People's reactions : Meat Rabbits

HideAndSeek · Post Number:#1 by **HideAndSeek** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:08 pm

Have you had people react negatively to you raising meat rabbits, the idea of rabbit meat, you butchering/slaughtering them, how your kids are involved, etc. Basically share your stories of negativity you've received. People who raise cavy/cuy/guinea pig, I want to hear from you too. Please reply with your story below.

MaggieJ · Post Number:#2 by **MaggieJ** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:20 pm

Why concentrate on the negative?

The worst I've even encountered was a slight grimace of discomfort, or a question about why we raise rabbits, quickly followed by "or don't I want to know?"

Most people around here, even those who would never consider doing it themselves, seem to have a "live and let live" attitude toward things like this.

Marinea · Post Number:#3 by **Marinea** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:43 pm

Are you finding people take issue with your raising rabbits? Maybe we can offer advice if you describe what you're facing.

Otherwise, I can't think of a rational reason for looking for a downside. Some people raise rabbits (humanely) for meat, usually providing much better conditions than are provided for in grocery store beef, pork or chicken. If you don't want to raise rabbits for meat, don't.

Preitler · Post Number:#4 by **Preitler** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:08 pm

The worst I encountered was something like "I couldn't do that!", but that's all. Here, meat rabbits are more common than pet rabbits.
Sold 4 rabbits to an animal trainer, after he asked if I slaughter rabbits ("Well, of course,") he was somewhat quiet, but since he saw how my rabbits live, not a bad word.
Next time I get into town I'll visit that ARA tent and play stupid, I'm just curious how they react. But normally I don't rub that in, most times it's quite obvious who doesn't really want to hear about meat rabbits. There is so much to talk about rabbits, it's easy to avoid this topic. But if someone asks, I state the truth as something completly normal, which it is.

caroline · Post Number:#5 by **caroline** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:22 pm

I agree, most just say, "I could never..." I often asked, oh, are you vegetarian?" Most are not, so I just say something like, I like knowing where my food comes from and how it is cared for. Most people seem to get that. Often those more distant from the farming life have not really thought of the implications of their squeamishness.

HideAndSeek · Post Number:#6 by **HideAndSeek** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:52 pm

I've heard a lot worse from others, as well as the SIX people :shock:

who don't come over to my house anymore. One woman told me I was going to hell, another said I was a psycho.

Don't even get me started with the cavy... Someone tried to "liberate" them once, and somebody egged my car because of it. I know because the night after I introduced a neighbor to my microfarm, my car was covered in eggs, which ironically enough came from their chickens! I've been fired over it once. They called it a morals issue. It was me or another employee who were on the chopping block and they picked me to go because of "morals" and I was specifically informed it was because of my livestock choice.

And I live in a fairly rural area.... I'm open about what I raise because for every 10 negative things there is that one guy who wants to try cavy... so I recruit new people and have been successful (3 people who tried cavy, 1 of whom would eat it again, and 6 people who've tried rabbit, 4 of whom would eat it again) My livestock is a big part of my life, especially because I spend a LOT of money on things that make their lives better. And a lot of effort goes into it.

ButtonsPalace · Post Number:#7 by **ButtonsPalace** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:54 pm

Um.. I'm glad the worst you guys have got is "I could never..." I am on a rabbit forum on facebook (Not a rescue site a sale site actually, Lots of breeders/sellers) Apparently nobody raised for meat. So when I posted I was looking for buck rabbits to raise for meat breeding stock, that he wouldn't be ate and would live a happy life, and be fed the recommended amount of pellets along with timothy hay daily. I try to bring banana's and apples when we have them and at least 3 times a week they get scraps. I got comments like "YOU BREED FOR MEAT?!" "Someone should call the cops on you for abusing rabbits! How cruel!!" "I bet they are all depressed and miserable in a gross garage", "I bet it's disgusting" etc. I mean I got some really hateful comments and messages. I had to delete the post and un-follow the group as well as block some people due to harassment. My mom even said I was disgusting... People can be really mean. I've learned to check posts before saying I'm looking for breeding stock and I'm making sure not to mention I breed meat rabbits.

MaggieJ · Post Number:#8 by **MaggieJ** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 4:17 pm

HideAndSeek wrote: I've heard a lot worse from others, as well as the SIX people who don't come over to my house anymore. One woman told me I was going to hell, another said I was a psycho.

Maybe you need to choose your "friends" more carefully.

HideAndSeek wrote: Don't even get me started with the cavy... Someone tried to "liberate" them once, and somebody egged my car because of it. I know because the night after I introduced a neighbor to my microfarm, my car was covered in eggs, which ironically enough came from their chickens!

Vandalism is a crime and should be reported to the police.

HideAndSeek wrote: I've been fired over it once. They called it a morals issue. It was me or another employee who were on the chopping block and they picked me to go because of "morals" and I was specifically informed it was because of my livestock choice.

I don't think that is legal. I don't know where you live (please add your state to your profile!) but what you do in your spare time, unless illegal, is irrelevant to the workplace.

HideAndSeek wrote: And I live in a fairly rural area.... I'm open about what I raise because for every 10 negative things there is that one guy who wants to try cavy... so I recruit new people and have been successful (3 people who tried cavy, 1 of whom would eat it again, and 6 people who've tried rabbit, 4 of whom would eat it again) My livestock is a big part of my life, especially because I spend a LOT of money on things that make their lives better. And a lot of effort goes into it.

Perhaps you have been a little too open. Sure you may encourage the occasional person to try something new, but if it is causing you grief, then you might want to rethink this. I've never hidden what I do, but I don't discuss it with everyone either . . . Casual one-time visitors or chance-met people have no need to know everything about me. I am retired, but if I were in the workplace still, I would use a little discretion about what I shared with co-workers.

__________ Sat Sep 03, 2016 5:17 pm __________

ButtonsPalace wrote:Um.. I'm glad the worst you guys have got is "I could never..." I am on a rabbit forum on facebook (Not a rescue site a sale site actually, Lots of breeders/sellers) Apparently nobody raised for meat. So when I posted I was looking for buck rabbits to raise for meat breeding stock . . . I got comments like "YOU BREED FOR MEAT?!" "Someone should call the cops on you for abusing rabbits! How cruel!!" "I bet they are all depressed and miserable in a gross garage", "I bet it's disgusting" etc. I mean I got some really hateful comments and messages. I had to delete the post and un-follow the group as well as block some people due to harassment. My mom even said I was disgusting... People can be really mean. I've learned to check posts before saying I'm looking for breeding stock and I'm making sure not to mention I breed meat rabbits.

Nothing -- NOTHING! -- that happens on Facebook would surprise me. I refuse to have anything to do with it.

ButtonsPalace · Post Number:#9 by **ButtonsPalace** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 4:43 pm

I wasn't surprised honestly. I was like well then, but then it went like crazy and I was decided it was time to bail lol

Rainey · Post Number:**#10** by **Rainey** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:01 pm

Sure, we've had a few people say "oh, I just couldn't do that" but what has surprised me is how many people have been really interested, even wanting to watch or help with slaughter and butchering. This summer we had 2 Japanese students who came through wwoof and each stayed for 6 weeks. One didn't really want to do anything with the rabbits, but she never criticized us for raising them for meat--and she ate the rabbit meals. The other was very interested and wanted to watch and then help with the processing.

shazza · Post Number:**#11** by **shazza** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:56 pm

it's about half and half for us. we choose our friends wisely and they are all supportive and understanding of our desires to raise our own happy meat, even if they don't really want to think about it too much, which is understandable. they get to play with cute bunnies and then i'll cook gumbo for dinner and they'll rave about how awesome it tastes, haha.

i stay at home all day so i don't really deal with people too much, but my poor husband hears a lot, haha. he likes to talk about what we do and it's about 50% 'wow that's really interesting and noble!' and 50% 'oh my god how could you do that to a sweet cute little innocent animal.' eyeroll. he does his best to educate and sometimes they are understanding but sometimes they just walk off with the opinion that we are cruel and evil or something, haha. so far none of these people have been people who really know us personally - just like clients from his job or people he's gone on business trips with. people we know in person are usually of the 'i could never do that but good on you i guess' crew. i guess we're lucky. rabbits are a fairly common farm animal here and i live just on the edge of rural country, so it's not uncommon for people to raise their own meat. some people just find it weird that i chose something cute and fluffy.

one of my neighbours came up to me one day and said 'so i heard you're raising rabbits now. like to eat them.' to which i replied yes. then she says 'that's kinda weird.' not any more weird than having chickens but okay, lol. if you think me breeding rabbits is weird, don't look at what's in the buckets in my yard.......i do taxidermy...mostly skull and skeleton cleaning. it ain't rainwater in there folks ;P

bigfoot_158 · Post Number:**#12** by **bigfoot_158** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 5:11 am

I have a neighbor that brought us over some hamburger from a cow that they raised. I thanked her and asked if she liked rabbit meat. She said yes. So I told her that I was getting rabbits to breed and eat and asked her if she would like some of the meat. She told me no and then told me she thought of these rabbits as pets but so did my wife till she ate one lol.

FourRingCircus · Post Number:**#13** by **FourRingCircus** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:06 am

It was a mental hurdle for DH, but now he's more chit chatty about it than I am :lol:

. I tend to keep that information to myself unless specifically asked, but the kids are very vocal about it. Makes for some interesting, and sometimes awkward conversations out in public. People are crazy nowadays and I would hate to volunteer that information to the wrong person

Dood · Post Number:**#14** by **Dood** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:08 am

My only negative experiences have been on-line but that should be no surprise

I've had a few people reply to my classifieds meat ads that I'm a horrible persons or going to hell or blah blah blah and just delete or report to the ad company as that harassment is not acceptable and they ban the person.

I have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy as I'm in a pretty urban area

If people ask what I do I tell them I have a farm, if they ask more I tell them I raise animals for meat and most stop there as they dont really want to think about where their food comes from but some are very interesting in homesteading and interested in learning more or supporting my farm and want to know my pricing

Truckinguy · Post Number:**#15** by **Truckinguy** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:30 am

My family and friends are very supportive of what I do and quite a few buy eggs, rabbits and turkeys from me. I'm very active on Facebook and pretty open about what I do and most people are interested in what goes on here. No rabid animal activists so far... knock on wood! I keep the more graphic pictures such as butchering for my blog, not that it is very active lately but I have young nieces and nephews on Facebook and they don't need to see that.

However, I have had people I know have horrible experiences with people to the point they shut down their operation and stopped selling rabbits publicly. I don't mind if someone disagrees with what I do and I respect a mature, reasonable response or even a strong disagreement and debate but the extremes that some people go to is unacceptable.

People's reactions : Meat Rabbits

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