my butcher video...

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That's an excellent video, Bowbuild!!!

We do hang our rabbits to skin, then take them down to gut. Also, I don't have as good aim when hitting things as you do, so we use a pellet gun.
 
I have yet to butcher our first rabbit, your video made it look very easy. Thanks for posting it! I will be using it to help when the time comes.
 
The 2 websites I visit seem to have ongoing conversations about butchering, and how too. It is easier to see, than describe. The broomstick and rabbit wringer always have people complain of leave pooling of blood that leave the front of the rabbit unpleasant to look at...this method does not...but you MUST be accurate. I like Miss M"s solution of the pellet gun if you don't have the cordination to use a bat. I also wanted to show the wetting down of the rabbit...don't hear many people do that. Hanging the rabbit although prefered by most I just never understand???? This is a 5-10lb animal not a cow. I gut deer, turkeys, fish that are all bigger than a rabbit on the ground...not hanging...what exactly is the benefit??? I personally seen none, think people do this because they have seen it done....not for practicallity in my opinion. Again taking the urine sac across the carcass gutting tward the head is too risky....rabbit urine can ruin a carcass....I am super sensitive to the taste it leaves behind.

Bowbuild
 
Excellent job, Bowbuild! I am going to try your method on our next rabbits, with the possible exception of the actual kill.

We use a pellet gun- have you found that they bleed out more effectively by striking the head as opposed to shooting them?
 
If you were able to look at the rabbit in the video (the head) the skull is crushed, generally the neck is snapped as well. I don't know medically why this bleeds a rabbit out so quick , but it does. I have hit them and they don't bleed out, this generally irratates me a bit. This happens on maybe 1 out of 50. I am very paticular on where I hit the rabbit, too far back you bruse the shoulders, too far forward you don't kill it. The pellet gun it sure fired way to kill, but I would cut the throat as soon as you shoot, the heart will still beating, and should push most of the blood out. So yes, the strike will cause more bleeding than just a shot to the head...I have tried every method out there...except the spring gun...whatever that thing is called.

Bowbuild
 
We are planning a big butchering day (goats, rabbits, and chickens) with some friends this week, so it will be a great opportunity to try it. I will have everybody watch the video, and hopefully one of the menfolk will try whacking them. Are you using a 2" metal pipe?

The rabbit seemed so calm despite being hung upside down, that even if we shoot them I think I will hold them that way so I don't risk getting scratched when trying to pick them up to slit the neck.
 
No, that would work though. I like a stick like a hickory handle about 2 feet long. You want a little length to generate a bit of speed, the heavy wood will do the rest. As to the calmness of the rabbit....you didn't see it before the filming started. ;) I hang them by their feet till they calm down, I also pet them with the stick so that they will tilt their head forward. Be patient don't rush the kill!! If you do you and the rabbit will regret it....I assure you! :cry:
 
Finally a use for all the axe handles we have laying around! I knew there was a good reason to keep them!

Chickens struggle for a bit too, so that makes sense. I saw you petting it with the stick but didn't realize it was to make it put its' head forward. Thanks!
 
I tried this method for my first butchering, since it did sound the most logical. I must not have hit it in the right spot, because the experience was horrible for me and the rabbit. I can not explain how bad I felt for that rabbit. I switched to the broomstick and have been too scared to try this again, even after all this time. The experience stuck with me that much. I just can't put another rabbit through that agony. I wish there was a way to practice without hurting a rabbit, because this is surely the best way!
 
I know what ya mean...I as well have not hit them just right in the past. I also had to convince myself nothing is perfect in life, and practice makes perfect. I like the idea of the bat to the head because it on contact kills the rabbit instantly. People think that breaking the neck is a instant kill.....I am NOT convinced. Lots of animals including us can have our necks broke, and be VERY much alive. When you break the neck there are no movements that are programed from the brain, BUT I wonder if they are truly brain dead, or just not able to move??? I figure if you hit them it knocks them out, and the bleeding usures their death....most of the time their necks are broke as well with the hit.....if you listen carefully you can hear the snap in the video.

Bowbuild
 
I read this post a few days ago. I butchered on Wednesday using your advise. I can see that you did a good job, but I did not. I butchered 3. When held upside down, the rabbits screamed for a while and kicked like crazy. Not what I would call humane. I had to hit them a few times in order to kill. When processing, urine got all over the meat, because the rabbit was laying down. When hanging a rabbit, I get no urine on the meat, because the bladder is one of the first things removed after skinning. When pulling skin off, my arms aren't long enough (and I am taller than average) to pull the hide right down to the hind feet, like I can do while hanging. When processing while the carcass is laying down, it keeps moving around on me and I have to keep repositioning it. Not a good experience for me. It was freezing here that day, so timing was important so I don't freeze my fingers and cut myself. It easily took me twice as long.
On a positive note, when I did get bleeding out the nose (one of them didn't), you were right...I didn't get much blood pooling on the neck, which I was thankful for :)
So I think I will try harder to get the kill done right so that it's more humane, but I will still hang the rabbit to process.
 
I use a piece of rebar for broomsticking and don't find the blood pool either ... I am also very careful where I position the rebar ... right up tight against the back of the head ... I tried a broomstick, but it was too big and caused more bruising than I wanted.

I also like to hang my carcass as my arms are just too short to case a hide from the bunny :lol:

Other than that, I am definitely going to wet down the carcass before skinning as I was quite annoyed with the amount of fluff that came loose and ended up in my cooling rinse pan.

As for the issue of the urine, once the bunny is bled out, grab it by the head and placing your fingers just above where the back legs join the spine on the belly and gently pressing will express the urine out of the bladder without contaminating the meat. Then, gut as usual. Some folks don't feed or water for several hours before butchering, but I have not found that to consistently result in an empty bladder, so I just express.<br /><br />__________ Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:19 pm __________<br /><br />Whoops, forgot to add that you made an awesome video!!! :lol:
 
1st rabbit, I got urine all over the meat. 2nd rabbit, I did push the urine out and that made some of it go onto the rabbit's fur, which then went on my fingers when skinning, then onto the meat from my fingers. 3rd rabbit, I cannot remember if I had an issue with it.
I wanted to try wetting down the rabbit, but I have no running water, and if I did then my hands would be frozen even quicker. (I bring enough water from home to rinse the meat only) Maybe one day I can try wetting them to see the difference. Perhaps I could dip the whole rabbit in a 5 gallon pail of water....hmmmm
 
Jesskah,

I am sorry it did not work out for you. You said you pulled down to the back feet??? Reread your post....I pull the hide off tward the head. The bladder is not a cup...you make it sound like if you put them upside down it won't spill....that is not the case. Sure you did not cut the bladder??? I did that video in one take, never stopped, I can see because of people heights it may be difficult to remove the hide if not taught....but it is very easy when you get the hang of it. Take a rabbit that is kicking and slap the back of its head with your hand, firm. Some may think this is cruel, but you are killing the critter. I do this the instant they come out of the cage if they act wild. This will shock them, and give you time for your strike to the head...

Bowbuild
 
lol...I meant the front feet. I am sure I did not cut the bladder. It's just hard to remove it without it leaking, since it is laying down. When hanging a rabbit by the back legs, gravity helps keep the urine in the right end of the bladder until you remove it. Without it hanging, any amount of pressure on the bladder while skinning makes it leak.
I will try shocking them before killing, like you suggested. I really like the way they bleed out nicely when done properly.
 
Rabbit urine does not contaminate the meat. That urine is sterile to the rabbit, more so than anything else you could put on it. Just rinse it off....no biggie.
 

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