I raised show rabbits when I was a kid, some fifty years ago. I was successful at it too, winning Grand Champion at both the County Fair and the State Fair in my second year. I still have my own ideas about brooding pens, buck pens, nest boxes, and meat pens. Lots of room, with wooden floors to walk on and chicken wire in the back where they defecate, so it drops through.
I raised Silver Martens and White New Zealands. I would sell my non-show-worthy New Zealands to a local slaughterhouse to pay for rabbit pellets and hay.
Most of my secret to success, other than the hutches, was in the diet. Rabbits need a supply of pellets at all times, plenty of fresh water, and a handful of leafy alfalfa hay every day. Fourth cutting works great.
somebody above mentioned Californians. Back then the large breeds like Californians and Checkered Giants were considered to lanky and bony to be good meat rabbits. More compact and plump breeds like my New Zealands were preferred, plus I got an extra dollar from the slaughterhouse because the white skins were saleable.
I did this in the early sixties, and I got $3 each for meat rabbits, plus the above mentioned dollar for the white ones. Hay was about $1.50 a bale and I think pellets were about $3/fifty pounds.
