Rabbits : Source of Food

While I was contemplating about SHTF scenarios. I wondered what is the best way to obtain meat for the family. Going hunting is great. But what if hunting is not an option, like in an urban scenario? Or what if survivors dwindled game population after 5 years? For whatever forseeable or unforseeable reason, you are unable to get a good source of meat. Where else could you get meat?

As a preemptive measure against food shortage, how about raising rabbits? When I was young, my dad bought 4 rabbits. Within a year they turned into 16. Another year or two later, we moved and tried to giveaway 32 rabbits to our friends and neighbors. It is that saying, "[They] bred/hump like rabbits."

Rabbits are easy to raise. Their dietary requirements are simple. Rabbits do not smell terrible, unlike raising chickens. And they don't require that much land.

Taste? I do have no idea. They probably taste like chicken.

Start off with 2 rabbits (please obtain 1 male and 1 female -- ask mom and dad why). When signs are pointing to true SHTF status, buy a few more couples to add diversity.

For your veggies out there, beans would suffice. Personally, I would rather have meat supplemented with beans.

Thoughts? Comments? Better Suggestions?

Just remember that you cant eat only rabbit. Veggies and stuff is very important or you will die of malnutrion. Rabbit meat too low in fat to suffice on it's own. Other than that I see no problems with this.

[edit on 27/4/2009 by PsykoOps]

Rabbits are great, in Australia we had a huge population explosion of rabbits back a long time ago, there is no shortage of rabbits to be found in the right places, a simple snare rig or if you have the traps and you would be set for meat. You would need to be careful though as myxomatosis and the colisi virus were released and any that do not look healthy would not be advisable to eat. It tastes great you even if there is not much fat things like the kidneys and liver can give you a boost, it does tend to dry out a bit though. You can buy it at markets if you feel the need to practice.
Rabbit = Good

I love Rabbit meat and have eaten it most of my life. It does have a gamey chicken taste and I think it is best stewed.

Okay now this may gross some of you out, but squirrel meat is also very good. I was a real country hick kid and my dad did hunt and kill squirrel on occasion. It was delicious, if you can get past what it is! It does stink up the house while cooking but if you were starving it is an option.

I don't think eating city squirrel would be a very good idea, god knows what they eat. Just a thought in a bug out scenario.

If you eat strictly rabbit for a few months you will most likely get sick from protein poisoning as they have no fat as someone else pointed out and you need fat in your diet.
Rabbits taste like chicken but better.

Originally posted by PsykoOps && Originally posted by DrumsRfun
Just remember that you cant eat only rabbit. Veggies and stuff is very important or you will die of malnutrion. Rabbit meat too low in fat to suffice on it's own. Other than that I see no problems with this.

No doubt. I am not saying only eat rabbit. But if you want to have a supply of meat in case there is none available, rabbits would be great.

Having a garden and a rabbit farm would be great. If you have land available.

Originally posted by pazcat
You would need to be careful though as myxomatosis and the colisi virus were released and any that do not look healthy would not be advisable to eat.

Thanks for the info. I'll look into these viruses and see how common they are in my neck of the woods.

Originally posted by redhead57
I love Rabbit meat and have eaten it most of my life. It does have a gamey chicken taste and I think it is best stewed.

Got a Rabbit stew recipe?

Originally posted by redhead57I was a real country hick kid and my dad did hunt and kill squirrel on occasion. It was delicious, if you can get past what it is! It does stink up the house while cooking but if you were starving it is an option.

Ya, if SHTF, I intend to eat whatever I can get my hands on. I've always been curious about snakes. I know they taste like chicken. I might go out and hunt snakes and rabbits. Just to give it a try.

No problems eating weird stuff for me. My ethnic background is from a 3rd world country. Most people raised in 3rd world countries tend to eat things that would make most sick -- tendons, liver, bone marrow, brains, tongue, chicken feet, etc. In desperate times, people will resort to eating the entire animal. Who knows when the next meal will arrive?

heres a tip for you concerning rabbit and other small game. if you want to get rid of the gamey taste (personaly i like that taste) boil the meat in salt water this gets rid of the gamey taste and tenderizes the meat which is important for things like squirrel legs which can be tough and stringy. also if you want to add flavor to it when you boil it add bullion cubes or use the sesoning packets that come with ramen noodles as there very flavorful and easily collected and so light that a ziplock bag of many packets wont weigh down or take up much space in a bug out bag.

Guinea pigs are more nutritious eating compared to Rabbits, but of course Guinea pigs are more suited to warmer climates.

They are bred in Paraguay, among other South American countries, for food.

Rabbits are terrific. My granny used to raise them. You eat them between six and nine weeks. Like chickens. To me both wild rabbit and squirrel have a certain "nutty" flavor. You have to get rid of the metatarsal glands on the legs of wild animals or they continue to secrete hormones into the meat ruining it.

Snakes do not taste like chicken. They taste similar to their diet. (You are what you eat.) I have had snake that tasted like fish because that is what their diet was. I have also had hog that tasted like fish for the same reason.

[edit on 4-27-2009 by groingrinder]

Rabbits..great idea..just grow some Onions and bellpeppers..you are set...

I'm sure you could... People all over eat different meat from the standard beef chicken and fish most westerners are use to.....

I think it's called bushmeat

Llamas would be good in an INCH scenario.. You can milk them, eat them, they can defend themselves from predators (many sheep farmers here use them as sheepdogs), and they can carry your stuff...

[edit on 4/27/2009 by nasdack24k]

reply to post by DrumsRfun


Fat and protien are NOT the same thing! You do need some fat in your diet but I do not think you need much and it does not matter where it comes from... SO beans have fat and would be fine. Protien types DO matter and the more diverse your diet is the better. I think mammal meat is pretty complete so you should not have any protien deficiencies.

Also there are several rabbit varities and I am sure the fat content varies! I know I have necropsied some pretty plumb lab bunnies so they are all not thin, but the wild ones usually are!

reply to post by star in a jar


YUP! Cavie is good eating so I hear!

Correction:

I was just informed that llamas are not very good dairy animals.

edit: spelling

[edit on 4/27/2009 by nasdack24k]

I am unfamiliar with the term Cavie, would you tell me what that is.

I guess we always called that country eating. I do have my limits though, but in a survival mode you do what you must.

I know folks that eat bear, possum, raccoon, and even those chicken feet someone else mentioned.

Me, I have lots and lots of beans in my storage. I love beans and eat lots of them now so it would be no problem. It is good to have some background like many of us here, imagine how truly lost people will be if they are bonafide city slickers. I am glad I was a country girl, I wish I could afford to move back.

A cavy is a type of large rodent and a nickname for guinea pigs, kupoliveson was referring to guinea pigs.

reply to post by groingrinder


Hmmm. Now I'm more curious about the taste of snakes.

Aren't rabbits part of the rodent family? At bad times in urban areas, rodents would be a great source of meat. But probably not the best since you don't know what they've been eating -- sewer, waste and all. Its better than succumbing to cannibalism.

Here is a great website I found which discusses how to raise rabbits as food:

How to Raise Rabbits as Food

Raising Rabbits

1. Rabbit breeding stock can be obtained from many different sources. One good way is to go to a fair where there are rabbits and contact the owners which are usually listed on the show cases.
* 3 to 4 litters of 5 to 10 young can be thrown by a healthy, mature female (doe) each year.
* One male (buck) can service up to twenty to thirty does, but in order to keep the gene pool healthy, you should have one buck for each 5 does. Make sure you keep records of which does are bred by which bucks, and keep rotating the animals to keep the gene pool as large as possible.
* One good breed is the Flemish Giant. The young from this breed will be ready to butcher at 3 months, yielding a very tender meat.
2. Get the right pen. The pen should be 3 feet by 3 feet for this large breed, but somewhat smaller for the smaller breeds. The floor should be made of a sturdy wire mesh with about 3/4 inch square holes to accommodate droppings and urine. Do give the rabbit someplace else to stand, however. Standing on wire full time can hurt a rabbit's feet. A full tray or box the full size of the floor of the pen with all four sides about 2 1/2 inches high should be slid under the pen to catch the animal waste. This tray should be emptied once per week and rinsed with a disinfectant. Be careful when using bleach, as it will react with the urine and give off a harmful gas!
* A solid compartment about 1 1/2 feet long and 1 1/2 feet wide should be included in the pen to give the doe privacy while she is having her young. this will keep mortality of the young down to a great extent. Be sure there is plenty of dried hay in the pen when she is "due".
3. Know that female rabbits will conceive at any time they have an "encounter" with a buck. There is no set estrous period.
* The young should be separated from the mother at about 6 weeks.
* The doe is ready for breeding immediately after separation from her young.
* The rabbit pregnancy period is 28-30 days, with the doe able to mate within hours of giving birth.
4. The pen should be furnished with clean water each day. The water should be contained in such a way that the animal will not contaminate it with its body waste. If in an open container, it should be elevated so that the top is at least 4 inches above the floor. Conventional water bottles work very well also.
5. Feed a good quality hay. Be sure it has a sweet smell, and has not been water-damaged and become moldy. Red clover and birdsfoot trefoil seem to be the most preferred by rabbits, but they will also do well on alfalfa, Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, and a mixture of native grasses.
6. Hay should be contained in a lattice manger, or rick to keep it from being contaminated by the animal's waste. Do not feed lettuces. Any fresh green food such as lettuce from the store or grass from the yard can give your animals diarrhea!
7. Another feeding option can be to use calf manna along with rabbit pellets, or "rabbit food". Medicated calf pellets, available at a feed mill which dairy farmers frequent, can help keep your rabbits free from diarrhea. They will cost you less than the "bunny" pellets per pound, but can contribute to the overuse of antibiotics and are not available in all cities. Very important: When you are ready to butcher, place your animals in an especially clean environment for 2 weeks prior to slaughtering and feed them conventional rabbit pellets rather than the medicated calf food to clear the rabbits from the effects of the anti-biotic which is in the calf food. Remember these rabbits will not be considered organic which is a personal choice.

cont.

Enjoying the 'payoff'

1. The first is to sell them to a meat processing plant, the second is to slaughter and butcher them for your own use, or to sell the meat after you have processed it.
2. To locate a meat processing plant, the best thing to do is go to different grocery stores and ask where they are buying their meat from. Explain that you are thinking of raising rabbits and are researching the market possibilities. Many of them will be happy to help you.
3. When you have located several markets who might buy your product, contact them and see if they would be willing to purchase live animals from you. If possible, set up a contract with them to produce whatever you feel you are able to.
4. Wisdom tells us that you should have a good sound business plan worked out before you even start to raise a single rabbit.
5. To slaughter, attach two stout cords to a bar about 2 feet above your head and about 2 feet apart. The lower end of the cords must have a slip knot on each of them.
* You will need a 12" to 18" length of 1/2 inch pipe to kill the animal. You will also need a keenly sharpened knife to skin and eviscerate the animal. You will need a pan to place the carcass of the animal in after you have skinned and eviscerated it.
6. Remove the animal from its cage, seize it by both hind feet with one hand, and insert one of its hind feet, on the toe end of the joint, but just below the first joint, in one of the slip knots, so that the belly will end up facing you.
7. Slip the other foot in the remaining slip knot likewise.
8.
Anatomy of a rabbit


While the animal is hanging, pull its neck out straight, and, seizing the pipe with the other hand, give a quick, sharp hard blow where the neck and skull of the animal meet, being sure you don't hit your own hand. If you have done this right, the animal is for all intents and purposes, dead.
9. With your sharp knife, remove the head, being careful to keep the blood from getting on you. Give the carcass a little time to bleed out
10. With your sharp knife, remove the front feet.
11. Skin the animal according to whether you want to save the pelt or hide. Rabbits are very easy to skin. If you don't want to save the hide, simply cut a slit in the small of the back and pull the lower part down and off.
12. Cut the tail off close to the carcass, cut the skin around the feet hocks. Slit the skin from the feet to the belly on each side, Then slit the skin (but not the belly) on down to the end.
13. When the skin is off, slit the belly meat from the crotch on up through, and part the ribcage through the breast plate on up to the neck.
14. Using your sharp Knife, cut through the front of the pelvic bone, being careful not to cut into the anal canal, which will be filled with feces.
15. Remove all the visceral matter from the carcass.
16. Save whatever internal organs which you desire, such as the heart, liver and kidneys.
17. Cut off each hind foot, leaving it in the slip knot.
18. Place carcass in the container and chill immediately. You may save the meat for later cleaning, quartering, butchering, cooling, cooking or freezing.

General Rabbit Information

1. Mature bucks should not be kept in the same pen, as one or both will be castrated by the other.
2. Rabbits are sensitive to too much heat, and the pen should be shaded and well ventilated in the summer.
3. In the winter, the pen should be protected from wind, and most of its screen areas should be covered. Be sure to keep plenty of hay or straw in the pen for bedding.
4. Rabbits reach maturity somewhere between 6 and 10 months of age depending on the breed. Smaller breeds mature quicker than larger.
* The following breeds will weigh approximately this much when fully mature; Netherland Dwarf 2 1/2 lbs., Jersey Wooley 3 1/2 lbs., Holland Lop 4 lbs., Mini-Rex 4 1/2 lbs., Dutch 5 1/2 lbs., Havana 5 1/2 lbs., Florida White 6 lbs., Mini Lop 6 1/2 lbs., Rex 9 lbs., Palomino, 10 lbs., Satin 11 lbs., New Zealand 11 lbs., French Lop 12 lbs., Flemish Giant 13+ lbs.
5. Pellets should be fed to rabbits in the following portions; Dwarfs 1/2 cup per day, Mini-Lops 3/4 cup per day, Larger rabbits 1 cup per day, Flemish Giant 1 1/2 cups per day.
6. Clean each pen at least once per week, throwing out all bedding material, and replace it with new, clean bedding.

Tips

* Rabbits should never be lifted by their ears, as it hurts them and damages their ears!
* To handle a rabbit, grasp a handful of the loose skin over the upper part of its shoulder blades. Rabbits have very sharp toenails on their hind feet, and they can inflict painful scratches on you if you're not careful. To practice lifting a rabbit, use a glove with a long gauntlet on the lifting hand, and a coat or heavy lined shirt. You will soon learn how to lift a rabbit bare armed by observing where to keep your wrist and arm, which will be as close to the animal's body as possible, and with your forearm as close to the center of its spine for its full length as possible.
* Tame rabbits generally will not bite you. It is not their nature to do so. Hares are a different matter.
* Occasionally, rabbits, like any other rodent, will develop longer teeth than they need. Longer teeth are caused by lack of enough coarse food to keep their teeth ground down. Rodents are continually growing their teeth out longer, like we do our fingernails. This can be a problem if they are not properly trimmed. Use a pair of large toenail snippers to trim extra long teeth and relieve the animal of further distress and make it possible for them to eat properly. This will not hurt the animal like it would you or I, because they are built different in this respect. Their teeth will continue to grow on out again. That is why they have the name of rodent (dent referring to teeth).

[edit on 28-4-2009 by guppy]

[edit on 28-4-2009 by guppy]