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Author Topic: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!  (Read 16463 times)

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #20 on: January 23, 2008, 06:27:11 am »
Where would one buy rabbit meat?  I've tried to convince my wife to let me raise rabbits for meat but she's dead set against it.  She has a real hard time with me killing a cute fuzzy cuddley bunny.  I've only had rabbit once before and I love it.  I've been looking (not very hard though) for a meat shop that sells rabbit, hoping that after she tastes some she'll change her mind.  :-)

Sean Kelly
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Offline suprstakr

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #21 on: February 29, 2008, 09:10:14 pm »
New Zeland Whites are my best meat rabbits.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2008, 01:19:46 am »
Generally the meat varity of rabbits are: New Zealand Whites, Belgium Hares, California Whites, Checker Giants, and Flemish Giants.

I've had them all at one time or another.  For eaze of rearing the New Zealands or Belgiums are best, for flavor I prefer the Flemish.  The Flemish also come in a variety of colors from Black to Blonde and Cinimon with Orange and Red being fairly common. 

I would suggest locating raiser of rabbits near you and buying 1 or 2 fryers (8-10 weeks) and see how you like them.  If someone beside you are doing the raising and butchering maybe your wife won't be so anti once she eats one.
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Offline Bigeddie

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2008, 11:59:30 am »
I payed $250.00 at our county fairs market animal sale for a roaster rabbit. It was delivered to my house dressed and wrapped, I cooked it and my wife wouldn't even taste it. It tasted great and I got to eat the whole thing. She grew up in the city and I grew up here in the woods eating cottontail ,snowshoe ,deer ,coon,bear, fish and what ever was eatable. To each his own. By the way, the kid I bought the rabbit from put the money in the bank for college. I feel good about helping 4H kids, I've purchased an animal for the last 20yrs. at our sale, paying way over market price to help the kids. We have a great bunch of young folks in 4H, polite,honest and hard working.
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Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2008, 12:19:43 pm »
I payed $250.00 at our county fairs market animal sale for a roaster rabbit. It was delivered to my house dressed and wrapped, I cooked it and my wife wouldn't even taste it. It tasted great and I got to eat the whole thing. She grew up in the city and I grew up here in the woods eating cottontail ,snowshoe ,deer ,coon,bear, fish and what ever was eatable. To each his own. By the way, the kid I bought the rabbit from put the money in the bank for college. I feel good about helping 4H kids, I've purchased an animal for the last 20yrs. at our sale, paying way over market price to help the kids. We have a great bunch of young folks in 4H, polite,honest and hard working.

Wow, it was an expensive rabbit meal but well worth it, good for you Eddie!!!

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Offline Bigeddie

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2008, 12:47:17 pm »
Thanks JP,

I don't know if you have makket animal sales where you live, but if you do I would urge you to go. Every one who attends gets involved even if they dont buy or bid.Everyone get to yell, clap ,whoop and holler as the bidding goes on. The kids faces just beam when they are in the sale ring with their animal and the bids keep going up.
I laid out big bucks for a turkey last year and my wife will eat that. I guess she thinks turkeys arn't as cuddly as bunnies.

Eddie
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Offline ooptec

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2008, 06:40:38 pm »
First farm rule taught children here in Saskatchewan

DON'T NAME YOUR FOOD

lol

Butchering is a job no-one seems to jump at yet I think

that at least once everyone should do it to instill respect for what you eat.

But then I've said that about acid and opening your mind too.

cheers

peter

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #27 on: March 02, 2008, 12:24:29 am »
Thanks JP,

I don't know if you have makket animal sales where you live, but if you do I would urge you to go. Every one who attends gets involved even if they dont buy or bid.Everyone get to yell, clap ,whoop and holler as the bidding goes on. The kids faces just beam when they are in the sale ring with their animal and the bids keep going up.
I laid out big bucks for a turkey last year and my wife will eat that. I guess she thinks turkeys arn't as cuddly as bunnies.

Eddie

Neither do I, a rabbit has never chased me up a tree.  A 40 lb Tom did, when I was 3, then I got big enough to have a shotgun.   I now fear no turkey.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #28 on: March 02, 2008, 07:54:08 am »
Hey Brian I've been chased by a turkey too, how funny, how scary! Those spurs ain't nothing to joke about no. My grandfather was a butcher and taught me how to butcher. My first was pigs. I don't mind butchering game, I am a meat eater so I must, besides I am a hunter too. I have people remark that hunting is cruel but I have tried vegetarianism and even veganism but after a point my body needed things only meat could give it. I know hunting can be a touchy subject but to me its much more than just the taking of game besides wild game is so much better for you.

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Offline _Brenda_

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #29 on: March 02, 2008, 11:43:19 am »
We raised and butchered some rabbits years ago. Then we couldn't eat them. :oops: Guest we are softies when it comes to fuzzy rabbits.

When I was a kid, we eat lots of wild rabbit and squirrel, because we were poor and dad was a hunter.  I have a hard time raising something and butchering it, though.
Brenda

Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #30 on: March 02, 2008, 01:25:04 pm »
We raised and butchered some rabbits years ago. Then we couldn't eat them. :oops: Guest we are softies when it comes to fuzzy rabbits.

When I was a kid, we eat lots of wild rabbit and squirrel, because we were poor and dad was a hunter.  I have a hard time raising something and butchering it, though.

9acres, I am a softy as well, and if I had to survive by eating animals I raised, well I wouldn't have a choice, but ordinarily, if I form an attachment with an animal don't even think about killing that animal in my presence or behind my back, you will be in trouble. I raised piglets for a short time a while back that were wild caught and I tried to find them a home where they wouldn't be slaughtered. I found a home for them but that lasted a yr and the people decided it was too difficult to keep up with them and slaughtered them. Called me to see if I wanted some of the meat, which I declined. There was no way, after all I had named them Cool Breeze and Little Girl. Will never forget those little pigs, I grew very attached to them. That was 20yrs ago.

....JP
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #31 on: March 03, 2008, 12:47:50 am »
Having spent the first 9 years of my life on a farm I was use to cooking meat so fresh it was still kicking.  The only animal we had that my brother and I refused to eat was a young steer our grandfather taught us to train as an ox.  We modified an old horse harness and that steer pulled us all over in a milk cart (for cans) turned chariot.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #32 on: March 03, 2008, 12:56:50 am »
Brian, yes, those old times, the things that we did as kids.....memories. beautiful and wonderful life wishes to us all.  Cindi
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Offline Beekissed

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #33 on: March 17, 2008, 11:24:25 pm »
We used to breed New Zealands for the children's 4-H fair animals and it was an experience.  For anyone wanting to buy young rabbits for eating, contact your local Extension Agent who should be able to give you a few names of kids in the county who raise rabbits.  To keep your rabbits producing well, one has to keep breeding them and if you don't eat them, well, that leaves an opportunity for selling to folks.  Also, the kids who have some for auction at the fair, more than likely have some at home for sale.  I have been butchering animals since I was old enough to heft an axe but I will tell you....rabbits are the hardest for me to kill!  Something about the clean white fur and the stuffed animal appearance.  It's not really an attachment to the animals as I find them about as dumb as chickens and most of them are not the friendliest animals.  Oh, sorry to all you chicken lovers....I love them too but I still feel the majority of them are sort of dumb.  If I could pay someone a dollar to kill each chicken, I'm afraid I would do it, also.  I'm not squeamish at all, but the mess and the time is well worth the money.  Not that I would trust the local slaughter house to kill and butcher in a clean manner!  But if someone came to my house and I could kick back in a lawn chair and watch the whole process while someone else did it.....well, THAT would be worth a dollar!!!   :-D
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Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #34 on: March 18, 2008, 07:01:51 am »
We used to breed New Zealands for the children's 4-H fair animals and it was an experience.  For anyone wanting to buy young rabbits for eating, contact your local Extension Agent who should be able to give you a few names of kids in the county who raise rabbits.  To keep your rabbits producing well, one has to keep breeding them and if you don't eat them, well, that leaves an opportunity for selling to folks.  Also, the kids who have some for auction at the fair, more than likely have some at home for sale.  I have been butchering animals since I was old enough to heft an axe but I will tell you....rabbits are the hardest for me to kill!  Something about the clean white fur and the stuffed animal appearance.  It's not really an attachment to the animals as I find them about as dumb as chickens and most of them are not the friendliest animals.  Oh, sorry to all you chicken lovers....I love them too but I still feel the majority of them are sort of dumb.  If I could pay someone a dollar to kill each chicken, I'm afraid I would do it, also.  I'm not squeamish at all, but the mess and the time is well worth the money.  Not that I would trust the local slaughter house to kill and butcher in a clean manner!  But if someone came to my house and I could kick back in a lawn chair and watch the whole process while someone else did it.....well, THAT would be worth a dollar!!!   :-D

I'm sorry but I find this post a little disturbing. Well, the end part anyway. I now am visualing these little chickens lining up single file at the chopping block while you are stitting back in your lawn chair sipping long island ice teas, paying a dollar a chop, to some axe murder to do your dirty deeds for you. The horror!!!

...JP
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Offline suprstakr

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #35 on: March 18, 2008, 07:46:28 am »
ooooo don't forget the blindfolds over theyr eyes  :-D

Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #36 on: March 18, 2008, 10:01:22 am »
ooooo don't forget the blindfolds over theyr eyes  :-D

Yeah Stakr, they probably got their beaks taped shut too!

...JP
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Offline ooptec

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #37 on: March 18, 2008, 10:40:20 am »
Boy, does no-one else find the irony in this thread??

cheers

peter

Offline Beekissed

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #38 on: March 18, 2008, 11:54:21 pm »
Oh, JP, sorry to offend your sensibilities!   :-D  yep, I would sit back and watch....just to make sure they were doing it to my specifications, you know!   :-*   :-D
"...he maketh me to lie down in green pastures..."

Offline JP

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Re: WHY YOU SHOULD BREED RABBITS FOR MEAT!
« Reply #39 on: March 19, 2008, 12:12:27 am »
Oh, JP, sorry to offend your sensibilities!   :-D  yep, I would sit back and watch....just to make sure they were doing it to my specifications, you know!   :-*   :-D

Oooh you're bad!!

...JP
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anything