Sooo about this heart healthy rabbit meat

[Gearmpr]

Hey everyone sorry I've been away, ALOT has been going on around here and I mean a LOT, everything from moving to a "new" house, picking up some new cattle, to trying to get my slaughterhouse built. Yes that's right, I said slaughter house! I was talking to a friend of mine at the health inspector office and come to find out, rabbit meat doesn't require usda or FDA inspections in Louisiana, only DHH! Sooo being that I already have a building to use (besides it needing obvious upgrades and a new layout) I've decided to become one of the very few people in Louisiana who can harvest rabbit meat for stores to provide to the public. And not only that but I'll be able to keep it small and unmechanized and as humane as possible unlike those places you see on documentaries like Sanderson farms an whatnot. Anyways, I hope it works out, pray for me to get the resources I need <br /><br /> __________ Fri Jul 17, 2015 5:40 pm __________ <br /><br /> Sorry I guess this was probably supposed to go under the meat rabbit section, idk how to move it tho :/

 

[HansenHomestead]

Well even though we haven't met. Welcome back! Sound like you've had a lot going on, and are making great steps towards what you want to do, congrats! We hope to be there some day soon as well.

 

[Gearmpr]

Thanks! Yea I already do beef and eggs an whatnot, but those prices constantly rise and fall and the animals are a real hassle sometimes. I'm hoping to do the majority of my farm work in rabbit. It's healthier and the value doesn't go fluctuate so much it's more consumer friendly I suppose, plus as you know, every little bit helps the farm

 

[rtower]

Hi Gearmpr. I'm fairly new on the forum and just beginning to get to know a few folks through following their postings. Good to meet you!

Sounds like you are highly ambitious. And not afraid of work!

My wife and I live on 40 acres in southwest Kansas and I just recently picked up a few Florida White rabbits to start raising for our own meat production. Chose them because they're compact, light boned, and don't require as much feed or cage space. No plans for commercial production like you, just trying to be "prepared", just in case!

What breed of rabbits do you plan to raise? And are folks in that part of Louisiana already accustomed to rabbit meat?

Best of luck! We'll be pulling for you!! :good-luck:

 

[Miss M]

Welcome back! Congratulations on all your new projects! :bouncy:

I was talking to a friend of mine at the health inspector office and come to find out, rabbit meat doesn't require usda or FDA inspections in Louisiana, only DHH!

What does the DHH require? Can you send me info or links? Because what I looked up led me to believe I had to go through the USDA.

What breed of rabbits do you plan to raise? And are folks in that part of Louisiana already accustomed to rabbit meat?

I keep having people wanting to buy from me, but I always figured I couldn't sell, and getting to where I could would be too much of a hassle.

 

[Gearmpr]

Yea that's how I started too, wanting them just for me. But then people come up to me wanting 10+ rabbits for their stores and stuff lol. An send me your email and I'll send it to you. Louisiana doesn't require usda but other states might be different. But DHH is basically just sanitation standards and building standards. Your local department of Ag should answer any specific questions you might have <br /><br /> __________ Sat Jul 18, 2015 10:22 pm __________ <br /><br /> They get pretty crazy with the specs, I have go redo my sewer system, make an addition, and replumb the whole building which is way more than I make haha so I had to come down to doin this https://m.gofund.me/zgp774 Lol. Kinda embarrassing

 

[Miss M]

An send me your email and I'll send it to you.

PM sent.

Louisiana doesn't require usda but other states might be different. But DHH is basically just sanitation standards and building standards. Your local department of Ag should answer any specific questions you might have

I'm in southern Louisiana, too, so that's why I'm so interested in what you've learned. Do you have any info on selling to individuals, rather than stores and restaurants?

They get pretty crazy with the specs, I have go redo my sewer system, make an addition, and replumb the whole building

Yikes... :x

Good luck with your GoFundMe! I can't help right now, but maybe I can soon.

 

[Gearmpr]

Well I mainly just do what I can to spread the word through people I know, flyers, that sort of thing. And I look at other businesses at how they price and I try to stick to that method of selling per pound. Once I get my slaughterhouse up I can sell more specific parts like just the saddle or just the quarters at so much per pound. But when I sell to people I'll sell the whole rabbit and I'll quarter it up and sell that by the pound. I'll keep the kidneys and ribs myself and put them in bags of water to freeze them to sell later as stock <br /><br /> __________ Sun Jul 19, 2015 12:08 pm __________ <br /><br />

Hi Gearmpr. I'm fairly new on the forum and just beginning to get to know a few folks through following their postings. Good to meet you!

Sounds like you are highly ambitious. And not afraid of work!

My wife and I live on 40 acres in southwest Kansas and I just recently picked up a few Florida White rabbits to start raising for our own meat production. Chose them because they're compact, light boned, and don't require as much feed or cage space. No plans for commercial production like you, just trying to be "prepared", just in case!

What breed of rabbits do you plan to raise? And are folks in that part of Louisiana already accustomed to rabbit meat?

Best of luck! We'll be pulling for you!! :good-luck:

Well right now I have a cali/NZ buck and a "NZ" doe. Unfortunately I think I'd been had when I got her lol I think she's really a Florida white, but other than the small size I really can't complain, she's a real good momma, every litter I have 8 and there's never a runt. Tho I'm looking to add a bit of Flemish/NZ to the gene pool to see if I can add a little more weight without a loss of yield. But I'm not sure yet. The doe I'm looking at has a real nice amount of meat on her frame from what I can feel. She's a year old tho :/ so I can't tell what shape she was in at 2-3 months old, but according to the breeder I'm getting her from she was about 6lbs, which doesn't seem like a lot of growth to me.