Have You Ever Raised Meat Rabbits? (farm, water, chickens, good)
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I'm thinking about raising rabbits for meat this summer. I've raised rabbits before, so I already know how messy they are, how much care they need, etc. etc. What I raised before were dutch rabbits though. Not exactly your best choice for meat. What have you raised and what is your opinion on the best breed to raise for meat? If you have any pictures, all the better.
I raised Flemish Giants for a number of years until the neighbors rottweiler got in one night and killed 60 of them.
They were great, getting up to nearly 20 lbs, lots of meat with good flavor, but they take longer to fill out than the smaller rabbits. Very good disposition, the does were great mothers and very tolerant. If I get a more secure place to have them I would raise them again in a heartbeat.
I've had California Giants and New Zealand Giants, easier to raise, the does need more seperation to prevent them killing the litter. Kind of nervous. They finish fast, very productive so while not as big as the Flemish they have smaller bones.
California's and New Zealand's are easier to sell to processors.
Did not like the Checkered Giants I had, hard to handle, very difficult to keep them from killing the litters.
My brother had some Velvets that he liked, they were fine boned and didn't produce as much meat, but had pretty good dispositions to handle. If you want to use the skins, this is a very good rabbit for that purpose as the fur is very soft and fine with good color.
Rabbits are a great way to raise a lot of meat in a small space, and they don't make a lot of noise like chickens do.
You can get into them and out of them quickly as well. When we stopped breeding we would get 3 or 4 California or New Zeland does and a buck and raise them and a couple of litters through the summer, then process everything in the fall so we didn't have to try and keep them alive all winter. In Montana keeping water for them in sub zero temps can be difficult.
The manure is great for the garden and doesn't require composting.
They also serve as a good disposal for all your cuttings and waste from your garden.
Where I was raised, chickens and rabbits were considered mainstay meats. Electricity was periodic and one chicken or rabbit could be consumed in a meal. I don't remember what breed of rabbit, but they were large, white rabbits. The hides were rough cured and sold to a local man who prepared them further and shipped them in bales to a processor. White hides bought the best price. The hides didn't bring much, but it helped. The pellets went directly on the corn. Corn was a heavy feeder and the rabbit pellets didn't need to be composted first.
I was raised in the 50s and 60s. There wasn't a lot of money, but we lived in the country and raised most of our food. Every plant and animal on our farm was judged on its usefullness. Raising something for show was unheard of. The only luxury rabbits I remember were angoras. But . . . they had to be clipped (or brushed, I don't remember which), the fur collected and taken to a buyer. Since this entailed a trip into town to deliver the fur, not many people bothered with them. The price just wasn't great enough.
Had "Thumper stew" at a relatives while growing up, as they raised them for food.
They were really good, but I just can't get Thumper out of my mind. Logically, I have no problem being an omnivore. My heart tells me to be a vegetarian.
However, the taste-buds have won that battle - but I do stick to eating animals that come wrapped in foam and plastic.
We used to raise rabbits. The main doe was a pet and we played with her, the others were nameless. All of the babies were not named, or played with. After about 8 weeks, off they went.
I was lucky to live near a processing plant. For $1, they would kill and dress the rabbits and give them to me in a bag. They kept the pelts. They had a USDA inspector on site.
I don't remember the breed we had. I do know one of the does was a lop.
I prefer New Zelands or California's for raising, good weight when fryers, don't eat too much and durable for raising purposes not much problems with the kits either.
All this talk made me want some fried rabbit. Went to my local grocery - Rouses'. One was rabbit was $24.00. It's considered gourmet meat down here!!! Good thing I like fried chicken.
I'm thinking about raising rabbits for meat this summer. I've raised rabbits before, so I already know how messy they are, how much care they need, etc. etc. What I raised before were dutch rabbits though. Not exactly your best choice for meat. What have you raised and what is your opinion on the best breed to raise for meat? If you have any pictures, all the better.
Many years ago I, along with a few family members, raised American Blues and Whites. They have good temperament. The fur is the most beautiful and the meat very good, quite delectable in fact.
Rabbit is a high quality meat - higher than chicken. Eating rabbit meat was common when I was a kid so many people, particularly my European ancestors, knew of the benefits.
All this talk made me want some fried rabbit. Went to my local grocery - Rouses'. One was rabbit was $24.00. It's considered gourmet meat down here!!! Good thing I like fried chicken.
yeah, me too. Fried is excellent, but braised might be a little better. I would take either way right now.
No, I haven't but I understand they're one of the fast domesticated species to breed and grow to a harvestible size. The other one, which most Americans probably wouldn't think of, is guinea pig. Guinea pigs also grow very quickly, mature fast, and are commonly used as a meat animal in Peru by native groups. I hear the meat breeds can get up to 12 pounds in just a few months too so that's a fair amount of meat. I've eaten roast guinea pig at a Peruvian restaurant before and the texture of the meat was like rabbit but it was fattier and had a taste not unlike dark meat chicken.
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Aaaargh
