Champagne d'Argent Breed Update: 6 Weeks + Weigh-In

Following along on a previous article about the Champagne d’Argent breed and why I brought this breed into my rabbitry, here’s a check-in on how it’s going with my first litter of champagne d’argent meat rabbits.

Jump to:

• A Thriving First Litter
• Weaning Champagne d’Argent kits
• Champagne D’Argent Kit Weights at 6 Weeks Old
• How Did My Champagne Doe Do with Her (Our) First Litter?
• Breeding Back My Champagne Doe
• What I Think of Champagne d’Argent Meat Rabbits So Far

A Thriving First Litter

The kits have just turned six weeks old. From birth, there have been no issues with any of them. They’ve all grown and thrived from day one and steadily put on weight.

The litter was only a litter of four, which was not a surprise or a concern since it was a breeding that occurred at the end of a hot summer, and the doe and buck were both first-time breeders. Smaller litter sizes are not uncommon or really unexpected, not for any rabbit breeds.

Weaning Champagne d’Argent kits

Weaning was seamless and simple. At six weeks, I removed all four kits from the doe’s cage and put them together into what I call a transition cage.

They will be separated at least by sex in a couple of weeks. They’ll go into cages where they will stay until harvest time.

All are eating and drinking well without issue.

Champagne D’Argent Kit Weights at 6 Weeks Old

Growth rates and weight were what I have been eager to track. With meat rabbits, that is the proof in the pudding.

I did take some weights on this litter at four weeks old. At four weeks, the champagne d’argent kits weighed:

• 1 lb 10 oz
• 1 lb 10 oz
• 1 lb 10 oz
• 1 lb 9 oz

I repeated this weigh-in at weaning, which for this litter was at six weeks. (I could have weaned this litter at five weeks and often do, but my cages were full, and they were fine staying in the cage with their dam.)

Six week weights were:

• 3 lbs 1 oz.
• 3 lbs 1 oz.
• 3 lbs 1 oz.
• 2 lbs 13 oz.

From here on out I will continue to take weights at two week intervals, which will give me a solid growth curve on these rabbits. The end goal for most growers is five pounds by 10 to 12 weeks, which they are well on track to achieve.

We prefer to harvest larger rabbits for the work that goes into it. That is to say, we are likely to grow these out longer than 10 weeks, usually growing out to 16 weeks before we slaughter. But I will also want this information to pass on to potential buyers who might be targeting that more common harvest age and weight.

I am targeting a weight of at least seven to eight pounds by 16 weeks, which is our preferred age and size for harvesting. If they reach that sooner, I will consider an earlier age of harvest, which would make them an even more economical breed to keep.

You can find my weight tracking chart (free download) here.

How Did My Champagne Doe Do with Her (Our) First Litter?

The doe performed perfectly from breeding, through nest building, kindling, feeding, and up to weaning when the kits were removed.

The kits were always fed, and she never appeared nervous. There were no issues with her trying to hide or “protect” them from anything she perceived as a threat. No behaviors like urinating on them or anything of that nature.

There’s not a lot to report here other than that (which is actually what we want -- no news is good news here!). The doe had great mothering instincts, which bodes really well for this first-time mother!

Breeding Back My Champagne Doe

The only snag so far is that I attempted to breed this doe back on the day I removed the kits and for a day after that, but she had no interest in lifting for the buck.

On physical inspection, she doesn’t seem ready right now, so I will come back to this in a few days. I suspect this is just a matter of poor timing.

**Update to add -- Peony has since bred back with three solid fall offs (after exposures over a few days). The second champagne doe, Rose, is also now bred. I do think this is a youth and inexperience factor and I expect we're pretty much sorted out now.

What I Think of Champagne d’Argent Meat Rabbits So Far

To be honest, I’m a little (very little) frustrated with the challenges of getting the two Champagne does to breed and/or breed back. There could be a lot of factors here. I think, for the time being, they boil down to the youth and inexperience of the does.

I also think that in rebreeding Peony (the mother of the litter that is the subject of this update), I happened to find her in those few days when a rabbit won’t breed. The reason I think this is the case is that in checking her genitalia, the color is a pale, light pink, not the nice dark pink or purple that is a more sure sign of readiness to breed. She just isn’t lifting for the buck.

And so, I will continue to check her status and expose her again in a few days when she appears more physically ready. I won’t write off the doe or the breed over this right now. The issues amount to no more than they do with other does, including well-proven does that just every now and then throw you a curveball.

All in all, I’m still enjoying this breed a lot. The growth rate of this litter is very promising. The rabbits are calm and easy to handle and manage. They’re still a thumbs up from me.