Trip to Freezer Camp

[Diamond]

So I spent last night dispatching 7 of 10, have 3 more to go. These all have buyers so I am being extra careful to keep everything clean and pretty.

I have not yet mastered getting the hide off of the back leg at the joint. I break the leg just below the joint to keep the tendons from separating from the bone. But it always takes way too long to get the hide ever-so-carefully separated from the tendon at that spot.

Any suggestions? Or is it just one of those things that is tedious and time consuming?

The batch so far has weighed in between 2 pounds 14 ounces and 3 pound 2 ounces, with most of them just an ounce or two under 3 pounds dressed. I suppose that if you add the red organ meat (heart, liver, kidneys) back into the equation they are 3 pounds. I always bag these in a sandwich bag and send them separate. The rabbits were fourteen weeks plus three days.

I have more people wanting to buy rabbits than I have rabbits to sell. Which is probably the way it should be. I have another group of 10 that are 8 weeks old, and then two very small litters coming up (seven with one keeper for repalcement stock and then five that are almost too cute to butcher). Have two does bred (one to a young buck so its a MAYBE), they should be two and three weeks along.

I am up to capacity to breed three or four does at a time (have more growout cages) so I think I will breed Rose, who's kits were weaned three weeks ago, and try breeding 7-month-old Midnight for the first time. She is the daughter of my best NZ doe, saved from the first litter. But I have to give her to the inexperienced buck, since my senior buck is her daddy. Guess I've got all weekend to try to get them to breed.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

How are you doing the legs. I find that the easy part. I hang mine . Which the weigh pulls down on the legs. I just make a slit and put in my scissors and just run down on a angle to the crotch.Then cut around the hock and peel down.

As goes for the weight of them... Which kind of rabbits are they.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have not yet mastered getting the hide off of the back leg at the joint. I break the leg just below the joint to keep the tendons from separating from the bone. But it always takes way too long to get the hide ever-so-carefully separated from the tendon at that spot.

I snip the back tendon and slice through the small ones on the front and sides of the joint, and then bend the hock sideways to separate the bones at the joint. I then twist the foot and snip the connective tissue. This leaves a portion of bone sticking up, but it looks clean and will not puncture the ziploc bag.

Maybe if you used a clean pair of dykes or pliers to grab the skin it would be easier to skin the foot? I may be processing some rabbits today, so will probably try that myself.

 

[Diamond]

...they are 3/4 NZ, 1/4 Cali. My 100% NZ rabbits seem to grow the fastest. These were a litter of 11 with all surviving (sold one live), I have come to believe that the amount of milk kits get in the first two weeks strongly influences their growth after weaning. A fair number of this batch struggled through their first couple weeks, and about 4 of them have been small through and through.

I am probably trying too hard to make the meat look pretty, should just snip that tendon and not try to skin it. Next time I have rabbits processed by the local meat processor I may stand around and watch how he does it. He charges $3.25 per rabbit. It takes me 20-30 minutes to dress one from live to finished. A strong arguement for time versus money, but I do feel better about life when I do the job myself.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It takes me 20-30 minutes to dress one from live to finished.

It takes me that long too. I also cut the belly flaps of and bag them up for jerky. If you look in Rabbit Recipes for my post on "Canned Rabbit", you will see pictures of my "dressed rabbit".

Here is the link to the post:

canned-rabbit-meat-t10174.html

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

In a hour I can do 10.... Once you get a method that works for you. I dont twisted anything. I use big cutters for the feet and neck. The rest is done with large scissors. It is way easier than chickens.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

In a hour I can do 10.

Six minutes each? :shock: Killing, skinning, gutting, and bagged? I also rinse the skins, squeeze out excess water, roll and bag to freeze. I kill and skin outside, and then bring them into the house to finish.

I don't like to cut the bones because I age and freeze in ziploc bags with water and the cut ends puncture the bags. It is more time consuming though.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Yup, I timed it. NOt including bagging. I also do mine outside. I throw each one in a big pot full of cold water. I drained off. Then bring inside. ... I cut mine at the joint so they dont puncture the zip lock bags. I put 2 in one bag. That is extra time of course. But from cage to kill to water down the fur. To hanging, taking off the fur and gutting and cut paws off and head. And put into cold water.... about 6 minutes or less. Adults are a bit longer.... A large mature male. I dont do the skinning. Hubby does that. Then i take over from there. I use to clean allot chickens in a day. SO this is easy for me. I make sure everything is set up for me first. So i just go to it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I cut mine at the joint so they dont puncture the zip lock bags.

I can't seem to do that with garden shears- I have to use a knife. How are you doing it without cutting the bone? Do you bend the joint or something?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I can't seem to do that with garden shears- I have to use a knife. How are you doing it without cutting the bone? Do you bend the joint or something?

I dont use garden shears. I have used them... they didnt do a very good job. I feel where the joint is with my fingers. Mined you sometimes i do miss a little. I dont bend them as it gross me out. Just like when i do chicken feet off i just hold the joint a little back. Then i use a knife and cut sideways. Here is a pic of the cutters that i use.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I've never seen a tool like that. Do you know what it is made for cutting?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I've never seen a tool like that. Do you know what it is made for cutting?

for cutting copper wire. I had to go asked... :lol: