Thanks to Grumpy faster butcher times.

[Demamma]

Thanks to Grumpy I am a faster and more efficient butcher. I butchered out some 3 month old rabbits. I butchered 13. The person I was holding them for never showed up. :evil: I practiced how Grumpy showed us in the video he made. I also fixed up a better area to work in.
Just the other day I decided to butcher out some 8 week old instead of feeding them and dealing with this terrible heat. :fainting: I had put them in my chain link grow out pen and during high temperatures running a sprinkler just to keep them alive. They had containers of water they would sit in when too hot. What a mess. :boxed: By butchering at that age I was able to figure out the rabbits that produce better meat on a young rabbit. :mrgreen: I am getting rid of those rabbits that don't produce larger kits. Also by butchering out when that young they are easier to butcher and faster. I can now butcher a 8 week old from in hand to finished bucket in 5 minutes easy. I was able to put 19 in the refrigerator easily. :happy2: I do not dread the work anymore. The killing is still hard but much quicker and easier.

Grumpy thank you so much for sharing your video with us. Your video has made a big difference to me. :thankyou:

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I am still much slower than I should be, but I'm kind of that way with all my tasks. I get lost in my own train of thought. How would I go about finding the link to that video?

 

[Mrsmegary]

please link the vid =)

 

[Andrei]

Too young for me.

 

[Demamma]

He does not have the video up for free anymore unfortunately. It was not finished when he shared it. Yes 8 weeks is young but better than losing to heat.

 

[Andrei]

Never had a heat problem.

 

[Demamma]

The temperatures have been getting in the 100 + around the state and many with rabbits are losing to the heat. I had to go out on the worse days and soak rabbits with the running hose along with ice. I put up a mister which kept them cool but wet almost all day. A few rabbits I put in water up to neck to save them. I did not lose any to heat but would of if I had not cut back drastically. The rabbit in my avatar was one I had to cull as she did not meet my future plans. The person who wanted to buy her never showed up. She was a great doe but I had to make cuts. I lost $350. On no shows and I held rabbits longer than I wanted for two buyers. I hate summer. Until sells pick up I will probably have to butcher them at young age.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

A lot of people here strive for 5# by 8-10 weeks. I haven't quite got there, but butchering is definitely easier on the young ones.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:35 pm __________<br /><br />I hear you on the heat. I have 2 ready for the freezer but it's too hot to butcher. Meanwhile I'm driving myself nuts trying to keep everyone cool.

 

[Andrei]

I am lucky then.
I live by the coast and the breeze keeps us cool.
I have not had a day over 90 yet.

 

[grumpy]

Thanks to Grumpy I am a faster and more efficient butcher. I butchered out some 3 month old rabbits. I butchered 13. The person I was holding them for never showed up. :evil: I practiced how Grumpy showed us in the video he made. I also fixed up a better area to work in.
Just the other day I decided to butcher out some 8 week old instead of feeding them and dealing with this terrible heat. :fainting: I had put them in my chain link grow out pen and during high temperatures running a sprinkler just to keep them alive. They had containers of water they would sit in when too hot. What a mess. :boxed: By butchering at that age I was able to figure out the rabbits that produce better meat on a young rabbit. :mrgreen: I am getting rid of those rabbits that don't produce larger kits. Also by butchering out when that young they are easier to butcher and faster. I can now butcher a 8 week old from in hand to finished bucket in 5 minutes easy. I was able to put 19 in the refrigerator easily. :happy2: I do not dread the work anymore. The killing is still hard but much quicker and easier.

Grumpy thank you so much for sharing your video with us. Your video has made a big difference to me. :thank you:

Demamma,

I'm glad I could help. Sorry about not being able to give a link
to the video. I may work towards changing that. Although I spent
money to have it professionally produced, I feel uncomfortable
seeking compensation for it to recover some of the costs.

It was a fun-thing making the video. I enjoyed it.

A little secret: Butcher your rabbits when you see fit!!!
My favorite is a very young 7 week-old and then pan-fried
like a young chicken. The meat falls off the bones. There's
no better table-fare to be found anywhere.

Raised as a hunter and trapper,
I've never had difficulties with dispatch.
It's all part of the process in providing
sustenance for my family and friends.

grumpy

 

[ollitos]

Grumpy thank you so much for sharing your video with us. Your video has made a big difference to me. :thankyou:

Dang it! I missed it.

 

[GBov]

I never saw the vid. but your advice to butcher at 8 weeks despite the size they have gotten to has saved me HUGELY in feed costs. If I have to cook three small rabbits instead of two big ones so what? I didn't have to feed the three for eight extra weeks for only a pound or two extra!

So yeh, THANKS HEAPS Grumpy!

Pan fried rabbit is fantastic, we soak it in buttermilk for a half hour or so and double dip in seasoned flour.......

My fries had better hurry up, I am drooling at the thought :lol:

 

[Demamma]

I am going to try 8 week old bunny this week. I am tired of high feed costs.

 

[DitchDoc]

Pan fried rabbit is fantastic, we soak it in buttermilk for a half hour or so and double dip in seasoned flour.......

My fries had better hurry up, I am drooling at the thought :lol:

Geez that sounds soooooo
good!

 

[grumpy]

I've been doing this 'rabbit-thing' for nearly 40 years. Of course, change is a natural occurrence over the passage of time. Yet, I've never been able to understand the concept, or mindset, of the reasoning behind 'why' fryers must weigh XXX or YYY before they should be processed.

Keeping in mind that each ounce over a certain weight costs more, and the rabbit's meat texture matures, it seems counter productive in trying to attain that 'ideal' weight. The meat's tougher, the expense greater, and valuable cage space is being tied up.

A good line of meat rabbits should break 4 pounds easily at 8 weeks. IF, you've got a litter of 7, 8, or 9. More kits than that will reduce the overall efficiency of the litter's weight gain in that 8 week period. Most processed rabbit sales to consumers will probably end up being 'fried-rabbit', mashed taters and gravy, green beans or corn, and hot biscuits. With that being the case: tenderness of the meat is supremely important. An 8 1/2-week old, is going to be more tender than a 10 or 11 week old. Simple. Plus, it's cheaper to produce the younger rabbit than it is the older one.

Of course, this is only my opinion.

Grumpy.

 

[SatinsRule]

The best rabbit dish I've ever eaten was pulled-style slowed cooked in a crock pot with BBQ sauce, served on a bun, and topped with cole slaw and a helping of mustard/sweet pickle potato salad on the side.

You people are making me hungry.

 

[GBov]

The best rabbit dish I've ever eaten was pulled-style slowed cooked in a crock pot with BBQ sauce, served on a bun, and topped with cole slaw and a helping of mustard/sweet pickle potato salad on the side.

You people are making me hungry.

I think you might be a player in the making folks hungry game too! :lol:

 

[SatinsRule]

The best rabbit dish I've ever eaten was pulled-style slowed cooked in a crock pot with BBQ sauce, served on a bun, and topped with cole slaw and a helping of mustard/sweet pickle potato salad on the side.

You people are making me hungry.

I think you might be a player in the making folks hungry game too! :lol:

GBov, it used to be the #1 item on the refreshment stand menu at our local club shows when I was a youth exhibitor 30+ years ago. It sold for about $2.50 each back then, and I'd spend somewhere between $10-20 at a show eating that stuff. Most of the time, the BBQ sauce it was cooked in was homemade, too.

Nowadays, I've run across the recipe for something known as the Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich. I cannot wait to try that with rabbit instead of turkey. :mrgreen:

 

[GBov]

My mum is cooking up barbecue sauce as I type

But she isn't letting go of the casserole rabbit so I can try it.

Might just have to tractor a few of this new litter and give it a try, I make a mean yeast bun that goes great with pulled pork.