Butchering Rabbits: Complete How-to Guide

[@gardenlikeaviking]

very well made presentation young man!... I want to get into raising meat rabbits this year on my small parcel and I can will be going through all of your rabbit related videos because I can tell you clearly know what you are speaking of!... thank you for your time and efforts

[@Adnancorner]

I really like your channel. Just saw your photo DP in the comment and instantly remember your channel.

[@BarbieandLana]

I appreciate that you went through all the steps thoroughly, very helpful.

[@arthas640]

Farm dog: "Gut barrel? You mean my snack bucket?"

[@JuanRodriguez-xl6mp]

dogs can eat that stuff no problem?

[@georgebondurant8407]

That’s the truth!

[@jameszahler9575]

They'll have to fight my chickens for it 🤣

[@going_rural]

Thank you so much for this video, processed my first rabbit last night. Took be an hour but got it done

[@1gr8lpta]

REALLY WELL DONE! I picked up so many tips. I am new at this. Did two rabbits yesterday. I am just trying to hone my skills now. Thanks so much. I think I will subscribe to see what else you have on your channel.

[@18Rhapsody]

Thank you for this We've done our chickens for a few years but my husband is allergic to rabbits.. so if we decide to move forward with them, it will fall on me I really appreciate the video and you make it look EASY! 💪

[@kevywilliams3304]

This is the best kill… cleanest well explained video on KZbin . Very smart man . Thank you .

[@BasicSkills]

Thanks!

[@kevinhuria1009]

Thank you so much.. was able to slaughter two rabbits successfully after watching this video

[@SandwichSinPan]

Nice instakill bro.

[@richardgomes8164]

Quite informative. Definitely someone must have taught you well.

[@ginarutter394]

Cleaner than another video I saw. Good job! Have you thought about cervical dislocation? Seems better for the rabbits…

[@AndrzejGieraltCreative]

Thank you! How do you save the pelt?

[@olakant1]

Your videos are very informative. Can you advice what breed is the buck. It looks really big and I will like to breed such.

[@torresmoblade]

Nice video, dude.

[@drafek1]

Nice video, really informative! Are you still uploading?

[@BasicSkills]

I am, just very, very slowly!

[@kyleadams3112]

Nice work, new sub

[@ivydelrosario6180]

Very helpful video . Thanks

[@dangertrebor]

Well done. Thank you very much for the information!

[@eirikausteng3543]

What do you do after the butchering is done? Do you cool it, freeze it or let it hang? I´m preparing for my first harvest in august/september :)

[@BasicSkills]

I've heard of some people chilling them or whatever. I have them sitting in cold water until I'm done processing the batch and then wash them and throw them in the freezer. Nothing complicated!

[@eirikausteng3543]

@@BasicSkills great. Thanks :)

[@zbb2stillalive]

Well done. Subbed.

[@Imjetta7]

Excellent tutorial, thank you!

[@Kay0.3]

Good thorough video

[@BasicSkills]

Glad you liked it!

[@inokemow1796]

Hi I'm new to rabbit butchering since there is no rabbit here. But anyways thanks for this video. Learnt something new.

[@Adnancorner]

you can buy and start a smal rabbit place for breeding & harvesting

[@petegreci7969]

I hope you read this message Basic Skills. Just the other day my father was telling me about how, years ago, his people ate lambs' brains. I believe this is called "sweetbreads" in Anglo terms. He said it was absolutely delicious but has, for the most part, fallen out of contemporary favor. I know this might sound stupid, but do you think one can consume a rabbit's brain in a similar fashion, and, have you ever cooked the brain or the heart and kidneys? In Italian, this was known as "soffrito", and it was sauteed with celery, carrot, onion, garlic, white wine, Extra virgin Olive oil, salt, and pepper.

[@BasicSkills]

Hi Pete, I've heard that rabbit head is a thing, I've never actually tried it myself. I've used the liver and kidneys, but those are the only organs I have ever done anything special with. Thanks for the comment!

[@Shady_oaks_rabbitry]

What age is best to cull them? I’ve hear 11-12 weeks

[@GoDfarm]

Wow, thanks for this awsome video, I had to subscribe. Am a fun of basic skills and agricultural. Thumbs up all the way from Uganda, Africa. Could you make a video on Neutering male rabbits. Thanks

[@auraraleen6878]

Nice video, very helpful

[@TheHamerer]

Have you also tried cervical dislocation? Stunning them seems efficient, but I'm worried about it having more room for error.

[@BasicSkills]

I have not. I've really liked the stunning method and while there may be a bit of room for error, it's relatively simple and easy to do.

[@BlossomPossum09]

Is this the method to keep the hide? or a different method

[@dave-yj9mc]

The hide is composted in this method. You could salvage it by splitting it at the legs and screeching it out to dry and salt it or something.... but if you do that while cleaning it.... you tend to get a bunch of fur and hair stuck to the meat.

[@escapetheratrace4798]

Your videos are on point, do you know how to start a flock of sheep?

[@BasicSkills]

I don't really have much experience with sheep. I'd recommend my brother's channel at kzbin.info/door/XEabeNMAQBWG4R10v7raHg. He's done sheep for a few years and would know what to tell you!

[@rrbb36]

That’s “fascia”… a type of connective tissue, that attaches the skin on the body, not tendons. Good job, good video 👍

[@xDelga]

Great video, thanks!

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

Dang. Dispatching the rabbit was harder to watch than I thought it would be. Thanks for the information though. I bred 3 of mine so I could raise them for meat. 1 has definitely had them so far. My breeding girls live in a colony. I hope that I don’t have any issues trying to dispatch them lol.

[@PowersportsAT]

Good video!

[@Ashley-li5yv]

Can you keep the skins? Seems like such a waste to toss the fur even if it is going to the garden eventually

[@BasicSkills]

Yes, you can definitely keep the skins and use them. I could never find any market for them and didn't have time to use them myself, so I've always just composted them. I actually did keep a bunch to tan once, and they sat in the freezer waiting for me to have time to do them until I finally just decided to get rid of them because it was never going to happen!

[@krapity2662]

Any suggestions for getting through the neck fur when you're making that bleeding slice? I have a pretty sharp knife, but I have trouble making a clean, quick cut into the neck.

[@BasicSkills]

Make sure you get the knife in nice and tight before you start the slice so it has maximum effectiveness. Sometimes it can take two slices to get a clean cut and sometimes it can take a moment to tell as blood may run into the fur rather than out the cut. What I generally do is get a good cut (you can usually tell by the feel and look) and then tilt the head up to make sure it's bleeding properly. If I don't get a good stream, I'll check to make sure I got the cut right.

[@estauracio1]

Perfecto trabajo... Solo queda trocearlo y echarlo a la paella :D

[@healthfitnessadventure]

What breed of rabbit are you using?

[@BasicSkills]

They are D'Argents

[@gavinat9458]

@@BasicSkills how long does it take to get to this weight

[@sheldonclemendore7879]

I wonder...don't you make use of the pelts?

[@HE4RTS4EM1LY]

WHOO HOO RABBITS GET WHAT THEY DESERVE!

[@nancydb1390]

Well done. Don't think I could do it.

[@OrbbKlesk]

Yeah. That rabbit's gonna wake up like "Hmm, I feel sorta funny. What did I drink last night?"

[@Haileambesa]

Hahaha just watching this video I'm hungry I want put the grill and start cook🤤

[@ralphthorpe7564]

Hey there Basic Skills. Now that we finally have a large enough property, I'd like to raise meat rabbits myself. My father is opposed as he says that "Florida is too hot to raise meat rabbits" and that "the meat will be bad". I don't believe this is true, but I have always heard that the best rabbits (for food) come from cold climates. If you have a moment, please tell me what you think. Thanks!

[@BasicSkills]

I can't say for sure, I've never actually tried it. I would imagine that as long as you keep them relatively cool, you shouldn't have any issues. I guess your best bet would be just to give it a shot with a couple rabbits and see what happens. I don't think you will have any problem with the cooler months, but when it gets hot make sure they have lots of shade and water. My biggest recommendation would be to try to find someone as close as possible (for the climate) to get a couple does from and just start small and see how they do.

[@ralphthorpe7564]

@@BasicSkills Thanks, I will do just that and looking forward to the project!

[@karenmack2005]

I am from Florida and raised rabbits for 4-H. They were delicious. I currently live in west Texas. I started with rabbits again in December. I went with a composite breed called TAMUK developed here in Texas for the heat. They are spreading throughout the south and if you can get some, I'd recommend it. But you can definitely raise rabbits in Florida, you will simply need to do your housing to maximize keeping them cool using fans or such. I plan to not breed during the hottest months here even with the TAMUKs.

[@ralphthorpe7564]

@@karenmack2005 Thank you for the info, Karen!

[@jasona.126]

I raise meat rabbits in SE Texas where it's incredibly hot and humid. Outdoor, shaded rabbitry. I do last breeding end of February (so bunnies will be 12 weeks later part of June), and start back up in September. So a doe can do 3 litters per year. I don't want to stress my mommas out too much. Three litters you should get at LEAST 16 bunnies to butchering size, more like 20 or so. To keep rabbits alive here through the summer takes resources. I run small fans on them, and am home mid-day so I can run frozen 2-liters out. But that takes time, plus electricity for fans and freezer. Could set up enclosed, air-conditioned rabbitry, but that's a much bigger outlay. Solar works, but you need to factor in cost. The more you put in, the more you are paying per pound of rabbit, right? I've run 2 does and one buck mostly, now I'm at 3 does 2 bucks. Totally worth it, to me, to have meat from animals I know are treated well from start to finish, and are super clean. And they taste really good. NOTHING like wild rabbit, which I've tried several times different ways and never really liked. I butcher at weeks 10-14 depending. Beyond that the growth drops off, and the rabbits will probably become less tender as the weeks go on. Like chickens, the older they get the tougher the meat.

[@bolletjebruin7678]

good job

[@ryanlenz8375]

What meat rabbits breed do you have

[@BasicSkills]

They're D'Argents. They aren't the biggest breed, but are healthy and seem to grow quickly. I've had them for maybe 8 years now and have really liked them.

[@saiko_2638]

@@BasicSkills doesn't that mean money in french?

[@jenrandomstuff2053]

Great video. I think you can also use a big wire cutter to make cutting off the hands and feet easier.

[@BasicSkills]

That's a good idea. I'll have to try it sometime.

[@njr919]

Great video! Question: what do you do with the livers? Do you just cook them up and eat them? and what about the rest of the guts you threw away, is there anything else you can do besides compose them? What about making dog food out of it, would they eat it?

[@BasicSkills]

We often just cook them up and eat them. Liver is not generally our favorite meat, so we often mix it in with something else so it doesn't stand out. We compost the guts and it makes excellent dirt. You could certainly do something with a lot of the other stuff. I expect the lungs and heart would make good dog food, but they might not like the digestive system as much. I really haven't experimented with it.

[@itsyourfatty2341]

I find if you want to actually eat some guts, I do heart, kidneys and liver. Next butcher I'm gonna try the bonk instead of shooting it because I'd like to try brain, I'm all for using as much of the animal as I can

[@18Rhapsody]

We've always chopped our livers really fine and cooked them up with ground beef Do rabbit livers have a distinct taste that might mess with doing it this way?

[@richardmang2558]

My dog enjoys everything that ends up in the bucket. If I bury it he just digs it up anyways. One time I tossed the peeled, inside out, skin to him and he sucked it down whole like a noodle of spaghetti. Amazing. I think his favorite part is the crunchy heads with the soft chewy center. Now he chews on the skin for a few days, savoring a little every day.

[@GG-du6go]

Hi, What breed of rabbit is that and how many months did it take to get to that size?

[@juliestade7529]

Looks like a Champagne D'Argent, an old French breed of meat rabbit

[@WillieFungo]

Does stunning the rabbit improve meat quality or is the meat still stressed?

[@BasicSkills]

Stunning it just allows the rabbit to bleed out properly. I'm not totally sure, but think most of the stress factor in any meat would be the time leading up to processing. If you take proper care of the animal its entire life you won't have to worry too much about the stress.

[@richardmang2558]

A calm rabbit will give the best meat. I used to collect the rabbits and keep them in a holding cage prior to slaughtering, but that stressed them. Now I stun and bleed the rabbits as soon as I pull them out of their cage. Then carry them to where the butchering is completed. This minimizes the amount of time they are stressed. Chill the meat down rapidly in ice or ice water. I will then rest the meat in the refrigerator (not the freezer) a minimum of three days to allow the meat to pass through rigor-mortis. Further aging to 10 days can be helpful especially on a tough old buck. Then either cook it or freeze it. I want to try canning in mason jars, to be able to store them without refrigeration, but I do not have a pressure canner yet.

[@mandotheone6076]

thanks man

[@PulleyHouseDesign]

you might check out @living traditions homestead youtube channel on how they dispatch their rabbits with a kill board for another no gun kill method

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

I totally thought I'd be grossed out by this whole progress. When you cut the privates off - I had an urge to pee. Other than that, very clean! Nothing disgusting or complicated at all. I can do this! #Savedinplaylist #Newsubhere #Keepupthegreatwork

[@carrieashley6465]

What age or wt do you dress out your rabbits ??? Ok do you tan your furs and keep them ??? Do you keep the hearts and kiddies and livers and eat them ???

[@BasicSkills]

The standard dressing age is 13 weeks. Some people dress them earlier, and some a little later, I generally try to aim for 13, but it really depends when I have time to get it done. We don't have a market or the ability to do tanning currently, so they just get composted and made into dirt. We keep and eat the kidneys and livers, but not the heart.

[@tatendachrismakari8911]

@@BasicSkills What type of breed is your rabbits?

[@emma-jaynedennison2999]

But so informative! I have never seen a better video on killing rabbits🤩 The front picture is so 😖though but i guess you can't help that.

[@Adnancorner]

i would love to meet you... someday. so much to learn... and understand. People are completly out of touch from reality these days. thank you so much for this step by step process.

[@Adnancorner]

@Hawwa Flower The demon World has no place for snow flakes

[@swizz85]

I really wish there were in person workshops to do this. I would definitely pay, and make new friends in the process. It’s nice to know that there are others who have similar interests.

[@КостяТомпсон]

Молодец в целом все правильно.

[@beverleeann8239]

Do you farm them? What do you feed them? That was a big bunny. Great video.

[@BasicSkills]

Yes, we farm them. We pasture them as much as we can (up to 65% of their diet is grass/hay) and the rest is made up of various proteins such as oats and alfalfa.

[@enopio_O]

The heart is also good to eat btw😋 good video

[@Sweetheartiunnie]

Oh Gosh 😭😭😭😱😱🤯

[@cfrancis325]

Man, I don't know if I can do it.

[@Adnancorner]

Watch it couple of times and you'd have some will and understand to perhaps try.

[@FirstMateSquiggles]

darn it's age restricted

[@backyardfarmingaroundbyfa1059]

Nice video. Supporting each other here.

[@WockyLX]

man it's sad but food is food🤷

[@glockamolesauce394]

R.i.p. Bugs

[@ColynNicole]

😭😭😭

[@ЖеняТехник-и7з]

Тебе учиться ещё и учиться!🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@DeafLoudness]

bonk

[@backyardfarmingaroundbyfa1059]

Keep it up

[@albertarquilos598]

poor rabbit😢

[@kalebhandon2975]

Sad me noise

[@kalebhandon2975]

We don’t treat them right like we are you get me you guys

[@JK-qn9qr]

what happens to fur. that's a lot of fur.

[@ColynNicole]

#saverabbits

[@retardedfrog5960]

#no

[@gesachristiansen991]

Do Americans dont eat the head?

[@BasicSkills]

I don't believe so. We don't and I've never seen anyone else in North America who used them. We're just not as good at using everything as most cultures are.

[@TheZarric]

@@BasicSkills Here in 25, we sometime stock and broth the heads. Here's a helpful note. After you make your kill cut and have finished dressing the legs, go back and do your decapitation and snip the front paws off, that way when you go back up to make your crotch cut, the pelt can just be pulled straight down unhindered.

[@mywinterbear.]

تاكل سم وسرطانن

[@kalebhandon2975]

Poor animal

[@yeyoshkaplays_ingame3090]

Please no im a kid

[@Adnancorner]

So stop eating meat from the stores and Mcdonalds.

[@Guest666RBLX_YT]

LEAVE THEM ALONE

[@yakstubeyt843]

CAN YOU STOP BECHERING RABITS IM CRYING STOP

[@retardedfrog5960]

Shush

[@uftc1324]

The world doesn’t revolve around you let him do what he wants you don’t like it don’t watch

[@Adnancorner]

ha ha ha keep crying.. That fluffy bunny is on the plate, after being cooked in the oven in its own juices...😅

[@CloverAbbie]

This is disgusting

[@tylerclarke5591]

This is more humane than factory farming

[@tahaelixer7328]

Then don't watch

[@marionharkness1169]

This is so sick and disgusting how cn this person kill a rabbit

[@Adnancorner]

@@marionharkness1169 um with his hands just the way humans and other animals eat rabbits after killing them and eating them.. but many creature eat the rabbits while they are alive.