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Tell me about your meat rabbits

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26 May 2020, 19:31
Aspen Hill Adventures
Tell me about your meat rabbits
quote:
Originally posted by coues:
https://www.azgfd.com/rabbit-h...confirmed-in-arizona

We are seeing this here. I have seen several articles from around the country also.
coues
ds


That's bad news too. There is a vaccine but I do not believe it's available in the US yet. Hopefully that will change.

Best to practice good biosecurity.


~Ann





29 May 2020, 23:36
Aspen Hill Adventures
Butcher day today. I have an 80 YO neighbor who loves rabbit meat and offered to butcher for me. I happily agreed. He got one rabbit for payment.

These kits are just now 3.5 months old and the average weight was a bit over 3 pounds a piece dressed.




~Ann





03 June 2020, 22:09
Aspen Hill Adventures
Bone broth made out of the carcasses. I boned out the rabbits and will pressure can the meat and this broth in separate jars.

To make broth just put the carcasses in a crock pot, cover with water and let it simmer all night. Strain it before jarring it.




~Ann





04 June 2020, 07:42
coues
Enjoying this thread very much. Very helpful.
We canthe meatand broth from chickens and turkeys. We are going to add quail and ducks soon.
ds
coues
05 June 2020, 09:31
NormanConquest
I recall back when I was raising them that I had read in the Merke vet manual about not using wood for nesting boxes as they tend to chew on them + that was unavoidable + not good for their health, I'm not sure; a lot of folks do use wood boxes. I made mine out of sheet metal as well as my feeders, but since I have a sheet metal shop that was an easy fix.


Never mistake motion for action.
09 June 2020, 01:09
Aspen Hill Adventures
So far my rabbits have not bothered the nest boxes much while in the cages. I give them a lot of green twigs from live trees to chew on as well as fresh greens from around the property.

I remove the nests when weaning at 4 weeks.


~Ann





21 July 2020, 18:49
Aspen Hill Adventures
Getting ready to butcher another set of kits. They are three months old today. The kits out of my purebred silver fox are quite good sized but the kits out of my NZ doe are smaller so I will let those grow a few more weeks.

I will pressure can all of the meat and make broth from the skeletons and pressure can that too.


~Ann





22 July 2020, 01:46
Use Enough Gun
YUM! tu2
05 August 2020, 18:40
Aspen Hill Adventures
Butcher day has just passed for my second group of grow outs. There were 9 in total but I retained one purebred silver fox female for a breeder.

Dressed carcass weights at 3.5 months of age were:
3.78 pounds
3.83
3.55
4.08
4.38
4.02
3.97
4.25

Pretty good haul for 14 weeks of age.


~Ann





06 August 2020, 09:27
NormanConquest
Yes indeed! Seriously fine eating as well. I bone mine out into 'tenders' batter + fry. To die for with cream gravy.


Never mistake motion for action.
07 August 2020, 07:29
Use Enough Gun
quote:
I bone mine out into 'tenders' batter + fry. To die for with cream gravy.

I've got to try that Randy! tu2
07 August 2020, 09:20
NormanConquest
I make my batter w/ unbleached WW flour, black pepper, very little garlic, + cayenne pepper. After the soaking in the raw scrambled egg mixture, roll the pieces in the dry batter plate then fry in a cast-iron skillet. I use canola oil. I use Pioneer Farms gravy mix. I used to do everything from scratch when I was raising the boys but I've got lazy, besides theirs is pretty damned good + easy.


Never mistake motion for action.
07 August 2020, 18:21
Aspen Hill Adventures
quote:
Originally posted by NormanConquest:
I make my batter w/ unbleached WW flour, black pepper, very little garlic, + cayenne pepper. After the soaking in the raw scrambled egg mixture, roll the pieces in the dry batter plate then fry in a cast-iron skillet. I use canola oil. I use Pioneer Farms gravy mix. I used to do everything from scratch when I was raising the boys but I've got lazy, besides theirs is pretty damned good + easy.


That sounds pretty good.

I canned five quarts yesterday, basically four of those rabbits are in jars. I'll finish them up today. I will be set for rabbit meat for a long, long time. All the current grow outs will get sold as will the next litters until I need more for my pantry. I'll more than likely sell them butchered at $6 a pound, maybe more. That will pay the feed bill.

Chicken on the left, rabbit on the right.




~Ann