Help needed please...trying to save my eight month old doe, got her in august ,

[Ron Bequeath]

Have you ever killed a rabbit?

Hope my response reaches you, not sure how to use this system yet. Yes, many, I usually use one of three methods unless hunting, although I've seen 4 methods myself. First I give thanks to our creator for His provision and the life I'm about to take
Than 1st method: with a very, very sharp knife remove the head with a cut on both sides of the neck takes 2 - 3 seconds then drop in cone to bleed out. 2nd method: hold rabbit by hind legs extending body with a quick twist of neck breaking spinal cord and then quickly remove head. Haven't used in quite a while so don't use now. 3rd method: hold rabbit by scuff of back and with a blunt tool, I use an old hammer handle kept just for that purpose, hit the rabbit on the head forcefully just in front of ears, immediately removing head. Some folks hit behind ears but I have found that tends to bruise the meat. The 4th method I do not like because I prefer to keep rabbit close to me: place rabbit on ground, place a broom handle behind ears, step on broom handle and give quick upward pull on rabbit. Definitely not my favorite. Hope this helps.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Planned on trying the breaking neck method....although I haven't even started breeding them yet, I would thank them before I did that though. And would do more than two at a time so I don't know who is on the dinner menu...thank you for sharing your thoughts.,.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Have you ever killed a rabbit?

Not yet minisilkys....I am going to raise them to sell and for our use if needed...I am one who pepares for the worst and hopes for the best.where we live, going to the store takes 40 minutes one way...hate to catch myself in a situation where I was dependant on Wal Mart for to survive. I wanted to reply yes, i killed BUGS BUNNY, , that cartoon drove me crazy

 

[Ridgetop]

The best way is to breed both your does starting at 8 months old within a day of each other. If you wait until they are a year or older they do not breed as well. Once they are producing litters, keep them breeding by producing a litter every 3 or 4 months like Ron Bequeath says. The does will kindle within a day or two of each other. That way if you have a problem with one litter you can put surviving kits in nest box with other litter and mom will foster. Then breed the litterless rabbit immediately back.

Don't worry about killing 2 at a time. Rabbits are not like chickens running around that you catch a rooster when you want a chicken. You need to butcher the entire litter around 8-10 weeks or the meat gets tough. If the weather is hot, DH butchers at night so there are no flies. DH lines a trash can with a giant trash bag, places it under the skinning hooks, pulls the hides off into the bag, and dresses out the rabbit into the bag. Then it is easily tied up for disposal. Kill, cut off head, and paws, skin, and dress each one then place carcasses into cooler of ice water. Once you have butchered all of them, take cooler up to house, rinse and cut carcasses into pieces, or freeze whole. We keep the livers and kidneys to eat. DH throws them into a separate bowl of ice water. Rabbit livers are large and very sweet. I fry bacon, sautee onions, dredge the livers and kidneys in seasoned flour, and sautee them. Make gravy and simmer. YUMMY!

Actually, we prefer to eat mac and cheese on butchering day. LOL

 

[MiniSilkys]

Not yet minisilkys....I am going to raise them to sell and for our use if needed...I am one who pepares for the worst and hopes for the best.where we live, going to the store takes 40 minutes one way...hate to catch myself in a situation where I was dependant on Wal Mart for to survive. I wanted to reply yes, i killed BUGS BUNNY, , that cartoon drove me crazy

My grandmother used to breed rabbits for meat. She did the killing but says she can't do it anymore. She says because if you don't hit them right and kill them, they scream like a baby. We don't kill goats for the same reason.

 

[Ridgetop]

Yes, you have to do it quick. All meat animals deserve a quick and painless death. I take my lambs to the butcher who kills, butchers, cuts and wraps. Butchering yourself is a lot of work and I prefer not to do it myself. If I hunted, it would be different. I would have a hanging shed where we would do the job. Rabbits are easy though. I have done many myself. The worst job I had to do though was when we had a dog attack on our rabbitry (pre LGD) and I had to destroy about 20 rabbits who had been mutilated but were still alive. DH usually has no problem butchering our rabbits for meat but these were his breeding stock, they were his pets, most of them champions. I went down and did it for him so he didn't have to. That dog attack took out 30 generations of planned breeding - the equivalent of 15 years of large livestock breeding.

 

[goatgurl]

just finished reading about your loosing you doe and her kid. i'm so sorry for your loss. some people with animals are so irresponsible and you had to pay the price.
I raise meat rabbits for my own use and I do everything form caring to killing to preserving. i'm 68 years old and have pretty bad arthritis in my hands and wrists and don't feel I have the strength to hold one by the feet and hit them hard enough to break their neck and i'd die if I hit one and it started screaming. would not ever touch another one. I have a small handmade cage that one rabbit fits in snugly and I put a single bunny at a time in it. I purchase 'no load' 22cal shells, just have the primer and powder but no bullet so it has enough power to kill neatly without splattering stuff. works just fine for me. a full load 22 was a bit of over kill. this has worked well for me for several years. good luck with your rabbit adventure.

 

[MiniSilkys]

Yes, you have to do it quick. All meat animals deserve a quick and painless death. I take my lambs to the butcher who kills, butchers, cuts and wraps. Butchering yourself is a lot of work and I prefer not to do it myself. If I hunted, it would be different. I would have a hanging shed where we would do the job. Rabbits are easy though. I have done many myself. The worst job I had to do though was when we had a dog attack on our rabbitry (pre LGD) and I had to destroy about 20 rabbits who had been mutilated but were still alive. DH usually has no problem butchering our rabbits for meat but these were his breeding stock, they were his pets, most of them champions. I went down and did it for him so he didn't have to. That dog attack took out 30 generations of planned breeding - the equivalent of 15 years of large livestock breeding.

That is so terrible. How was your set-up at the time? I have just found out what the culprit was that killed five kittens and two chickens. It was a bobcat. There were so many cat tracks that we did not realize. I lost my favorite kittens to it.

 

[Latestarter]

Kudos for doing the "right" thing and giving these poor animals a fighting chance! I doubt you'll catch much if any grief from folks here. By all means share some pics if you'd like recommendations or help in getting them back to what they should/could be. I'm assuming they are all does? Mine will eat dried leaves before hay as well, even though it's expensive, high quality hay. Give them time, they'll catch on.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

You are taking them in properly. Keep them quarantined. The only thing that I would caution you on is the importance of testing for CAE, CL, and Johne's to avoid contamination of your existing herd (that should be tested if they already haven't.) Passing on these things to more goats can be prevented. I'd go into more detail but it's been discussed on numerous occasions on the forum. Just do a search.

You may also look into starting a journal. This would allow you to have an ongoing record of your occurrences on your homestead. Several of us have them already and it might be something that you'd like to be able to have as a running record.