Butchering - things learned

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ladysown

ladysown

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Thinking a thread like this might be good.

1. butchering three rabbits while sick, perhaps NOT a good idea.

2. sometimes when it looks like a buck originally had two testicles, but now only has one...means that somehow he lost one somewhere.... (not quite sure where). but definitely went from two to one in two weeks. Go figure.

3. you can learn that you ARE feeding the growers too much when they have tons of fat around their kidneys. Hmmm...now to figure out just how much too feed them. anyone know how much is good for harle growers?

4. BIG difference in skinning a four month old and a 5.5 month old. Wow...won't let them go that long again if i can prevent it. :) (at least not do them when I'm not feeling the best). :)

5. I broomstick. I've always faced the rabbit away from me before i do the deed. Read about a person who faced the bunny toward them and thought I'd give that a shot. I can see how it would work well for some, but I'm find that I get a better pull doing it the way that I do now, I get more separation in the neck. So that was good to learn as well.
 
I've learned that, even though I've butchered dozens of rabbits, I can still get a little bit nervous on butcher day.

I've learned that it gives me a great deal of satisfaction seeing all those packages of meat in the freezer and knowing that I grew and prepared it myself.

I've learned that there are very few people other than those on this board and HT that I can talk with about butchering.

Still learning....
 
I've learned that there are very few people other than those on this board and HT that I can talk with about butchering.
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Ya think!?! :lol: Not and be invited back for dinner. :mrgreen:

It's funny, DH used to hunt ducks when he was young, and he will bring down a goose now and then, but he will not butcher rabbits. That's my job. He's more than happy to eat them. . . :roll:

Some of those older rabbits can be hard to skin - I learned that with the mink. The young ones were easy, the older ones were tough, or, as one breeder liked to say, "gnarly". :D
 
can you tell why I prefer my method of broomsticking?

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ladysown":3iebr7ub said:
3. you can learn that you ARE feeding the growers too much when they have tons of fat around their kidneys. Hmmm...now to figure out just how much too feed them. anyone know how much is good for harle growers?
Click to expand...

One of the reasons I do NOT free feed my buns. Are Harles much smaller than a NZ? I feed mine 1 cup 18% feed per grower. Right now I have 10 in the grow out pen. I dump 10 cups of feed into the jfeeder in the evening. It's gone by the next afternoon. It's plenty of feed. They are "starving" again in the evening. They would eat more if I free-fed, but they don't need it as they will get fat, and it's just wasting feed and money, IMHO. I typically have them at 5 lbs at 8-10 weeks of age. If Harles are slightly smaller than NZ, you could probably do 3/4 cup per bun.
 
A little fat around the kidneys is okay, even desirable, but I hate to see too much... To me it indicates wasted food and therefore wasted money. On hay, greens and grain I see less fat than when I was feeding pellets. The fryers always have alfalfa hay to eat and are given ample amounts of green feed as well. I think it helps to keep them from pigging out on the more fattening grain.
 
Hey LadyS'

Have you got any suggestions on butchering 13 rabbits..... Outside...... with 6 inches of snow, 10F. and a 20 mile an hour wind :eek:

I think they are going to be stewers :)

I "free feed" mine, but it is mainly because I haven't the time to monitor their intake properly to make sure they are getting enough, also, I am afraid the less dominant ones might not get an adequate share. I will have to work on that this summer, and see if I can't gome up with an adequate amount that I can measure. When one has 7 litters growing at a time, one sure can go through the feed... I will be glad when I get my crossing done and am able to cut back to a reasonable amount of breeders
 
Do three -four at a time. heads, feet, skin removed outside, empty bladder. Do the rest in the house. Doing that doesn't take long.

as to the submissive ones being pushed back...not sure how much time you have to watch your kits. If I've too many for one cage I divide them up ... buck/doe OR dominant/submissive. Pushy ones all go in together. I'll put ONE pushy one in with the submissive ones just so they (submissive ones) remember their place and don't start getting all pushy with each other.
 

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