Meat pricing?

[Farm Girl]

Hi everybunny, I was wondering how much you sell dressed rabbits for per lb.
I'm thinking for a carcass 2.5 lbs how much would you sell that for?

I'd especially like to hear from the people in Missouri.
Thanks for any input.
Farm Girl

 

[DevonW]

It really depends on how much it costs for you to raise the rabbit. For me I've done all the calculations and it costs me between $1.50 and $2.00 on average to raise a fryer to 5lbs

The average going rate is $2.00/lb live weight. which for me would give me an $8.00 - $8.50 gross income.

However in my area there is such a huge demand for rabbit meat I can get $5.00/lb live weight no problem.

 

[Farm Girl]

So if I have a 5lb (live weight) rabbit, I could sell it for $10 dressed?
Farm Girl

 

[DevonW]

So if I have a 5lb (live weight) rabbit, I could sell it for $10 dressed?
Farm Girl

If you're dressing it yourself for say dog food yeah,

If you're going to a processors I would add a bit more onto it because the processors usually charge $2.00/lb live weight to process.

 

[randtrabbitry]

Id say $10 for a 5 pound fryer is good. Demand is good in this area always had people asking me if i would process rabbits for them but i dont. I sell them live and they can butcher. I sell to a processer and only get $1.55 cents a pound live weight.

 

[Farm Girl]

Thanks a lot.
Anybody else have differant prices?

Farm Girl

 

[Jack]

most say 3-4 is your BREAK EVEN PRICE
in labor, food and equipment, add processing charges
2lb live weight is maybe direct whole rabbit, and if it's that cheap, sorry, sell them the rabbit alive, or freshly slaughter and let them do the work.
I have seen that price for ground dog food, that was basically the 'left overs'<br /><br />__________ Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:08 pm __________<br /><br />I wonder if smoked rabbits heads would make a good dog treat?

 

[PulpFaction]

Rabbit meat at this point is a specialty, niche product. Price it that way. I wouldn't sell a dressed fryer for less than $6 a pound, rock bottom price.

$43.50 for a 3lb fryer: http://www.levillage.com/Detail.bok?no=507
$34.75 for a 2.75lb fryer: http://allensbayou.com/product_info.php ... _id=114&os
$6.99 a pound: http://www.vermontqualityrabbits.com/order.php
$6.14 a pound: http://www.ardengrabbit.com/buyrabbitmeat.html
$6.99 a pound: http://www.carolinapetesrabbitry.com/in ... abbit-Meat

If you're charging less than $6 a pound for a dressed rabbit, you're cheating yourself. If you can't get the price locally, look into selling online.

 

[Jack]

WOW
sell at $2 a pound, and yer gonna get the locals letting your herd loose for undercutting them so bad...

Actually like I said before, you need to make your money back, and as your rabbits are organic, and if they get out in a rabbit run, officially USDA free range...
I would suggest you price them as such.

 

[MaggieJ]

I never, ever sell a fryer for less than $10 live. Occasionally I dress out one as a favour at that price. Any less and I'd rather use them myself.

 

[PulpFaction]

Jack, when I was writing my business plan I aimed to sell for more than $6 a lb, too! Especially if you have them processed in a USDA facility. I would be seriously PO'd if someone was selling them for $2 a lb.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:37 pm __________<br /><br />Now, if you really want to aspire to something, check these guys out: http://store.nexternal.com/hfusa/rare-b ... -p477.aspx

Yes, that's two 2.5lb heritage breed fryers for $121.00 American.

 

[Farm Girl]

[/quote] Now, if you really want to aspire to something, check these guys out: http://store.nexternal.com/hfusa/rare-b ... -p477.aspx

Yes, that's two 2.5lb heritage breed fryers for $121.00 American.[/quote]

That is unbelievable! It also said "on back order""

 

[Jack]

most out here go for 4-6 a pound, depends on if they know you or not.

 

[PulpFaction]

most out here go for 4-6 a pound, depends on if they know you or not.

Who's selling meat up here? I've only heard of live sales.

 

[Miss M]

I don't know how much they weighed, and so how much per pound they were, but the dressed rabbits I've seen for sale around here have been $15 - $18.

 

[Truckinguy]

Sobey's sells it here in Ontario for $7/lb. I sell mine for $5/lb processed (skinned, guts out, heart, liver and kidneys left in) although it's rare that I sell any.

 

[Jack]

people...
actually most of the meat sell the rabbit live by the pound, as it's too much work,
me, I sell whole dead, but then like you, I refuse to put my females out.
get to know the Flemish Giant people, most get as much or more just selling live, a few people raise just meat in the valley.

 

[PulpFaction]

people...
actually most of the meat sell the rabbit live by the pound, as it's too much work,
me, I sell whole dead, but then like you, I refuse to put my females out.
get to know the Flemish Giant people, most get as much or more just selling live, a few people raise just meat in the valley.

Yeah, I've noticed the market's pretty saturated on FG though recently. Everyone that had listings in the last few months couldn't unload them at the regular prices they were fetching. I have a really nice doe I don't even plan to breed for that reason. The FG are so gangly at the 8-12 week age, it seems like it would be an odd carcass indeed. Certainly with a lot of bone on them, if my girl was any indicator!

 

[ladysown]

consider that the dressout is about 50% right. So $2/lb live weight is roughly $4/lb processed. So even if you add $1 for your labour, generally speaking... you are still beating store prices.

 

[Farm Girl]

That sounds good.
I'm considering $5/lb dressed, I will have to figure out what my costs will be.

I already have 2 people asking for dressed rabbit, I'm thinking there will be another one to.
So in maybe 4 months I will have some to sell.