So... My wife wants meat rabbits. (We already have egg & meat chickens, and small meat goats)

[U_Stormcrow]

Two of them are now back in their respective runs. On their own. Still NO CLUE how.

 

[ChookieG]

We raised rabbits for meat for around 5 years. We always baked it like a Sunday chicken in chicken broth and it was so good. Also a great meat if you happen to be trying to lose weight since it doesn't really have fat.

Ours were in 30x30 stackers for the adults and the younglings usually were still sharing 24x24 or 24x30s with a sibling or two when they were processed.

We did New Zealands, and NZxSatins, so nice big rabbits.

We just fed ours rabbit pellets, occasionally sunflower seeds and hay.

For just two people, I would say between a pair and a trio (just depends how often you breed). NZs tend to do large litters and our satin had 9 once that all made it.

Does US have a rabbit eradication system like that in Aust? The government here has been releasing calicivius to get rid of feral rabbit plagues (like it's really working out perfectly!) so domesticated rabbits have to be vaccinated to avoid mortalities....we had wanted to keep meat rabbits but because of the eradication programme find it not worthwhile given a single vaccine costs around $25...cheaper to buy store-bought chicken!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Does US have a rabbit eradication system like that in Aust? The government here has been spraying calicivius to get rid of feral rabbit plagues (like it's really working out perfectly!) so domesticated rabbits have to be vaccinated to avoid mortalities....we had wanted to keep meat rabbits but because of the eradication programme find it not worthwhile given a single vaccine costs around $25...cheaper to but store-bought chicken!

The US has no such program.
and the first five rabbits were tasty. (I assume - gave one to the neighbor for Thanksgiving). Those we cooked for ourselves were excellent.

and I'm busy building hanging cages - the Livestock conservancies recommends result in escaped rabbits and are simply impractical for raising, then catching, rabbits for dinner.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I wouldn't know. I don't think so, but there was a fever spreading naturally

 

[muddy75]

The US has no such program.
and the first five rabbits were tasty. (I assume - gave one to the neighbor for Thanksgiving). Those we cooked for ourselves were excellent.

and I'm busy building hanging cages - the Livestock conservancies recommends result in escaped rabbits and are simply impractical for raising, then catching, rabbits for dinner.

Happy your first litter was successful

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Happy your first litter was successful

Sadly, little bunny Snu Snu was well named. Found him dead two days after introducing the other bunny to his run in hopes of starting a new batch of kits.

Thankfully, I believe I have a male in the last batch, from when Peanut Bunny got out and likely did the deed with a wild rabbit on my property. Which is good, as all three of my rabbits came from the same breeder (though differing sires and dames, I suspect there were shared grandparents.)

 

[ChookieG]

The US has no such program.
and the first five rabbits were tasty. (I assume - gave one to the neighbor for Thanksgiving). Those we cooked for ourselves were excellent.

and I'm busy building hanging cages - the Livestock conservancies recommends result in escaped rabbits and are simply impractical for raising, then catching, rabbits for dinner.

I always thought those big beady eyes were too cute for me to butcher...how do you do it?

 

[NatJ]

I always thought those big beady eyes were too cute for me to butcher...how do you do it?

Pay more attention to the toenails than the eyes?
Pick up a butchering-size rabbit by the scruff of the neck, let it dangle for a few seconds, and it will rake both hind legs down your forearm hard enough to draw blood.
Yes, it's much better to put your other hand under their butt and then hold them firmly against yourself so they feel secure. But if I was taking a good look to be sure I grabbed the right rabbit, or I was closing the cage door with my other hand, sometimes that was too long and they would start struggling and scratching before I shifted how I was holding them.

More seriously, I find it really helps if you start off expecting to butcher "these" rabbits. So from the first time you see the bunnies, you are thinking about how much meat they have (or do not have), and how good they will taste, and what recipe you are going to use. Or at least, you are NOT visualizing years of cuddling with this fuzzy pet.

When my family got their first rabbits, Mom said "these rabbits will be pets, but when they have bunnies, we will eat the bunnies." And it was no big deal when we did eat their bunnies.

 

[3KillerBs]

I always thought those big beady eyes were too cute for me to butcher...how do you do it?

That's actually why I haven't pursued the possibility of raising rabbits.

I'm not squeamish about the chickens, but rabbits have considerably greater cute factor than cull cockerels.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That's actually why I haven't pursued the possibility of raising rabbits.

I'm not squeamish about the chickens, but rabbits have considerably greater cute factor than cull cockerels.

If it helps, you can follow the same rule as revenge chicken noodle soup. The does glcan get quite mean sometimes. I had a doe named Angel years ago that actively attacked when we went to feed and water. She didn't last long