large fryers
• Special Features - judged based on productivity characteristics
• Best for Farms - good choice for farms with sufficient space for larger rabbits
• Egg, Milk, Meat Features - typical
• Other Products - some market for fur
• Historic or Contemporary Significance - the developer of this breed was the first individual to make a million dollars from the sale of breeding stock.
• Housing and Space Requirement - large rabbit, requires 24" high or higher cage interiors, and sturdy floors with a resting board if on wire.
• Regional Adaptations - adaptable
• Feed Requirement - typical, but do better with large percentage of fresh forage and fodder feeds.
• Other Considerations - This breed of rabbit may continue to slowly grow if fed a wide variety of fresh foods, and can become quite large. Expansion or reinforcement of hutches may be needed.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT RABBITS:

There are a gazillion rabbit breeds. We don't have all the good meat rabbits listed here (if we missed a particularly good one, let us know, it does not have to be endangered).

Rabbits produce a lot of young, so they are subject to fairly lax endangerment standards. They are not considered endangered until there are very VERY few left - the numbers are much lower than for many other species.

This means that some breeds NOT considered endangered may still be very difficult to obtain. It also means that by the time they ARE endangered, they may be IMPOSSIBLE to obtain. But many are still available unregistered, even when considered endangered. It is confusing.

If it is practically impossible to obtain the animals, we have not listed them. If they have genetic problems, are difficult to breed to a fussy standard that is irrelevant to utility, we have also not included them as a rule.