Posted: 8/25/2010 10:10:03 AM EDT
|
Whacked 20 couple rabbits few weeks back.(LOL, still over 70!)
Will cull HARD after the fairs to get us down to a reasonable number going into winter. Let's begin,(without Glenn Close  )
Killed, skinned, gutted, then simmered 16 for a couple hours. (rest frozen whole) 
Then, once cool, pick off all meat (wind up with 3 piles-meat,bones, dog scraps) Obviously, a job for the wimmenz 
Skimmed water they were cooked in, then chilled and scooped off the little bit of fat, then brought to a boil. Filled jars with meat, dash of salt, added boiling broth, then into canner for 90 min at 10lbs. (had more than the jarswould hold, so ate it the next 3 days) We use it for BBQ, rabbit and dumplings, rabbit and noodles, etc. Can replace chicken in anything 14 qts of goodness. Will do another 28 in early October. 
|
|
Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs
Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. |
|
Quoted:
Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. Thanks Johnny Law! Ever heard of DOMESTIC rabbits? Hence the references to culling, fairs, still having 70, etc????
|
|
Quoted:
Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. WOW! Learn to read man. He grew these rabbits. |
|
Quoted:
Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. 
Good God man..... Quite obvious to me that he raised them... Everyones an internet ranger these days. Damn, I'm glad I'm not your neighbor...... Oh, whens the season on chickens in Va???? I want to make sure I'm legal when I go "hunting/poaching" eggs.... 
|
|
Quoted: Quoted: Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. Good God man..... Quite obvious to me that he raised them... Everyones an internet ranger these days. Damn, I'm glad I'm not your neighbor...... Oh, whens the season on chickens in Va???? I want to make sure I'm legal when I go "hunting/poaching" eggs.... Mmmmmmmm... poached eggs  hardcase: 
|
|
Quoted:
Pretty early to be hunting/keeping rabbits. I never hunt them until it gets pretty cold. I hope that you looked them over good for diseases & bugs Good luck. ETA: It looks like you're over daily limit, over possession limit, & out of season if your hunting in Maryland. Link to regs. Have you received your junior G-Man badge yet? To the OP: This looks awesome. Yet another thing for me to file away for the future. |
|
Quoted:
LOL, Maybe I have more trouble than I thought communicating? Nah.......your communication skills are fine. I just totally missed it the first time around. 
Quoted:
We use it for BBQ, rabbit and dumplings, rabbit and noodles, etc. Can replace chicken in anything Rabbit taco meat sounds pretty tasty.
|
|
Quoted:
I am going to start raising some myself. What kind of rabbits are those? LOL, quite a mix. We raise NZs and Calies for meat, but kids raise a few other breeds for show as well. So, it's usually a mix of meat breeds and culls that get eaten. As well as some interesting mixes. Heck, you should have seen the pot when we got out of Lionheads. What we didn't sell, we ate. Could fit a WHOLE bunch in the pot
|
|
Quoted:
Second only to quail. 
LOl, got that covered too! 
This is about 1/2 of what hatched a little over 3 weeks ago. Half grown already( they start laying at 6 weeks!!!) Did pull a very happy black rat snake out of their cage at 0500 this morning-got in the 1" mesh, and couldn't get out after breakfast. Have another batch started hatching this morning,and will refill the incubator Monday! |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Second only to quail.
LOl, got that covered too! http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k249/Dave2006_02/Canningquail016.jpg This is about 1/2 of what hatched a little over 3 weeks ago. Half grown already( they start laying at 6 weeks!!!) Did pull a very happy black rat snake out of their cage at 0500 this morning-got in the 1" mesh, and couldn't get out after breakfast. Have another batch started hatching this morning,and will refill the incubator Monday! Dave, show your incubator setup, will you? (I apologize if you did this in another thread while I was traveling earlier this year. If so, ignore me. )
|
|
Dave15,
I am interested in your rabbit raising facility. Have you posted pics of it before? I'd like to see it. I'd also like to hear more details on what works for you in feed, breeding, etc. I don't raise rabbits, but I'd like to keep it as an option. Thanks. |
|
Quoted:
[ Dave, show your incubator setup, will you? (I apologize if you did this in another thread while I was traveling earlier this year. If so, ignore me. )I HAD been using one the last couple years that we made by sticking aluminum-foil coated foam panels into an old wooden box. I used a 40W buld and a dimmer switch to control temp, and a wet sponge to add humidity. Worked, but took a LOT of adjustments. I'd mark A and B on eggs, so we coud turn them,right up until a few days before hatch. Went to one of the styrofoam units from TSC. Just added an auto turner this year, MUCH nicer. Just loaded 40+ quail eggs last night, so will take pics soon. |
|
Quoted:
Dave15, I am interested in your rabbit raising facility. Have you posted pics of it before? I'd like to see it. I'd also like to hear more details on what works for you in feed, breeding, etc. I don't raise rabbits, but I'd like to keep it as an option. Thanks. Don't have many pics on this comp. Made some units, and got a BUNCH of 6 cage units,feeders, waterers, etc for almost nothing from someone getting out of rabbits. (plus LOTS O' rabbits! )
This is overflow in an old tractor lean-to. Rest are housed in stalls in a block bank run barn. Cooler in summer, warmer in winter. Actually lost about 10 out here this summer, all on top row, when we had 3 days over 100F. First time THAT has ever happened. Added fans, and frozen 2L jugs when it got above 95 after that. We hang them, so it's easy to clean under, but now rethinking it. 6 units long, so only need end aand dividers, so saves two ends on EACH cage! After a few years, some bottoms have started to let go. I can patch them, or clip them off and install new bottoms an inch up, but a pain. Can eliminate buildup by pressure washing once a year, so plan on going to single stacked units, one on top another, so can move them easier. One buck and 2 or 3 does should be plenty to get you started and keep them on the table. We use commercial feed, and the kids "make hay". We feed this to all but nursing does. Grow a little slower, but saves $$$. HAve posted a bunch of other related stuff in the past, but who knows where it is! Good luck! |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
My biggest surprise is that you haven't gone to an automatic watering system for that many rabbits. He has kid power. 
LOL, last winter, we had 2 of the 6 gallon milk crates, with about 18 waters in each. Carry them, full, one at a time, down to the barn, on snow and ice. Then all 36 empty or FROZEN bottles back to house to thaw and/or refill. (72 bottles in rotation!!!) 2X day for the couple weeks of icy hell we had! Will cull HARD after the fairs, hope to get down to 20-25 or so for winter. Will all be in barn where it may only freeze 2- 3 times per winter! But did build another quail pen last weekend to expand, so it NEVER ends! |
|
Quoted:
BTW, what is the best way to dispatch the rabbits? I'd imagine it could be quite a chore to go through 20 or more at a time. I either go old school with a sharp rap on top the head with a hickory stick, or hold base of skull in my left hand, cupped between thumb and forefinger, (hand inverted) across left thigh, and pull back feet with right hand, while pushing down with left hand. Pops the spine out of the base of skull. Since I don't save hides from young rabbits, I make a short incision across shoulders, insert two fingers from either hand on either side , and peel it in two pieces. Cut base of tail and hind feet, then front feet, then sever head. Gut and toss into ice water, then on to the next one. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
BTW, what is the best way to dispatch the rabbits? I'd imagine it could be quite a chore to go through 20 or more at a time. I either go old school with a sharp rap on top the head with a hickory stick, or hold base of skull in my left hand, cupped between thumb and forefinger, (hand inverted) across left thigh, and pull back feet with right hand, while pushing down with left hand. Pops the spine out of the base of skull. Since I don't save hides from young rabbits, I make a short incision across shoulders, insert two fingers from either hand on either side , and peel it in two pieces. Cut base of tail and hind feet, then front feet, then sever head. Gut and toss into ice water, then on to the next one. Do you ever raise any for fur? I know that you have to let them get some age on them to get a good hide. |
Never tried to sell any rabbit hides, heck, took almost THREE years for the rest of my wild fur up in Canada to finally sell at auction, and for considerably less than 3-4 years ago, esp the grey foxes.
The kids have fooled with hometanning some of the rabbits, and using them for crafts etc. As far as a quail run, mine's more of a walk.
I'm not trying to flight condition them for release, just grow them enough to lay or eat. Newone is 6'long, 2' wide and about 1' tall, and there's 3 dozen or so in there. Will insert dividers next year to make 3-4 compartments, and keep 1M/4F per unit. And have about 4 dozen eggs back in the incubator. |