I recently brought back 3 lovely young New Zealand female rabbits from my Uncles house in Salt Lake City. I am building some nice hutches and am going to get a buck and try my luck at raising rabbits for meat. The 3 I brought back are going to be pets and breeders. Anyone else on LBT raise or have raised rabbits for meat? My hubby and I can't kill anything so I am going to contact the local rabbit 4-H group about helping me. Otherwise my step father said he would happily help me too in exchange for dinner. I recently read some facts about rabbits. Their meat is something like 25% less in fat and cholesterol than chicken. I remember loving rabbit meat when I was young and even had it a few months ago and liked it. My bunnies are still a few months too young to breed but that gives me plenty of time getting a proper set up and learning more. Last year my mom and I split a 1/2 a beef that was locally raised on grass and grain. I will NEVER buy store meat again. That was the best damn beef ever. Even the traditionally tough cuts were so tender. I'm tired of ingesting hormones and chemicals from grocery store meat. I'm hoping next year to raise a calf of my own. Another nice benefit of rabbits is their manure. It is the only manure that doesn't have to be aged before putting it in your garden. I'm already putting that to good use in my vegetable garden. Anyway I just wanted to see if anyone else had any experience raising rabbits for this purpose (I had some as pets when I was a kid) and recipes using rabbit would be good too. Thanks Teresa

Okay, I panicked when I saw "Rabbits" under the food Forum. Surely this is a mistake, right? Ha on me!

While I have no personal qualms about eating meat, or butchering rabbits for food, something about them moving from a hutch in my backyard to my dinner table...Maybe a bit too much of the country has been bred out of me!

You go, Teresa!

I'm hoping they actually go from a hutch in my backyard to a box living, to the butchers and back to my house neatly packaged in freezer bags. I don't mean to offend anybody. I strive to be as self sufficient as possible. I don't think I could ever live without a grocery store but I would like to grow or make most of my staple type foods. I have seen the feed lots in California, giant dairies, chicken plants, etc. I think animals raised on a more small scale basis fed on natural products are not only happier and healthier animals but better for you too. We live in town limits so I can't raise other farm animals right now. We do own acreage a few hours away and I'm hoping to get my hubbies uncles (neighbors at our acreage) to help feed a calf for me next year but I can't raise chickens and such where I am at right now. Our property also has a huge garden area. I can't wait to someday live down there. Anyway again, I'm not trying to antogonize or offend but would like people to answer that have some experience with this.

I've never had rabbit. I remember liking goat meat alot when it was available. Most of the meat I eat is buffalo that is rasied without hormones, chemicals, etc. Buffalo are not as susceptible to disease and don't need all the stuff. I also know the farmer who I get it from and he wants them to be as healthy as possible.

Keep us updated. Call your local extension office and they may be able to give you additional information.

I do not have any expetise in this area of raising then sending off to the butcher But we bought 1/2 of a home grown steer 2 weeks ago and I half to say the it was the best meat I ever tasted. My BIL raises Goats from time to time then he butchers them himself. My kids like goat but I am not to much on it..

Anyway there are several people here that raise Cows, goats & Chickens then in the fall they go off to market or the butcher. They even sell them here and it works out great for them cause you knew exactly what is going into them.

I have come to terms with it over the years.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE BUNNIES! Ouch, my heart, my heart, I'm dying... helpppppppp!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE BUNNIES! Ouch, my heart, my heart, I'm dying... helpppppppp!

hehe, I knew SOMEone would feel this way

Just a sec while I get some cotton for Lisa's ears. Wait, here, put these headphones on and listen to some Rammstin for a second....

yummy rabbits. My dear Grandmother would fry them like chicken, and I like to cook them in a fricase. (cut the rabbit (or chicken) into pieces, season to taste, pour a can of cream of mushroom Soup over it. Bake in 350 oven until the meat falls off the bone.)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE BUNNIES! Ouch, my heart, my heart, I'm dying... helpppppppp!

I feel the same way DeLarla.

I just asked my DH what he thought and he says they are quite yummy. Sorry girls

not for me! yukkk I am a city girl at heart!

I asked my hubby and he gave me 2 recipes..

1) Parboil, then grill w/ BBQ sauce.

2) Parboil, change Water and add celery, onion, salt, pepper, other seasonings you like, and boil some more. Then add a white gravy mix (water, flour, butter shaken up in a jar and poured into pot) then let simmer until thick.

He's the game cooker in the house. I stick with store bought chicken and beef and seafood. He fries the fish he catches. Anything "exotic" such as deer, duck, rabbit, squirrel, dove, whatever is his domain. And again, I have no problem with it, but, EW!

Thanks for the ideas. I seriously thought about titling this thread "Rabbits? Not for Lisa's eyes." LOL. Poor girl... We are definitely going to have 4 as pets. The three we have now are absolutely darling and sweet. All pure white albino females. We will get a buck (I found a beautiful one recently but can't get him till I really have a proper set up. He's a gorgeous black and white rex). I have read a lot on the net about raising them and feasibly they could easily have 36 babies a year for each female. Seriously, I'll happily keep 4 as pets but the rest will be yummy. I was raised as a bit of a farm girl. I've never been hunting though my dad is an avid hunter but I do like home grown meats. Buffalo is yummy and VERY healthy for you but I don't have anyone near here that raises it. Its also a bit expensive for my budget. I raised pigs in FFA during my teen years and bought a 1/2 one of those a couple of summers ago, last year it was a 1/2 beef. I would love to raise chickens for eggs but don't have the proper place for it where I live right now. My vegetable garden is loving the bunny poop right now. Anyway, once again thanks for the cooking suggestions. I will definitely have to call the extension office for more ideas. Thanks, Teresa

Okay, I have to come out of the woodwork for a posting on this one. Who needs a diet plan when all I have to do is read this post and be so purely grossed out I won't eat for DAYS!

But to each their own and I do admire the grow it and eat it idea. However, I was thinking more in the lines of veggies and fruits.

How much do you want for the rabbits? You send them to me and I will pay you to save their lives and you can go buy meat in the store? Or how about this... I get the rabbits from you and will send you a shipment from Omaha Steaks?

Holding her sign of "Save the rabbits",

Jenna

Rabbits.. NOT bunnies.. are very good meat... we use to raise them for food. Over 50-75 of them.. never a day with out meat. Just put them in a little flour.. some egg.. "just like chicken" and fry. Nice meal with a side of green chile and tortilla. very nice actually I miss it. So Teresa, when is dinner??? Im so there!

Thanks for the support Trish. I hate to break it to these others, but in some countries including Europe, bunnies are still the main course and its so much healthier than chicken, beef and pork. They are evidently easy to raise, quiet, ability to raise them in any backyard and city environment, etc. Was that 50-75 adult females? I'm hoping to keep a steady supply with just a few does. I may at some point pick up another doe but I was thinking just a few females put out several offspring. I know there are probably the normal accidents and casualties among the young but mathmatically I should still get several good babies from each mom. I got the idea of raising rabbits when I was at my uncles house earlier this month. My aunt is Korean and raises bunnies for meat. Last time we were there she served us some and it was yummy! My poor uncle hates killing them so he was more than happy to send me home with a few of the babies. Must have figured it was a few less for him to deal with. They probably have about 20 rabbits with 1/2 of them being adults. I have come to love Korean food, she is the best cook.

Jenna, I'm sorry it grosses you out. I want to raise rabbits precisely because I don't want all the crap that is in the meat at the store. Plus I think it is more cost effective to raise your own food. I do raise veggies and fruit as well. Best wishes, Teresa