Disappointed in myself, need some encouragement/insight!

[STRrabbits]

I apologize that this woe is me bit is my first post here, though I have been lurking a while!

I dispatched and processed a doe today that was highly aggressive, I know it wasn't her fault but she was not the kind of rabbit temperamentally I wanted to breed and I needed the cage space. This was the first time I've done it and it didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. First off, I definitely need sharper knives! I had just bought a nice set a few months about but I had a very hard time slicing like I needed to. I had to stop half way through and try not to vomit (didn't help that I hasn't eaten that morning) - I guess just the "warm" sensation got to me the most. I contemplated stopping and just throwing the whole thing in the freezer and having my husband bury her later. I kept going though. Eventually I got her cut into three pieces (front half, split back halves) and I just felt like I had taken too much time getting her finished and was just done handling her so I tossed the back ends to my dogs and put the front end in the freezer for the dogs another day.

I feel like I messed up the technique and wasted the doe and maybe I'm not cut out for this. I feel a little better now than a few hours ago but I'm still disappointed in myself. Anybody felt something similar? It wasn't hard physically or emotionally for me, but mentally I had a tough time dealing.

 

[Zass]

First off, I would like to say, a pet food rabbit isn't wasted! It's a super high quality and nutritious part of a dogs diet.

 

[Random Rabbit]

I'm not going to say that "it gets easier with time".... for some of us ( raises hand)...it does not !

You Did complete what You started to do. Congratulations. You have also figured out a few things to help when You might need to do this again. That is progress.
Yes ... the "warm" sensation is unsettling. Again... You did manage to get thru it...

As Zass said... Rabbit is high quality pet food... it was not wasted.

 

[MaggieJ]

You really can't expect to be an expert on your first rabbit. You were right to cull an aggressive doe... very few of us would do otherwise. As long as the actual dispatch went okay, don't beat yourself up because the processing took longer and was more difficult than you expected. As far as the "warm" feeling goes, you will get used to it. Processing a warm carcass is far easier than one that has cooled and stiffened.

There is an excellent processing video made by our member Grumpy. It is a "sticky" in the meat rabbits forum. I suggest you watch it a time or two as it will help you to work through some of the problems.

You completed the task successfully. Pat yourself on the back and know that it will get easier from here on.

 

[Sagebrush]

For me it did get easier the more I have done. The butchering though... well lets just say that I could use some new knives! Any rabbit destined for the pets is never ever wasted. The "warm" feeling is harder to take in the beginning but it does get easier to handle with the more carcasses you do. Like MaggieJ said about the processing video, it helps!!

 

[katiebear]

As a newbie myself I must agree....I watched a lot of videos, Grumpy has the best one ,I refer to it every time I do a few. But yeah it's not easy.I can't say it gets easier ether. But you get better with each one.
Sharp knives are a necessity. As they get older the skin gets tougher I have two or three freshly sharpened, out and ready .Once I start I don't stop,and don't think about it...Its meat I've handled warm meat before....I did have two that were skinned and ready to gut that started to spasm, just muscle twitches, but totally unexpected .And very creepy.... :x Hubby said "I can't touch that,it's all yours!" :lol: I learned to expect the unexpected!
I think that it is important to review after each one,we always do this just to check each other and make sure we share anything we learned. I won't do it without a partner. Instant encouragement,and it keeps the mood lighter.
Your dogs got a nutritious,delicious meal or two not a waste at all!

 

[Zass]

I use a set of heavy snips that can cut through the leg bones, and a surgical scalpel to take rabbits apart. The kind with disposable blades.
Actually, I've skinned and butchered whole goats and deer too, with just a small hunting blade and a scalpel. I don't care how long a knife is, so long as it's sharp as a blade can get.
I completely kill with cervical dislocation and don't bleed them, because I'm not processing for market, and they seem to lose most of the blood while I'm processing them anyway. (brining gets the rest out)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone has their own, slightly different ways of doing things, and it can take quite a few rabbits before you really know what works best for you.

I would have culled the mean doe, and considered the experience valuable enough, the pet food an extra bonus. So you should pat yourself on the back, because very often, the second bun is TONS faster and easier than the first, and you have taken a very serious step forward in teaching yourself a skill that few people know how to do these days.

 

[May1802]

Sorry it was so rough! We have been doing this for about a year now.... it is still difficult, but it has gotten much easier!!! One thing that I have found to help, with the warmth, is to wear disposable gloves(latex, etc). It helps me A LOT! Hang in there

 

[Miss M]

Welcome to RabbitTalk, STRabbits! :welcomewagon: Glad you stepped out of the shadows and joined up, though I know you'd have preferred it be under better circumstances.

While there are some members here who keep an aggressive doe just because she happens to be a stellar mother, many will not -- and not even those who do will fault you for dispatching an aggressive doe. There are too many sweet rabbits in this world to feel bad about dispatching a mean one.

Very few, if any, of us have had a flawless first butchering experience, so you are among many who are quick to sympathize. We've been doing this for four years, and yet we had a horrific experience dispatching a doe recently.

Super-sharp knives are an absolute necessity. I got fish & bone knives from Bass Pro for $20 - 25 each. I can take them in to be sharpened for free whenever I want, since I bought them there. (I need to take them in. Last time I did, the guy felt the blades and remarked that they sure felt sharp to him, but I told him that we could feel the difference. He sharpened them.) Someone on here found some at Walmart for $10 that have turned out to be excellent.

The warm sensation is very new when you first start butchering. All our meat came from the store, and was already cold. I always handled meat cold. Then I butchered my first rabbit. It was very strange at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

You did fine. Your dogs have some really healthy food, and you have an experience under your belt. Now you know better what to expect. Get a sharp knife -- one that's made for skinning or boning. Next time will probably go more smoothly. You're not the first to think after the first one that maybe you can't do this. We will all be here to support and cheer you on. :grouphug:

 

[dayna]

Firstly, good job!

The first time I dispatched and butchered a rabbit I was shaking. I felt sick to my stomach. It took FOREVER. I could barely bring myself to eat it a couple weeks later out of the freezer.

Now I have no problems at all. I'm in the lucky category of folks that can play with, snuggle, feed treats to, and then quickly dispatch the meat rabbits. I feel good about spending time with my baby rabbits giving them the best life possible. For myself and my family that makes all the difference. And yes, I'd quickly dispatch an aggressive rabbit. That is the one thing we do not tolerate. Ever.

Again, goo job and welcome to Rabbit Talk! I've found that in the beginning the more I posted and read and watched rabbits being killed and butchered the easier it was for me. Kinda of like desensitization.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Congrats on your Mission Accomplished! Got rid of a nasty doe and got some food for the dogs. And you finished what turned out to be a difficult job. Hopefully, it won't be as bad the next time. And the next time. And then the time after that. Having good equipment - knives, snips, table, whatever - really helps. Ditto on Grumpy's video - he sure makes it look easy! Watch it as many times as you can. Good luck!

 

[STRrabbits]

THANK YOU, all of you have made this easier. I guess it's just a weird feeling since I've never "killed" anything like this before, heck I never even dissected anything in school. Now next time I have a better idea of what to expect. Transitioning from just buying a pack of meat and throwing it on a hot skillet to the whole deal is an experience.

I've always viewed rabbits as pets like the rest of my animals, I am realizing that you can love and appreciate an animal for what it can provide for you and your family.

Again, thank you all. Very impressed with the content on this forum.

 

[3mina]

Yup, you did good in my book. Trust me, it's far worse to mess up the dispatching rather than the processing afterwards. My first rabbits took FOREVER and older bucks still take forever. As far as the warmness being disturbing, it is but when you're processing outdoors in below freezing temperatures it quickly becomes a plus

 

[wildeden]

This was the first time I've done it and it didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. First off, I definitely need sharper knives! I had just bought a nice set a few months about but I had a very hard time slicing like I needed to. .

Factory edges on most knives tend to be insufficiently sharp to handle serious meat processing. Edge angle should be roughly 15° per side and should, at a bare minimum, be capable of cleanly slicing copy paper. Being able to dry shave hair from the arm is preferable. Even the best knife (and by the way did you know that there are actually knives designed for processing rabbits?) will eventually dull with use and you'll need at least basic maintenance tools to keep the edge in proper condition to to extend the life of the edge between sharpening sessions a high quality butchers steel (like this one: http://www.bunnyrancher.com/store/p38/Professional_Grade_Sharpening_Steel.html) can be used to realign minor rolls or nicks to the edge.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Let me tell you, the first time I processed a rabbit it took FOR. EV.ER...and then some. You got it done. I highly doubt the processing time affected the meat enough to make it not safe for human consumption, but at least the dog got a good meal. Welcome to the club of people who now realize what it takes for food to get to your table. It is amazing how much more respect you have for the food you eat and how little you waste when you get to experience first hand where exactly that food came from and what it took to get it to a mouth (even if it wasn't yours.) That kind of knowledge is invaluable. I make a point to never look at the rabbit's head once it is dispatched. I hang it and start at the feet and cover the face with the inside-out hide when I pull it down so I don't have to look at it. It makes it easier for me. I'm sure you'll do better next time and maybe even get a yummy meal out of it! <br /><br /> __________ Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:03 pm __________ <br /><br /> Oh, and I keep a hose handy and rinse down my rabbit while I'm processing which helps with the warmth issue. It is so crazy windy here that everything starts to dry and get sticky if I don't keep it wet.

 

[Mosherd1]

My first rabbit I id not hit it hard enough, my wife could hear the rabbit from the house, not a good start for me so I have been there. Like others have aid, a learning experience. Also, I always hose down the rabbit before I skin them. That keeps any loose fur from clinging to the meat.
-Dave

 

[michaels4gardens]

I like to use a "utility knife" to butcher with, it has very sharp disposable blades, you can buy a package of a dozen for $2 , -a blade will last me for about 50 rabbits, then I sharpen the blade, turn it over, or toss it,- it is very easy, cheep, and has a good grip to hold on to, I have no problem removing the head, and feet with it either, even though the blade is not much over an inch long. When butchering, it is much easier to just put a new blade in, [ or flip the used one over, they are sharpened on both ends], then it is to work with a knife that has lost it's edge, or stop and sharpen a butchering knife.[ it is the only tool I use for butchering]
I have a tree out back with several cords with slip-knots in the ends, hanging from a limb, I dislocate the neck, and hang the rabbits from the back legs , from the cords that are spaced about a foot apart, - I remove the head [usually], then skin it,then remove the front feet , wash it well with the hose nozzle, then gut it and remove the liver,[remove the gallbladder, and toss it] kidneys and heart [my fav. part] , wash it again, then remove it from the back feet and drop it in a bucket of brine.

 

[Miss M]

I like to use a "utility knife" to butcher with

So simple and brilliant!

 

[Sagebrush]

I am having trouble getting sharp enough blades. Would you be willing to tell me what brand, or what have you, of utility knife you use?

 

[Prisma]

I am having trouble getting sharp enough blades. Would you be willing to tell me what brand, or what have you, of utility knife you use?

I would as well, maybe a good place to buy that brand as well? I've gotten one before, but ugh it broke quite easily after the 4th use and took 2 blades to do 1 rabbit before that :angry: