Anyone here harvesting their own rabbits?

[oldhaus]

Ok, let me chime in a bit. I've been raising rabbits most of the past 40yrs (sometimes for meat, sometimes not) Currently "not for meat" but I have meat breeds, but we "harvest" in a whole other way!

We raise French Angora, Satin Angora, Giant Angora (an American Breed) Flemish Giants (they are the LARGEST BREED) and American Fuzzy Lops (one of the smallest breeds)

Technically any rabbit can be eaten, but fuzzy lops are just to little (3-4pounds) and Flemish grow very slowly!

French & Satin Angoras are New Zelands with Angora Wool.

Now our "harvesting" ... we harvest the Angora Wool, clipping from the Giants, and plucking from the French, Satins, and American Fuzzy Lops (not a lot, they are so small).

We mix the wool, with Sheeps' Wool, Alpaca, Llama, American Bison (that's another story, we don't personally raise them) Camel, and a variety of other wooly animals...Yes we then spin the wool into yarn, and even knit it.

So don't forget there are "other ways" to harvest rabbits ;)

[Greenbeast]

anyone got any tips for finding breeding stock?

I've got access to some giant rabbits from my parents but would like an unrelated mating partner from somewhere else ideally

do they interbreed happily? i'm not sure which breed my parents have

[lovelygreenleaves]

Sounds like a great idea, rearing your own rabbits to eat and after reading all this I think I'm gonna have a go.
I can get loads of ex battery hen cages and am wondering if they would be any good for rearing rabbits in for meat and fur.
I like the idea of rearing my own rabbits for the pot as I can make sure they're disease free, wormed and also know what they've eaten.

Hi Sky,

I wouldn't use battery hen cages unless you have special ones I don't know about over there! Rabbits need a solid floor, plenty of space and outdoor runs when it's safe. If you're going to breed them yourself it makes sense to make them as happy as possible because you've got the power to do so. Absinthefairy's got it right...

I keep my rabbits in hutches, and then rotate them in the outside green runs - so they are securely locked in at night

[oldhaus]

anyone got any tips for finding breeding stock?

I've got access to some giant rabbits from my parents but would like an unrelated mating partner from somewhere else ideally

do they interbreed happily? i'm not sure which breed my parents have

It looks like you (in Britain) have at least 1 national club...

The British Rabbit Council, http://www.thebrc.org/index.htm

Give a look there & see if you can find a local club & breeder.

Flemish Giants are a VERY FUN breed to have. They are known as the "gentle giants" for a reason!

Good Luck

JLH

[Greenbeast]

Yeah i've seen the british rabbit council but can't find any californian and NZ breeders in kent

i'm going to check the back of smallholding magazines

[ADG]

Hi Julie.
Farmed rabbit meat from a proper meat breed like New Zealand, Californian or English White is fairly tasteless compare to wild rabbit.
The texture is finer (denser) and whiter and the flavour is comparable to cheapo chicken and takes up the flavour of what ever you are cooking it in.
I haven't kept rabbits for many years but I am seriously thinking of starting again. I have a shed about to become surplus to requirements and it would make sense to do as I can grow most of their food as well. Chicken I find a right pain to pluck (in all senses of the word as my hands don't work as well as they used to) but rabbits are easy to skin although I have never cured the pelts ... when I kept them before I sold them on untreated.
If you decide to give it a go I would be interested where you get your breeding stock from as I haven't seen any available in the southern half of the country, although I haven't enquired at any pet shops yet.

A tip for chickens is that if you plunge the bird into a bucket of boiling water [after it's been necked of course] for a minute then the waxy substance that holds the feathers in place will melt and the feathers come out easier. Never done this myself but it came as a "tip" from a pultry farmer.

HTH in future.

As for rabbits, my neighbour has bread rabbits for many a year. I'll try to remember to ask what they are etc. One concern is that you will get rats under your shed / housing so keep it off the floor by 4-6 inches to help stop this. As for being a guinee pig lover if you do get rats send a GP into the lair... only one comes out alive and it's not the rats...

not boiling water it mustnt be over 60C and nomre than 30secs

[bonniethomas06]

Sorry to ask a grisly question...but would you dispatch the rabbit yourself?

Is there a generally accepted way of doing it?

Am trying VERY hard to be squeamish...I can't stand it when people are prepared to eat the meat but get all funny about doing the deed.

[Brij]

Another thing I must also do is check what they eat and make sure I have seed to grow most of their food, the last time I kept rabbits they were pampered Angoras and apart from an occasional carrot they turned up their fluffy noses at anything other than pellets.

My boyfriend has a dwarf rabbit he keeps in his apartment - she won't go near a carrot!