OK, rabbits are sooo much easier than a chicken. There are several good videos
on youtube that you should watch and then do what works best for you.
As to killing the rabbit, I am a major softy when it comes to anything suffering
or the potential of anything suffering. I personally have a .22 pistol that I
use. I handle my rabbits a lot so they do not struggle when I pick them up
(much...lol) and then I carry them outside to a place with loose dirt and
carefully put them down facing away from me and pop them in the back of the
head. They instantly feel nothing and the job is done.
I have tried the pipe or hammer handle to the back of the head and, not only
does it bruise the meat on the neck and sometimes shoulders, but if you don't
get a clean hit, you also only hurt them and don't even knock them out. I'm no
AR type, but I don't like that at all.
There are those with hands strong enough, or rabbits that are small enough, that
they can follow Bob Bennett's method in his excellent book, Storey's Guide to
RAISING RABBITS, available in most book stores or at your local feed shop or
Tractor Supply, by simply breaking the neck. He also has a complete description
of how to butcher a rabbit there that is basically the way I operate. There is a
description and even a drawing demonstrating on page 122, my copy. I have found
with my larger rabbits and my arthritic hands that this method of actually
killing the rabbit also occasionally "misses" and must be redone. Again, I'm not
crazy about that.
With a little .22 or a powerful pellet gun the rabbit is dead before it can feel
any pain and all you have to do is wait for them to quit jumping around. This
may be a little too graphic for some, but one thing so many people forget about
when deciding to process their own meat is that you are going to have to kill
something in order to eat it. It took my wife, bless her heart, 15 - 20 years to
get to the point where she finally decided that this was something she could
live with.
Check out my web site: www.hippityhoprabbitry.weebly.com
(its OK, there's nothing to buy there right now, rarely ever is, its just an
informational site for my 4H buddies and people who want to know) to get a
little more information on the "rabbit thing" and some good information as to
why rabbit meat is the best thing out there in my opinion.
Hope this is helpful!
Dave Buterbaugh
Hippity Hop Rabbitry
New Zealand Whites,
Thriantas and French Angoras
Farmington, North Carolina
www.hippityhoprabbitry.weebly.com
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
________________________________
From: Joann o <farmersdaughterne@gmail.com>
To: Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, March 23, 2011 2:00:33 PM
Subject: [Homesteadingfamily] Re: Stupid question about processing chickens
Dave, how much different if butchering a rabbit than a chicken? I know I can do
the chickens but not sure if I can kill a rabbit. How do you kill them? I
butchered a deer last fall (but I didn't kill it nor field dress it) I was
thinking about raising rabbits for meat, just not sure yet :)
--- In Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" <dwbutersr@...> wrote:
>
> Ok, I'm new to the group but not to raising chickens. I enjoyed raising and
>butchering them (cornish crosses) so much that we now have chickens for eggs and
>rabbits for meat! Otherwise, call a butcher or as previous poster stated, man
>up!
>
>
> Dave Buterbaugh
> Hippity Hop Rabbitry
> New Zealand Whites,
> Thriantas and French Angoras
>
> Farmington, North Carolina
>
> www.hippityhoprabbitry.weebly.com
> (\__/)
> (='.'=)
> (")_(")
>
>
>
> --- In Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com, Amy Wolff <reddhairedroo@> wrote:
> >
> > I laughed right out loud when I read your email - "man up and get over
> > it".  Hahah!
> >
> > I'm intersted in hearing responses to this. We are buying our first
>chickens
>
> > this Spring and I am not ready for this chore. We have decided that our
> > daughter and I won't name them which should help wtih the idea of killing
>them
>
> > but the smell never occurred to me. Eeek!
> >
> > I'm a reformed city-girl and loving our new simpler life in rural PA.Â
>But I'm
>
> > glad my husband has a lot of patience. :)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Pam <pamatriarch@>
> > To: Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Mon, March 21, 2011 1:14:53 PM
> > Subject: [Homesteadingfamily] Stupid question about processing chickens
> >
> > Â
> > I have been on the list for a while and have learned a lot from all of you
>who
>
> > post. My question is about handling the smell when you process your chickens.
>I
>
> > have managed to avoid puncturing the crop (major gag!) and can eviscerate
>(and
>
> > even dig out the lungs with my index fingers but the smell when they hit the
> > water before plucking and the smell of the organs if they rupture just undoes
>me
>
> > <g> I have tried Vick's and a bandana with only moderate success. Any
> > suggestions or do you just man up and get over it?
> >
> >
> > I always think how wonderful it is that I have this skill and my kids need
>never
>
> > go hungry (God willing) but I really don't enjoy the process. Thanks, Pam
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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