How transition to using rabbits as meat

[TariLynn]

Hey - I just thought I would ask...how does one switch over from raising rabbits for 4H show to being able to use them for meat? I don't really have a problem with pigs or chickens (well some piglets we sold to others because we got too close to them ) but the bunnies are so cute and I sort of put them in the same category as my horses.

The reason I am asking is because I see that between our garden, pond, and mini farm - we could practically survive most of the year without having to go to the store that often. I just don't know how I can talk myself into rabbits, even though I know we could quickly become overrun with bunnies when we start breeding. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[eco2pia]

Well, I know I just love my breeders, and cuddle the little babies, but don't name them or make friends with them...then I stagger the breedings, so that new peepers are coming out of the nest box as the older litter is approaching butchering age--that in particular has helped me with the kids.

The big ones get to that struggling, clawing age, and the new babies are sooo cuuute and you just sort of transfer your "awww" feelings to the new ones....of course you only NAME breeders, too.

I also psychologically reason that they were bred to be meat, and I personally am in pretty dire straits financially--either they eat or I do. It is a little like cleaning up vomit, you hate it but you take a deep breath and do it, because it just needs to be done.

 

[TariLynn]

Thanks eco2pia! That's some great advice. We haven't really started breeding that much yet but I see how that would work. I like the idea of only naming the breeders however, my girls name everything - even kittens that they know we will be giving away so this might be a struggle.

 

[eco2pia]

I have a rule--no names unless it is something like "dinner" "roast" "stew", or descriptive identifiers like "the gray one", save the names for the keepers. You can ignore their names and not honor them--continue to refer to "the white one" not "snowball" and they will get the idea--they aren't butchering, you are.

 

[TariLynn]

Yeah well, I am not sure I could even butcher "the white one" but that will be my husband's job. I am a lot like my girls I guess! :/

 

[akane]

If you need to give them a name just give them a designation or ear tag and use it. My first litter from Miyuki and a buck called D-"string of numbers I forget" by the breeder (he needs a name sometime) are MD1, MD2, MD3... MD3 I liked and is now Aoki planned to be bred in Oct. 2nd litter is 2MD1, 2MD2, etc... If I tattoo them that's what they get in their ears, that's what is on my pedigree software, and if they are destined to be butchered or sold that's all they ever get for a name. Also unless you are really set on your current rabbits as the only ones getting some rabbits that produce all one color makes it easier since there is no distinguishing markings. By the time I butcher my champagnes I have 10-15 silver rabbits with no difference but a pound or 2 of size between them. You have to catch them and check their ears to know which one you are dealing with. When I butcher them I can't say this is such and such rabbit aside from a handful who distinguish themselves by not silvering properly or not growing as fast unless I want to check their tattoo. The mini rex and their crosses I'm always getting colors that I want to keep. I have a harlequin, chocolate himi, and broken champagne colored kits right now that I don't want to part with. I really don't need more breeders though so I am going to try to sell the himi and broken then keep just the harli to make more since that color seems to sell well. I have 5 people asking about that rabbit and ignoring the rest.

 

[eco2pia]

good call akane, rabbits that all look alike make it harder to love an individual. I forgot about that, we have colors--you can tell them apart.

In my house, I am the butcher and my husband is the one that gets queasy. People are all different and that is ok, too.

 

[BoxerMom]

For me it was the fact that I need to feed my family, and also the fact that one of my dogs is allergic to beef, chicken, turkey, and a few other things. I like to incorporate raw food into their diet, and rabbits breed fast, are easy keepings, and cheap to maintain and feed, especially if they are being fed naturally.

Along with avoiding the rising costs of meat in the grocery store, I also like knowing exactly where my food is coming from, who is handling it, what it's being fed, how it's cared for, etc...too many people just buy packaged meat from the store and either don't realize what's happened to that animal, or just don't want to think about it. This way, we appreciate our rabbits and the lives they've given so much more, and appreciate their lives more.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Along with avoiding the rising costs of meat in the grocery store, I also like knowing exactly where my food is coming from, who is handling it, what it's being fed, how it's cared for, etc...too many people just buy packaged meat from the store and either don't realize what's happened to that animal, or just don't want to think about it. This way, we appreciate our rabbits and the lives they've given so much more, and appreciate their lives more.

I completely agree. The first couple of times were hard, but it has gotten better. What I do is take a little time to thank God for the rabbit, thank the rabbit for helping me feed my family, before we butcher. Helps me in some small way....plus I know that I have taken good care of this rabbit, it has not and will not suffer, even when slaughtered. I know what it has been fed and that it has not been medicated with a bunch of hormones and antibiotics. My hubby kills them and I clean and dress them. Works well for us, my 15yo daughter actually helps out with the butchering now. All my kids know that the bunnies are food, the breeders are pets. And last night I went to the store to pick up some ground beef because all our rabbit was frozen, I was SHOCKED at how high the meat was! There was nothing under 3.49/lb! Crazy!

 

[TariLynn]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all of you sharing. My children are all older and though we have talked about raising meat rabbits, we have never done it. This year my daughter who was a senior in high school, decided to raise a trio of rabbits for 4H since it was her last year but we still wound up selling them to others rather than butchering them for ourselves. :/ Maybe that is one step closer to changing our thinking!

 

[hoodat]

Killing an animal is not easy - nor should it be, but we have to realize it's the price we have to pay to eat meat. If we didn't do the killing we would have to pay someone else to do it and wrap it up in those neat little packs you see in the grocery store. Somehow it seems more honest to do your own killing and know it was done with as much mercy as possible.