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seaphish
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New Member
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Reged: 10/03/06
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Posts: 4
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Rabbits for meat and fur
10/03/06 08:09 PM
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Hello all,
I am interested in raising rabbits for meat and fur
I would like to be able to provide some meat for my family that does not come from a factory farm. We don't have the budget to buy organic meat and we are not inclined towards vegetarianism. I thought rabbits would be a good place to start.
I am interested in the skins because I am a knitter and sewer and I thought it might be fun to make mittens and socks and sweaters edged with rabbit fur. Does anyone have ideas for other cool rabbit fur projects?
What do people think about a good choice of rabbits for BOTH meat and fur?
My big bug-a-boo is trying to find the most merciful way to kill the rabbits. Rationally, I know that it is much better to raise an animal in a healthy environment and then kill it humanely than to buy factory farmed meat, but I did not grow up on a farm and have no experience with killing animals. I have dissected and skinned a fair number of critters so I don't feel to queasy about that part of the plan.
I have looked at a bunch of websites and have some ideas, but I would love to hear from anyone who has advice or suggestions.
Thanks!
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Bird
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 1694
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Loc: Corinth, TX, USA
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Re: Rabbits for meat and fur
[re: seaphish]
10/03/06 08:52 PM
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I grew up out in the country, hunting cottontails, jack rabbits, and swamp rabbits, but had never eaten domestic rabbit until I started raising them myself. And when I started, I really didn't know what I was doing. I started by building a hutch with 4 compartments, then bought a buck and two does. However, I found a good book on raising rabbits at the local Tractor Supply Co. store. I also joined the American Rabbit Breeders Association, a membership which also included a magazine with a lot of information. There are a lot of different rabbit breeds to choose from. Personally, I only raised New Zealand Whites which is one of the larger meat breeds.
I'm afraid commercial rabbit processing places are few and far between, and unless you are close to one, I doubt that you can ever make any money raising rabbits, but if you like the meat, as I and all my family do, then raising rabbits can be worthwhile.
I eventually bought rabbit cages from Tractor Supply Co. and had 15 cages, so I raised over 300 rabbits before I had to move back to town. I sold a few now and then to people who wanted them for meat, but there was usually no market for them in my area, except that I could sell everything I had to the feed stores the month or month and a half before Easter.
As for killing them, I never did like doing that, but I had a half or 5/8" heavy steel rod about a foot long and one sharp rap with that just at the base of the ears dispatched them very quickly, then I cut their throats with a sharp knife.
I did not find any market for the fur in my area and I never tried to tan or cure the hides myself.
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buck21
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Reged: 09/30/05
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Posts: 14
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Loc: ontario canada
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Re: Rabbits for meat and fur
[re: seaphish]
10/03/06 09:04 PM
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a far as dispatching them take a rod or broom handle and lay it on the neck stand on it with your feet pull on the rear legs thus snapping the neck offering a humane quick kill heres a website web page
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Bird
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 1694
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Loc: Corinth, TX, USA
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Re: Rabbits for meat and fur
[re: buck21]
10/04/06 07:35 AM
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Buck, that's the way we always killed chickens (pulled their heads off) when I was a kid, but I never tried it with a rabbit.
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Pat
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Reged: 09/15/02
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Posts: 4904
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Loc: SouthCentral Oklahoma
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Re: Rabbits for meat and fur
[re: Bird]
10/07/06 09:57 PM
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seaphish, Both my wife and I have rabbit fur hats, actually between us we have at least 5. They have flaps that unsnap from above your head and resnap below your chin. the rabbit fur is what contacts your ears and it is so very pleasant and warm. There are holes in the flaps that line up pretty well with your ear canal for decent hearing but there are smaller flaps with buttons to cover those holes for more extremen conditions.
There is also a fur covered flap to pull out from your forehead like a visor. I have expedition down parkas with down filled hoods but prefer a hat to a hood untill conditions force me to get more protection.
Oh... when I was a preschooler my mom raised rabbits in hutches and my sister and I used to feed them out of our hands. Of course we never ate rabbit, only chicken. Of course I do recall lots of drumsticks and NO WINGS when we were eating all that "chicken."
Pat
 Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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