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Survival and Preparations Long and short term survival and 'prepping'. |
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#1
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Tell me about raising rabbits.
We have rural property. On our property we have 30 chickens, a garden, and we trade for fresh pork. The wife has been speaking to friends about raising rabbits for meat. The only thing I remember about rabbits is hunting them as kids and my dad always worried about worms. I don't remember how you process them out or anything. Is it worth it to raise them? I have all the supplies on hand to build them pens so it won't cost us anything for the enclosure.
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#2
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A good chunk of my protein growing up was rabbits, along with goat's milk.
I wouldn't recommend it. Rabbits are jerks. You may have gotten some inaccurate impressions from someone's pet bunny, but an unfixed buck is a whole different story. They eat each other and will fight you, and they're almost defenseless against any barnyard predator or (what did ours in) airborne disease, specifically myxomatosis. Butchering them is a trial that involves horribly loud screaming that will alert people miles away to your location and what you're doing. Also I'm not really fond of rabbit meat. Not worth the work. If I went off grid, knowing what I know now, I'd stick to birds -- chooks are awesome, I also get along with geese and turkeys. Forced to feed a large community, I'd start looking at pigs (also rife with problems, but at least you get a decent return) or even cattle. Kinda depends on your temperament, though. ETA: Never tried it -- but what about cuy (guinea pig)? Works for subsistence farmers in a good portion of the world.
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#5
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My father was allergic to chicken so we raised rabbits for food my whole childhood.
All the neighborhood kids probably thought I was a freak thumping lil rabbits on the head and skinning them in the back yard. Our domestics never had worms although I hear the Jacks in California do. We had a skinning rack so I could do 3-4 at a time. I shinned gutted and removed the heads, Mom took it from there so I don't know much details other then her rolling in bread crums and frying them. If they were older I think she put them in the pressure cooker first to tenderize them. Man I miss rabbit. If anyone has a rabbit farm in the IE I COULD GO FOR A FEW FRIERS.
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Only slaves don't need guns We stand for the Anthem, we kneel for the cross We already have the only reasonable Gun Control we need, It's called the Second Amendment and it's the government it controls. What doesn't kill me, better run |
#7
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what are you skinning them alive? In survival training we just held them up by the back legs and smacked them in the head with a stick. They died right away, maybe a little twitching but no screaming. My experience with rabbit was terrible eating, since we had no other ingredients, and had to boil all edible parts in one pot. Plain boiled rabbit is not tasty.
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#8
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__________________
Only slaves don't need guns We stand for the Anthem, we kneel for the cross We already have the only reasonable Gun Control we need, It's called the Second Amendment and it's the government it controls. What doesn't kill me, better run |
#9
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When I was a kid, (in the 50's) my grandparents raised rabbits for their fur, the meat was a byproduct.
Sunday dinner was always fried chicken...wink, wink.
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USAF 1966-70 SEA '69-70 NRA Life Member |
#10
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Rabbits have one of the best feed to meat conversion ratios and their poop is excellent fertilizer.
But as others have said they are a bit of a pain to raise. They need to be in separate cages off the ground. Even the does will eat their young if they are not getting the right minerals in their feed. I have heard of people "free ranging" them but I can't imagine how that works out. I think (and have) chickens are a much better choice and if you have enough ground they can feed them selves in a pinch. Plus Eggs, "natures perfect food". But then you already know that. Best caveman
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A mans words may paint a pretty picture, but his actions show his true colors. |
#11
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It will be the easiest animal to raise. ( keep cages out of the direct sun) they get hot. (we had our cages in a wire off roof area with briars growing over the top for shade, air could blow threw, worked really good... automatic waters (gravity feed) is what's needed.
On those really hot days, a 2 liter frozen water bottle (in cage) works wonders. (you can put one in water holding tank also, but not necessary) IMHO They breed like rabbits, so you'll have way more than you want at some point. Oh an dreams, you will start getting weird dreams on those nights you eat them..From our experience LOL.. Still taste good though. Enjoy Last edited by Dano3467; 12-31-2018 at 10:29 AM.. |
#12
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__________________
Only slaves don't need guns We stand for the Anthem, we kneel for the cross We already have the only reasonable Gun Control we need, It's called the Second Amendment and it's the government it controls. What doesn't kill me, better run |
#13
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Riflemen Needed. Ask me about Appleseed! Send a PM or see me in the Appleseed subforum. |
#14
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Tried rabbits and they did not do well in our hot summers of the Redding area. processing was quicker and easier than meet chickens (cornish cross).
Of all the animals that we have raised the hogs have been the best. Not much work and I can buy 2 piglets and a ton feed for $500-550. That will get them both close to 300lbs. Usually works out to about $2.00/lb in my freezer. |
#16
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I will disagree, with lucky on this. Our rabbits did so well, (in above mentioned method) that we had way to many to eat, had to trade many to not be over run. ice bottles on hot days + breeze way with shade + auto waters works well...just sayin...it can be done, & done well...would I do again..NO...was a lot of work butchering all those rabbits, along with turkeys, ducks, dove, pigs, the rabbits just became too much...For us.
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#18
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Friend of mine had a technique for quickly snapping their neck.
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Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them. - Rabindranath Tagore A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it. - Rabindranath Tagore Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see. - Arthur Schopenhaur |
#19
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There's a handy tool that looks like a sharp V that mounts to a wall made of steel. No technique needed. Slide their neck in, pull by the back legs, and done.
I'd do more with rabbit if I wasn't allegic to their dander (hayfever, hives, etc). Rabbit tastes good, high protein to fat, fur is useful, droppings make amazing fertilizer, procreate like mad so you'll have plenty for yourself and trade.
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There is no teacher but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do. No one but the enemy will ever teach you how to destroy and conquer. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you. -Mazer Rackham, "Ender's Game" |
#20
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#21
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Not a rabbit expert by any means, but is it possible that the differences in experiences described here are due to different breeds of rabbits? Maybe if you each listed the breed of rabbits and your experience with them, those of us without experience could learn which breed we might have the best chance with?
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#22
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I've never raised rabbit's but I have raised pigs, goats, and sheep as a young man. While I wouldn't exactly say they were easy, none of them were difficult, and I hope to raise a couple of each in the future when I have the space.
I would say that the difficulty of raising pigs is the same for 5 as it is for one; I would recommend getting 5 (3 males, 1 female - cut 2 of the males) when they get to 250 - 275 Lbs butcher one of the cut pigs and sell the other, breed the remaining male with the female, raise the piglets, butcher one and sell the rest. After 2 litters butcher or sell the sow and replace her with the best female piglet. If you get a really good specimen, either male or female, use them to replace your breeders - it's all about having good breeding stock with favorable characteristics. Goats work well with one, but 2 is twice the work, etc. so might as well do these one at a time. Sheep are similar to pigs in that 5 are only slightly more difficult than 1, but different in that they are a little harder to breed, their births need more human supervision, and their litters are smaller. |
#24
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You know protein is important, right?
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#26
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It's protein so lean you can't live off rabbit alone. Rabbit meat has almost no fat.
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#27
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#28
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That's why you rap them in bacon. Best caveman
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A mans words may paint a pretty picture, but his actions show his true colors. |
#29
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I used to raise meat rabbits. I had at one point around 50 rabbits. They are a pain in the rear. The are mean to you and can be to each other. They are very heat sensitive. We had to keep fans and misters on them in the summer to keep them alive. I would keep free range chickens for survival meat not rabbits. For myself, I have chickens that are free range on my property and cattle that I could butcher and can/dry the meat.
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"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." ~Ben Franklin 159 |
#31
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__________________
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue." ----Sen. Barry Goldwater Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." ----Benjamin Franklin NRA life member CRPA member |
#32
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Cool story bro. Your post was wrong. My response pointed out its error. And then you made an absurd non sequitur. Look it up.
__________________
Expert firearms attorney: https://www.rwslaw.com/team/adam-j-richards/ Check out https://www.firearmsunknown.com/. Support a good calgunner local to San Diego. |
#33
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__________________
Expert firearms attorney: https://www.rwslaw.com/team/adam-j-richards/ Check out https://www.firearmsunknown.com/. Support a good calgunner local to San Diego. |
#34
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Of course successful pregnancies are more work than is readily apparent, but some are easier than others. Duroc Hogs will pretty much take care of things themselves, and the sows take to nursing pretty well. Most goats are the same way. Some breeds of pigs and many sheep are more difficult, cows are more difficult still and horses usually need help or artificial insemination. My step dad would "harvest" the semen from the male, divide it up, insert in in the females, and then by turns release the male in with the female (to "set" the insemination). That's a skill I never learned, but he was kind of an idiot so it cant be that hard. |
#35
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I heard it called rabbit fever in reference to accounts of people lost or stranded on the plains and only able to catch rabbits to eat. The rabbits not having enough fat to digest the meat and starving to death. But then "back in the day" they called all kinds of malady's fever. Best caveman
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A mans words may paint a pretty picture, but his actions show his true colors. |
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