Why did you decide to raise meat rabbits?

[TerriG]

Sorry if this question has already been asked. I didn't search to see if it had b/c I didn't want to resurrect a *really* old thread.

For us, there were a bunch of reasons. The main reason was that my dh gets kidney stones. When they analyzed them, they found that they were uric acid kidney stones. They put him on meds, but also suggested that he watch his intake of things with uric acid in them. We started researching and that is when my dh discovered that rabbit meat is the only meat that doesn't contain uric acid. Up until this, we were eating a fair amount of beans and rice. That was our plan for food storage. Beans contain uric acid. I was also always stressed about how I could store enough protein for my family (5 kids, plus me and dh) if we actually had to completely provide for ourselves without going to the store. It took my dh a year to finally talk me into raising rabbits.

We just moved this summer, and that is when I built our hutches and we got our stock. I feel so much better knowing that not only is this healthier for us now, but in a survival situation, we can provide for ourselves and others if necessary. That brings me a lot of peace, and that peace is priceless.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

We just moved this summer, and that is when I built our hutches and we got our stock. I feel so much better knowing that not only is this healthier for us now, but in a survival situation, we can provide for ourselves and others if necessary. That brings me a lot of peace, and that peace is priceless.

Breeding rabbits: $50-$100


Cages and supplies: $30-50 per hole


Knowing you are able to feed your family when the Zombie Apocalypse comes.....



Priceless!!!! :mbounce:

 

[Basenji43]

I raise meat rabbits in order to provide my dogs with a nutritious raw diet that I raised myself.

 

[lissapell]

Looking for a less expensive but healthier meat source. BONUS garden cleaners and fertilizers.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I have digestive issues and a lot of foods upset my gut...rabbit is highly digestible and has a lot of health benefits: lower in fat and cholesterol and high in protein.

I'm also very opposed to cruelty in meat animals and raising my own rabbits (as well as hunting deer) means I know where my meat comes from. No hormones, no excessive antibiotics, no GMOS or frankenfoods. Just happy, healthy rabbits.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I am raising them because I am in the Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval recreation group), and wanted to get back to my younger years of the idea of a closed ecosystem at home. Several friends had started a group called Feastie Beasties (we do medieval feasts as part of many SCA events, yummy!), and were raising goats, chickens, ducks and quail. The only animal not "covered" locally that I cared to raise were sheep and/or rabbits. While sheep are not technically banned where I live, it is only a quarter mile from the city limits, and very suburban, so I went for the quiet space efficiency of rabbits! Plus I had taken a stab at raising them years ago, and thought I wouldn't get attached (my first experience was with a mean, rotten mama) . . . THAT part has not been the case! While I am enjoying the fact that these rabbits are much more personable than the ones 30 years ago, it means I may need to go for outside slaughter help when the time comes!

Oh, and the other part of the "ecosystem" is raising various greens and roots I can feed the rabbits, and tanning their furs with the copious acorns around here,

 

[mystang89]

We just moved this summer, and that is when I built our hutches and we got our stock. I feel so much better knowing that not only is this healthier for us now, but in a survival situation, we can provide for ourselves and others if necessary. That brings me a lot of peace, and that peace is priceless.

Breeding rabbits: $50-$100
View attachment 2

Cages and supplies: $30-50 per hole
View attachment 1

Knowing you are able to feed your family when the Zombie Apocalypse comes.....



Priceless!!!! :mbounce:

lol! :lol:

Our reason for raising rabbits was because we want a piece of the country brought to our suburban home and also because we wanted to become more self-sufficient. We wanted to be able to provide for our family were something to ever happen. (War, famine, prices inflating beyond what you can pay, Zombies etc.) I want to be able to provide healthy meat, (and rabbit is the healthiest I can find,) to my mom and dad who need heart healthy foods. Plus I want to be able to make my own wools. I want to teach and show my children nature. I want them to be responsible, to learn how to raise things, to love what God has created and I believe that raising rabbits, chickens and whatever else I can get away with it will help in that process. I WILL get a goat some day....

 

[OneAcreFarm]

We wanted, like others, to raise a healthy meat source for our family. We found out about rabbits and started looking into it, since we wanted a smallish animal that our children could help with. Also, rabbits are clean, quiet and pleasant to work with, unlike some other species....plus, it saves a ton of money by providing free "bunny therapy"!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

We started raising them due to concerns about the economy... Weimar Republic, here we come. :angry:

I wanted an animal that could provide meat to our family even if commercial feeds become unaffordable or unavailable. In the case of failure of the power grid they also provide a ready to eat protein source that can be harvested as needed.

I didn't expect to come down with Raging Rabbitosis as a side effect, but I have fallen completely in love with my herd. They are my favorite livestock animal by far, and I can't imagine life without them in good times or bad.

I also feel that if one chooses to eat meat it is best to raise it yourself if possible. I know what my animals are fed, and know that they have been raised and dispatched humanely. They also get plenty of affection!

We also raise our own pork and beef, but so far not on our property- we have friends that have a small herd of free range cattle, and we bought a steer from them, but he stayed at their ranch with the other steers being fattened. Since he came off the range, giving him affection was out of the question! The hogs we butchered last year also stayed there, but this year we bought a Fair pig from a friend's daughter.

We also have goats, but so far haven't eaten any of them- but we have two wethers that will soon be part of the menu! The only meat we buy from the grocery store is chicken. And bacon when we run out of our own!

 

[bowbuild]

I am allergic to any poutry meat. It sucks!

 

[Amy]

WE live on a 1/4 acre, but dream of owning a farm....so, we have created a micro farm on our small lot. We have been raising chickens for eggs and will butcher them after their 2nd year. But, we wanted a regular meat source and rabbit seemed like the best choice. Also, I know too much of the bad stuff that happens in commercial meat operations (from feed to health to butchering). I'm also concerned about quality of meat, it's almost to the point of us being vegetarian or we grow our own meat, so that's where we are!
I'm so glad we've done it, I love working with the rabbits and am officially hooked--especially now that we have kits, I will never go without rabbits again (I hope).

 

[TerriG]

We wanted, like others, to raise a healthy meat source for our family. We found out about rabbits and started looking into it, since we wanted a smallish animal that our children could help with. Also, rabbits are clean, quiet and pleasant to work with, unlike some other species....plus, it saves a ton of money by providing free "bunny therapy"!

We factored all of this in too. I have a child with autism and even though we are raising these animals for food, it still helps teach him empathy. We can teach him how animals should be treated even when they are not "pets" like our dog.

We started raising them due to concerns about the economy... Weimar Republic, here we come. :angry:

I wanted an animal that could provide meat to our family even if commercial feeds become unaffordable or unavailable. In the case of failure of the power grid they also provide a ready to eat protein source that can be harvested as needed.

I didn't expect to come down with Raging Rabbitosis as a side effect, but I have fallen completely in love with my herd. They are my favorite livestock animal by far, and I can't imagine life without them in good times or bad.

I also feel that if one chooses to eat meat it is best to raise it yourself if possible. I know what my animals are fed, and know that they have been raised and dispatched humanely. They also get plenty of affection!

Ditto.

__________ Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:16 am __________

I have digestive issues and a lot of foods upset my gut...rabbit is highly digestible and has a lot of health benefits: lower in fat and cholesterol and high in protein.

I'm also very opposed to cruelty in meat animals and raising my own rabbits (as well as hunting deer) means I know where my meat comes from. No hormones, no excessive antibiotics, no GMOS or frankenfoods. Just happy, healthy rabbits.

These reasons factored in too. I am anxious to see if it helps my problems.

I also don't like the way our food is raised commercially, but didn't have an option to do anything about it until now.<br /><br />__________ Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:26 am __________<br /><br />

WE live on a 1/4 acre, but dream of owning a farm....so, we have created a micro farm on our small lot. We have been raising chickens for eggs and will butcher them after their 2nd year. But, we wanted a regular meat source and rabbit seemed like the best choice. Also, I know too much of the bad stuff that happens in commercial meat operations (from feed to health to butchering). I'm also concerned about quality of meat, it's almost to the point of us being vegetarian or we grow our own meat, so that's where we are!
I'm so glad we've done it, I love working with the rabbits and am officially hooked--especially now that we have kits, I will never go without rabbits again (I hope).

We have 1/3 acre. The garden plot is 17'x70'. We moved in too late to plant last year, but my garden plan is all ready for next year. Right now, we are just dumping our trays in the garden and will till it in in the spring. I will build a compost bin to use for the trays while the garden is planted. We have a golden delicious apple tree that produces like crazy. We were picking and canning apples until we thought we would go nuts. Unfortunately we still ended up not using them all. I will know better for next year. This was our first year canning. We canned peaches, pears, apples, and peach jam. We dehydrated apricots (IL's tree) and made apricot freezer jam. We also dehydrated apple slices.

We plan to plant more fruit trees, already have plans for raspberry beds, blueberry bushes, and a strawberry bed. I also am missing my herb garden, so that will be going in too.

We have toyed with the idea of chickens, but not sure if we could use all the eggs. We don't eat eggs regularly (my dh doesn't like them), but once in awhile will make omelets, or fried eggs, etc. I also use them in baking. I just don't want eggs coming out of my ears! We do have neighbors that have chickens, so we have talked about bartering. Our next door neighbor also has bee hives, so we will either barter or buy local raw honey from him

 

[bitterroot]

I raised them as a child, and now as an adult they were the first additions I thought of when we bought our homestead. I've got ten acres lying unused this winter, but I got a garage full of bunnies.

Who can't fall in love with rabbits? They're tasty, their furs can provide warmth, rubbing bunny faces provides comfort and peace, their poop is some of the best fertilizer out there, they don't take up much room, and they can do well on any of a wide variety of feeds.

I'm waiting for (and dreading) the day when my husband asks, "it's just the two of us, so why do we need so many of them?" :lol:

 

[OneAcreFarm]

OneAcreFarm wrote:
We wanted, like others, to raise a healthy meat source for our family. We found out about rabbits and started looking into it, since we wanted a smallish animal that our children could help with. Also, rabbits are clean, quiet and pleasant to work with, unlike some other species....plus, it saves a ton of money by providing free "bunny therapy"!


We factored all of this in too. I have a child with autism and even though we are raising these animals for food, it still helps teach him empathy. We can teach him how animals should be treated even when they are not "pets" like our dog.

Temple Grandin, the foremost expert on humane slaughter in the US, is also autistic...did you know that? I bet you did....

 

[nicnmike]

They're not as noisy as chickens. The neighborhood I live doesn't allow live stock, but the HOA isn't really strict, or active. I figured as long as I didn't disturb any of the neighbors, no one would care. And we already get farm fresh eggs delivered every week.

 

[TerriG]

OneAcreFarm wrote:
We wanted, like others, to raise a healthy meat source for our family. We found out about rabbits and started looking into it, since we wanted a smallish animal that our children could help with. Also, rabbits are clean, quiet and pleasant to work with, unlike some other species....plus, it saves a ton of money by providing free "bunny therapy"!


We factored all of this in too. I have a child with autism and even though we are raising these animals for food, it still helps teach him empathy. We can teach him how animals should be treated even when they are not "pets" like our dog.

Temple Grandin, the foremost expert on humane slaughter in the US, is also autistic...did you know that? I bet you did....

Yes I did. Loved the movie about her. It was near and dear to my heart. Not only do I have a son with autism, but my Dad is an animal nutritionist specializing in Dairy Cows. I lived on a dairy until I was 4. I have always loved having animals around. I keep telling my dh that I feel like I am getting back to my roots.

I loved seeing autism, especially the sensory stuff, from her pov. Really helped me understand my ds better. My ds also needs squeezes (like her hug machine). It really helps him to recenter when he is overwhelmed. Jared is now 9 1/2 and he was diagnosed when he was 6. We have done a lot of therapies and have learned so much through this journey with him. We also have another ds Max (only 19 months younger than Jared) that has ADHD. It can be a real challenge some days. Sometimes the bunnies are my therapy too

 

[Dood]

My new puppys breeder fed raw and convinced me to stick with it. I took alot of animal nutrition courses at university (pre vet program) and decided I could make my own with the benefit of knowing that the animals used were healthy and treated humanely. I already had chickens, ducks and turkeys and decided to add rabbits to my little farm. I also manage to get my family to eat a couple rabbits a month, but it has to be unidentifiable as rabbit, so its mostly as stews, curry's or stir fry.

 

[Wheels]

Because I can. Because I wasn't happy with the selection, price or quality meat at the supermarket. because I know what it takes for places like Tyson to get a broiler from the hatchery to your table. I like the Idea of having a sustainable food supply in my backyard that (for me) is easier than planting a large garden... besides I have a neighbor who supplies me with a huge amount of produce because he always produces more than he alone can consume.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

it has to be unidentifiable as rabbit, so its mostly as stews, curry's or stir fry.

Try tacos, burritos, and enchiladas! YUM! :dinner:

 

[skysthelimit]

I like animals.
I can have way more rabbits than dogs, and experiment with way more colors.
Dog breeding and showing was getting expensive, and rabbit breeding ans showing is a little easier on the wallet and less politics.
Rabbits are cleaner, nicer, cuter and reproduce more efficiently than chickens with less work for the person.
As a supplement for my dogs, and the pelts are usable.
I want a real farm, but that's not possible, so it was a way to join the urban homesteading movement, and I have always been obsessed with the lost arts and the way things were.
It just seemed right.