Much longer rigor mortis with old buck?!

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ramblingrabbit

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We culled a 3 1/2 year old NZ white breeder, Mr. Pinky, last week. His clean, well-rinsed, carcass was transferred promptly to a refrigerator, placed in a glass bowl with a lid and a clean rag in the bottom to absorb liquids. This was last Thursday, so it's now exactly one week later, and when I went to pull him out of the bowl to crock-pot him, to my surprise he was still almost stiff as a board--like I've seen with fryers just 24 hours after slaughter.

Is it typical for older rabbits to take so long to go through rigor? I don't want him to spoil before we can cook him, but at the same time the degree of stiffness seems to suggest he's still quite fresh at this point...? Or will he never really soften up again? I want him to cook up tender of course. He was much loved, and it's really important to us that he be prepared in a way that suitably honors his memory.

I've cooked a few old roosters and other fowl before (so I'm familiar with the moist, low heat principles of mature meat and all), but we've never processed an older rabbit, so this specific case is uncharted territory for us.

Any thoughts or advice...? Thank you...
 
I find that inexpensive meat tenderizer works pretty well with rabbit. Old bucks are like old roos, but the meat should at least relax before it spoils. Just keep the carcass free of blood, since that spoils before flesh.
 
Try warming it up a bit... as in, close to room temp. Even my fryers were staying stiff for a LONG time, come to find out part of it was how cold my fridge is. :roll: . (Someone on here mentioned the possibility) Once they warmed up a little they loosened up considerably.
 
Larger rabbits do take longer to go through rigor for some reason.

I would take him out and rinse in cool water- oftentimes when they warm up just a bit they loosen up.
 
oh, yes--so for an update. pulled him back out of the fridge a few days after (10th day after slaughter), and rigor was gone. He cooked up nicely in the slowcooker on low. RIP Mr. Pinky! and thanks all for the advice.
 
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