Backyard Production of Meat Rabbits in Texas - World Rabbit ...

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It is recommended that youexpand your breeding herdonly to meet the local demandfor rabbit meat. If the localdemand continues to increase,you and other rabbit producersmay benefit by forming amarketing association or cooperative.As a group, rabbit producerscan plan and coordinatethe production and distributionof either live ordressed fryers. Present Texasstate laws do not require veterinaryinspection of rabbitprocessing or of rabbit meatbefore it can be sold in retailoutlets. The rabbit producer isresponsible for ensuring thatany rabbit meat sold is wholesomeand properly handledprior to delivery. A small custom-slaughteringfacility is justifiedonly if the local demandfor rabbit meat continues torise.Finally, the ultimate objectiveis to educate the publicabout the high nutritionalquality of rabbit meat. Therecipes included at the end ofthis publication will provide agood start, even for peoplewho have never tried rabbitmeat.For further informationabout rabbit production andmeat rabbit inspection, contactyour county Extensionagent.Dressing Out aRabbit FryerIn order to ensure a highqualityproduct from your rabbitoperation, you must knowhow to properly slaughter theanimals, process the meat,and, if desired, process theskins.Slaughtering andSkinningSlaughter the rabbits in aclean, sanitary area. Followany regulations or restrictionsfrom the local health authorities.The preferred method ofslaughtering a rabbit is by dislocatingthe neck. With theleft hand, hold the animal byits hind legs. Place the thumbof the right hand on the neckjust behind the ears, with thefour fingers extended underthe chin. Push down on theneck with the right hand,stretching the animal. Pressdown with the thumb. Then,with a quick movement, raisethe animal’s head and dislocatethe neck. The animalbecomes unconscious andstops struggling. This methodis instantaneous and painlesswhen done correctly.Another method is to holdthe animal with one hand atthe small of the back, with itshead down. Then stun it by aheavy blow at the base of theskull.Suspend the carcass on ahook inserted between thetendon and the bone of theright hind leg just above thehock (Figure 6). The hookshould be at about eye level.Using a 5-inch skinning knife,remove the head immediatelyto permit thorough bleedingso the meat will have a goodcolor. Remove the tail and thefree rear leg at the hock joint,and cut off the front feet andthe tail.Figure 6. Steps in dressing rabbits.12
Cut the skin just below thehock of the suspended rightleg and open it on the insideof the leg to the root of thetail, continuing the incision tothe hock of the left leg.Carefully separate the edges ofthe skin from the carcass, andbegin working the skin freefrom the meat on the hindquarters using your fingersand the knife. Be careful toleave all the fat on the carcassas the skin is pulled down.The fat cover is important forpreserving the quality of themeat. As the skin is removed,be careful not to cut it; evensmall cuts reduce the value ofa skin.Break the pelvic bonebetween the hind legs byinserting the knife inside thepelvic area and cutting outward.Slit the belly down themidline from the pelvis to thechest area as far as possible.Be very careful not to punctureany of the internalorgans, or their contents willcontaminate the meat. Cutaround the anal opening andremove the entrails and gallbladder. Leave the liver, heart,and kidneys in place. Removethe right hind foot by severingit at the hock.Be especially careful not toget hairs on the carcass. Theyare difficult to remove, detractfrom the appearance of themeat, and are unsanitary.Rinse the carcass in coldwater; rinsing makes removalof hair and blood easier andcleans the carcass. Do notrinse or soak the carcasslonger than 15 minutes.Otherwise, the carcass willabsorb water, and additionalwater is considered adulterationof the meat.Remove the carcass fromthe hook and chill it in arefrigerated cooler. Arrangethe carcass on a cooling rackso that the air movement andtemperature in the cooler willreduce the internal temperatureof the carcass to no lowerthan 30 degrees and no higherthan 40 degrees within 24hours after slaughter.Cutting the MeatWhen the carcass has beenchilled, cut it into the desiredpieces. Cut the meat with aknife; using a cleaver maysplinter the bones. The carcasscan be cut into seven pieces:two hind leg pieces, a loin,two rib pieces, and two frontleg pieces. Larger carcassescan be cut into twelve piecesby cutting each hind leg pieceinto two pieces, the loins andback portion of the ribs intofive pieces, and the front portionof the ribs and each ofthe front legs into one servingeach.Curing the SkinWhile they are still warm,place the skins to be curedflesh side out on wire or boardforms or shapers (with thefore part of the skin over thenarrow end). Remove all wrinkles.You can make a satisfactoryskin shaper from 5 feet of No.9 galvanized wire. This equipmenthas been called a“stretcher,” but the term maygive the wrong impression.You should not stretch theskin too much.Mount the skin on theshaper, making sure both frontfeet casings are on the sameside, and fasten it withclothespins. This arrangementreduces injury to the fur ofthe back, which is the mostvaluable. On the day afterskinning, examine the pelts tosee that the edges are dryingflat, that the skin on the frontlegs is straightened out, andthat any patches of fat areremoved.All skins must be thoroughlydried before you use orpack them, but do not drythem in the sun or by artificialheat. Hang them up so the aircan circulate freely aroundthem. If you will not use orship the dried skins for sometime, hang them in loose bundlesof fifty in a cool, dryplace away from rats andmice. In the summer, sprinklethe stored skins with naphthaflakes. Never use salt in curingrabbit skins.13
Page 2 and 3: AcknowledgmentsThe authors grateful
Page 4 and 5: Table 1. Nutritional Value of Rabbi
Page 6 and 7: this purpose. Some completehutch de
Page 8 and 9: Figure 2. Rabbit drinking from an a
Page 10 and 11: Table 4. Management Schedule for 6
Page 12 and 13: healthy and profitable rabbitherd.
Page 16 and 17: Rabbit Stew1 rabbit, cut into 4 par
Page 18 and 19: Rabbit Delight1 rabbit, cut into se
Page 20: The information given herein is for

Backyard Production of Meat Rabbits in Texas - World Rabbit ...

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