A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[Chic Rustler]

Ive never seen animals so small poop so much. Once a month i get at least a wheelbarrow load from under there!

 

[baymule]

Congrats on the new baby rabbits! I raised rabbits many years ago and could cook rabbit I think, about a thousand different ways. Very good meat! But my husband doesn't like rabbit so I don't raise them now.

I guess I cased my rabbits, you mean to pull it off in one piece right? I found it easy to do. I just cut around the back legs, split to the belly, cut off the tail and loosened at the crotch, then grabbed and pulled it off to the head, which I cut off.

 

[sumi]

The ground under the rabbits has turned from dry sand to rich dark loam in a few months. It would be so nice if the garden did as well

Keep doing what you're doing and it will

 

[Chic Rustler]

Congrats on the new baby rabbits! I raised rabbits many years ago and could cook rabbit I think, about a thousand different ways. Very good meat! But my husband doesn't like rabbit so I don't raise them now.

I guess I cased my rabbits, you mean to pull it off in one piece right? I found it easy to do. I just cut around the back legs, split to the belly, cut off the tail and loosened at the crotch, then grabbed and pulled it off to the head, which I cut off.

Thanks. Id love to hear yout recipes! We are still new rabbit.

casing them is where u pull it off in one piece in a tube shape, no split up the belly. Its mainly used for tanning purpose. I have a hard time making the money cut (ankle to vent) on rabbits because the fur is so thick. Knives dont like cutting hair. So i just poke a hole mid back and pull both directions. Takes less than a min.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Enjoy!

www.rareseeds.com

https://www.bountifulgardens.org/

https://www.southernexposure.com/

http://www.potatogarden.com/index.html

http://www.seedsavers.org/search

Thanks again for the websites. I used bountiful gardens

I ordered mixed carrots, mixed radishes, parsnips, turnips, beets, Rutabagas, celery, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. Hopefully i can figure out how to grow the stuff!

 

[tortoise]

@baymule I think the hardest part is cutting the skin around the ankles to get started. Do you have a trick for that?

 

[Ferguson K]

Great progress! I only skimmed through but happy to follow your journey from here!

@tortoise We used to use rose trimmers to nip the ankles off at the hock and then we would skin from there. I'm sure there's easier ways but since we don't eat that part of the rabbit, we just cut it and kept going.

 

[baymule]

I hung the rabbit up by the back legs, using string loops. I put 6 sets of loops on a 2x4 nailed up on 2 trees. I used a hammer handle to knock the rabbit in the head, hung it in the loops and cut the head off. I did 6 at a time, repeating each step on each one.

To make the cut at the back ankles I pinched up the skin, holding the knife horizontally, and made a cut. Then I picked up the skin and cut it all the way around. I am right handed, so I picked the skin up with my left thumb and two fingers, then I slit under the skin downward to the anus. @Chic Rustler have you been trying to make the cut from the top of the hide, through the fur? I used a short bladed paring knife to slide the blade under the skin at the ring cut around the ankle or hock. At the anus or vent, I bent the legs apart, breaking them open. I cut the skin loose by sliding the knife under the skin around each hind leg. I cut the tail off and using the leg flaps I pulled the skin down like a tube. I cut the front paws off and the hide came right off.

I hope this is helpful and I will be glad to answer any questions.

 

[baymule]

A friend brought us 6 rabbits a couple months ago and I got to see if I still remembered how to butcher a rabbit! LOL

 

[samssimonsays]

Wow! I can't wait to follow along on this journey! You have done an amazing job this far and it looks to be going well!