How do I get started with saleing meat rabbits?

[luvmybunnys]

Right now ive got just a few rabbtis 17- 5 wk old kits. How do I begine to figure out if it is worth while to expand and try supplying meat to like meat houses i guess. Restaurants and stores around here dont carry rabbit meat. I know I wouldnt be able to quit my day job but I would really like to grow more and make some profit. I do plan to tan hides and make things out of them. Im sure some of you have tried making money off of hides too. How successful is that?

 

[Cottie]

Depends largely on your local ordinances. I can't really do it on any profitable sale, only as the excess of what we home produce. Can't sell rabbits, either, unless it's on a small scale as "extra". You should probably check with your zoning board and health department.

 

[luvmybunnys]

what type of questions would i ask them?

 

[Cottie]

If you want to do it locally, you'd start with your immediate municipality (for me, that's the county, since we're unincorporated). You really shouldn't have to ask them anything. I called, told them what I wanted to do and asked what had to be in place for me to do it. They gave me info from there.

 

[fogcity]

It is very hard to make money in rabbit meat. Rabbits are a quantity business. There are also lots of laws for processing. If you want to make money you will have better luck selling breeding stock to those that want to breed rabbits on their own.

 

[stone soup farm]

Hi there Fog City from a neighbor up north in Mendocino county. We also have had great success selling breeding stock. Local farmer's market here offer rabbit meat, and it isn't processed by USDA, so I think they make a fair profit, but they are not getting rich off it for sure. Another woman also sells rabbit meat for raw dog food, which uses the offal as well. She also mixes in grains and yams I think.

But each area is different so I would check county, then state regs.

luvmybunnys- best of luck to you!

 

[luvmybunnys]

Thank you stone soup farm!!