Meat Rabbits are considered Poultry

[oneacrefarm]

Wait...why are they considered poultry?

The Federal Government, Department of Agriculture considers meat rabbits poultry. I can't explain why the Federal Government does anything that it does. :/

Yes, and no. If you look at the actual laws, rabbits are separate from poultry. The USDA webpage says that poultry is limited to:

Chickens, chicken eggs, turkeys,ducks, geese, pheasants, pigeons, quail, and
squab.

And has rabbit listed in the "specialties category" along with a few other
things:

Animal specialties: Fur-bearing animals, rabbits, horses, ponies, bees, fish
in captivity including fish hatcheries, worms, and laboratory animals.

I found this on the USDA website in the Animal Disposition and Reporting System
area...

Livestock and poultry are divided into the following major subgroups for
reporting purposes:

Livestock: Cattle, calves, swine, sheep, goats, equine, and other
Poultry: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, capons, rabbits, and other


Here is a link:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Animal_Disposition_Reporting_System/index.asp

This has to do with slaughter facilities inspections...I think that may be where
the misconception comes in.

Hope that helps!

Shannon

 

[Ms. Research]

Wait...why are they considered poultry?

The Federal Government, Department of Agriculture considers meat rabbits poultry. I can't explain why the Federal Government does anything that it does. :/

Yes, and no. If you look at the actual laws, rabbits are separate from poultry. The USDA webpage says that poultry is limited to:

Chickens, chicken eggs, turkeys,ducks, geese, pheasants, pigeons, quail, and
squab.

And has rabbit listed in the "specialties category" along with a few other
things:

Animal specialties: Fur-bearing animals, rabbits, horses, ponies, bees, fish
in captivity including fish hatcheries, worms, and laboratory animals.

I found this on the USDA website in the Animal Disposition and Reporting System
area...

Livestock and poultry are divided into the following major subgroups for
reporting purposes:

Livestock: Cattle, calves, swine, sheep, goats, equine, and other
Poultry: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, capons, rabbits, and other


Here is a link:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Animal_Disposition_Reporting_System/index.asp

This has to do with slaughter facilities inspections...I think that may be where
the misconception comes in.

Hope that helps!

Shannon

Thanks for the info. Now does this mean every Mom and Pop operation with a couple rabbits will become a federally controlled slaughter facility area? And what's the difference between that and a hunter that gets ten rabbits and slaughters them and sells half of them to his buddy? How it look at that way?

And reporting purposes IMO only means ratting someone out so that the Government can confiscate your livestock.

FWIW, I see nothing good coming from this classification. Also I remember back in the mid 90's Nebraska's slaughter houses were raided and shut down for illegal immigration workers. Oh does that meet government standards? Anyone have any ideas?

Food for thought.

 

[SillyChicken]

I looked into selling processed rabbit, and you have to be federally inspected and they rabbitry has to be set up a certain way to be able to sell a processed rabbit. I sell them live, and then process the rabbit for the person if they ask. It's ok for me to process all I want for home consumption. Ever have canned rabbit - deeelish!

BTW, it's generally illegal to sell wild game.

 

[Ms. Research]

I looked into selling processed rabbit, and you have to be federally inspected and they rabbitry has to be set up a certain way to be able to sell a processed rabbit. I sell them live, and then process the rabbit for the person if they ask. It's ok for me to process all I want for home consumption. Ever have canned rabbit - deeelish!

BTW, it's generally illegal to sell wild game.

Gee you have to abide by stricter standards than a real slaughter house. How wacked is that. I've observed slaughter houses in Pennsylvania, Nebraska and Ohio. And they have government representatives right on site. My observations found the government workers smoking cigerattes and drinking coffee. As a matter of fact, the one in Nebraska business was interrupted when ICE came in. And found numerous illegal immigrants working there. Oh well, they can do it, but don't you. :/

 

[AZ Rabbits]

The United States Department of Agriculture classifies rabbits as poultry.

I've taught my rabbits to roost, cluck and crow, so this makes perfect sense to me. You should see my New Zealand Whites welcome the new day!

 

[doubled]

The United States Department of Agriculture classifies rabbits as poultry.

I've taught my rabbits to roost, cluck and crow, so this makes perfect sense to me. You should see my New Zealand Whites welcome the new day!

Not trying to outdo your herd but I have some Georgia Giant Quail that Gobble............

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Designated as farm animals, meat rabbits are denied legal protection by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and Animal Welfare Act.

It looks like the few words I saw in the article were written by an ARA group. It's a bunch of bunny berries. I was unable to watch the video.

n any case, the above quote in bold is contradicting. Rabbits are designated as farm animals (edible). That in itself qualifies rabbits them be included in the laws regarding what is and what is not humane slaughter. The problem (for some) is that rabbits are considered food at all and not given the same "high status" as a cat or dog, which we do not eat. The veggies and HRS folk actively seek to disrupt anything that has to do w/rabbits NOT being ONLY pets. That makes 4H, FFA, show exhibitors, breeders, and farmers their targets. They work to feed their recruits a bunch of misleading bologna like the statement above, which was meant to make the reader feel the poor little bunnies need to be protected, so they can gain both a following and bucket loads of cash from people who don't know more than what these ARAs are feeding them.

My understanding as to why rabbits are "considered poultry" (not quite an accurate statement) is that humane slaughter methods listed for chickens are the same for rabbits. There is really no need to repeat everything twice because the methods work well (are humane) for both species. In other words, rabbits don't need to have their own laws written for them. Does that make sense? Do you think that is correct?

 

[Ms. Research]

Designated as farm animals, meat rabbits are denied legal protection by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and Animal Welfare Act.

It looks like the few words I saw in the article were written by an ARA group. It's a bunch of bunny berries. I was unable to watch the video.

n any case, the above quote in bold is contradicting. Rabbits are designated as farm animals (edible). That in itself qualifies rabbits them be included in the laws regarding what is and what is not humane slaughter. The problem (for some) is that rabbits are considered food at all and not given the same "high status" as a cat or dog, which we do not eat. The veggies and HRS folk actively seek to disrupt anything that has to do w/rabbits NOT being ONLY pets. That makes 4H, FFA, show exhibitors, breeders, and farmers their targets. They work to feed their recruits a bunch of misleading bologna like the statement above, which was meant to make the reader feel the poor little bunnies need to be protected, so they can gain both a following and bucket loads of cash from people who don't know more than what these ARAs are feeding them.

My understanding as to why rabbits are "considered poultry" (not quite an accurate statement) is that humane slaughter methods listed for chickens are the same for rabbits. There is really no need to repeat everything twice because the methods work well (are humane) for both species. In other words, rabbits don't need to have their own laws written for them. Does that make sense? Do you think that is correct?

Makes sense, but tell that to the Federal Government.