Love it! I am so happy we started our rabbitry last year. I haven't bough chicken in ages, and I know what we are putting into our bodies. I think rabbits are the most amazing little animals, so useful, easy to take care of. I can't say enough good things about rabbits. My daughter just showed in our county stock show this weekend, and she was the only kid who had ever eaten rabbit! She was educating so many people about how nutritious it is. Proud mama moment for sure.
Spot on Bobby. It is sooo sad that we have become so disconnected from where our meat comes from , and how it gets into the stores. I fear that as more people start raising rabbits , a already over regulated practice will become even more regulated. Let's face it if more people start raising rabbits the more the farm industry will push for more regulations on self sustaining practices. We already have to be in fear that someone who thinks rabbits are only for pets will turn us in for one reason or another. Especially in more urban areas. Thank you for another great video.
Oh, Steve, your comment reminded me of a conversation with a cashier when I bought a kiddie pool for my ducks. She was appalled that I planned to put them in my freezer. Have you ever priced a roasting duck ??? I'd never had duck because I couldn't afford it. Now I can enjoy duck tacos any day I choose. We've also put a 500# pig in the freezer along with several roosters. We look at our breeding stock as the pets, but most of the progeny are destined for freezers. We go by the idea that every animal should only have 1 bad day, so up until that day they have a pretty good life.
@@sheiladuncan1027 My breeding stock are my emotional support animals. They are BUNNIES. Their offspring are rabbits. And rabbits are for eating. I can hang a bear or dear from the tree in my yard and everybody is like GOOD JOB. I had a neighbor walk by when my buddy and I got back from rabbit hunting and were pulling some rabbits out of the box. He said " hose are some good looking rabbits" . If he knew I raised rabbits he would be the first to start trouble. If I could have found rabbit in our stores here I would have just bought it. But they never have it. Nothing like a quality low cholesterol high protien meat for someone with heart disease.
We started raising meat rabbits 2 years ago along with our own chickens, geese and heritage breed turkeys. My biggest issue is finding enough recipes for non-mainstream meats. I would so buy a homestead cookbook with plenty of meal and food preservation recipes.
@@TheRabbitryCenter Love the "rise and shine" rabbitry website. I understand ppl having some difficulty using rabbit in recipes. Yes it sort of tastes like chicken, but does not really cook the same. I went through lots of failed recipes, but ultimately found what works for us. Rabbit does well in a salty brine or marinade (4-24hrs) especially if BBQing. I use all cut up saddles for either BBQ or shake and bake oven style pieces (don't brine). All back legs as either braised in oven, stew meat, fast fried and browned and cut up in casseroles etc. All belly flap sides are saved for grind and used in pasta etc. All front legs are used as soup or stew meat and "wings" on the BBQ. Liver and kidneys eaten within a few days. Just fry them in butter or you can bread them and then fry. Everything else including rib cage, neck, trimmings, bones, etc. are dog food which I freeze and dish out small portions to the dog every few days.
Nikki over at Sprague River Homestead has just released a Rabbit cookbook! Check her out! Great CZcams channel. Next to Bobby, she’s my only other go-to for rabbit information.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours. I grew up on a farm raising and processing beef, chicken, and pork. As an adult i live in the suburbs and raise rabbits and quail. Even though this is something i have done my entire life I can honestly say I still absolutely hate butchering days. It never gets easier for me taking the animals life that I have raised. BUT...I have always had a great appreciation for where my food comes from. I will not waste any meat because of that appreciation I have for the animal that provided it and I think that is lost on so many people.
Thank you, Bobby! This has been a crazy couple of years for sure. We also started raising rabbits to feed our family. We even built hutches from your free plans on your website! Anyone interested, I point to your channel. Thanks for the quality, no-nonsense videos! They have helped us so much.
I appreciated your video on dispatching. I had a bad experience with the hopper popper and found the broom stick method was easier and faster for me. I appreciated having that idea in my head when processing day came and the first dispatch went bad. I was able to continue with my work and I am so grateful. Thanks for taking the time to do these videos. I have raised animals my whole life, but rabbits for less than a year. I really enjoy your videos and the knowledge you share!
We are middle class professional family. Bought some land in rural Oregon and 2 years in started a homestead. We do meat rabbits, laying hens, meat ducks. Next year were getting a few sheep and pigs. We are so over shopping for meat at stores. Having livestock teaches our kids to appreciate where their meals come from and shows them how to butcher/cook an animal if they ever get stuck in the wilderness.
I have some family who thinks it's disturbing that we raise our own meat. But of course they eat meat from the store. I understand that there is a disconnect to the meat you eat from the store. There is a change in perspective seeing animals as food vs. pets when you raise meat for increased self sufficiency.
I get hate too. I just keep trucking on and let the pet people allow. Infact I'm enjoy a bowl of rabbit and bean soup. I also learn the lesson to never ever let anyone at my home to pick up. I now only meet at a gas station or store. Never give out my address. Peta people are insane.
As a poultry (chicken) farmer I have an insight into the growing process. I have a 1.47 feed conversion rate most of the time because these birds have been breed to be efficient. There are no antibiotics in the feed and of course no steriods. The cost to so would be astronomical. I raise 86,000 birds and get them to 4 to 4.5 lbs in 35days. I also have a small rabbitry in my barn. I grow NZ and Rex. My family loves rabbit meat and also chicken. Both are nutritional and safe to eat. I can't speak for other farms but I know that we produce quality meat. Love the videos!
Love your videos. Built 4 cages this weekend getting ready to start my own little rabbitry. It's something I've been thinking about for years, watching your videos made me pull the trigger. Thanks for showing what it takes to raise and care for your animals. Any advice for getting the wife onboard. She gets the concept but is having trouble with the dirty part of making "the cutest animal ever" into food. I grew up processing everything from a squirrel to whitetail deer. She didn't live that kind of life. I tried to explain that we love the animal want it to live its best life but it has a purpose.
Hey mate just keep moving forward, keep watching positive videos like this in front of her. Keep speaking about the health, earth and monetary benefits. Keep telling her how similar it is to chicken, almost indistinguishable. Always be positive about it, be firm but not over the top and never negative or angry about it. Most importantly you will probs get one chance of her trying it so MAKE SURE it is tasty when you first do it. I made a Butter rabbit out of some big juicy rabbit back steaks. She tried it and hasn't looked back mate!!! Best of luck
I really enjoy my rabbits! Let me say that first. Teach your wife to learn to handle the rabbits and the rabbit chores if she’s willing. This may be the negative way to go about it but eventually she will see/experience that not all rabbits are “the cutest”. I have one right now that I was thinking of keeping but several times she has gladly offered to take a chunk out of my arm, including this afternoon! My sweatshirt and knowing she was out to get me is the only reason I just have a bruise and not a hole in my arm. I need to mention that this is a junior doe that is Not protecting kits! I have another doe with kits. She’s not crazy about being handled but she doesn’t routinely attack either. She has turned out to be “Bunzilla” Mom but I know where she’s coming from. If I need to do a head count/kit check I just remove her from the cage for few minutes and all is well. Breeding for personality is part of my program. That being said, they are not ever going to be cuddly like cats or dogs. Soft, beautiful? Yes, but rabbits are not to be reckoned with! Give them a good life, pet them and talk to them everyday if you can, and then there will only be a few bad minutes at the end of their life. Women can do this! I know, I am one.
My husband talked about rabbits for YEARS before I was ready. I knew I could overcome it though. I watched lots of videos of processing various animals. Good luck!
Dude you are at almost 25K? Dangggggggg... Brobthe editing the information and the way you are a natural talking to a camera. Well done. Glad to see you. 👍👊💪
Thanks Bobby! My family loves your videos and once we get our rabbit habit in order and get decent at that we have your other channel to work through. You are a shining example of good American living :)
Got our first rabbits in 2020 and had a really hard time finding meat type rabbits. Took what we could find which was nzw x Californian and spent the first year select breeding for meat to bone ratios. And to find the sweet spot age to butcher. I’m extremely impressed with how fast rabbits respond to meat type trait improvements vs other stock like goats or chickens. Even starting with f2 and f3 hybrids like we had to. As more people start breeding for food I’m hoping the traits in breeds like NZW will be restored. Pet breeding has really impacted that breed. Hard to find ones to standard let alone with a decent mtb ratio anymore.
People forget that our supply chain can be interrupted at any moment! We are noticing some of that now! Thank you so much for pointing all this out! Very well done!
That is the reason I have raised chickens and rabbits for years. Sold extra instead of processing. But always keep breeding stock so i can feed my family when needed.
What a fantastic video. I started selling my rabbits this winter because people were suffering from the meat shortage. Advertised that they could stop depending on the grocery store and raise their own meat. I sold rabbits this way!! It's so great to see people becoming more motivated to produce their own food. My 4 year old and 18 month old love rabbit, and it's the best feeling to see your family eating straight out of the backyard. I managed to get my dad to switch to rabbits; he'll be culling his chickens this spring and start on rabbits. I'm so excited for rabbits to finally be gaining some traction. I refer everyone who's interested in starting a rabbitry to your channel because to be honest, you're the best there is on CZcams. Thanks for all you do, Bobby.
We do have enough meat to it - But i'd rather grow my own because #1 it seems better and #2 what happens if we don't have enough meat to eat in the future? The time to start is now, not tomorrow.
I enjoy growing my own and hunting for venison. It feels good to know where it comes from and most importantly it’s been prepared correctly from the start. Thanks for commenting!
Great video! Gotta say, the supply chain issues and empty shelves ought to speak for themselves these days. Nobody should be asking "don't we have enough meat?" after the last couple of years. The pandemic and lockdowns have exposed just how fragile our supply chain is and just how close we are at any given moment to not being able to feed our families if something goes wrong. You would think all of this should have inspired everyone to start at least a garden if they're able, or at least put some shelf-stable supplies back in case times get tough. I haven't gotten into rabbits yet. We have chickens, ducks, geese, pigs and goats right now. I've been thinking that rabbits might be a good option to look into, though.
I agree, and not only that but its something I think the kids should know so we can pass it down for generations to come. We never know what comes ahead so it's better to teach our kids to be as self sufficient as possible and keep it going. I have been rasing rabbits for some time now but with all the knowledge you guys give I feel like I will have higher success rates and fewer losses. I'm super excited to try the kindling totes this spring and for all my next litters to come. ☺️👍
My mother used to keep rabbits and make the most AMAZING stews out of them. But she always allowed the meat to rest a day out of the fridge in a cool room. She said that it allowed the muscles to relax and the meat would be more tender. This makes sense to me. All meat should be allowed this resting period.
my mom worked at a grocery store for 10 years and someone asked where they got their meat they said _______ producer/farm and they responded with "you don't just make it in the back?" my mother actually cried when she got home, and I probably would have to.
This is one of the main reasons we chose to start the lifestyle we are living - we are dedicated to producing our own and teaching our families the health benefits. I grew up eating rabbit and didn't know at the time how healthy it was. Their leanness, taste, and time/cost of raising them made them our first choice for meat on our homestead. Thanks for sharing this for others to learn :)
My kids (6 and 8) are crazy for rabbit livers and kidneys. My 6 yr old daughter always wants to help out processing rabbits and chickens. She feels like it's her duty to observe the full cycle... I hope she will raise her own one day!
Been a butcher for twenty years. We have PLENTY of meat to eat..what we DON'T have is trained people to process the food, in the manner Americans desire. House wives used to be able to eight way a chicken. Make soup from gizzards and liver. Nowadays they want a "Cutlet, Trimmed."
Thanks again Bobby. I’ve learned so much over the last 6 months from you. My latest liter of 8 New Zealand/ Silver Fox cross are so beautiful and growing like crazy.
We have raised 2 litters of rabbits now. I enjoy raising them most out of our chicken, pork, and rabbit! The meat is amazing; their personalities are sweet, and its so easy on a small plot.
I'm a new subscriber. Good to find your channel. A lot of people may not be able to process all those facts you communicated in your video - much less process a rabbit. GREAT video! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your content.
We began raising poultry & rabbits when the children were teenagers but wished we started when they were young as they didn't want to be a part of it. Bobby, I pressure can rabbit meat and it's very tender. Some were canned in homemade BBQ sauce and others in water and herbs which created a tasty broth. Like chicken the meat can be infused to taste how you'd like. As always, thank you for sharing your knowledge ~ Kate
Hey Bobby, thanks for all the information you provide for us on this channel! I was wondering if you could do a video on addressing the pee of rabbits. What I mean is our rabbits piss on everything! Lol, On the hey, Pellet feeder, in they're nest boxes and in the water bowls! It's so nasty and creates a time consuming thing to clean up the mess. Thanks again buddy and you should come down to deer hunt with me sometime !
@shameless716 fortunately I have rarely experienced any problems like you have described. My first question would be, how big are your cages? Second, what if any, stresses do your rabbits have to cope with? Rabbits are generally not dirty animals. 🤔🤔🤔 How many males do you keep? Is the peeing a problem with your females too?
@@jeanettehaygood4154 Our cages are 3 foot squares, our rabbits are absolutely spoiled, we spend time petting them every day and some love the attention and 1 just really couldn't care less. Outside we have 2 bucks, 2 does all in separate cages with cozy boxes to get into if they want. 1 male seems to only use the bathroom in his box, like a litter box, crazy! One of our females pissed on her feeder so badly that it started to corrode and we had to change it out for a plastic one. Also had to put barriers in between each cage because they were pissing on each other so badly they were discolored! They are side by side not over top one another, fyi. These rabbits couldn't have it any better so there's no stress.
@@shameless716 rabbits are generally quite particular about where they urinate and defecate. However, some are quite territorial as well. Your buck - remove the box completely. He doesn’t need it but obviously prefers that corner to do his business. Doe + feeder. She much prefers that spot as hers. Get a brand new feeder and put it in a different spot, or feed her from a bowl. Rabbits (most!) will typically pick one spot as their potty 🚽 and rarely (almost never!) use more than that one one spot. Hope this helps!
I just finally got around to butchering 18 young roosters. Even with a plucker it was a job. I put it off too long. I haven't raised rabbits in years but every time I butcher almost anything I think back to when I did. My does would have 6 or 8 young and it took about 6 minutes each to do the litter. In the time it took to heat the scalding water I can do the whole litter.
After a 20 yr absence i finially retired and love to raise them for meat and manure compost for my garden. I have a buck and three does and have so many in my freezer i give them to people that like them cause i dont havr any more freezer space. We make everything out of rabbits that you can make out of chicken.
Hey Bobby. We recently started a little rabbitry and I have benefited greatly from your knowledge so thank you. Do you know of any forums or places I can get more meat rabbit info? Thanks
Join Facebook rabbit groups there’s several. I haven’t found one that I didn’t like lots of good information just search meat rabbits answer a couple questions it won’t take long and you’ll be a member getting rabbit question answers. Thanks for watching!
Nikki over at Sprague River Homestead is my only other go-to besides Bobby for rabbit information on CZcams! She has also just released a brand new cookbook.
Unfortunately not everybody knows the benefits of rabbit meat. There’s some folks that aren’t concerned about eating a healthier meat. These people aren’t concerned about the other meat choices in the stores. If it comes from a cute animal they’re not interested. If they’re inexperienced in raising livestock or farming I don’t expect them to understand. But I’ll be here if or when they get interested. Thanks for watching!
The thing with letting meat "rest" is not so much about the taste, but more about the bite. All warm blooded animals go through rigor mortis upon death. The meat needs to rest, chilled, not frozen, until it limbers up again. A fresh killed, cooked immediately rabbit, will be tough stringy, and be a less pleasurable meal.
@blessed homestead, for most small game or livestock, 12 to 24 hours is good. What is happening is the glycogen in the muscle cells is still reacting causing the muscles to tense up. Most of us have heard a story about someone's grandmother killing a rooster in the morning and cooking it for lunch. Folks always talk about how tough and stringy it was and swear off eating yardbirds.
@@ronbrendag7131 I can not tell the difference. I have tried this many times over 10 years of rabbit raising. One thing that does make a huge difference is age. A 8-10 week rabbit is the tenderest no matter what, whereas a 12-16 week old is still good but noticeably tougher and a mature buck? Forgot about it. No amount of resting will tenderize him. They are like chewing hide.
Here is a fact, the beef you buy in the store is more than likely raised in another country but as long as it is processed in the country it can be considered a product of the United States even though most of the imported beef are only alive for a few hours once getting cleared to be in the country. But still nothing beats grain finished beef. Just buy local and support real USA farmers, also I would stay away from pel freeze they are rip offs.
Thank you for sharing Are you referring to beef or a certain meat? Big productions will charge a premium price. Some folks raising rabbits will practically give their meat away at cost they don’t need to charge as much is a big production but they do need to find a happy medium. Thanks for watching!
@@TheRabbitryCenter you was talking a little about grass fed so I assumed you meant beef, so I figured I would add that most beef in stores is not local to the United States. And yes people gotta find the right price for rabbits, I was once looking at it commercially, well small scale only producing 100 fryers per week and 2.25lb for a 5lb fryer, with every thing figured down to a T, turned a pretty good profit. But then somebody decided they could do it for 1.50 and the offer I got for 2.25 was gone. I will eat rabbits before giving them away hahah, and I do like watching your channel when I have the time, I guess I should check to make sure I am subscribed, also am thinking about watching the bee channel as I keep bees and I like seeing different ways people do it.
1 thing that I think alot of people are misinformed about rabbit meat is its hard to cook, and that is a lie. I can't cook, you would be hard pressed to find anyone that would be worse at cooking than myself, lol. But I decided the other day to fry up 1 of the latest groups of rabbits I finished out, and all I did was put flour on it and put it in a fryin pan and it actually tasted good, and was edible, which surprised me, considering how horrible I am at cooking anything. I also let this last group of rabbits get much older than normal, they were probably over 5 months old, and it was very tender. Seems most rabbit farmers like to butcher in that 12 to 14 week range, but while this last batch of rabbits had more fat on them, there was also more meat and with me not knowing how to cook the meat was still tender and tasted good. This last group was a Silver Fox/ Palomino crossbreed of mine. I raise those crossbreds as well as purebred Silver Foxes, and I guess the Silver Fox is considered a endangered breed, which is one reason why I started my herd with them, and I also heard that back in the day that breed was considered a delicacy so maybe that is why it tasted so good, despite me sucking at cooking, lol.
Excellent video. Thank you! Can you do a video (or know of a video/resource) that explains how to breed rabbits to get better rabbits? As in, how do you improve your stock? Appreciate all the videos ❤️
Well what are your goals? Healthy rabbits? different color rabbits? better looking rabbits for judges. Selling rabbits? If it’s just a healthy production I would choose offspring from your favorite rabbits that produce well big litters good moms very few losses that’s a great start. Here’s a video that shares more czcams.com/video/slUWEtLa01Y/video.html
Your information is usually spot on but you missed it on one point. Chickens are NOT fed hormones. They are fed antibiotics and other medications but it is illegal in this country to feed hormones to hogs, chickens or other fowl, dairy cattle or veal calves. Hormones are allowed in beef cattle. Modern meat chickens extreme growth rate is the result of many generations of controlled breeding for the best genetics and decades of feed R&D. That plus commercially raised and processed chicken contains a lot of water which adds weight and makes tasteless meat with no texture.
I like raising rabbits for meat, but have to say that, especially in a difficult future, being low in calories and fat is not going to be an advantage for rabbit meat.
And I totally agree that the kids should be involved. One of the earliest pictures of me shows me sitting on the end of an improvised table outside while my mother dealt with a pile of caribou meat (I grew up in Alaska). I was about two, and she'd parked me there so she could keep an eye on me. Keep it matter-of-fact, explain what you are doing and why, and the kids should be just fine.
I am interested in doing this and have never had rabbits before. Do you have a great place to go to start? Like what housing to use, diet for them, where to get your initial stock, etc.
If you were to go into the search engine of CZcams and type in The Rabbitry Center cages-hutches-where to find rabbits-feeding- you’ll find videos to help you. If you’re interested in raising rabbits Be sure to subscribe so you get our videos when they’re uploaded- thanks for watching!
Hello my friend...!!!i'm from Greece and i also raise rabbits for meat...for many years..!!!i want to give you a small tip if you want to try next time that you are proccesing rabbits...!!!when you have already kill the rabbit and you hung it up....make a small cut in the middle of his back so you can put 2 fingers of each hand and just pull apart...first to the side of head and then to the back leag...!!!like that you proccesing a whole rabbit less than 30 seconds...and if you are 2 persons each pulling from one side you can make it in 20 seconds..!!!the only bad thing on this way is that you can't keep the skin for other use...!!!
I would love to start growing my own meat but I don't think i can eat rabbit. Had a pair as a pet and i think they are just way too cute to be eaten 😂 Hoping to raise my own geese duck and chicken when i have enough space
Just curious, where did you find these numbers? I'm doing my own in-depth research and I keep getting conflicting percentages due to Wild and domestic rabbit nutritional differences.
Also are you to young to have been around for y2k? We had shortages and empty store shelves back then, I was only 13 when the year 2000 turned but I remember shelves being empty
Did you see our different ways video? czcams.com/video/Zl6hPH9p1RU/video.html I quarter my rabbits so I don’t use the bruised area by the neck-the front quarters still look pretty good.
@@TheRabbitryCenter we feel we can feed our rabbits easier than chickens if feed is hard to get. We have barter power with the hides, meat and offspring. As retired folks we can manage the care better. Chicken pooh is like cement lol. We are building an aging self sufficient lifestyle. We are blessed with a yr round stream and the Colville National Forest bordering our property. We have rex for fur and cinnamons for meat and some fur.
I want to ask a question about pellets. I was told that pellets are compressed chopped up hay. So why does everyone insist on pellets when you feed hay. You can add some other things like veggies to add to the nutrition. I don’t get it. The feed companies us such propaganda I’m not sure what to believe any more. Can you suggest written information I can read? Please help. 🐇
Rabbit pellet contains a good amount of alfalfa. Despite what you may have heard the pellet is a balanced diet that contains all the nutrition a Rabbits needs. It was created by livestock nutritionist. It’s an expensive convenience but has been created so rabbit raisers don’t t have to work as hard as they once did to provide nutrition rabbits need to Kindle and raise big litters. It’s possible to raise your rabbits without pellet but you’d want to provide a variety of nutrition. Here’s a video to show you some things we feed other than pellet. czcams.com/video/dTWFHLbh6hs/video.html
Funny im on the carnivore diet so I want as much fat and protein I can get. More fat the healthier it is. I like rabbit meat though. Do do hatch my own chickens for the table.
Our prices fluctuate depending on the rabbit. More info on our website rabbitrycenter.com. Here’s a video to help you make money with your rabbits czcams.com/video/cbaUEFHoYv0/video.html
Can i share your video? I raise rabbit in our backyard for meat but folks/people here don't have the courage to kill rabbit for meat (most have open mind to eat but less courage to kill) "including the local butcher who don't want to kill the rabbit"
Your "chart" @ 2:33 - the numbers don't add up. I'm guessing the calories are per pound and the protein and fat are per 4 ounces, but even that would be off (a little) on all of them. BTW - they've massively backed down on the whole "fat causes heart issues" rhetoric over the past 10 years or so, including the American Heart Association. Healthy fats, like from nearly every meat source, do not attribute to heart issues (they thought it was bad for hearts based off of results from one flawed study from back in the 1950s - you read that correctly, ONE flawed study from 65+ years ago). Otherwise, it was a good video.
As a trained and licensed medical provider I must argue that your conclusions about animal fats are incorrect. I am specialized to treat cardiac disease. A key risk factor is the amount animal fat and cholesterol found in animals bought at the local supermarket. The sole healthy meat that is readily available is fish and there some concerns about certain fish and pregnant females. The true cost of we buy in grocery store isn’t recognized either. The environmental effects of corporate livestock farming are enormous. Why rabbits..? with the exception of initial start up costs (mainly cages and watering systems) you can feed a small rabbitry from plants growing naturally in your yard providing you don’t use herbicides or pesticides. If you search the FDA for rabbit fat and cholesterol content in comparison to other meat sources you can see that rabbits are much leaner and less cholesterol laden. Your body doesn’t need to consume cholesterol. It makes its own. The cells in animals are constructed largely of cholesterol. Some fats are necessary and animal is not one of them. The only part of rabbits that cannot be used (by me anyway) is their urine. I put the excrement directly out the rabbits and on to my plants. So the environmental cost is nearly zero. It’s good practice to do research before you denigrate someone especially if you don’t know what your talking about. RED MEAT IS A DIRECT CONTRIBUTOR to HEART DISEASE any other conclusions are not true. I am sure your mother’s cousin had a friend who was a “dietitian” said that beef isn’t a source of heart disease. Take the time to read for yourself and don’t be lazy with your health.
In my experience, the meat would be too lean for burgers. Our favorite rabbit sandwich is to grind the COOKED meat. I then heat it in a saucepan with enough chicken broth (bouillon works well) & seasonings to make it nicely moist & serve on buttered buns. We love it; by far my daughter's favorite meat. God bless!
@@merryanneadair4451 You could add fat when grinding rabbit. It's common to add pork or beef fat when grinding deer and moose meat. I would try adding chicken or some other poultry fat to ground rabbit. Look at some rabbit sausage recipes to see if they add fat to the meat.
@@zone4garlicfarm thank you. I do add some pork fat when I make rabbit sausage, but for the hot sandwich meat I don't. Don't know why I never thought of using chicken fat with it, I always save the fat when I butcher chickens. Render it & use it to make cookies! Thanks again!!
That’s correct. I believe you’re referring to protein poisoning. You will need to eat more than rabbits which isn’t a problem for most folks so it’s not something you need to worry too much about as long as your eating a variety of different things. Thanks for commenting!
Rabbit is a good meat animal. Just remember to keep some variety. You can starve eating rabbit alone because they are so lean. It killed allot of people in the old days before folks figured out what was happening.
Thanks for watching. Absolutely variety is key. Your referring to protein poisoning. Which isn’t a problem as long as you eat other meats and foods which most people are doing.
@@goneracin2285 I keep hearing ppl suggesting protein poisoning is something to be concerned about. I understand how this works but it seems almost like you'd have to actually try to do it for it to work. Domestic rabbits actually have some amount of fat on them, although I am not a fan of rabbit fat. Wild rabbit for sure, has next to no fat and you'd likely have to eat nothing but that for a few weeks and then yes you might end up with protein poisoning.
@@mylesfalconer9183 I absolutely agree. It's just something to watch out for. Even the most nutritious food on the planet doesn't have everything we need in it. And in hard times even the rabbits could get skinny. Every body needs the same essential nutrients. 60 minerals, 2-3 essential fatty acids, 16 vitamins, and 12 amino acids. Plus probiotics/prebiotics for gut health and nutrient absorption.
Love it! I am so happy we started our rabbitry last year. I haven't bough chicken in ages, and I know what we are putting into our bodies. I think rabbits are the most amazing little animals, so useful, easy to take care of. I can't say enough good things about rabbits. My daughter just showed in our county stock show this weekend, and she was the only kid who had ever eaten rabbit! She was educating so many people about how nutritious it is. Proud mama moment for sure.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and thanks for watching
Same here.. We started our rabbitry last year. Now enjoying their meats alternate with our chickens. So relaxing raising these cuties! 🙂
Spot on Bobby. It is sooo sad that we have become so disconnected from where our meat comes from , and how it gets into the stores.
I fear that as more people start raising rabbits , a already over regulated practice will become even more regulated. Let's face it if more people start raising rabbits the more the farm industry will push for more regulations on self sustaining practices. We already have to be in fear that someone who thinks rabbits are only for pets will turn us in for one reason or another. Especially in more urban areas.
Thank you for another great video.
Oh, Steve, your comment reminded me of a conversation with a cashier when I bought a kiddie pool for my ducks. She was appalled that I planned to put them in my freezer. Have you ever priced a roasting duck ??? I'd never had duck because I couldn't afford it. Now I can enjoy duck tacos any day I choose. We've also put a 500# pig in the freezer along with several roosters. We look at our breeding stock as the pets, but most of the progeny are destined for freezers. We go by the idea that every animal should only have 1 bad day, so up until that day they have a pretty good life.
@@sheiladuncan1027 My breeding stock are my emotional support animals. They are BUNNIES. Their offspring are rabbits. And rabbits are for eating.
I can hang a bear or dear from the tree in my yard and everybody is like GOOD JOB. I had a neighbor walk by when my buddy and I got back from rabbit hunting and were pulling some rabbits out of the box. He said " hose are some good looking rabbits" . If he knew I raised rabbits he would be the first to start trouble.
If I could have found rabbit in our stores here I would have just bought it. But they never have it.
Nothing like a quality low cholesterol high protien meat for someone with heart disease.
@@stevesadnick204 I did find rabbit in a store here in KY. Product of China. I didn't buy any.
We started raising meat rabbits 2 years ago along with our own chickens, geese and heritage breed turkeys. My biggest issue is finding enough recipes for non-mainstream meats. I would so buy a homestead cookbook with plenty of meal and food preservation recipes.
Try “rise and shine”rabbitry website for rabbit recipes and pelfreez website has some good recipes too
@@TheRabbitryCenter Love the "rise and shine" rabbitry website. I understand ppl having some difficulty using rabbit in recipes. Yes it sort of tastes like chicken, but does not really cook the same. I went through lots of failed recipes, but ultimately found what works for us. Rabbit does well in a salty brine or marinade (4-24hrs) especially if BBQing. I use all cut up saddles for either BBQ or shake and bake oven style pieces (don't brine). All back legs as either braised in oven, stew meat, fast fried and browned and cut up in casseroles etc. All belly flap sides are saved for grind and used in pasta etc. All front legs are used as soup or stew meat and "wings" on the BBQ. Liver and kidneys eaten within a few days. Just fry them in butter or you can bread them and then fry. Everything else including rib cage, neck, trimmings, bones, etc. are dog food which I freeze and dish out small portions to the dog every few days.
@@TheRabbitryCenter Thank you! They do have some good new recipes.
Nikki over at Sprague River Homestead has just released a Rabbit cookbook! Check her out! Great CZcams channel. Next to Bobby, she’s my only other go-to for rabbit information.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours. I grew up on a farm raising and processing beef, chicken, and pork. As an adult i live in the suburbs and raise rabbits and quail. Even though this is something i have done my entire life I can honestly say I still absolutely hate butchering days. It never gets easier for me taking the animals life that I have raised. BUT...I have always had a great appreciation for where my food comes from. I will not waste any meat because of that appreciation I have for the animal that provided it and I think that is lost on so many people.
Thanks for taking the time to share you experience. I appreciate it.
Thank you, Bobby! This has been a crazy couple of years for sure. We also started raising rabbits to feed our family. We even built hutches from your free plans on your website! Anyone interested, I point to your channel. Thanks for the quality, no-nonsense videos! They have helped us so much.
That means a lot I’m so glad you find the videos helpful -thank you for commenting!
I appreciated your video on dispatching. I had a bad experience with the hopper popper and found the broom stick method was easier and faster for me. I appreciated having that idea in my head when processing day came and the first dispatch went bad. I was able to continue with my work and I am so grateful. Thanks for taking the time to do these videos. I have raised animals my whole life, but rabbits for less than a year. I really enjoy your videos and the knowledge you share!
Thank you so much for watching and sharing!
We are middle class professional family. Bought some land in rural Oregon and 2 years in started a homestead. We do meat rabbits, laying hens, meat ducks. Next year were getting a few sheep and pigs.
We are so over shopping for meat at stores. Having livestock teaches our kids to appreciate where their meals come from and shows them how to butcher/cook an animal if they ever get stuck in the wilderness.
So true! Thanks for watching!
I have some family who thinks it's disturbing that we raise our own meat. But of course they eat meat from the store. I understand that there is a disconnect to the meat you eat from the store. There is a change in perspective seeing animals as food vs. pets when you raise meat for increased self sufficiency.
I get hate too. I just keep trucking on and let the pet people allow. Infact I'm enjoy a bowl of rabbit and bean soup.
I also learn the lesson to never ever let anyone at my home to pick up. I now only meet at a gas station or store. Never give out my address. Peta people are insane.
As a poultry (chicken) farmer I have an insight into the growing process. I have a 1.47 feed conversion rate most of the time because these birds have been breed to be efficient. There are no antibiotics in the feed and of course no steriods. The cost to so would be astronomical. I raise 86,000 birds and get them to 4 to 4.5 lbs in 35days. I also have a small rabbitry in my barn. I grow NZ and Rex. My family loves rabbit meat and also chicken. Both are nutritional and safe to eat. I can't speak for other farms but I know that we produce quality meat. Love the videos!
That’s a lot of birds! Sounds like you run a great setup thank you for watching and
Thank you for sharing!
Love your videos. Built 4 cages this weekend getting ready to start my own little rabbitry. It's something I've been thinking about for years, watching your videos made me pull the trigger. Thanks for showing what it takes to raise and care for your animals. Any advice for getting the wife onboard. She gets the concept but is having trouble with the dirty part of making "the cutest animal ever" into food. I grew up processing everything from a squirrel to whitetail deer. She didn't live that kind of life. I tried to explain that we love the animal want it to live its best life but it has a purpose.
Hey mate just keep moving forward, keep watching positive videos like this in front of her. Keep speaking about the health, earth and monetary benefits. Keep telling her how similar it is to chicken, almost indistinguishable. Always be positive about it, be firm but not over the top and never negative or angry about it.
Most importantly you will probs get one chance of her trying it so MAKE SURE it is tasty when you first do it. I made a Butter rabbit out of some big juicy rabbit back steaks. She tried it and hasn't looked back mate!!! Best of luck
@@Damienggj do you happen to want to share that recipe? ;)
I really enjoy my rabbits! Let me say that first. Teach your wife to learn to handle the rabbits and the rabbit chores if she’s willing. This may be the negative way to go about it but eventually she will see/experience that not all rabbits are “the cutest”. I have one right now that I was thinking of keeping but several times she has gladly offered to take a chunk out of my arm, including this afternoon! My sweatshirt and knowing she was out to get me is the only reason I just have a bruise and not a hole in my arm. I need to mention that this is a junior doe that is Not protecting kits!
I have another doe with kits. She’s not crazy about being handled but she doesn’t routinely attack either. She has turned out to be “Bunzilla” Mom but I know where she’s coming from. If I need to do a head count/kit check I just remove her from the cage for few minutes and all is well. Breeding for personality is part of my program. That being said, they are not ever going to be cuddly like cats or dogs. Soft, beautiful? Yes, but rabbits are not to be reckoned with! Give them a good life, pet them and talk to them everyday if you can, and then there will only be a few bad minutes at the end of their life. Women can do this! I know, I am one.
My husband talked about rabbits for YEARS before I was ready. I knew I could overcome it though. I watched lots of videos of processing various animals. Good luck!
Dude you are at almost 25K? Dangggggggg...
Brobthe editing the information and the way you are a natural talking to a camera. Well done. Glad to see you.
👍👊💪
Thanks so much Neal that means a lot. Thanks so much for watching!
Thanks Bobby! My family loves your videos and once we get our rabbit habit in order and get decent at that we have your other channel to work through. You are a shining example of good American living :)
Thanks for watching your comment means a lot!
Got our first rabbits in 2020 and had a really hard time finding meat type rabbits. Took what we could find which was nzw x Californian and spent the first year select breeding for meat to bone ratios. And to find the sweet spot age to butcher. I’m extremely impressed with how fast rabbits respond to meat type trait improvements vs other stock like goats or chickens. Even starting with f2 and f3 hybrids like we had to. As more people start breeding for food I’m hoping the traits in breeds like NZW will be restored. Pet breeding has really impacted that breed. Hard to find ones to standard let alone with a decent mtb ratio anymore.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. New Zealand and Cali is a terrific cross. Thanks for watching!
People forget that our supply chain can be interrupted at any moment! We are noticing some of that now! Thank you so much for pointing all this out! Very well done!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
That is the reason I have raised chickens and rabbits for years. Sold extra instead of processing. But always keep breeding stock so i can feed my family when needed.
What a fantastic video. I started selling my rabbits this winter because people were suffering from the meat shortage. Advertised that they could stop depending on the grocery store and raise their own meat. I sold rabbits this way!! It's so great to see people becoming more motivated to produce their own food. My 4 year old and 18 month old love rabbit, and it's the best feeling to see your family eating straight out of the backyard. I managed to get my dad to switch to rabbits; he'll be culling his chickens this spring and start on rabbits. I'm so excited for rabbits to finally be gaining some traction. I refer everyone who's interested in starting a rabbitry to your channel because to be honest, you're the best there is on CZcams.
Thanks for all you do, Bobby.
Thank you for taking the time to write your comment. It means a lot!
We do have enough meat to it - But i'd rather grow my own because #1 it seems better and #2 what happens if we don't have enough meat to eat in the future? The time to start is now, not tomorrow.
I enjoy growing my own and hunting for venison. It feels good to know where it comes from and most importantly it’s been prepared correctly from the start. Thanks for commenting!
Great video!
Gotta say, the supply chain issues and empty shelves ought to speak for themselves these days.
Nobody should be asking "don't we have enough meat?" after the last couple of years.
The pandemic and lockdowns have exposed just how fragile our supply chain is and just how close we are at any given moment to not being able to feed our families if something goes wrong.
You would think all of this should have inspired everyone to start at least a garden if they're able, or at least put some shelf-stable supplies back in case times get tough.
I haven't gotten into rabbits yet.
We have chickens, ducks, geese, pigs and goats right now.
I've been thinking that rabbits might be a good option to look into, though.
Thanks for commenting!
I agree, and not only that but its something I think the kids should know so we can pass it down for generations to come. We never know what comes ahead so it's better to teach our kids to be as self sufficient as possible and keep it going. I have been rasing rabbits for some time now but with all the knowledge you guys give I feel like I will have higher success rates and fewer losses. I'm super excited to try the kindling totes this spring and for all my next litters to come. ☺️👍
Thank you for taking the time to comment I enjoyed reading it Best of luck with the new totes
These are exactly the reasons I’ve recently subscribed. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! As a newbie homesteader, I really appreciate it.
I’m so glad you like the channel!
My mother used to keep rabbits and make the most AMAZING stews out of them. But she always allowed the meat to rest a day out of the fridge in a cool room. She said that it allowed the muscles to relax and the meat would be more tender. This makes sense to me. All meat should be allowed this resting period.
Thanks for sharing!
Anyone from the UK here?
I've talked my husband into doing a rabbitry and he is all for it.
Congrats. Here’s a video to help you find your rabbits czcams.com/video/F3GyTnEmJb8/video.html
my mom worked at a grocery store for 10 years and someone asked where they got their meat they said _______ producer/farm and they responded with "you don't just make it in the back?" my mother actually cried when she got home, and I probably would have to.
So many folks just don’t think about where their food comes from.
I honestly want to know how they thought they made the meat out back, like we need an interview with them or something
This is one of the main reasons we chose to start the lifestyle we are living - we are dedicated to producing our own and teaching our families the health benefits. I grew up eating rabbit and didn't know at the time how healthy it was. Their leanness, taste, and time/cost of raising them made them our first choice for meat on our homestead. Thanks for sharing this for others to learn :)
Thank you for commenting and watching the channel!
My kids (6 and 8) are crazy for rabbit livers and kidneys. My 6 yr old daughter always wants to help out processing rabbits and chickens. She feels like it's her duty to observe the full cycle... I hope she will raise her own one day!
That’s nice I’m sure she will one day!
Hello from Tennessee!
Hello!
Been a butcher for twenty years. We have PLENTY of meat to eat..what we DON'T have is trained people to process the food, in the manner Americans desire. House wives used to be able to eight way a chicken. Make soup from gizzards and liver. Nowadays they want a "Cutlet, Trimmed."
Thank you for sharing I appreciate it!
@@TheRabbitryCenter I admire the way your family process their own meats.
Eat clean good meat and respect the bounty God has provided for us.
AMEN!!
Thanks again Bobby. I’ve learned so much over the last 6 months from you. My latest liter of 8 New Zealand/ Silver Fox cross are so beautiful and growing like crazy.
That’s terrific! Thanks for watching!
We have raised 2 litters of rabbits now. I enjoy raising them most out of our chicken, pork, and rabbit! The meat is amazing; their personalities are sweet, and its so easy on a small plot.
We also pressure canned 2! Hello convenice meal!
That’s terrific. Thank you so much for sharing
I'm a new subscriber. Good to find your channel. A lot of people may not be able to process all those facts you communicated in your video - much less process a rabbit. GREAT video! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your content.
Thanks for watching!
This channel is always recommended on Reddit. Love the content.
Thank you so much for watching!
Hi..... Bobby nice to see you love watching your videos 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 🐇🎥👍👍👍
We began raising poultry & rabbits when the children were teenagers but wished we started when they were young as they didn't want to be a part of it. Bobby, I pressure can rabbit meat and it's very tender. Some were canned in homemade BBQ sauce and others in water and herbs which created a tasty broth. Like chicken the meat can be infused to taste how you'd like. As always, thank you for sharing your knowledge ~ Kate
I appreciate you taking the time to write your comment and thank you for sharing!
Hey Bobby, thanks for all the information you provide for us on this channel!
I was wondering if you could do a video on addressing the pee of rabbits. What I mean is our rabbits piss on everything! Lol,
On the hey, Pellet feeder, in they're nest boxes and in the water bowls! It's so nasty and creates a time consuming thing to clean up the mess.
Thanks again buddy and you should come down to deer hunt with me sometime !
Thanks for watching and for the invite.
How’d your season go?
@@TheRabbitryCenter
Great! My grandson went for the first time and got a nice 8pt and a slick head and I got a decent 8pt.
@shameless716 fortunately I have rarely experienced any problems like you have described. My first question would be, how big are your cages? Second, what if any, stresses do your rabbits have to cope with? Rabbits are generally not dirty animals. 🤔🤔🤔 How many males do you keep? Is the peeing a problem with your females too?
@@jeanettehaygood4154
Our cages are 3 foot squares, our rabbits are absolutely spoiled, we spend time petting them every day and some love the attention and 1 just really couldn't care less. Outside we have 2 bucks, 2 does all in separate cages with cozy boxes to get into if they want. 1 male seems to only use the bathroom in his box, like a litter box, crazy! One of our females pissed on her feeder so badly that it started to corrode and we had to change it out for a plastic one. Also had to put barriers in between each cage because they were pissing on each other so badly they were discolored! They are side by side not over top one another, fyi. These rabbits couldn't have it any better so there's no stress.
@@shameless716 rabbits are generally quite particular about where they urinate and defecate. However, some are quite territorial as well. Your buck - remove the box completely. He doesn’t need it but obviously prefers that corner to do his business. Doe + feeder. She much prefers that spot as hers. Get a brand new feeder and put it in a different spot, or feed her from a bowl. Rabbits (most!) will typically pick one spot as their potty 🚽 and rarely (almost never!) use more than that one one spot. Hope this helps!
I just finally got around to butchering 18 young roosters. Even with a plucker it was a job. I put it off too long. I haven't raised rabbits in years but every time I butcher almost anything I think back to when I did. My does would have 6 or 8 young and it took about 6 minutes each to do the litter. In the time it took to heat the scalding water I can do the whole litter.
Chickens are a chore you’re right. Rabbit Processing is quick and easy. You can always get back into rabbits.
Another fantastic video. I enjoyed the video clips. Do you have any videos about or can touch upon what you do with the skins?
You bet czcams.com/video/LahJykEIkos/video.html
After a 20 yr absence i finially retired and love to raise them for meat and manure compost for my garden. I have a buck and three does and have so many in my freezer i give them to people that like them cause i dont havr any more freezer space. We make everything out of rabbits that you can make out of chicken.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
@@TheRabbitryCenter y do such great job keep up the great work
You always put out good videos. Thank you. 👍🏻 🐇
That Means a lot thanks for watching!
Another great video
Thanks so much for watching the channel!
Thank you sir .very informative and on point. May you be blessed for sharing this knowledge.
I’m so glad you liked the video!
Hey Bobby. We recently started a little rabbitry and I have benefited greatly from your knowledge so thank you. Do you know of any forums or places I can get more meat rabbit info? Thanks
Join Facebook rabbit groups there’s several. I haven’t found one that I didn’t like lots of good information just search meat rabbits answer a couple questions it won’t take long and you’ll be a member getting rabbit question answers. Thanks for watching!
Nikki over at Sprague River Homestead is my only other go-to besides Bobby for rabbit information on CZcams! She has also just released a brand new cookbook.
Wish more Americans didn't view rabbits as only pets. I get so much lash out form pet owners about me eating rabbits.
Unfortunately not everybody knows the benefits of rabbit meat.
There’s some folks that aren’t concerned about eating a healthier meat. These people aren’t concerned about the other meat choices in the stores. If it comes from a cute animal they’re not interested. If they’re inexperienced in raising livestock or farming I don’t expect them to understand. But I’ll be here if or when they get interested. Thanks for watching!
It’s sad how clueless people are to the fragility of our supply chains. If SHTF stores will be empty within a matter of hours.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
The thing with letting meat "rest" is not so much about the taste, but more about the bite. All warm blooded animals go through rigor mortis upon death. The meat needs to rest, chilled, not frozen, until it limbers up again. A fresh killed, cooked immediately rabbit, will be tough stringy, and be a less pleasurable meal.
Thank you for sharing I appreciate you taking the time to write your comment!
The video and comments are educational. Thank you. How much time should you give the chilled rabbit meat before it is either consumed or frozen?
@blessed homestead, for most small game or livestock, 12 to 24 hours is good. What is happening is the glycogen in the muscle cells is still reacting causing the muscles to tense up.
Most of us have heard a story about someone's grandmother killing a rooster in the morning and cooking it for lunch. Folks always talk about how tough and stringy it was and swear off eating yardbirds.
@@ronbrendag7131 I can not tell the difference. I have tried this many times over 10 years of rabbit raising. One thing that does make a huge difference is age. A 8-10 week rabbit is the tenderest no matter what, whereas a 12-16 week old is still good but noticeably tougher and a mature buck? Forgot about it. No amount of resting will tenderize him. They are like chewing hide.
Here is a fact, the beef you buy in the store is more than likely raised in another country but as long as it is processed in the country it can be considered a product of the United States even though most of the imported beef are only alive for a few hours once getting cleared to be in the country. But still nothing beats grain finished beef. Just buy local and support real USA farmers, also I would stay away from pel freeze they are rip offs.
Thank you for sharing
Are you referring to beef or a certain meat? Big productions will charge a premium price. Some folks raising rabbits will practically give their meat away at cost they don’t need to charge as much is a big production but they do need to find a happy medium. Thanks for watching!
@@TheRabbitryCenter you was talking a little about grass fed so I assumed you meant beef, so I figured I would add that most beef in stores is not local to the United States. And yes people gotta find the right price for rabbits, I was once looking at it commercially, well small scale only producing 100 fryers per week and 2.25lb for a 5lb fryer, with every thing figured down to a T, turned a pretty good profit. But then somebody decided they could do it for 1.50 and the offer I got for 2.25 was gone. I will eat rabbits before giving them away hahah, and I do like watching your channel when I have the time, I guess I should check to make sure I am subscribed, also am thinking about watching the bee channel as I keep bees and I like seeing different ways people do it.
Hi, great video. Thanks for sharing. I am curious - - - do you use the rabbit fur, also?
Yes we sell hides and pickle them as well
Here’s a video czcams.com/video/LahJykEIkos/video.html
I've just subscribed. I want to know more.👍
Welcome to the channel!
Please let me know if you have any questions- I’ll point you to one of our videos. Thanks for watching!
1 thing that I think alot of people are misinformed about rabbit meat is its hard to cook, and that is a lie. I can't cook, you would be hard pressed to find anyone that would be worse at cooking than myself, lol. But I decided the other day to fry up 1 of the latest groups of rabbits I finished out, and all I did was put flour on it and put it in a fryin pan and it actually tasted good, and was edible, which surprised me, considering how horrible I am at cooking anything. I also let this last group of rabbits get much older than normal, they were probably over 5 months old, and it was very tender. Seems most rabbit farmers like to butcher in that 12 to 14 week range, but while this last batch of rabbits had more fat on them, there was also more meat and with me not knowing how to cook the meat was still tender and tasted good. This last group was a Silver Fox/ Palomino crossbreed of mine. I raise those crossbreds as well as purebred Silver Foxes, and I guess the Silver Fox is considered a endangered breed, which is one reason why I started my herd with them, and I also heard that back in the day that breed was considered a delicacy so maybe that is why it tasted so good, despite me sucking at cooking, lol.
Thanks for taking the time to write your comment I enjoyed reading it
Great video!
Thanks so much!
Excellent video. Thank you! Can you do a video (or know of a video/resource) that explains how to breed rabbits to get better rabbits? As in, how do you improve your stock? Appreciate all the videos ❤️
Well what are your goals? Healthy rabbits? different color rabbits? better looking rabbits for judges. Selling rabbits? If it’s just a healthy production
I would choose offspring from your favorite rabbits that produce well big litters good moms very few losses that’s a great start. Here’s a video that shares more czcams.com/video/slUWEtLa01Y/video.html
Your information is usually spot on but you missed it on one point. Chickens are NOT fed hormones. They are fed antibiotics and other medications but it is illegal in this country to feed hormones to hogs, chickens or other fowl, dairy cattle or veal calves. Hormones are allowed in beef cattle. Modern meat chickens extreme growth rate is the result of many generations of controlled breeding for the best genetics and decades of feed R&D. That plus commercially raised and processed chicken contains a lot of water which adds weight and makes tasteless meat with no texture.
Your right thanks for that
@@TheRabbitryCenter You're one of few CZcamsrs who gives consistently good info about rabbits but nobody's right all the time.
Its not about saving currency, it's about gaining control.
Thanks for commenting
I like raising rabbits for meat, but have to say that, especially in a difficult future, being low in calories and fat is not going to be an advantage for rabbit meat.
And I totally agree that the kids should be involved. One of the earliest pictures of me shows me sitting on the end of an improvised table outside while my mother dealt with a pile of caribou meat (I grew up in Alaska). I was about two, and she'd parked me there so she could keep an eye on me. Keep it matter-of-fact, explain what you are doing and why, and the kids should be just fine.
Thanks for sharing!
I am interested in doing this and have never had rabbits before. Do you have a great place to go to start? Like what housing to use, diet for them, where to get your initial stock, etc.
I raise meat rabbits. I could help point you in the right direction.
@@alannahabermeyer6328 That would be great!
@@Hammer_OJustice do you have Facebook messenger? I could connect with you that way.
@@alannahabermeyer6328 I do. I'll try to find you on facebook as my privacy on fb is pretty tight
If you were to go into the search engine of CZcams and type in The Rabbitry Center cages-hutches-where to find rabbits-feeding- you’ll find videos to help you. If you’re interested in raising rabbits Be sure to subscribe so you get our videos when they’re uploaded- thanks for watching!
"Processing" means "killing"...a great euphemism. :)
Rabbit Processing, harvesting, hard-cull it all means the same thing. Thanks for watching!
Hello my friend...!!!i'm from Greece and i also raise rabbits for meat...for many years..!!!i want to give you a small tip if you want to try next time that you are proccesing rabbits...!!!when you have already kill the rabbit and you hung it up....make a small cut in the middle of his back so you can put 2 fingers of each hand and just pull apart...first to the side of head and then to the back leag...!!!like that you proccesing a whole rabbit less than 30 seconds...and if you are 2 persons each pulling from one side you can make it in 20 seconds..!!!the only bad thing on this way is that you can't keep the skin for other use...!!!
I’m keeping the hides or I would- thanks for watching
I would love to start growing my own meat but I don't think i can eat rabbit. Had a pair as a pet and i think they are just way too cute to be eaten 😂
Hoping to raise my own geese duck and chicken when i have enough space
Good luck with your future livestock
Thank you for your insight… could you post the knife set you use for butchering, please?
You bet!
Knife set amzn.to/3FvTEjK
Pruners amzn.to/3qDzQH4
Check out this Idea List on Amazon: RABBIT PROCESSING TOOLS by Bobby Jimenez a.co/cRbtqw0
Just curious, where did you find these numbers? I'm doing my own in-depth research and I keep getting conflicting percentages due to Wild and domestic rabbit nutritional differences.
Thanks for asking. Search US Department of agriculture
Rabbit is like deer meat but soft like chicken well kind off
Rabbits are a Terrific source of meat for the family just like venison
Also are you to young to have been around for y2k? We had shortages and empty store shelves back then, I was only 13 when the year 2000 turned but I remember shelves being empty
Lol I have a few years on you but not by much. That’s right I remember folks were stocking up then too. Thanks for the reminder.
I have a problem with the best way to kill I tired the V Bourd pulling down and braking the neck but find it bruises the front shoulders
Did you see our different ways video?
czcams.com/video/Zl6hPH9p1RU/video.html
I quarter my rabbits so I don’t use the bruised area by the neck-the front quarters still look pretty good.
We're changed from chickens to rabbit. We eat minimal beef and pork.
Thanks for sharing I feel Rabbits are easier to process and not as loud, stinky or messy as chickens thanks for watching!
@@TheRabbitryCenter we feel we can feed our rabbits easier than chickens if feed is hard to get. We have barter power with the hides, meat and offspring. As retired folks we can manage the care better. Chicken pooh is like cement lol. We are building an aging self sufficient lifestyle. We are blessed with a yr round stream and the Colville National Forest bordering our property. We have rex for fur and cinnamons for meat and some fur.
I want to ask a question about pellets. I was told that pellets are compressed chopped up hay. So why does everyone insist on pellets when you feed hay. You can add some other things like veggies to add to the nutrition. I don’t get it. The feed companies us such propaganda I’m not sure what to believe any more. Can you suggest written information I can read? Please help. 🐇
Rabbit pellet contains a good amount of alfalfa. Despite what you may have heard the pellet is a balanced diet that contains all the nutrition a Rabbits needs. It was created by livestock nutritionist. It’s an expensive convenience but has been created so rabbit raisers don’t t have to work as hard as they once did to provide nutrition rabbits need to Kindle and raise big litters. It’s possible to raise your rabbits without pellet but you’d want to provide a variety of nutrition. Here’s a video to show you some things we feed other than pellet. czcams.com/video/dTWFHLbh6hs/video.html
If I could just get these rabbits to breed now... stubborn does all around!
Best of luck with your rabbits hopefully things turn around in March
I started raising rabbits because of covid.
You’re not alone on that one. Thanks for watching!
Funny im on the carnivore diet so I want as much fat and protein I can get. More fat the healthier it is. I like rabbit meat though. Do do hatch my own chickens for the table.
Rabbit is good eating. Thanks for commenting!
Just have plenty of salt and butter to go with your rabbit!
Yum!
I have learned so much from you. Can you please send me prices for your courses and duration?any certificates?I am I south Africa
Sorry we don’t have courses. But thanks for watching I’m glad you like the channel. Stay tuned…
How much do. You get for your rabbits
Our prices fluctuate depending on the rabbit. More info on our website rabbitrycenter.com. Here’s a video to help you make money with your rabbits czcams.com/video/cbaUEFHoYv0/video.html
Thank you
how do you find rabbits to get started
Here you go! czcams.com/video/F3GyTnEmJb8/video.html
Can i share your video?
I raise rabbit in our backyard for meat but folks/people here don't have the courage to kill rabbit for meat (most have open mind to eat but less courage to kill) "including the local butcher who don't want to kill the rabbit"
Please do
Your "chart" @ 2:33 - the numbers don't add up. I'm guessing the calories are per pound and the protein and fat are per 4 ounces, but even that would be off (a little) on all of them.
BTW - they've massively backed down on the whole "fat causes heart issues" rhetoric over the past 10 years or so, including the American Heart Association. Healthy fats, like from nearly every meat source, do not attribute to heart issues (they thought it was bad for hearts based off of results from one flawed study from back in the 1950s - you read that correctly, ONE flawed study from 65+ years ago).
Otherwise, it was a good video.
For more information check the US Department of agricultural statistical breakdown for meats.
As a trained and licensed medical provider I must argue that your conclusions about animal fats are incorrect. I am specialized to treat cardiac disease. A key risk factor is the amount animal fat and cholesterol found in animals bought at the local supermarket. The sole healthy meat that is readily available is fish and there some concerns about certain fish and pregnant females. The true cost of we buy in grocery store isn’t recognized either. The environmental effects of corporate livestock farming are enormous. Why rabbits..?
with the exception of initial start up costs (mainly cages and watering systems) you can feed a small rabbitry from plants growing naturally in your yard providing you don’t use herbicides or pesticides. If you search the FDA for rabbit fat and cholesterol content in comparison to other meat sources you can see that rabbits are much leaner and less cholesterol laden. Your body doesn’t need to consume cholesterol. It makes its own. The cells in animals are constructed largely of cholesterol. Some fats are necessary and animal is not one of them. The only part of rabbits that cannot be used (by me anyway) is their urine. I put the excrement directly out the rabbits and on to my plants. So the environmental cost is nearly zero. It’s good practice to do research before you denigrate someone especially if you don’t know what your talking about. RED MEAT IS A DIRECT CONTRIBUTOR to HEART DISEASE any other conclusions are not true. I am sure your mother’s cousin had a friend who was a “dietitian” said that beef isn’t a source of heart disease. Take the time to read for yourself and don’t be lazy with your health.
you're telling me that not diced chicken breast at the 6:08 mark????
Yea it’s chicken, at that moment we were talking about chicken
👏👏👏
Why Rabbits? Less fighting over drumsticks.
Thanks for watching!
Do you feed corn to your rabbits?
some folks do but I don’t
Never! Or soy for that matter.
Why rabbits? Because we can, no matter how much meat is out there. Rabbits always been food
Commented before watching, just went off of the title
Thanks for watching and commenting or commenting and then watching!
My die just had her first kit only born. Any suggestions on how I can help her to have larger litter sizes?
Doe
QUICK FIX FOR FROZEN WATER BOWLS/HOW WE PRODUCE MORE DOE'S
czcams.com/video/1IStNHuQAV0/video.html
My doe keeps running away from my buck shes a mini rex and he's a rex and its her first time breeding how long should i keep trying
I can usually tell if it’s going to take in the first minute or so here’s a video to help you czcams.com/video/qLD6rMsfC-8/video.html
Is rabbit kosher?
No -thanks is for watching!
What do you do with the rabbit heads?
You can search for research labs that accept them or give them to your dogs or just bury them in the soil
Fast forward to a few days later, empty meat counters.
Thanks for watching!
How many breeding Bucks and Does do you keep usually?
Four bucks and four doe’s but every one has their own balance
Do you have a certain buck for certain doe or ? ..... might be a good video idea... I like your content
@@mcproductions2151 it’s as simple as matching Up rabbits that have favorable characteristics or genetics you want the offspring to possess
@@TheRabbitryCenter oh I see.. I raise 2 different unlated lines.. just wanted to know how you did things.. thanks man keep videos coming
Do you ship baby rabbits? What is the best meat rabbit?
Pick up only
Here’s a video going over some great breeds czcams.com/video/cCpR7SYuH3w/video.html
Are there any breeds that are higher in fat? That's what I'm looking for.
The older the rabbit the more fat you’ll find
@@TheRabbitryCenter Good point Bobby. Could someone also change the diet and get more fat at a younger age ?
Could you grind rabbit meat to make rabbit burgers
In my experience, the meat would be too lean for burgers. Our favorite rabbit sandwich is to grind the COOKED meat. I then heat it in a saucepan with enough chicken broth (bouillon works well) & seasonings to make it nicely moist & serve on buttered buns. We love it; by far my daughter's favorite meat. God bless!
@@merryanneadair4451 You could add fat when grinding rabbit. It's common to add pork or beef fat when grinding deer and moose meat. I would try adding chicken or some other poultry fat to ground rabbit. Look at some rabbit sausage recipes to see if they add fat to the meat.
@@zone4garlicfarm thank you. I do add some pork fat when I make rabbit sausage, but for the hot sandwich meat I don't. Don't know why I never thought of using chicken fat with it, I always save the fat when I butcher chickens. Render it & use it to make cookies! Thanks again!!
If you're not interested I'm sorry man I am I'm staying
Thanks for watching!
I believe you still need fat .
Can not live off just rabbit meat need other nutrient/minerals/fat....
That’s correct. I believe you’re referring to protein poisoning. You will need to eat more than rabbits which isn’t a problem for most folks so it’s not something you need to worry too much about as long as your eating a variety of different things. Thanks for commenting!
Rabbit is a good meat animal. Just remember to keep some variety. You can starve eating rabbit alone because they are so lean. It killed allot of people in the old days before folks figured out what was happening.
Thanks for watching. Absolutely variety is key. Your referring to protein poisoning. Which isn’t a problem as long as you eat other meats and foods which most people are doing.
@@TheRabbitryCenter Absolutely. Great videos.
@@goneracin2285 I keep hearing ppl suggesting protein poisoning is something to be concerned about. I understand how this works but it seems almost like you'd have to actually try to do it for it to work. Domestic rabbits actually have some amount of fat on them, although I am not a fan of rabbit fat. Wild rabbit for sure, has next to no fat and you'd likely have to eat nothing but that for a few weeks and then yes you might end up with protein poisoning.
@@mylesfalconer9183 I absolutely agree. It's just something to watch out for.
Even the most nutritious food on the planet doesn't have everything we need in it. And in hard times even the rabbits could get skinny.
Every body needs the same essential nutrients.
60 minerals, 2-3 essential fatty acids, 16 vitamins, and 12 amino acids.
Plus probiotics/prebiotics for gut health and nutrient absorption.
How much do they weigh without the bones, just meat? (At 10-12weeks old) thanks for your videos they are awesome, greetings from germany🤗🇩🇪
3-4 pounds at 10-12 weeks
Great videos!
Thanks for watching!