Rex for meat and fur

[firedragon1982]

Just processed 2 today to get the feel for things. It's harder than with my chickens and ducks because they're so cute. But I did it, no tears lol. But a lot of sighing because that's how I roll with things. I used a neck popper, and a home made hanger that wasn't working out like intended, rabbit kept coming off when skinning thankfully I was able to catch them/had my hands on them already but still not convenient. Think I'll use the rope noose style next time to hang them by.

The chickens loved the entrails. Liver, kidneys and heart are in the freezer with the chicken liver and hearts. And the parted rabbits are in there too. Only took a little over an hour to do 2 all the way to parting for the freezer. Not bad all in all. Hopefully next time will be smoother.

 

[Pastor Dave]

I don't have a pic, but I have a board across at a little over head level. I hang down two of the small choke collars, abt 18" long ones, and pretty skinny. They are abt 10-12" apart.
One loop on a screw on the board on back side, draped up and over board. The other loop makes the noose you put hind hock through. Stainless steel makes good sanitation at clean up with bleach, and barely any chance of ever breaking like twine or rope might.
Out of my whole process, this is my best tip and I think it works great! I also use the small wading pool you can buy for kids to catch splatters. I use a bucket with a black trash bag to catch everything as it sits in the pool.
Hope this helps out some.

 

[DutchBunny03]

Glad you didn't have any problems! An hour is pretty good time, to dress two rabbits. It only gets quicker and easier with experience.
I would't be able to slaughter a rabbit, at least one that I've known for a while. I sell my culls, or give them away.

 

[firedragon1982]

I don't have a pic, but I have a board across at a little over head level. I hang down two of the small choke collars, abt 18" long ones, and pretty skinny. They are abt 10-12" apart.
One loop on a screw on the board on back side, draped up and over board. The other loop makes the noose you put hind hock through. Stainless steel makes good sanitation at clean up with bleach, and barely any chance of ever breaking like twine or rope might.
Out of my whole process, this is my best tip and I think it works great! I also use the small wading pool you can buy for kids to catch splatters. I use a bucket with a black trash bag to catch everything as it sits in the pool.
Hope this helps out some.

I like the idea of using the choke chains for dogs to hold them. We have some left overs from when my dog was a puppy, should be able to sanitize them pretty easily. I was using a bucket with a trash bag to catch most of the blood and putting the head/feet into. I think i'll modify the existing hanger by adding the chain to it.

 

[firedragon1982]

So I processed 6 more. Much smoother this time around. Still have a potential 4 more to go (2 girls, 2 boys waiting to see how they turn out).

A couple of things I noted this time around:
I did the chain for the hanging of the rabbits, much better this time!!

Of course the first boy I put in the popper, before I even pulled on him started screaming because he was scared. A quick pull ended it, but still, not very fun for the first rabbit. Second one, go to put him in the popper and notice a HUGE barn/wolf spider on the board the popper is screwed onto. Got a stick, knocked him down and stomped on him. I very much DISLIKE spiders. Alive he was about the size of a quarter... I still get the heebie jeebies thinking about it now...

Then one rabbit started crying (not screaming, but a bit of a whimper) after popping his neck. Checked the eye, he was dead, but crying none the less He didn't kick around much, probably his version of throes.

Also a couple of boys were very difficult to get started with skinning of the legs. Once past the legs, they were ok, but getting them started was tough. The female I did wasn't nearly so difficult.

I prefer to take the heads off immediately after hanging them. I don't prefer to see their eyes and they seem to drain a bit better.

And then the only girl I did was a bit odd... I noticed her lungs were not nearly as bright pink as the boys, and her gallbladder was TINY compared to the boys. About a third of the size and neon green where as the boys were large and dark green. The liver looked normal (no lesions, not discolored, firm like the boys), kidneys were a little bit fattier than the boys, heart a little smaller than the boys. Don't know what to think about it, I have her parts set aside for dog food just in case. When i took her from the cage, there wasn't any snotty nose, crusty eyes, etc so outwardly she was healthy, just a couple of oddities.

Adding: I also had the body/skin twitching after the skin was removed on the last 3 rabbits I processed. Very odd feeling to feel the skin twitching in your hand when you've already pulled it off the corpse.

 

[farmerjan]

As much as I thought I would like to raise some rabbits for meat and mostly for the skins, I could not do the killing and skinning. I am glad that you were detail oriented @firedragon1982 because that is the reality that I needed. I can raise any of the chickens and turkeys, and the hogs and even the cattle, but the rabbits would do me in. And we had some that were not very friendly as a kid growing up, but I guess that I will never have those soft plush rex skins to tan and make into something. Although for the sheer size now I have a butcher do the cattle and the hogs and even the sheep that we have done, I have helped do all them in the past and can do a deer. The chickens I have never been so attached to although I certainly have favorites. Just my quirk I guess. And I see nothing wrong with it, just know that I could not do it myself.

 

[firedragon1982]

As much as I thought I would like to raise some rabbits for meat and mostly for the skins, I could not do the killing and skinning. I am glad that you were detail oriented @firedragon1982 because that is the reality that I needed. I can raise any of the chickens and turkeys, and the hogs and even the cattle, but the rabbits would do me in. And we had some that were not very friendly as a kid growing up, but I guess that I will never have those soft plush rex skins to tan and make into something. Although for the sheer size now I have a butcher do the cattle and the hogs and even the sheep that we have done, I have helped do all them in the past and can do a deer. The chickens I have never been so attached to although I certainly have favorites. Just my quirk I guess. And I see nothing wrong with it, just know that I could not do it myself.

I will say it is more emotionally draining than the birds, mostly because once the chicks/ducklings transition out to the coops I'm no longer handling/cuddling them, easier to emotionally distance myself. The rabbits I'm handling every few days, checking body type as they grow, grooming, cleaning their cages, etc. Lots more emotional involvement and handling.

My husband who was complete city boy when I met him had made leaps and bounds after purchasing this house. But he limits the butchering to me because he "can't" handle the death and blood supposedly. So it is up to me alone to do that part of it. The only experience I had growing up was helping my best friend's mom butcher a rabbit because my best friend and her brother were at a church thing when I was dropped off at their house. My mom and brother raised and butchered rabbits from my birth until I was about 6 but my mom never had me watch or help. At least the last time he found a dead chicken he brought it to the house and put it in a trash bag...

 

[Pastor Dave]

You had more interesting occurrences in one butcher day than I usually get in a year. Have never had hides do that before!
I also like to remove heads first so as not to have to look at the eyes. One other thing that works good is to take hand shears and take off front paws at joint when removing head. It allows the skin to pass right off when getting to that point.
Sounds like you did great! And imagine the meat in the freezer. Keep up the good work
Oh, you discussing the gall bladder of the doe reminded me. The other day in more than 25 years I had a liver totally absent of a gall bladder. I looked all over for it. I asked a friend that is a vet, and he said weird anomaly.
Have a great day!

 

[firedragon1982]

We had rabbit cacciatore tonight. Most delicious! Was a hit for everyone including the kids.

 

[Hopalong Causually]

Gee, that sounds good.
Would you happen to have a recipe you would consider sharing?