Cheapest way to raise meat to eat

[savingdogs]

We have bazillion of those itty bitty hares around here.

Anyone ever eat one? I'm not sure what kind they are but probably everyone in the country has some sort of small wild rabbit.
My hubby and sons LOVE target shooting but so far I have not let them shoot the wildlife. But if it was for a purpose like dinner.....

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have eaten many. I like them. I am not sure what to compare it to. It is a red meat, but not beefy red. It is very lean and has a wild taste to it. We roast it and serve it over rice with herbs and seasonings to taste and it seems most people think its an unwritten law that it must be served with a side of white beans. I would say one rabbit can feed 4 adults(at least they could by the way I described). I have a big family, so ordinarily I cook 2 rabbits at a time and have one or 2 servings as leftovers.
DH plans on hunting a bunch of them this fall and winter. Domestic rabbits are also very good and taste somewhat wild, but not as much as a truely wild rabbit. But other than the wild flavor, domestic rabbits are the same to me, but much smaller.

 

[Farmfresh]

In my experience rabbit meat is best served stewed in some way. Moist cooking helps to tenderize the sometimes tough meat and brings out all of the best in the flavor. If you look at the classic rabbit dishes they are all cooked this way. Rabbit Recipes

Lots of trusty old recipes that used to make use of aged hens and roosters also work well. Think Bunny and Noodles, Bunny with white wine sauce over rice, Bunny ala King and Bunny Cacciatore for wild rabbits. Young tame rabbits also fry up well and can be roasted. You can even grind the meat up and make Bunny Burgers! Rabbit loves rosemary, thyme and mustard for spicing.

I box trap both rabbits and squirrels. This started in garden defense, but I am not one to waste meat in any way. Great way to both eliminate a pest problem and get a free meal.

 

[lorihadams]

Rabbit and squirrel are great pan fried and then make a gravy out of the drippings and serve it with homemade biscuits. Granny likes to boil the squirrel heads and eat the brains....one of her favorite treats no thanks.

Another way to eat rabbit and squirrel is to boil the meat and then pull it off the bones and (save the broth, btw) put it into a stew or soup with lots of veggies and herbs. You can make a big batch and can or freeze it too. I freeze mine in pint jars with plenty of head room and then hubby can grab one to take to work and by lunchtime it has thawed mostly and he can heat it in the jar in the microwave.

I have a friend that raises meat rabbits and he is always on the lookout for free or cheap "pet" rabbits at the chicken swaps cause they cook up just the same LOL

Sometimes you can find people that "accidentally" got a male and female and had babies and they can't find homes for all of them. Happy accidents, ya know!

 

[Frugal Que]

Hello all,

We don't have the land to raise cattle (or the time to care for them) but we raise rabbits, quail, chickens and guinea pigs. All small livestock that are super easy to care for.

Our cost was almost nothing. We got every single animal from Craigslist from people just trying to get rid of their animals for one reason or another. I know we spent less than $50 total for all our animals and we have 9 rabbits, 40 quail, 4 chickens and 15 guinea pigs. Just about all of them came with cages so we were literally giving cages away.

The chickens we use for eggs but we would have no problem eating them.

It was our way of raising our own meat on the land that we have (a regular backyard in the city).

Alot of people adamantly stated that they do not want their pet used as food and we comply with that. We use them to breed our food.

Everything is raised on the ground and we have a permanent farmer's market type store that gives away free produce EVERY SINGLE DAY for animals. I pass by that store on my way home and grab a box or bag of something and I feed all my animals. No pellets needed for any of them.

We do have to buy hay though. Pretty cheap though. All these animals are quiet, easy to care for and good tasting. Perfect for an urban or suburban setting.

Hope this helps someone.

 

[Denim Deb]

That's great, if you can do it. Around here, you're supposed to have 1.5 acres to even own a rabbit! And, forget ducks, chickens, etc. However, if you have neighbors that don't complain, then it's no problem.

 

[Farmfresh]

Frugal Que do you eat your guinea pigs?

I have heard that they are tasty but never known anyone that actually did it however.

BTW Welcome to Sufficient Self! Glad you found us. It seems like you will fit right it! I am another City Homesteader in it for the long haul.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Was curious about the guinea pigs too. I used to raise them. They don't produce quickly like rabbits. I would have guessed there is more money in selling them as pets rather than eating them?

Guess it would depend on your setup and market though. But I WAS curious.

 

[Frugal Que]

We had to get a permit for our animals because once you pass three animals, you need a permit. It costs $30 per year. No inspection.

The neighbors have no clue what is going on in our backyard. We live on an older street where all the homes are single level so no one can see over the fence from a second story window. It's pretty private and all our animals are pretty quiet.

Yes, we eat our guinea pigs. We got so many because although they don't produce as fast as rabbits (68 days gestation), they produce pretty regularly and this way, we always have an ongoing supply.

As for the pet market, it varies it seems by the season. We got all our animals because people are just giving them away. However around the hoidays, you can sell quite a bit. But selling for us is secondary, we want them for meat.

We don't normally tell people that we raise animals for meat, because we realize how sensitive people are and we don't want to offend anyone or have animal activists around our house.

 

[Farmfresh]

How does the taste of guinea pig compare ... say to rabbit or squirrel.

I am all about eating my "pets". You wouldn't believe how many people think I am Hannibal Lector, because I cull and eat my chickens after they produce eggs for me for several years. Eating rabbit is the same way to some people. I also trap and EAT squirrels... especially when the tree rats are tearing up my fruit trees.

Yup... you will fit right in here!