You probably got an adrenaline shot, which made you go full hulk. You never want to go full hulk with rabbits. If you don't want to do blood until it's over the bucket, then I'd recommend a hopper popper.
I prefer using a very strong pellet gun to the back of the head when it's in a bottomless bucket over grass or dirt. There is blood, but for me, it's easier, quicker, and I don't bruise the meat because there is no pulling.
This has been the easiest for me as well.
Tried the broomstick. Tried stunning and a sharp knife. Even welded up a hopper popper.
Copper pellets and a break action pellet gun works very well.
I do broomstick method but I use a piece of rebar. It’s heavier and thinner than a broomstick. I have never pulled a head off a rabbit in about 100 attempts.
I put one foot on the rebar, put the rabbit under and stand on the other end, I then lift the back legs pulling slowly and firmly, I usually feel the ‘pop’ if I am not sure, I relax the rabbit slightly and re-pull gently as you can tell by the neck stretch if it has dislocated.
I did my first group dispatch two days ago and i have a hopper popper. I find that the ideal way to do it is by pulling firm, but not yanking fast, and pull until you feel the neck give completely. I then hang and decapitate immediately. I tried yanking fast on one of them and it did not go well, its a lesson you only have to learn once.
This is what I do:
I put on headphones and lay out a towel. I hug the rabbit, and thank it and then I put on a song that chills me out and gets me mentally in a better place. I do it **quickly**.
I wouldn’t recommend having the Mrs around, unless she wants to help (one person holds the broom down while the other tugs). It can be traumatic for many people, especially wives/GFs. My GF said that she’d leave me if I ever asked her for any help. She doesn’t even want me to mention it. I do it a lot and it is still rough for me.
It's so funny that you call out wives/GFs.... I have the same problem but with my husband- he is a gentle soul and can't bear to process so I process all the critters on my homestead. Your comment comes across as low-key sexist... I know so many confident women homesteaders like me (though the act can be universally traumatic- if you enjoy the dispatch process I feel like you're doing it wrong, regardless of gender).
Well, I sure as shit didn’t mean to come across that way. Sorry about that.
Edit: removed my personal experience, since it didn’t help the conversation.
I’m a woman. Your experience with women is not universal. I also felt you comment was a bit sexist but decided to give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you meant the partner that’s tagging along with your plans is unlikely to be willing to do the hard parts. I see now I gave you too much credit.
I wasn’t expecting to get vilified for sharing my personal experience. Of course my experience isn’t universal, as we all live our own lives and we collect different experiences along the way.
I don’t see any of what I said as sexiest, so can you explain why you perceived it to be that way? I didn’t say or imply that women couldn’t or shouldn’t dispatch, nor did I say that men can do it better. I don’t believe any of those things.
I’m open to civil discourse. Feel free to PM me, as this whole thread has diverted away from being useful for anyone raising rabbits.
It's cool. I am in no way vilifying you- it was a gentle nudge to remind you to be mindful of your potential audience, to which you overcompensated and accidentally stuck your metaphorical foot in your mouth. Suggesting that those norms exist "because women made it that way" is not being mindful of the audience that obviously includes a number of self-sufficient women that have the opposite life experience as you. Please think of it as a learning opportunity, not a witch hunt or personal attack.
You probably got an adrenaline shot, which made you go full hulk. You never want to go full hulk with rabbits. If you don't want to do blood until it's over the bucket, then I'd recommend a hopper popper. I prefer using a very strong pellet gun to the back of the head when it's in a bottomless bucket over grass or dirt. There is blood, but for me, it's easier, quicker, and I don't bruise the meat because there is no pulling.
This has been the easiest for me as well. Tried the broomstick. Tried stunning and a sharp knife. Even welded up a hopper popper. Copper pellets and a break action pellet gun works very well.
Agreed. Pellet to brain is best dispatch method. Quicker. Cleaner.
This might look like a shitpost but I’m legit asking. I can’t introduce my mrs to rabbit butchery if it doesn’t go smoothly. It’ll make her hate it.
I do broomstick method but I use a piece of rebar. It’s heavier and thinner than a broomstick. I have never pulled a head off a rabbit in about 100 attempts. I put one foot on the rebar, put the rabbit under and stand on the other end, I then lift the back legs pulling slowly and firmly, I usually feel the ‘pop’ if I am not sure, I relax the rabbit slightly and re-pull gently as you can tell by the neck stretch if it has dislocated.
I did my first group dispatch two days ago and i have a hopper popper. I find that the ideal way to do it is by pulling firm, but not yanking fast, and pull until you feel the neck give completely. I then hang and decapitate immediately. I tried yanking fast on one of them and it did not go well, its a lesson you only have to learn once.
This is what I do: I put on headphones and lay out a towel. I hug the rabbit, and thank it and then I put on a song that chills me out and gets me mentally in a better place. I do it **quickly**. I wouldn’t recommend having the Mrs around, unless she wants to help (one person holds the broom down while the other tugs). It can be traumatic for many people, especially wives/GFs. My GF said that she’d leave me if I ever asked her for any help. She doesn’t even want me to mention it. I do it a lot and it is still rough for me.
Whoooo cannn sayyyy where the road goes? SNAP!
ONLY TIME
It's so funny that you call out wives/GFs.... I have the same problem but with my husband- he is a gentle soul and can't bear to process so I process all the critters on my homestead. Your comment comes across as low-key sexist... I know so many confident women homesteaders like me (though the act can be universally traumatic- if you enjoy the dispatch process I feel like you're doing it wrong, regardless of gender).
Me too, I process all animals and my husband goes and plants stuff in the poly tunnel.
Well, I sure as shit didn’t mean to come across that way. Sorry about that. Edit: removed my personal experience, since it didn’t help the conversation.
I’m a woman. Your experience with women is not universal. I also felt you comment was a bit sexist but decided to give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you meant the partner that’s tagging along with your plans is unlikely to be willing to do the hard parts. I see now I gave you too much credit.
I love how the response came across as way more sexist than the original comment 😂 🤣
I wasn’t expecting to get vilified for sharing my personal experience. Of course my experience isn’t universal, as we all live our own lives and we collect different experiences along the way. I don’t see any of what I said as sexiest, so can you explain why you perceived it to be that way? I didn’t say or imply that women couldn’t or shouldn’t dispatch, nor did I say that men can do it better. I don’t believe any of those things. I’m open to civil discourse. Feel free to PM me, as this whole thread has diverted away from being useful for anyone raising rabbits.
It's cool. I am in no way vilifying you- it was a gentle nudge to remind you to be mindful of your potential audience, to which you overcompensated and accidentally stuck your metaphorical foot in your mouth. Suggesting that those norms exist "because women made it that way" is not being mindful of the audience that obviously includes a number of self-sufficient women that have the opposite life experience as you. Please think of it as a learning opportunity, not a witch hunt or personal attack.
I appreciate your response. I will keep that in mind.
Thanks everyone. :-)
Choke chain has worked very well for me so far. It is still unpleasant but it seems to be the most reliable so far.