Butchering your rabbits

[Nortonsmom]

My husband and I are considering raising some rabbits for our use. I know that someone needs to dispatch them, but it wont be me...A friend of my husbands said he would do them - but wants one for him and one for me....does this seem like a reasonable price? I thought it seemed high. If you dont do them your self what is a reasonable cost to pay? Or barter? Thanks!

 

[Nicki]

Hi,

We usually get the same offer for chickens it is not really a great deal but there are usually very few people that want to do the work. If you can handle the killing part rabbits are really easy to clean you can also try calling around to your local butchers there are a few that will still process small animals.

 

[Nortonsmom]

My husband does the chickens - I dont watch...but he thought he might have a hard time with the rabbits...cant say I blame him. I've looked through the phone book but didnt find anything. Thanks for responding!

 

[Oldman]

Mom, I haven't cleaned a rabbit yet and I had no intentions of cleaning a chicken when I bought 50 meat roosters but but that changed due to their uncanny ability to escape a well built chicken tractor at 2 am.
I had a deal with a guy where he would do the dead and even store my half in his freezer, but at 2 am it was time for the cross bow and a fast online lesson on how to clean a chicken from the internet.
I may be wrong but I would think a rabbit would be easier than a chicken.
But either way, it doesn't take that long to do it yourself and after the first half dozen it gets easier and faster as you learn.
I learned with the chickens that a pair of loopers are a tool that you'll love. Just as if it were a branch on a tree limb, they'll cut a joint with a snap of the wrist.
I cut the first couple up with "dull" knives and that is a pain in the rump.
It had been several years since I had worked but it popped in my head while I was cutting the first one up, and I actually reached for a folding lock blade on my hip, which I always cared when working, (but it walked away when I fell and was at the hospital) and didn't have one.
That is when I bought some good knives and cleaned and sharpened the loopers.
After that it was just timing the dropping it in the water bath the right amount of time so the feathers came out good.

In short, if I were you, I would make myself clean a half dozen or so and after that you'll much rather clean two rabbits and keep them both than you would like to grow two rabbits and give one away for 5-10 minutes work.
And the more you do the faster it gets.

that is JMHO.

Good luck
Dennis

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Oh, no, no, no, no. That is NOT a fair deal. Try 1/4.

Killing and processing rabbits is way easier than chickens. You can contact your county 4H, or local ARBA chartered rabbit club, and ask for a referral for someone that can teach your to do it yourself. I was taught by a 4H leader. I actually do chickens the same way as rabbits because I eat it boneless, skinless anyway and I don't have to pluck.

Here's a very good video made by a frind. She uses a very easy, humane, USDA approved method of putting the animal down. We call it "broomsticking" because you can do it with a broom stick but I use a piece of re-bar, like in the video and it works better (rabbit does not slip out). I was amazed how little effort it takes - and the rabbit is simply GONE. Very fast!

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYv3I9cCgo