The Rabbit Revolution is more than just a radical movement for self sufficiency and more humane eating. It’s about building a relationship with your food and understanding that every thing we do in this life has a consequence. We choose to eat meat. Therefore, an animal has to die.
Think About It
Take a few days to really think about everything this undertaking will entail. You’ll have to care for these animals every day. Yes, every day. Your breeding stock can become like your pets. You will have to get pet sitting if you go out of town. Rainy day and you don’t want to go out there to change bunny’s water? Too bad.
Will you really be able to kill your rabbits when it comes time? Those babies are awful cute. But they’re not our friends. They’re our food. We’ve chosen to draw that line in our minds.
Do Your Research
Check out a few books from the library listed on our “Resources” page. Browse our website. Watch the video on the “Butchering” page. Price out breeding stock and equipment.
Some Definitions
Here are a few terms to start you off:
buck – a boy bunny
doe – a girl bunny
kit – a baby bunny
kindle – a bunny giving birth
Sign us up! We are already part of the Rabbit Revolution! We’ve been raising rabbits for many years, and we have raised them for food off and on. Currently, we are starting up with meat rabbits again with Champagne D’Argents and a Cal/NZ mix.
I love bunnies with everything inside of me. I would feel like a cannibal if I ate one [which will never happen
] My nickname is actually Bunny hehe. I want to save all the bunnies in the world and make it illegal to kill them. It is not like they have ever done anything to harm us, they are our friends and we should not kill friends.
I’m with you. Used to eat rabbit as a child, my grand parents raised them in Germany, always wanted to raise some myself. So when I retired we looked for a place I could raise chickens, rabbits and have a garden. Best thing I ever did!
I always had some one who did the butchering for me but not this time. Did it myself, it’s not fun but you have to detach youself and think of it as harvesting your food. Used to go fishing and had to kill and clean the fish myself, thinking about that helped me.
Anyway, just wanted to say you have a great site and reading your comments confirmed my believes in growing your own food.
I thank you for these posts. I have been slowly building up with my girls on how we grow, gather and raise our food. We have a few rules that the girls had to get used to.
Breakfast Animals can be named and coddeled for their term. In essence our Chickens that lay eggs are all given names by our girls. We have 100 of them at any given time and are cycled out in batches of 50 each year. So they see new life come in and older life go. They also get to say thanks at the dinner tablet to each bird we keep and eat. Same holds true for our quail.
Meat/Dinner
Turkeys and Chickens we raise for meat don’t get any names. The all look the same and they feed, water and move them daily with me in their portable pens. In the 3 years we have been raising our our poultry we have only kept 2 turkeys. A Tom and a Hen. They followed my girls around like kids so we kept them. The range our place all day. When they hear my girls voices they come running like kids themselves lay down next to my girls and get pet and treats. Well worth keeping them.
Rabbits. This we started last year. First year was tough for the girls. But they realized that we keep all the original girls and boys and as with the meat turkeys and chickens they feed and move them daily to new pasture. When dinner comes they thank them for living their life to give us food and others.
What better way to teach about life itself. Respect, love and compassion
What a great website! I have been looking into raising meat for a few years now. I will probably get some nasty replies at this, but my last venture has been raising Guinea pigs for meat. It is very common in Peru. The little piggies are a bit small though and I am looking to go bigger. I love the palomino rabbits, do you know anyone who has good stock in the area? I am in Olympia, but regularly come down to Portland to visit my sister. I would love to come visit your place and see the setup.
Also, what is your opinion about starting out? How many does and bucks would start a good backyard breeding program?
Once I get my rabbits I would love to look into some organic food as well.
I completely the Rabbit Revolution! I applaud people for investing themselves in something that they believe in. For pushing themselves out of their comfort zone to learn one of life’s simplest and most important lessons.
I was curious is you have tried worm beds under you rabbit cages? I saw the book you had on your reference page. But would really to talk someone who has tried it?
Thanks
Jan
We do use vermicomposting for our bunny poo. We built a 4′x20′ pit with cinder blocks and our free-standing rabbit hutch is set up over it. The rest of our rabbits live in our carport, in cages with pans that collect the waste. We dump these pans into the part of the pit not covered by the other hutch.
So far, none of our neighbors have complained about the smell. We definitely asked them to complain to us if they needed to! There has been a bit of a fly problem, which we are working to mitigate.
Just found your blog….awesome!!
I raise Rex rabbits for the same purpose, and throw in fur and show, as well. Let me know about the organic feed–I may be able to help out. (I live in NW WA, roughly, say, 4 1/2 hrs away.)
Would you be interested in providing a link to my website for the benefit of your visitors?? If yes, I’ve provided the copy-and-paste html for your convenience.
http://www.Raising-Rabbits.com – A complete raising-rabbits guide, made easy with clear how-to’s and pictures
I will certainly provide a link to your site. I found it informative, thought-provoking and well-done. I completely connect with your assessment of our food industry (evil), and your solution–raise it yourself, and barter for meat/eggs/fresh veggies you need.
Leaving now, to go trade rabbit (”lappin”) for organic eggs…really!
Karen
Great site. I’ve been doing some research and have decided I’d like to raise meat rabbits. I was thinking I’d start with a buck and 2 does. (new zealand white and californian). I was wondering if it made a difference which breed the buck was. I would be producing one purebred and one hybrid and I’m not sure which purebred meat is more desirable. Also I’m planning to keep them in my garage but I’m not sure what to expect as far as odor goes.If I stay on top of it will it still get overbearing in there? wondering if I would be better off keeping them in hutches outside. I plan to save the droppings to furtilize my gardens and I’m not sure how I’m going to control the odor from that either. Any suggestions you may have I would really appreciate and again, great site. Very informative. Thanks.
Oh my god Yay!!!! Finally, someone else who gets it. We’ve been raising rabbits here in AZ for about 2 years now (in a condo, none the less) and most of the neighbors and family think we’re nuts…but don’t hesitate to have a great bbq with us now and again on bunny. The hubby will happily help with feeding and watering our 9 buns, but he’s really squimish when it comes to harvesting. We’re looking for alteast 2 acres of land out here so we can raise some goats and chickens too.
Glad to find another place where ya’ll understand.
Greetings from Salem
My Dad was a farm kid. We were raised in the city. I have always had a garden but never the time for much more. Earlier this year the love of my live gave me my heart’s desire. Our own home. Needless to say the entire lot is planted. We have an orchard, berries, an herb garden,the vegy garden and New Zealand cross rabbits. We are in the first year of a five year plan. By the time the 5 years is up we will be 80% self sufficient with our urban micro-farm. Thanks for the rabbit butcher video link.
A soon as I move out and get my own place, I plan on raising rabbits. Until then, I wont any meat that I dont catch or raise myself. This site is beautiful!
I started raising rabbits last year when I finishes my internship on a small organic farm that focused primarily on plants. I have found it to be a very time consuming pass time that is also very rewarding. My project began in Northern CA, but after losing my job I had to make a difficult decision to move to southern CA. My rabbits remain on the farm and my project continues through the hands of my friends. I have toyed with the idea of starting again, but I’m concerned that this city won’t accept me raising rabbits in my backyard for meat. I would love to hear from people who are raising rabbits in cities.
I love this site I am just getting started with raising my own meat rabbits. its nice to know others are doing the same thing. I have a NZ buck and Doe and looking for one more doe of any meat breed.
I was curious though how would you nurture your bunny baby? how long does it takes to be completely independent from it’s mother.
How often does a bunny gives birth in a year? Some of my friends say that bunny is identical with hamster and can have offspring around 2-3 times a year.
I used to raise show bunnies when I was a teenager (hundreds of them!), but never got around to slaughtering them, we pretty much just sold them. I’d like to start up a small backyard operation for meat myself, but I don’t want to do it until I know I can ‘do the deed’ and take it to the table properly.
I noticed you guys haven’t updated this or facebook in quite some time, so I hope you guys are still doing this. Would you be interested in teaching me? (I live in SE Portland)
I’m seriously considering raising bunnies for meat. I’m all city born and bred, meat from grocery store girl. And I have to admit, I feel a little intimidated about the slaughtering part, but I know I will take respectful and loving care of all the creatures, and their lives will not be wasted in any way. I am not able to say the meat I eat now is raised and cared for ethically. Temple Grandin’s contributions to the meat industry notwithstanding. Thanks for creating an open forum for discussion.
I am raising rabbits here in Texas for meat. Love all the information you have!