# Raising Rabbits for Meat



## Hobby Farm (Aug 13, 2009)

We are considering trying our hand at meat rabbits.  Does anyone else raise them?  Is it worthwhile as a meat source?  What breeds do you raise for meat?


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## Beekissed (Aug 13, 2009)

We used to raise them for meat and profit.  We had New Zealand Whites and a few Reds.  They are definitely a great source of lean meat and you will be surprised how many folks will buy your market sized rabbits live weight.


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## currycomb (Aug 23, 2009)

yes rabbits here too. new zeland is our choice, maybe crossed with a white giant. cant keep up with the demand. also raise pet types, dutch, mini rex, and trying our hand at lionheads. :/


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## waynesgarden (Aug 24, 2009)

I raised them commercially (small-scale) years ago. Just getting back into it again now. I've got a half dozen New Zealand Whites and Californians to start the herd. The NZs are the larger of the two though the Cals are only slightly smaller. I've often read that a cross between the two produces great meat rabbits so I'm experimenting with that. (No data yet.)

If you're thinking of possibly selling to a processor in the future, stick with the NZ Whites or the Californians as most processors I've come across don't want or pay less for darker colored rabbits.

Wayne


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## miss_thenorth (Aug 24, 2009)

I raise rabbits for meat.  I have a Californian buck, one Cali doe, and two does who are 1/4 Flemish giant; 3/4 new Zealand.  Around here, Cali's and NZ are popular for meat. the giants, while they do get huge, are not recomended for meat as they take longer to grow out  to size, and they hve large bones, which = less meat. My FG/NZ Xare a good combo, but it took some.

It is DEFINITELY worth it as a meat source.  Care is relatively easy, they do not require alot of space, they are efficient at converting their food to meat, and the feed cost is relatively inexpensive..  Plus you get the peace of mind of raising ethically-raised meat, free from antibiotics etc.  I process anywhere between 8-12 weeks, so you get meat in a relatively short period of time also.

I have had city raised kids eat my rabbit, and say it tastes better than chicken.  ( but then they had my pasture raised chicken and said _that _tasted better than chicken too  )

Rabbit is a lean meat, and when prepared properly, it is absolutely delicious!

If you are considering raising rabbit, --you need to consideryour ability to process them.  this was a daunting task for me at first, b/c, quite honestly, they are cute.  However, I got past that, but some ppl can't.  Ifyou find that you have difficulty with that part of it, see if there is a processor nearby who will do rabbits..  If so, then plan all of your does to kindle at the sasme time and take them in to be done.

i know of several, who got out of rabbits b/c they couldn't do the deed.  So you need to consider that.
With all that said, rabbits IMO are soooooo worth it.


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## Hobby Farm (Aug 25, 2009)

Thanks for the info miss_thenorth!

The butchering is not an issue with me.  I've butchered 100's of wild rabbits.  And even if I didn't want to do it, the place where I've taken my chickens for butcher does rabbits for $1.50 each.

I bought a Cali Doe Sunday at the fair, and I bought a Cali Buck early last week.  I'm going to let both of them get used to their new home for a few weeks, then I'm going to try start breeding them.  I would really like to find a NZ doe soon and try to have two litters initially.  Hopefully the new rabbit section will be up and running by then to get any questions I have answered.


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## miss_thenorth (Aug 25, 2009)

Well, I have only been at it for about a year, but I'll help out any way I can!!


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## big brown horse (Aug 25, 2009)

Thanks!


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## jenlyn9483 (Aug 31, 2009)

I raise NZ whites and I have a cali buck that I just bred with one of my NZ white girls.  I find the rabbits to be very space and feed efficient. They are a snap to take care of and require very little from me. They are good at raising their young. We love the meat. It's healthy lean meat that taste great. There is about a thousand ways to cook it. I hope after the next couple litters I will have enough to can at least a couple canner loads of cooked rabbit meat.


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## Hobby Farm (Sep 3, 2009)

jenlyn9483 said:
			
		

> I hope after the next couple litters I will have enough to can at least a couple canner loads of cooked rabbit meat.


When you can your rabbit, do you jar it raw or cooked?


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## PunkinPeep (Oct 24, 2009)

Hobby Farm said:
			
		

> jenlyn9483 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm not jenlyn, but my aunt canned rabbit meant, and when i asked i was told that you can it raw.  It kind of ends up being cooked rabbit meat because of the canning process, but you don't have to cook it before you can it.

Incidentally, really good stuff.  Every time we went to her house when i was a kid, she would get a couple jars of canned rabbit meat off the shelf, and dump them  in the frying pan to sizzle up for dinner.  Very yummy!


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## Kooshie (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm hungry.  Time to start thinking about raising and breeding rabbits I guess!


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## Hideaway Pines (Sep 1, 2021)

We have been raising meat rabbits for 5 years now, we have California/NZ mix as well as straight California breeders, then this past year I added Tamuks to our rabbits, and they have done really well. The Tamuks were bred to handle the Texas heat better and do not go sterile with the high temps like other breeds do. they are sweet natured and when they have kits, you get every color under the sun - makes it kind of fun. 

I find that the meat is wonderful. We love smoking ours but I am going to try canning some with the next batch I butcher. Anxious to see how they turn out in that form, but all in all we love doing rabbits, they are quite, easy and low maintenance.


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## Edmond (Nov 14, 2021)

I'm making plans for a meat rabbit set up, please let me know what types of cages you all use and where i may fins the cages. i will ne doing this is south louisiana.  thanks


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## Hideaway Pines (Nov 15, 2021)

We have a combo of 3 types of different cages my husband built 4 of them, which are great for our breeders and can fit a nesting box in them nicely -these are very secure with hardware cloth all the way around. Then and we also have 4 of these type of cages he mounted on the wall two over two: https://www.chewy.com/midwest-wabbi...3495199572&utm_content=Habitat-Smallpet Cages 

and we have 2 large dog cages we converted (pictured in this post - we added a wire mesh bottoms and hardware cloth to sides) to be our cages for moms and babies when they out grow the other cages. and the younger ones are able to be in here just fine. When you have a litter of 9 this gives them a lot more room, until we  need to butcher, sell or separate


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## Grizzlyhackle (Dec 10, 2021)

@Hideaway Pines, Never cooked a caged one before always had wild. I culled 2 at I guess 12 wks and it struck me compared in size to wild they were huge. Are they 2 big to fry quartered. I thought I would quarter the back and be ok but those back legs. How do you cook yours?


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## Edmond (Dec 12, 2021)

Hideaway Pines said:


> We have a combo of 3 types of different cages my husband built 4 of them, which are great for our breeders and can fit a nesting box in them nicely -these are very secure with hardware cloth all the way around. Then and we also have 4 of these type of cages he mounted on the wall two over two: https://www.chewy.com/midwest-wabbitat-rabbit-home/dp/131315?utm_id=401602563&msclkid=2ba452113b0f1da68e603383b379be9a&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping_NC_Small Pet_S_Small Pet_Habitat & Accessories&utm_term=4584963495199572&utm_content=Habitat-Smallpet Cages
> 
> and we have 2 large dog cages we converted (pictured in this post - we added a wire mesh bottoms and hardware cloth to sides) to be our cages for moms and babies when they out grow the other cages. and the younger ones are able to be in here just fine. When you have a litter of 9 this gives them a lot more room, until we  need to butcher, sell or separate View attachment 88211


Thanks these look great!


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## Hideaway Pines (Dec 14, 2021)

Grizzlyhackle said:


> @Hideaway Pines, Never cooked a caged one before always had wild. I culled 2 at I guess 12 wks and it struck me compared in size to wild they were huge. Are they 2 big to fry quartered. I thought I would quarter the back and be ok but those back legs. How do you cook yours?


I usually smoke my rabbits. I put two chickens over the rabbits which have all been brined for at least 24 hrs. the rabbits I place in a foil pan and add about a cup of water. I smoke in a vertical smoker, which allows the chickens to drip onto the rabbits. Since they have not skin, they can dry out quickly, but done low and slow they turn out amazing. I cook for about 2-3 hrs then flip the rabbits and cook another hour, then cover the pan with foil and cook until the meat falls off the bone, you will never have them any other way!!


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## Grizzlyhackle (Dec 15, 2021)

Hideaway Pines said:


> I usually smoke my rabbits. I put two chickens over the rabbits which have all been brined for at least 24 hrs. the rabbits I place in a foil pan and add about a cup of water. I smoke in a vertical smoker, which allows the chickens to drip onto the rabbits. Since they have not skin, they can dry out quickly, but done low and slow they turn out amazing. I cook for about 2-3 hrs then flip the rabbits and cook another hour, then cover the pan with foil and cook until the meat falls off the bone, you will never have them any other way!!


Ooh that sounds good.


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## Legamin (Feb 24, 2022)

miss_thenorth said:


> I raise rabbits for meat.  I have a Californian buck, one Cali doe, and two does who are 1/4 Flemish giant; 3/4 new Zealand.  Around here, Cali's and NZ are popular for meat. the giants, while they do get huge, are not recomended for meat as they take longer to grow out  to size, and they hve large bones, which = less meat. My FG/NZ Xare a good combo, but it took some.
> 
> It is DEFINITELY worth it as a meat source.  Care is relatively easy, they do not require alot of space, they are efficient at converting their food to meat, and the feed cost is relatively inexpensive..  Plus you get the peace of mind of raising ethically-raised meat, free from antibiotics etc.  I process anywhere between 8-12 weeks, so you get meat in a relatively short period of time also.
> 
> ...


That is an important consideration.  Years ago, when younger, I was just too…whatever…to strike the blow.  After some years in the medical field and a relatively severe head injury that altered my sense of relational connection I found I am able to do it easily and efficiently as often as necessary.  In fact, several friends now rely on me at end of season to come by and help in this way.  It’s still not a thing I enjoy but I am making lemonade out of lemons and using the brain damage and emotional disconnect to my..and others’ advantage.  This year it looks like the schedule will be busy enough that I am going to have to attach a small fee.  I don’t think I’m the only person like myself around.  There are processors who are just able to look at it as a task to be done.  Also..having the correct equipment and sharp knives is ESSENTIAL so that it doesn’t turn into a bloody circus and freak out the client!  It’s worth the few thousand dollars for the set up to do it right.


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## Legamin (Feb 24, 2022)

Hideaway Pines said:


> I usually smoke my rabbits. I put two chickens over the rabbits which have all been brined for at least 24 hrs. the rabbits I place in a foil pan and add about a cup of water. I smoke in a vertical smoker, which allows the chickens to drip onto the rabbits. Since they have not skin, they can dry out quickly, but done low and slow they turn out amazing. I cook for about 2-3 hrs then flip the rabbits and cook another hour, then cover the pan with foil and cook until the meat falls off the bone, you will never have them any other way!!


OOooh! THAT sounds WONDERFUL!!!  We are building a stone dome ’bread oven’ outdoors in our yard that will have a smoker on one side about the size of a large refrigerator (out of stone) just for smoking.  your recipe could produce about 40 chicken/rabbits smoked every 8 hours!  
Thanks for a GREAT idea!  The fat from the chicken is exactly what is needed to make the rabbit moist and perfect!
WOW!  (Can’t wait to tell Mom that someone just topped her recipe!)


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## Hideaway Pines (Feb 24, 2022)

Legamin said:


> OOooh! THAT sounds WONDERFUL!!!  We are building a stone dome ’bread oven’ outdoors in our yard that will have a smoker on one side about the size of a large refrigerator (out of stone) just for smoking.  your recipe could produce about 40 chicken/rabbits smoked every 8 hours!
> Thanks for a GREAT idea!  The fat from the chicken is exactly what is needed to make the rabbit moist and perfect!
> WOW!  (Can’t wait to tell Mom that someone just topped her recipe!)


Your smoker sounds very wonderful. That is a lot of meat it can handle. I would love to see pictures of it when done. One key, brine them in a salt/sugar/spice mixture for at least 24 hrs too, this adds to the wonderful flavor and moistness. We could do about 16 at one time if we wanted, but never have. Usually do about 4 or so at a time, that gives us enough meat to then debone and freeze making it easy to pull out for meals.


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## Grizzlyhackle (Feb 24, 2022)

Hideaway Pines said:


> . One key, brine them in a salt/sugar/spice mixture for at least 24 hrs too,


Brine it wow. I couldn't wait and tried one in the Nu Wave oven. Half of it was under cooked for my taste( followed the direction for chicken parts), second half I gave it more time. I've got this thing about undercooked meat from bad VFW bar-b-que chicken. 2nd batch was a lot drier, tasted better to me. Dipped some in honey and Dijon mustard. Pulled some for tacos. Salsa covers alot of my mistakes.
DS owns the smoker, just waiting for him to get a weekend off definitely going to try your way.


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## Hideaway Pines (Feb 25, 2022)

Yes it is a bit of a trick to get them cooked and moist, my friend batters them and pan fries them, then bakes them. she loves it that way, we are just trying not to eat fried things...


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## Grizzlyhackle (Feb 25, 2022)

Hideaway Pines said:


> we are just trying not to eat fried things.


I try not too...... but I sure could taste that bunny batter dipped and pan fried.


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## Mini Horses (Feb 25, 2022)

Fried isn't all bad.   What you fry with and how often makes it ok.


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