Do you have to soak farm raised rabbits in salt water?

[miss_thenorth]

Johnny--the soaking is not necessary--you don't have to do it. I never have---with domestic or wild game.

 

[firefighter9208]

When I butchered the rabbits we raised I would do the following.
1. Grasp the rabbit by the rear legs with one hand.
2. Grasp the rabbit behind the neck with the other hand (watch out they will try to bite you).
3. Pull hard enough to dislocate the neck.
4. Hang then up by their rear legs from a hanging rack. 2x6 with large cup hooks to hook through the achiles tendon of the rabbit.
5. Immediately slit their throat with a very sharp knife.
6. Let the rabbit bleed out.

I would then skin and gut the rabbit and place it in a cooler of ice. I would take them into the house to quarter them. I never soaked them and they did not have a wild taste. Think I'll go home and get some out of the freezer. Yum, Yum!!!!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I know that sounds graphic and horrible, but it said to be the best and most humane way to dispatch a rabbit.

 

[chickenchickenbulkbulk]

Wow!!! That was to the point.

Plain talk is easy understood..my Pappy always said!!

 

[johnnyInterested]

Sounds good to me. Thank you. I always find it funny to say "dispatch" instead of kill, but I guess we don't want to call ourselves killers when we eat pork, chicken, or beef. The main thing is I don't want to taint the meat and I want it to be as easy to use as a chicken breast because if it's not convenient it won't get used.

The one I got in the store seemed to have a lot of blood on it but I don't know why.

 

[firefighter9208]

The biggest thing is to be very careful when handling the rabbit. The day you are going to kill "dispatch" the rabbits you need to handle them by the ears.

When I was slaughtering rabbits the first couple I picked up by the back. They both were bruised. I started grabbing them by the ears to get them out of the cage and then would grab the back legs. No more bruised meat!!!!

Enjoy!

Chris

 

[Hilltopfarms]

Fantasic info. learning so much here!!

 

[EweSheep]

I thought grabbing them in the scruff of neck like a purse would help. Ears, no, I don't think I ever done that. My Dad would take a hammer in the back of their heads with one swift blow and slice throat quickly. That is as quick as you can to dispatch a rabbit. There was a U Tube on snapping necks with the "U" device which I thought it's great gadget and there was a thread about this.

Never had to brine our farm raised rabbits. Using the pelts, well, that is a different matter!