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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2021 01:20pm
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We decided to get back into raising rabbits for meat. I bought a roll of wire n built the pens so that they fit into our greenhouse. Keeps them out of the breeze n offers some solar heat. They will be moved out to a nice shady spot for the summer. With the 3 does, 1 buck our goal is 250 pounds of meat put up. Canned n frozen.
I just got the place cleaned up to start breeding next week.
It's nice to supplement our protiens. Will barter some for halibut. Harvest salmon n moose n black bear, sandhill cranes,
hopefully. Do some rainbow trout fishing. Even wanting to try to trap some lynx n beaver soon.
Then there's the large garden. Beautiful wife been ordering n planting . I'm redesigning the automatic watering systems for garden n greenhouse. Hydroponics in the greenhouse.
Along with rebuilding the snogo trailer so we can get to the cabin easier . And freight several loads to the cabin for projects to get done there.
And most important, hang out with grandkids n beautiful wife.
Kinda how my world works. Start on the rabbitry but have to do a bunch of other things first.
Man, life sure is great
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Eddy G
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2021 03:59pm
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When I was a kid late 60's early 70's we where able to walk over to the North End of Boston and buy fresh rabbit at several meat markets. I loved the way my Grandmother and Mother would cook it. Either pounded thin and lightly fried or rolled up up and cooked in the Sunday gravy.
Things change and somewhere rabbit went out of favor I guess. Now its impossible to find fresh and if you can find it frozen the price is ridiculous.
Funny, my Nana called it peasant food...no peasant's buying it in Boston I can tell you that...
My wife and I are only a few years out from retirement and living in the hills full time. We've been talking about chickens and maybe a goat or two. Now I'm thinking rabbits would be a nice addition.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2021 06:01pm
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Great idea! If we move to the cabin full time my wife wants chickens and rabbits as well. As a kid in the 60's our family raised rabbits. I used to hunt cotton tails. I do like eating rabbit! Been years.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2021 07:45am
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Let me tell you any where you get freezing temps for months chickens suck. Yes you can make a nice scoop with lights and heat..but at the end of the day eggs are cheap and chicken food is expensive. Farm raised eggs here are about $3.
I also did 102 meat birds. Still not worth it when you can get chicken on sale for $0.89lb. Pork still cheaper in the store also. Some say the farm fresh stuff is better. The only difference I taste is in the farm fresh ground beef. I pay $7lb for that..buying a cow alone is more costly than that.
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Eddy G
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2021 08:39am - Edited by: Eddy G
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Some say the farm fresh stuff is better. The only difference I taste is in the farm fresh ground beef.
I have to firmly disagree with you on that.
Eggs from the supper market (at least in New England) are nothing like the eggs at local farm stands. The only similarity is the shell. The quality is night and day.
I plead ignorance when it comes to the economics of it all because I just don’t know enough about it.
I can say this. In the suburbs of Boston a carton of eggs will cost you around $3.50....
10 yrs ago even 5 you would have a hard time finding a farmers market or local source for eggs and alike. That isn’t a problem anymore. The farm fresh movement has come a long way and is strong here.
I’ve seen eggs at farmers markets in the city for as much as $500 but for the most part $400 is the going rate and just out of the burbs your back to $300..
I’m not advocating everyone breeds their own chickens but the quality and benefits of farm fresh eggs are undeniable.
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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2021 12:45pm - Edited by: Aklogcabin
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Wow , we get our eggs for 5 bucks a dozen. Break em open n marvel how dark yellow n large the yolk is and taste much better than store bought. Free range birds.
When trying to compare price vs quality in farm fresh many time commercial growers do volume and produce a good product. But can not compete with quality of small farms that select breed for quality. These birds are in a shed with a light bulb for heat n do very well even in AK. And get to walk around n do chicken things.
I can produce 250 pounds of high quality meat for 8 bales of hay n 6 bags of pellets. And I know what I have.
Animal husbandry is also very important for us as a homeschooling family. Kids learning about food n what it takes to learn how to raise it n process it, all the way to cooking it.
Just like our garden. Start with a seed, end up with food n food scraps for the compost pile . So I can mix it with the several types of manure we use to build the tilth of the soil. To grow better crops.
It all works together. And is a real science.
Kind of discouraged when folks write how they raised animals once n it didn't work out. Maybe just didn't know what their doing. Buying animals thinking you just give em food n they grow n you eat em never works. Takes a commitment.
I can go by just about anything n I'll take home grown n home made most days.
On taste of rabbit it is not what a wild rabbit tastes like. All white meat very similar to chicken. Little more moist n delicate.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2021 03:33pm - Edited by: Brettny
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Wasn't my first time raising animals for meat. I went from 6 meat chickens to 102. 1 pig to 3. If your doing it for other reasons becids money then I can see the benefits. I just dont. Another and really major down side to me was the time. It takes alot of time to raise animals and to me my time can be better spent. It took me years of raising animals to figure out that mine time is better spent elsewhere.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2021 01:02pm
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We got lucky, a farm family from church raises beef, sheep, pigs, chix and ducks, all in a healthy traditional way. We get to go help butcher, cut & wrap our pick for a very reasonable price per critter and it actually tastes like what it is (unlike typical g-store factory farm meats around here).
No way could we raise our own for what it costs us when everything involved would be factored in.
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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 8 Aug 2021 11:10am
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A little update on our rabbitry. We processed 26 friers putting up near 75 pounds of rabbit friers. From the first batch.
The second batch of 27 will be processed in 2 weeks. And our does should be having their 3rd batch this week. Our does will have 5 litters, maybe 6 depending on whether.
We have commitments for bartering friers for halibut n salmon so it will be nice to have a bunch of seafood in the freezer also. Will barter some for moose if we are not successful there.
The best part was watching our daughter take over the butchering. I showed her once n then I was regulated to chilling out. As daughter n beautiful wife finished up n vacuum sealed up our bounty.
Really nice to see her go back to her roots. We homeschooled n raising rabbits n other small livestock was part of their animal husbandry classes.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jan 2022 12:32pm
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Whew, finally got the rabbits finished up for the season yesterday. Our wonderful daughter butchered 28 friers.
We ended up the season with near 275 pounds of processed hormone steroid free rabbit meat. At a cost of around $3.50 per pound.
We froze them and barter for halibut n salmon. Moose. And will can up a bunch in pint jars. Put a piece of pork belly n salt in each jar. Peppers may be good.
We will carry over our buck and 4 does.
I have been composting the manure in several ways as I want to try to market it. I mulch it together with leaves and small branches. Comes out like a fine top soil. Full of good stuff for the garden or pots n beds.
Been a good experience. And it will be considerably easier next year now that things are set up more efficient.
Now back to trying to get cabin stuff done.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jan 2022 01:25pm
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good stuff. Can't beat a good rabbit dinner.
Thanks for sharing.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2022 01:02pm - Edited by: Aklogcabin
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This weekend my beautiful wife canned up the friers our daughter processed. We let the friers rest in a refrigerator so the muscles relax. I was busy plowing snow so she took over this part. I did cut the pieces got cut into smaller sizes so they could be packed firmly.
She did 32 pints. A couple jars didn't seal so she cleaned it up for sandwich spreads. Each jar averaging 1 pound of bones and 2 pounds of cleaned meat. Without the juices. Which she added back into the meat. So basically 96 pounds of cleaned meat. Kinda surprised me as this was from 28 friers.
She also added a piece of pork belly and a pinch of salt.
Sooooo good. N great for the cabin and proud of my family
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Proud of my beautiful wife
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2022 01:37pm
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Ohhh, REAL Food! 
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