17 less mouths to feed!

[ek.blair]

WHEW!!! Well, we put off butchering the first of our meat buns long enough and finally got to it yesterday. I was tired of going through SO much food! There were 9 at 12wks and 8 at 11wks. The largest 12wk old was 5lbs 1 ounce live, and I forgot to weigh it after dressing it out :roll: , but on average, live weight of the 12 wk olds was 4lbs 12 ounces and dressed out to 2lbs 9 ounces. The 11 wk olds averaged 3lbs 14 ounces and they dressed out to 2lbs 3ounces... sounds better than the older ones to me. I am thinking that the next batch that we have I will grow out to 10 or 11 weeks and butcher no matter the weight as it seems that this line slows down after 11 weeks.

All of the internal organs looked healthy, no spots on livers. There did seem to be an awful lot of fat on them though... makes me wonder what the "normal" amount is. Maybe it wasn't abnormal, but the internal cavity had quite a bit and there was good size deposits on top of the shoulders, under the front legs. Does that seem normal? This is our first set so I wasn't sure, but they all consistently had the same amount so maybe it was ok. I don't think I am going to be feeding this next batch any BOSS though...

Any suggestions on the first meal to make with these rabbits? I know I want to do it low and slow so I will probably do some kind of stew with it. They are resting in the fridge for a few days...

 

[Zass]

I personally feel that fat is undesirable. I don't like paying to produce fat instead of meat. So the less fat at butcher size, the better. I also don't want to raise rabbits who are too fat to breed by the time they reach adult weight.

When butchering, it's often the smallest of my fryers that have the MOST fat. :shock: I can only guess it's because they are putting their energy towards fat storage instead of growth.
If you feed pellets, they probably don't need the boss. Mine don't seem to need high protein diets to make weight.

I only give the boss to lactating does if they seem like they could use a boost.


Barbecue bunny is usually a win.
Bunny noodle soup
Lapin au vin
If you have a grinder:
Bunny burgers
Rosemary and garlic breakfast sausage
rabbit tacos

 

[3mina]

They're too fat if you can't easily find the kidneys IMO
With my lines I have to start rationing by 12 weeks or they get too fat

 

[mystang89]

Any suggestions on the first meal to make with these rabbits?

My favorite is rabbit pie.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Most people raise them to about 5 pounds before butchering, so I don't think you procrastinated at all!

As for the smaller ones butchering out so well compared to the heavier bunch- maybe weigh the leftover bones after you eat them so you can calculate the meat to bone ratio. Very interesting, though- if they are superior younger, it sure would be nice to get them off the feed bill early!

Our favorite rabbit meal here is rabbit enchiladas. We have them every Monday night. I usually simmer the carcass in water until the meat can be pulled from the bone. That way I can reduce the broth and use it as the liquid for Spanish rice to go along with the meal.

Whatever you decide, I would suggest shredding the meat the first time or two, so it no longer looks like a rabbit carcass. Tacos, burritos, or "Sloppy Hoppys" are all great options for the shredded meat.

My favorite is rabbit pie.

Hmm. That may truly be our favorite- but it is a bit more labor intensive than the enchiladas, at least if you make your own crust. Delicious, though! :dinner:

 

[hucklekree]

Mama sheepdog those enchiladadas and rice sound like just what i need to make tonight

Ours had a lot of fat too more than we had seen before but we had also been feeding BOSS for a change. I dont know if we will continue or not. Guess that depends on the taste this time around versus without the seeds. <br /><br /> __________ Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:55 pm __________ <br /><br /> Oh and we had no problem finding the kidneys.

 

[ek.blair]

My favorite is rabbit pie.

I do have a GREAT chicken pot pie recipe... I may have to use it for this!

As for the smaller ones butchering out so well compared to the heavier bunch- maybe weigh the leftover bones after you eat them so you can calculate the meat to bone ratio.

DUH! Hadn't thought about that! I could weigh after eating, or I may have to practice my boning skills and see what the difference is...


Thanks for all the GREAT ideas! I'm getting excited to have it in the next couple days!

 

[MaggieJ]

The amount of fat you mention tells me that you were overfeeding them. When I fed pellets, the fryers often had too much fat. On natural feed (alfalfa hay, a bit of grain and greens) there was only a bit of fat around the kidneys.

Enjoy those first rabbit meals! :dinner: Rabbit meat opens up a whole new range of cooking delights. :chef:

 

[mystang89]

That sounds like a great idea MSD. I think next time I get some wraps I'll have to do that. Do you just shred the meat or grind it?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

That sounds like a great idea MSD. I think next time I get some wraps I'll have to do that. Do you just shred the meat or grind it?

We don't have a grinder- we just manually shred the meat.

 

[grumpy]

My favorite is fried rabbit, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and hot biscuits.

But.........for that dish, you need very young, very tender rabbits to begin with.
It's all a matter of personal preference at what age you choose to process
your fryers. Myself, I've never believed in allowing a rabbit to get past the
age that they become a degree tougher than they should be. But again,
that's just me. Nowhere, is it mandatory that a fryer must weigh 5 pounds
before it is supposed to be processed.

For a meal to remember, process 2 or 3 young rabbits that weigh no more
than 3.25 to 3.5 pounds at about 7 weeks old. Cook them the way
"Grandma" used to cook her Sunday fried-chicken. Add just a dash of salt
and pepper, allowing the flavor of the meat to be the first thing that is
tasted. It doesn't get much better than that. The meat is so tender, it will
literally fall off of the bone. If you haven't tried it at least once, you're
missing something very special.

Again, it's all a matter of personal preference.

grumpy.

 

[ek.blair]

My favorite is fried rabbit, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and hot biscuits.

But.........for that dish, you need very young, very tender rabbits to begin with.
It's all a matter of personal preference at what age you choose to process
your fryers. Myself, I've never believed in allowing a rabbit to get past the
age that they become a degree tougher than they should be. But again,
that's just me. Nowhere, is it mandatory that a fryer must weigh 5 pounds
before it is supposed to be processed.

For a meal to remember, process 2 or 3 young rabbits that weigh no more
than 3.25 to 3.5 pounds at about 7 weeks old. Cook them the way
"Grandma" used to cook her Sunday fried-chicken. Add just a dash of salt
and pepper, allowing the flavor of the meat to be the first thing that is
tasted. It doesn't get much better than that. The meat is so tender, it will
literally fall off of the bone. If you haven't tried it at least once, you're
missing something very special.

Again, it's all a matter of personal preference.

grumpy.

excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin... that does sound AMAZING grumpy! I may have to try that with the upcoming batch... then I won't have so many to do all at once either!

 

[Zass]

Oh, fried or oven baked nuggets are good too. (use your favorite breading or double coat)

My family especially loves the loin pieces from fryers cooked that way.

 

[dayna]

An easy quick meal around here is kickers and dumplings. I use the hindquarters and make a standard chicken and dumplings with them, pulling the meat off the bones about 3/4 way through cooking the dish.

 

[gardenbunny]

sloppy hoppy sounds awesome!!! my husband is famous for his sloppy joes yum I can't wait to eat rabbit again, I tell my herd it will be taco meat soon since we just got a grinder. the first time I stewed a rabbit I felt weird eating the spine now its my fav part the bone marrow is just so good!