PulpFaction
Well-known member
Ok, so things are starting to align for what may actually be a profitable business.
I have spoken with number of restauranteurs and gourmet grocers interested in offering locally raised rabbits, at least three restaurants and one grocer were seriously interested in offering rabbit, and this was just a preliminary survey of people I know in the industry.
The main problem I ran into that was preventing me from ramping up production and actually producing the rabbits is the fact that they had to be processed at a USDA facility in order for the restaurants and grocers to sell them. Well, after six months of sporadically calling every meat processor in the state, the USDA, the AG Extension folks, et cetera, I was continuously told that there were no USDA facilities that would process my rabbits. Sure, I could operate under an exemption and sell them to individuals, but not to restaurants and grocers who would be much more reliable sales.
Well, I went to an Ag Open house a couple of weeks ago and found out the main processor in my area that had told me they didn't process rabbits is a federally funded facility, and as such HAS to do them! So now I get to tip toe around the politics involved in letting the manager at this place know that I have no problem going to his higher-ups if he still refuses it...don't want to upset him before we start working together, right?
So, I'm planning my systems and breeding schedules and now I'm looking for reference material I know I've seen in the past. Things that help me plan how many does I need and on what schedule to produce a given number of fryers on a regular schedule.
I still have to work with the processor to find out what the cost for processing is going to be, and whether they will only do whole fryers or if they will cut them up as I'm sure most of my customer base is going to want them cut up.
Can someone that is working with a processor now chime in on what to expect as far as minimums and processing cost per head?
Finally, does anyone know what restaurants usually pay for rabbit? These will be "Local, grain fed, colony-raised, heritage" rabbits, so I am expecting top dollar. (Based on my feed back, this is what the potential customers want.)
I have spoken with number of restauranteurs and gourmet grocers interested in offering locally raised rabbits, at least three restaurants and one grocer were seriously interested in offering rabbit, and this was just a preliminary survey of people I know in the industry.
The main problem I ran into that was preventing me from ramping up production and actually producing the rabbits is the fact that they had to be processed at a USDA facility in order for the restaurants and grocers to sell them. Well, after six months of sporadically calling every meat processor in the state, the USDA, the AG Extension folks, et cetera, I was continuously told that there were no USDA facilities that would process my rabbits. Sure, I could operate under an exemption and sell them to individuals, but not to restaurants and grocers who would be much more reliable sales.
Well, I went to an Ag Open house a couple of weeks ago and found out the main processor in my area that had told me they didn't process rabbits is a federally funded facility, and as such HAS to do them! So now I get to tip toe around the politics involved in letting the manager at this place know that I have no problem going to his higher-ups if he still refuses it...don't want to upset him before we start working together, right?
So, I'm planning my systems and breeding schedules and now I'm looking for reference material I know I've seen in the past. Things that help me plan how many does I need and on what schedule to produce a given number of fryers on a regular schedule.
I still have to work with the processor to find out what the cost for processing is going to be, and whether they will only do whole fryers or if they will cut them up as I'm sure most of my customer base is going to want them cut up.
Can someone that is working with a processor now chime in on what to expect as far as minimums and processing cost per head?
Finally, does anyone know what restaurants usually pay for rabbit? These will be "Local, grain fed, colony-raised, heritage" rabbits, so I am expecting top dollar. (Based on my feed back, this is what the potential customers want.)
Can't help you out myself.
