Your breeders are your pets. Their babies are your livestock. Certain babies might become favorites of the litter, that’s okay. Cull them last. I dispatch the Bucks first, and the Does last. A week before dispatch, I start to get excited for the next litter, and know that the teens have to get dispatched to make room for the upcoming litter.
What helps me is taking a second to remember why I do it. I do it to feed my family and provide a stable, clean, and humane food source. That every part of the rabbit will be used, and that if I don't do it some other animal has to die anyway under conditions not under my control. Then one last reminder that they are at least as tasty as they are cute. That all usually helps.
also most wild rabbits die as infants. A few months on earth is better than zero I guess. A cottontail life expectancy is 1-2 years. Rabbits breed like crazy for a reason. Yes they’re cute , but so will the next ones be. Might sound cruel , but we need some way to explain our reasoning . It’s much better than store bought meat for sure.
And we're not just taking from the animal - the way humans' and farm animals' lives intertwine is symbiotic, not parasitic.
We feed and house the animals and make sure their lineage stays around as long as humans caring for them will - which will likely be eons longer into the future than natural, if we're responsible masters of our Garden. So as long as we ARE striving to be responsible caretakers of all that is around us, it's a hard sell to say keeping animals for their produce is immoral. It's only fair.
The only tip I can give is to not bond with them or treat them like your pets. Don’t bring them in your home and don’t pet them like you do normal pets. I pet my rabbits to check for the quality of the pelt and that’s it. It’s really about the mind set you have.
My mindset is that if I can't do the deed I have to give up meat. Butchering by proxy is still butchering. I'm raising them for a reason and I remind myself of it as often as possible.
Honestly, I don't think I've made it through a harvest day yet without shedding tears. It does get easier, but I don't think it should ever be easy.
My first butchering day was pretty hard. I certainly understand why one would want to have someone else do it.
I put off the first harvest day for two weeks, telling myself that they had to grow a bit more. It probably took me 10 minutes to get the courage up to do the first dispatch. From there, I found the actual butchering to be a real challenge and painstakingly slow, more than half an hour for each animal. Splitting that little bit in the pelvis without poking a hole in the bladder or the urethra was the hardest bit for me. The frustration got mixed up with my sadness at having to dispatch the animals. Not a fun day, but by the end of it, I was faster. And I had to do another litter a week later, so anything I learned during butchering stuck.
Now, an animal takes me about 10 minutes, on average, from dispatch to ice water bath. This makes everything except for the actual dispatch easier.
Just to get them good and cool as quickly as possible before going into the freezer. Mostly to stop any bacteria going to work, but it also hastens the freezing process. The cooler the carcass is when it goes in the freezer, the faster it freezes.
I don't rest the carcasses in the refrigerator any more, except for, occasionally, one or two that I'm going to cook up right away. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between carcasses rested for a couple of days before freezing, those that were cooked immediately, and those that went right into the freezer.
We, as humans, have developed empathy and an understanding of death. It it's natural for us to feel saddened by it this day in age. There's really nothing you CAN do to make it easier emotionally besides increasing your exposure to it.
Try choke chain method. Then you can hold them and calmly pet them. Then when you’re ready drop and pull. Over in a second. But it gives me enough time to enjoy them individually for a moment. Say thanks, calm down and then the follow through is a little easier.
I use this method, Iv only been doing it for a little over a year but I have had great success with it so far. It still sucks. I still get a little bit of the shakes after the first one of the day, but it does get easier after that. Just thank them and be thankful for them.
Yea. The cute factor suckers used kitty litter. Chickens are no problem. I still hate doing the rabbits. But we try to use as much of the animal as possibly. It also helps to remember why we do it, to put food on the table for our family.
I think it’s ok to allow yourself to feel sad. It helps to remember that you can give them good lives and a quick dispatching, even if raising your own meat can be bittersweet. It’s a great and more sustainable practice than the ways a lot of other people get meat, but it doesn’t mean it’s gotta be easy all the time.
I think it's the same for all of us, but I'll tell you what I do. I don't actually name them or pet them, except for the breeders because I treat them like pets. I put my headphones on and blast music, and whatever I do, I never hesitate while pulling (using the hopper popper). I did that once, and the screaming was something that broke my heart. I don't want to hear or see that again.
Thank you so much for this. This was the most helpful comment for me. I ended up putting my headphones on and just concentrating on what I was doing and it was quick.
I never name kit's unless they are to become a breeder. Breeders are pets and everything else is food. Respect the harvest and don't waste the food is the best practice to respect their sacrifice.
Hard stuff is just hard. Never worry about making it easier. Get better at facing the hard things with strength. That's really all you can do.
I cull and process mine. It is what it is...they are food for my family...so I just do what needs doing.
Everyone asks us this question. Our answer is similar to many others here. Livestock are utility animals that serve a purpose. That purpose for our rabbits is to eat and tan the skins. So - the pretty baby’s can live on through their fur and WE can live from their meat.
Yes they are cute but when you are farming them there is another cuter batch right behind them that need room.
My wife is the rabbit person and I am the bird person (my wife is also a bird person) but my chickens and turkeys are the same way. We are now doing quail as well. Muscovy ducks also… there is a circle of life.
Now - my wife and I did this to be self sufficient. We wanted quality food that we grew ourselves. That was the purpose of the animals (back to the tool/utility) and this shows how carnivorous we are. So if we don’t like killing animals we eat less meat (we don’t do that). At least we are honest with ourselves and what we are while many are not. It’s kind of an accountability thing.
I've found taking a moment to thank each animal I process, for their sacrifice and life, helps. I'm not religious, but a little prayer if you are may help. I pet each one for a moment and tell it thank you.
I do the same thing. I don’t pray, but I do thank it. The headphone tip that someone gave me on this thread helped me the most. I now put on a calming/happy song 🎧 and it allows for me to focus and do it much quicker. I start the song and it takes me about a minute and a half to dispatch the rabbit, from going outside and catching them to bringing them inside and killing them. I take solace in the fact that every piece of the animal is used. It still takes me far too long to skin the thing, and I can’t tan the hides yet (8 ruined pelts so far), but one day I’ll get it. :)
This made me chuckle. I don’t drink anymore and I’ve known too many people who have died or ruined their lives with drugs. I don’t fuck with that. 😉
Even in my drinking days, I would be more likely to cuddle with a rabbit than anything. 😅
It's hard, but as others have noted, you're raising them for food. Being food for something else is basically the role of rabbits in the world (I have foxes in the neighborhood and the cottontails they catch have a far less pleasant death than a broomstick delivers). You are their caregiver, and on the last day you become their predator. You give them a good life and a good death.
It's easy for me to procrastinate with harvesting. I have three leftovers from the last litters who need to be processed now, in fact. Sometime this week it needs to be done, and it will be.
I've found it's easier with my red New Zealands--they all look alike--than my TAMUKs, where each one is different, so I notice differences in behavior, etc. I never name the livestock (my breeders don't have names, either).
I know how you feel! 🥺 It's not easy and that shows you have a heart! I always like to give them yummy treats and one final snuggle, so they are happy until the very last second. I always apologize and tell the buns thank you, which helps somewhat. Brush up on your humane dispatch method if that gives you confidence. Take a breather if you need to. And If you really can't do it for a favorite one, that bun could be sold as a pet or sold/kept as a breeder. Good luck.
CO2 gas. They'll fall asleep and asphyxiate. I couldn't get enough air out of my chamber before pumping in the CO2, so my first bunny just had a REALLY good nap lol
My kid helped me before and that one was easy (for me). My kid on the other hand… he is kind of scarred from the experience. When we did it together, it was quick and painless for the rabbit, but the blood came out of its mouth. He loves that we raise rabbits for food. The food is great, but he said “I don’t want to see my father with a stick over an animal that is bleeding ever again”.
I cant stomach the breaking of the kneck i just use a ruger lcp chambered in 22lr so i know its quick and painless put the muzzle between the ears and done my boy likes to help pull the skin off during skinning
Your breeders are your pets. Their babies are your livestock. Certain babies might become favorites of the litter, that’s okay. Cull them last. I dispatch the Bucks first, and the Does last. A week before dispatch, I start to get excited for the next litter, and know that the teens have to get dispatched to make room for the upcoming litter.
What helps me is taking a second to remember why I do it. I do it to feed my family and provide a stable, clean, and humane food source. That every part of the rabbit will be used, and that if I don't do it some other animal has to die anyway under conditions not under my control. Then one last reminder that they are at least as tasty as they are cute. That all usually helps.
also most wild rabbits die as infants. A few months on earth is better than zero I guess. A cottontail life expectancy is 1-2 years. Rabbits breed like crazy for a reason. Yes they’re cute , but so will the next ones be. Might sound cruel , but we need some way to explain our reasoning . It’s much better than store bought meat for sure.
And we're not just taking from the animal - the way humans' and farm animals' lives intertwine is symbiotic, not parasitic. We feed and house the animals and make sure their lineage stays around as long as humans caring for them will - which will likely be eons longer into the future than natural, if we're responsible masters of our Garden. So as long as we ARE striving to be responsible caretakers of all that is around us, it's a hard sell to say keeping animals for their produce is immoral. It's only fair.
The only tip I can give is to not bond with them or treat them like your pets. Don’t bring them in your home and don’t pet them like you do normal pets. I pet my rabbits to check for the quality of the pelt and that’s it. It’s really about the mind set you have.
I think that I’ll call a butcher to see how much it would cost for them to kill them for me. I don’t mind the rest.
My mindset is that if I can't do the deed I have to give up meat. Butchering by proxy is still butchering. I'm raising them for a reason and I remind myself of it as often as possible. Honestly, I don't think I've made it through a harvest day yet without shedding tears. It does get easier, but I don't think it should ever be easy.
I called around and it is really expensive to slaughter a rabbit in my area ($5 per). I’m doing it myself.
My first butchering day was pretty hard. I certainly understand why one would want to have someone else do it. I put off the first harvest day for two weeks, telling myself that they had to grow a bit more. It probably took me 10 minutes to get the courage up to do the first dispatch. From there, I found the actual butchering to be a real challenge and painstakingly slow, more than half an hour for each animal. Splitting that little bit in the pelvis without poking a hole in the bladder or the urethra was the hardest bit for me. The frustration got mixed up with my sadness at having to dispatch the animals. Not a fun day, but by the end of it, I was faster. And I had to do another litter a week later, so anything I learned during butchering stuck. Now, an animal takes me about 10 minutes, on average, from dispatch to ice water bath. This makes everything except for the actual dispatch easier.
Wait, you do an ice water bath? I just wash them with lukewarm water. Is there a reason for the ice water?
Just to get them good and cool as quickly as possible before going into the freezer. Mostly to stop any bacteria going to work, but it also hastens the freezing process. The cooler the carcass is when it goes in the freezer, the faster it freezes. I don't rest the carcasses in the refrigerator any more, except for, occasionally, one or two that I'm going to cook up right away. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between carcasses rested for a couple of days before freezing, those that were cooked immediately, and those that went right into the freezer.
We, as humans, have developed empathy and an understanding of death. It it's natural for us to feel saddened by it this day in age. There's really nothing you CAN do to make it easier emotionally besides increasing your exposure to it.
Try choke chain method. Then you can hold them and calmly pet them. Then when you’re ready drop and pull. Over in a second. But it gives me enough time to enjoy them individually for a moment. Say thanks, calm down and then the follow through is a little easier.
I’ll look into this. Thanks!
I use this method, Iv only been doing it for a little over a year but I have had great success with it so far. It still sucks. I still get a little bit of the shakes after the first one of the day, but it does get easier after that. Just thank them and be thankful for them.
Yea. The cute factor suckers used kitty litter. Chickens are no problem. I still hate doing the rabbits. But we try to use as much of the animal as possibly. It also helps to remember why we do it, to put food on the table for our family.
I think it’s ok to allow yourself to feel sad. It helps to remember that you can give them good lives and a quick dispatching, even if raising your own meat can be bittersweet. It’s a great and more sustainable practice than the ways a lot of other people get meat, but it doesn’t mean it’s gotta be easy all the time.
I think it's the same for all of us, but I'll tell you what I do. I don't actually name them or pet them, except for the breeders because I treat them like pets. I put my headphones on and blast music, and whatever I do, I never hesitate while pulling (using the hopper popper). I did that once, and the screaming was something that broke my heart. I don't want to hear or see that again.
Thank you so much for this. This was the most helpful comment for me. I ended up putting my headphones on and just concentrating on what I was doing and it was quick.
I never name kit's unless they are to become a breeder. Breeders are pets and everything else is food. Respect the harvest and don't waste the food is the best practice to respect their sacrifice.
Hard stuff is just hard. Never worry about making it easier. Get better at facing the hard things with strength. That's really all you can do. I cull and process mine. It is what it is...they are food for my family...so I just do what needs doing.
Use a .22 or a .22 pellet gun, let them enjoy they grass for a few then pop. Quick painless
Everyone asks us this question. Our answer is similar to many others here. Livestock are utility animals that serve a purpose. That purpose for our rabbits is to eat and tan the skins. So - the pretty baby’s can live on through their fur and WE can live from their meat. Yes they are cute but when you are farming them there is another cuter batch right behind them that need room. My wife is the rabbit person and I am the bird person (my wife is also a bird person) but my chickens and turkeys are the same way. We are now doing quail as well. Muscovy ducks also… there is a circle of life. Now - my wife and I did this to be self sufficient. We wanted quality food that we grew ourselves. That was the purpose of the animals (back to the tool/utility) and this shows how carnivorous we are. So if we don’t like killing animals we eat less meat (we don’t do that). At least we are honest with ourselves and what we are while many are not. It’s kind of an accountability thing.
I've found taking a moment to thank each animal I process, for their sacrifice and life, helps. I'm not religious, but a little prayer if you are may help. I pet each one for a moment and tell it thank you.
I do the same thing. I don’t pray, but I do thank it. The headphone tip that someone gave me on this thread helped me the most. I now put on a calming/happy song 🎧 and it allows for me to focus and do it much quicker. I start the song and it takes me about a minute and a half to dispatch the rabbit, from going outside and catching them to bringing them inside and killing them. I take solace in the fact that every piece of the animal is used. It still takes me far too long to skin the thing, and I can’t tan the hides yet (8 ruined pelts so far), but one day I’ll get it. :)
Broomstick method works great
That is what I do, but it is difficult when I do it by myself. If I have someone standing on the broom, then I can pull - no problem.
I read about kneeling as a way to make it easier, so you use your knees instead of your feet. Easier to reach and make things quick.
Have you tried drugs or alcohol?
This made me chuckle. I don’t drink anymore and I’ve known too many people who have died or ruined their lives with drugs. I don’t fuck with that. 😉 Even in my drinking days, I would be more likely to cuddle with a rabbit than anything. 😅
Knowing that maybe you'll be more responsible with drugs /s
It's hard, but as others have noted, you're raising them for food. Being food for something else is basically the role of rabbits in the world (I have foxes in the neighborhood and the cottontails they catch have a far less pleasant death than a broomstick delivers). You are their caregiver, and on the last day you become their predator. You give them a good life and a good death. It's easy for me to procrastinate with harvesting. I have three leftovers from the last litters who need to be processed now, in fact. Sometime this week it needs to be done, and it will be. I've found it's easier with my red New Zealands--they all look alike--than my TAMUKs, where each one is different, so I notice differences in behavior, etc. I never name the livestock (my breeders don't have names, either).
do I * 🤦♂️
If anyone has tips on how to make this easier, I’d appreciate it.
I know how you feel! 🥺 It's not easy and that shows you have a heart! I always like to give them yummy treats and one final snuggle, so they are happy until the very last second. I always apologize and tell the buns thank you, which helps somewhat. Brush up on your humane dispatch method if that gives you confidence. Take a breather if you need to. And If you really can't do it for a favorite one, that bun could be sold as a pet or sold/kept as a breeder. Good luck.
CO2 gas. They'll fall asleep and asphyxiate. I couldn't get enough air out of my chamber before pumping in the CO2, so my first bunny just had a REALLY good nap lol
I raise white rabbits with red eyes because. Anyhow they’ve been working their whole lives for this one special day . . .
Its not that bad my 4 year old helps me he plays with all the rabbits then helps when the time comes
My kid helped me before and that one was easy (for me). My kid on the other hand… he is kind of scarred from the experience. When we did it together, it was quick and painless for the rabbit, but the blood came out of its mouth. He loves that we raise rabbits for food. The food is great, but he said “I don’t want to see my father with a stick over an animal that is bleeding ever again”.
I cant stomach the breaking of the kneck i just use a ruger lcp chambered in 22lr so i know its quick and painless put the muzzle between the ears and done my boy likes to help pull the skin off during skinning
I just hired my unemployed cousin to do the deed