ALL THE GREAT REASONS to raise rabbits for meat.

[Zass]

For those of us who have been doing it for years, the benefits often seem obvious and are maybe taken for granted.
I know at this point in my life I couldn't imagine NOT having a few meat rabbits around!

For someone just thinking about getting into it, or someone questioning WHY we would want to do such a thing it might not be so easy to understand.

So, I thought that a list of ALL THE GREAT REASONS we have to raise our own meat rabbits might be really helpful.


My own #1 reason is the absence of bacterial contamination.

(edited for typos, and re-wording, etc.)

 

[Wheels]

I find a great satisfaction in being able to produce a food source from start to finish year round. Each litter teaches me something new and I find even the hard parts have positives - a crisis to fix, puzzle to solve or a personal issue to work through.

 

[Marinea]

I find it very satisfying to know what my meat has been fed during its life, that it hasn't been pumped full of antibiotics or hormones, and that it lived a good life before being humanely dispatched.

 

[GBov]

I love the warm fuzzy babies and the manure for the garden and the beautiful hides and all the lovely ways to cook rabbit meat.

In fact, so far I havnt found a down side to rabbits! :shock:

 

[WildWolf]

I'd much rather eat rabbits that I know with 100% certainty have been raised healthy, happy, and naturally than the meat from the grocery store- it's nicely packaged and people don't realize that it's almost always inhumanely raised (or at the very least, not as happy and healthy as my rabbits are!) and full of antibiotics and who knows what else (especially when labels like "all natural" can be so deceiving). Plus, it's less expensive for me to raise rabbits than it is to buy meat.

On top of that, they're cute! they're cuddly! they're fun to watch! they produce awesome furs!

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

The reason why I raise rabbits ... I spin the fibre,,, I use the meat, knowing what they are feed and cheaper than the store,, and manure for my garden which I love ....I like the looks of rabbit and they produce better than any other animal .. they are quite. and cute of course. and get to see lots of babies,, Nothing goes to waste.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I find it very satisfying to know what my meat has been fed during its life, that it hasn't been pumped full of antibiotics or hormones, and that it lived a good life before being humanely dispatched.

Mostly this and if I am raising rabbits instead of eating store bought chicken, then I am not perpetuating the factory production of frankenchickens raised in less than conscionable conditions.

and

2) I need a high protein diet and rabbit is tasty and lean.

 

[Miss M]

1. They're fun.

2. They are perfect for small-space meat farming.

3. The meat is packed with proteins that are more easily digested than some meats.

4. I know my meat and the conditions it's been raised in.

5. Rabbit meat tastes great, and is very versatile.

6. It's a great step toward food independence.

7. Rabbit meat that I raise is much less expensive than almost every kind of meat at the grocery store.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I like the idea of having a clean meat source that does not compete with humans for feed, and can be raised on weeds I would compost any way., -- and a rabbit can turn a weed into a weed seed free fertilizer that is ready to go back into the garden overnight, with great meat as a by-product.

 

[grumpy]

The production of usable meat in proportion to the size of the doe is
astronomical. With such a small foot-print on the ecosystem, they produce
far more pound for pound than any other species.

I find the genetics fascinating insofar as producing superior animals with
specific positive attributes. High kit per litter rate with a good survival
percentage. Milking abilities giving the litter a good start on their way
to market. Mothering instincts. Good to excellent conception rates. Positive
temperament showing little to no aggression.

I like the idea of providing an excellent food source for those that are unable
to eat other kinds of meat.

They are a relatively hardy animal and given the proper conditions will
perform well for their keeper. However, they provide enough of a challenge
to cause a person to "think" about what they are doing.

Excellent "therapy" that takes one's mind away from other troubling issues.

grumpy.

 

[6riversfarms]

Great thread!

Well the first reason for me was meat of course. Clean, steady meat.

Once I got to know my rabbits and realized how prolific they can be it didnt take long for the stockman in me to fall in love with the actual selection and breeding of rabbits to produce desirable traits. With rabbits I can see the results of my breeding decisions in a matter of months, where as with cattle it takes years.

They are just really awesome little creatures and with the joy and satisfaction I get from working with them, I really can't imagine not having rabbits. It would leave quite a void in my daily life.

 

[michaels4gardens]

The production of usable meat in proportion to the size of the doe is
astronomical. With such a small foot-print on the ecosystem, they produce
far more pound for pound than any other species.

grumpy.

The only animal I have raised that produces far more meat then rabbits in a smaller space is Apple Snails [ pomacea canaliculata]
but I will have to say, I sure like eating rabbit a lot more then snails.

 

[dangerbunny]

Because they are yummy.

But honestly I like being able to raise a healthy source of meat, our rabbits have healthy and happy lives before they are humanely killed for our table. I think as a conscious meat eater it is important. I also just enjoy rabbits and improving the breeds I am working with, they are great for the impatient farmer!

 

[michaels4gardens]

I find it very satisfying to know what my meat has been fed during its life, that it hasn't been pumped full of antibiotics or hormones, and that it lived a good life before being humanely dispatched.

Mostly this and if I am raising rabbits instead of eating store bought chicken, then I am not perpetuating the factory production of frankenchickens raised in less than conscionable conditions.

and

2) I need a high protein diet and rabbit is tasty and lean.

a quote from a link provided by MaggieJ [in the Garlic for coccidiosis thread]
in relationship to Factory farm meat and feed additives---
-------------------------------------------
Some conventional livestock farmers add subclinical
levels of antibiotics to the animal feed of millions of food
animals as growth promoters [14]. Some of these antibiotics
are not absorbed and are excreted in manure which
is then applied as a fertilizer to food crops. As much as
387 g of chlortetracycline and 202 g of tylosin per hectare
is estimated to be added to the soil with the application
of pig manure. Greenhouse studies conducted on corn
(Zea mays L.), green onion (Allium cepa L.), and cabbage
(Brassica oleracea L. Capitata group) showed that all
three crops absorbed chlortetracycline from pig manure

 

[Miss M]

The only animal I have raised that produces far more meat then rabbits in a smaller space is Apple Snails [ pomacea canaliculata] but I will have to say, I sure like eating rabbit a lot more then snails.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Zass]

I like that a seemingly painless and very near instantaneous dispatch can be achieved.

I love being able to give them a very good life, knowing they are clean, well cared for, have the best feed and water I can provide, and are always handled humanely.
I like knowing all those things for a fact because I DID IT MYSELF instead of relying on someone else's promises, or even worse, words written on a package.
I like being able to improve things for them without worrying about profit margins or price/lb.

I like being around rabbits. :lilbunny:

 

[Brus]

I am just getting into rabbits myself, i have my first buck and doe, just waiting for them to grow up to breeding age/size

why would i start raising rabbits for meat, well that is a bit of a story.

for years i have been an avid gardener, and i was on a continuing hunt for efficiency, that led me from "common gardening" (dirt, water, plants), into "Hydroponics" (water gardening), from there i switched to "Aeroponics" (high efficiency water gardening), i had much success but just growing vegetables did not give me the satisfaction i initially thought, also the idea of using any chemical fertilizer, even fertilizers toted as "Organic" bothered me, as what is the difference between someone else growing my food with chemicals, and me doing the same?

so i switched to "Aquapoinics", the differences is using fish and their effluence as a source of fertilizer, but due to the lighting situation and the temperatures here in Calgary, i was far too expensive to raise Talapia and grow vegetables in my basement, i met with failure after failure, all the while paying more for utilities then i ever have in my life.

Rabbits are without any doubt in my mind, the most cost effective, and efficient use of space and resources i have ever come across, the benefits of raising rabbits outweigh Talapia by orders of magnitude, they love the weeds from my lawn and garden, they are very relaxing to watch, and fun to interact with, even their droppings are valuable.

Not to mention that fish tend to be very stoic as individuals, rabbits are electric in their personality and energy, and they wont cost me anything in heating to has them in my basement all winter, switching to rabbits have in fact injected money back into my household budget, i also gain the benefit of a regular source of safe, and healthy protein.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Being a lifelong animal lover, I have always had more "pets" than was logical from an economic standpoint. Rabbits, on the other hand, are a whole new ballgame, because we eat them!

Never before have I enjoyed the freedom to bring home yet another critter without at least some raised eyebrows- but now, all that has changed! Yes indeedy! No more censure from the masses for me! :mrgreen:

And you can bet I take full advantage of the situation, too!

Bunnies, bunnies, and MORE bunnies! Mwa-ha-ha! :twisted:

*Ahem!*

Bunny hoarding aside, they just have so many fine attributes. They are clean, quiet, lovely to look at and pet, have adorable babies with great regularity, endearing nesting behavior (the "haystache" always brings a smile to my face!), and they produce copious amounts of organic time-release fertilizer in a convenient round package that looks lovely as mulch in the garden.

And, of course, they are very tasty, too. :dinner: Rabbit meat itself is pretty amazing when compared to other meats. It has the highest protein- 22%, I believe- and the lowest cholesterol, fat, and calories of any meat... and unlike large livestock, they are uniquely suited to a TEOTWAKI situation in that they are small enough to feed a few people a couple of meals so don't require refrigeration or other storage methods.

Knowing that my rabbits had a good life free from harassment from predators, in clean surroundings with plenty of healthy food and fresh water, and, yes, even entertaining toys- that they have been handled gently and with respect throughout their entire lives, however long or short that might be- gives me a sense of quiet satisfaction.

They are also among the easiest of animals to process and one person can easily do the job in just a few minutes with a little practice. Unlike chickens, they don't smell terribly offensive when butchered, and there are no feathers to deal with. I can't imagine trying to process a pig or steer on my own, but rabbits are almost laughably simple and quick.

Rabbits are, hands down, my absolute favorite livestock animal. I can't imagine life without them. Thankfully, no matter your circumstance, rabbits can be raised just about anywhere.

 

[Sagebrush]

MSD that is my sentiment exactly! Except that I have asthma which is set off by mold and bird dander. So I cannot do critters like cows and goats, I also cannot do chickens even though my dad wishes that I would.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have asthma which is set off by mold and bird dander. So I cannot do critters like cows and goats, I also cannot do chickens even though my dad wishes that I would.

Whoa! :shock: Every cloud really does have a silver lining! Who knew that asthma had benefits... :?