Rabbits sold in the united states for food are commonly crosses between new zealand. However, rabbit has yet to be widely adopted as a primary source of meat. Oryctolagus cuniculus includes the european rabbit species and its descendants, the worlds 305 breeds of domestic rabbit. Rise and shine rabbitry raising meat rabbits to save the. People have been raising rabbits for centuries but breeding rabbits for meat and fur production didnt become popular in the united states until the beginning of the 20th century. In 4h and ffa, youth members have rabbits for their project animals or sell them at a county fair livestock auction figure 1, page 2. Sep 2, 2017 meat rabbits, raising meat rabbits, raising rabbits, rabbits, livestock, farm life, homesteading, animals on the farm.
Buying rabbit commercially is very expensive so other use this meat in hamburger, so you should think the purpose of your meat. Rabbits will grow well on food items that do not compete with food items grown for human food. Rabbits are extremely hot natured so it is important to place their shelter in a shaded area. Having a breeding plan is pivotal in successfully breeding and weaning your kits as this will let you know how many cages you are going to need. Information and resources for the processing and sale of. But there are several things you should consider before making the leap into raising rabbits for profit rather than as a hobby. Learn how to begin raising rabbits for 4h and ffa in this unique one of a kind meat pen rabbit guide. Raising rabbits for meat purposes can be extremely rewarding when the grocery stores are no longer open. The meat of larger rabbits may be tougher so the best. Like other lean meat, poultry, and fish, rabbit meat is a good source of high quality protein.
For rabbit carcasses, the evaluation was mainly focused on meat percentage and muscularity, defined as the ratio between meat and bone lukefahr and ozimba, 1991. When raising rabbits for meat there are many options for food. The benefits of raising meat rabbits raising meat rabbits is one of the most space efficient means of growing livestock for meat. If you want to make a profit from rabbits, but dont have the heart to use them for meat, you could start shearing your pet angora rabbits and make a few bucks on this luxury fiber. Mediumweight new zealand whites and californian rabbits are most suited for meat production.
True, but some breeds are better suited for the table than others. Rabbit meat was once a common commodity in sydney, australia, but declined after the myxomatosis virus was intentionally introduced to control the exploding population of feral rabbits in the area. Loin and hindleg meat, liver and hair of control rabbits contained 93, 98, 521 and 267. State requirements by market for products of animal origin. The definition of meat food product in the kansas meat and poultry inspection act includes domestic rabbits. They can easily be raised in a variety of locations and climates, and require less space and infrastructure than many other species of livestock. What follows is a graphic meat rabbit discussion, which might be uncomfortable for any who prefer to view rabbits as pets only, to the exclusion of biologic evidence of mankinds omnivore need to eat animalbased nutrition for longterm wellness. We are a small farm in clackamas county looking to begin selling rabbit meat. The breed or breeds you choose may determine the success of your enterprise. Are you considering raising rabbits for meat commercially. Raising meat rabbits is one of the most space efficient means of growing livestock for meat. Mar 11, 2020 raising meat rabbits is one of the most space efficient means of growing livestock for meat.
Raw meat meat processing meat analysis franklin meat rfid meat how to cure meat 10 things vegetarians eat that have meat salt cured meat franklin meat manifesto bizerba meat. But, before you begin this journey, there are some important rabbitry issues that you need to consider first. I am getting my rabbits to 5lb at week 11 and they are dispatched straight away. Raising rabbits for meat rabbits battle rabbits from rabbits to chaos ferrets, rabbits, and rodents clinical medicine and surgery one mans meat one mans meat e. Never run out of meat again an introduction to raising.
From the group that provided the great slideshow on keyhole gardening, here is a great free pdf stepbystep guide on processing rabbits. In general, raising rabbits is a reasonably easy task for those interested in animal husbandry. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Rabbits have excellent feed conversion rates, low startup costs, healthy meat and dont require much space. Methods for raising meat rabbits the green acre homestead. Around the rabbit community, people joke that all rabbits are made of meat. Youll just need help from an urban farm or community garden. Introduction to rare meat rabbit breeds albc annual conference november 14, 2009. The three rabbits are judged on their meat quality and.
What i have found once they reach 5lb is their weight gain slows down rapidly, but the feed costs only rise. Fortunately, rabbits are experiencing a renaissance on the small farm. Raising meat rabbits importance of your choice of rabbit breed. Rise and shine rabbitry raising meat rabbits to save the world.
State requirements by market for products of animal origin 4 doortodoor farmers market vendors may be licensed by lhd used egg cartons may be used only if relabeled with name and address of supplier of eggs pack date and expiration date must appear on. Rabbit from farm to table fresh or frozen, rabbit meat is sold all year round. Weight loss isnt the only reason to switch to rabbit meat as a source of protein. We will continue this discussion about how exactly we have them setup, what we feed them, and all the nitty gritty of how we actually take the idea of raising a meat rabbit all the way to the dinner table. Is raising rabbits worth it part 2 5 gallon rabbit watering system why we dont pasture our rabbits anymore rabbit tractor repairs. Fresh or frozen, rabbit meat is sold all year round. If you are thinking about raising them, then here are 10 best meat rabbit breeds list. It can be used in most of the ways in which chicken is used. Raising and breeding rabbits for meat backwoods mama. Business overview a pretty good business that falls under the agriculture cum meat production industry that an entrepreneur can successful start is rabbit farming. Rabbit farming business is a very profitable business, and many people are making money all over the world by raising rabbits for meat. Specifically, the meat examined is low in fat and cholesterol, thus being ideal for people with cardiovascular diseases wood et al. Raising rabbits for meat introduction to commercial rabbit production. The rex can give you some good meat and is perfect for homestead.
The rabbits usually dont have any room to hop and they never touch the earth. Types of rabbit production fanciers pets, breeding stock, and show animals laboratory furhair angora rex meat largest rabbit market. After all, two rabbits will be 200 in a short amount of time. People from various walks of life are recognizing that our consumerist lifestyle has a negative impact on the planet and on our quality of life. One important thing to keep in mind though, is that slow or fast cooking is the preferred method with. The european rabbit, which has been introduced on every continent except. Pdf advances in research on poultry and rabbit meat quality.
Although rabbits are often thought of as pets, there is a growing number of people raising meat rabbits for profit as well as for their own personal needs. Domestic rabbits in brief origin breeds arba standardbred rabbits. If you do enjoy the taste of rabbit next to consider is how much will it cost to start up a small rabbitry. Basics of raising meat rabbits on the homestead part 1. The amount of capital required when raising rabbits for meat depends on the scale of the project. While the rest of the livestock industry has transitioned to massive factory farms, the rabbit industry has long been an exceptionmost rabbit meat producers and processors in the united states, for example, have been small, backyard operations. For years, some physicians have recommended rabbit meat to patients with coronary conditions. The standard way for a rabbitry to be set up is to have row after row of 36. Two does and one buck should produce 180 pounds of meat per year. This is one of the most common rabbit breed used for meat and tops the best rabbit meat in the usa, you may find a variety of signature dishes from this breeds,eat. This would be a great pdf to download and keep in your files.
Unprocessed meat is consumed without such preservatives wyness et al. Jan 19, 2012 rabbits will grow well on food items that do not compete with food items grown for human food. If youve been raising rabbits for a while as a hobby, the thought may have occurred to you that you could make a little money raising them. Oct 28, 2014 raising rabbits for meat introduction to commercial rabbit production. Whether you live on a full blown many acre homestead, or on a town lot in the burbs, rabbits are a viable option in your selfsufficiency and survival planning. However, to build a successful, sustainable commercial rabbit farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently raise the rabbits, good management skills, and a good rabbit farming business plan. Meat rabbits what you need to know about raising rabbits. Oct 11, 20 never run out of meat again an introduction to raising meat rabbits. In rabbits, the ability to assess the fat content of the carcass is of little value because this species has only a small dissectible fat content pascual and pla, 2007. Some individuals buy quality meat rabbits for 4h, ffa, or private use.
Even though farmed rabbit is mild it might not be to your liking. Learn how to effectively raise and care for your meat pen bunnies to improve your show success. A bunch of rabbits can be raised in a small sheltercage. These are good meat rabbit breeds for homestead and. When mature, they may weigh around 8 to 10 pounds and may come in a variety of blue, amber and spotted patterns ion their color. Rabbits are a inexpensive way to supply good healthy meat for your family. Here is a sample rabbit farming business plan that just might help you chart a good course for your own business as you choose to start. When it comes to meat proteins, rabbit meat is actually a rare delicacy. In the summer, it is wise to place frozen water bottles in the hutches with the rabbits to help keep them cool. If your hometown doesnt allow you to complete the rabbitrearing lifecycle on your homestead, dont despair.
May 05, 2018 if you want to raise your own meat, consider rabbits. Processed meat includes any meat transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation e. Raising rabbits to survive is not hard to do, but there are some costs involved with basic setup. Raising rabbits for meat pdf sion to use the information in raising meat rabbits in.
Can i slaughter and process some rabbits without inspection. In the united kingdom, fresh rabbit is sold in butcher shops and markets, and some supermarkets sell frozen rabbit meat. According to rabbit production cheeke, patton, lukefahr and mcnitt, 1987, pg 190, a weanling rabbit gains a pound for every 3 pounds of feed consumed. If you want to raise your own meat, consider rabbits. The blog raising rabbits for meat was created to help people educate themselves about the ease and importance of raising meat rabbits.
Not only do you need to buy quality breeding rabbits but youll also need cages for each rabbit and extras. Several reports have shown that muscularity or cutability. Jul 10, 20 raising meat pen rabbits by aaron webster. The thought may have even occurred to you that you can make a lot of money raising rabbits. We are an llc and have been for years but have not sold meat before. Propelled partly by a growing desire to feel more connected to where food comes from, partly by a desire for a healthy choice for meat, and partly by a desire to leave a more sustainable footprint on the environment, meat rabbits are proving to be a viable option on the farm. The language describes meat items commonly traded internationally and defines a coding system for communication and electronic trade. Every year, rabbit producers around the world raise and kill 1. Rabbits are small mammals in the family leporidae of the order lagomorpha along with the hare and the pika. These soft and plush rabbits were developed for the purpose of fur and meat. Raising rabbits for meat is the howto guide to help y by eric rapp and callene rapp rabbits are one of the most sustainable, nutritious, and economic meat sources available. Raising meat rabbits importance of your choice of rabbit.
Rabbits have other byproducts good for the homestead. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat mother. For young people, raising rabbits, ideally as a 4h or ffa club project, offers a wonderful learning experience in the life sciences. You can get a loan from the bank, or funding from investors, to use as capital to start your rabbit farming business. Rabbit meat is extremely healthy, low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein. Domestic rabbits in brief origin breeds arba standardbred rabbits trends. And generally speaking, you can expect the doe and her litter together to eat 3. Mar, 20 a bunch of rabbits can be raised in a small sheltercage. Meat and poultry inspection rabbit exemption exempt rabbit slaughter and processing guidelines is rabbit considered meat. Generally, three rabbits are required to constitute a meat pen. According to the statistical institute of jamaica statin, there has been no import of rabbit meat in jamaica during the period 201020. Throughout north america there is a movement to relearn the forgotten skills of selfsufficiency. Humans invariably develop a vitamin b12 deficiency if they eat a solely plant. An analysis of the most important poultry and rabbit meat quality traits and their major relationships with production factors genotype, feeding, housing, preslaughter handling, slaughtering.
Dec 27, 2019 weight loss isnt the only reason to switch to rabbit meat as a source of protein. I was ready to write up a post on raising rabbits on wire floors, but shiny satins rabbitry has a few great posts on this subject and i could not agree more with what they have written. Humans have a long history of eating meat, including rabbits. These pellets are filled with protein and will help add the necessary weight to your rabbits in a short amount of time. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat. Some minifarmers and homesteaders ive found also choose to raise meat rabbits using this method. Whether youre raising your own rabbits for meat or buying your meat from somewhere else, there are nearly limitless ways to cook rabbit.
And the best part is, you get abundant supply of genuine rabbit meat. Search the internet and see what other state 4h programs are doing in rabbits ontact your county extension office for other local workshops, activities, and events participate in the 4h rabbit show standard red rabbits ommercial fancy market rabbits meat. This business plan examines the development of innovative meat products and cold rabbit meat, in order to improve. Weve had meat rabbits for our own use for almost a year now, but would like to begin selling them on. Search the internet and see what other state 4h programs are doing in rabbits ontact your county extension office for other local workshops, activities, and events participate in the 4h rabbit show standard red rabbits ommercial fancy market rabbits meat pen single fryer meat type roaster meat type.
You can still raise rabbits for meat without using a thirdparty processor to humanely kill and process them. Sylvilagus includes wild rabbit species, among them the seven types of cottontail. Effect of diets on growth, digestibility, carcass and meat. Well walk you through rabbit hutches, watering and feeding, best meat rabbit breeds, and basic care. See more ideas about meat rabbits, raising rabbits and raising rabbits for meat. They can easily be raised in a variety of locations and climates, and require less space.
You will need money for constructing the rabbit hutches, buying the breeding stock, buying the feeds e. View animal photos of rabbit carcasses to see the importance of meat rabbit breeds, hybrid vigor, and growth ratios on rabbit meat quality. The best manure know to mankind,awesome pelts for blankets,hats, gloves and other crafts,ok that was 10 and i could. The dress percentage of rabbits range s between 4555% of live weight. Information and resources for the processing and sale of rabbit meat this document provides useful information to individuals interested in processing and selling rabbits for meat. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
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