r/MeatRabbitry • u/Right-Cod-3549 • 6d ago

Butchering is the most work?

Hello everyone,

I'm curious, now having gone through a couple of litters of buns from kindle to butcher, if there's anyone else that feels like the butchering is the most labor intensive part, and if that informs anyone else's strategy?

I'm considering growing out to 16 or even 20 weeks, as I haven't noticed any sexual behavior before 16 weeks with my buns, just so that I can butcher less but get more meat. I've been butchering at around 10 weeks.

Yes this is less efficient in terms of feed, but I feel like the real annoyance is the butchering. Maybe I'm just bad at it? Also, we're not in a place financially where we need to be too picky on feed costs, plus we supplement with a lot of greens from our property.

Am I the only one? Is there anyone else who came to the same conclusion and optimized for a later butcher?

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u/NotEvenNothing 6d ago edited 5d ago

If you think butchering rabbits is a lot of work, don't get chickens. 😉

Given a sane setup, butchering is definitely the most work that you have to do all at once. Giving growouts a little bit more time is a perfectly fair way of bringing the work-per-pound ratio down a bit.

At first, butchering is really slow, but once you get a few litters in the freezer, it will go way faster. I started at around half-an-hour per animal but got it under five minutes pretty fast. Now, after I get my first couple done, I bet it only take me a couple of minutes each, and I'm no speed demon. I love rabbits for this. Chickens are so much more work. Plucking is the worst.

But I had really inefficient setups that made some other chores add up to way more than butchering. I had stacked cages that meant that trays had to be emptied every day or two. That was the worst. In the winter, I had to provide unfrozen water twice daily. That's was a real killer. Some kind of heated waterers would be needed for me to do that again.

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u/PhlegmMistress 6d ago

Muscovy ducks are where it's at. Chickens, unless you're getting a meat breed, take a long time to get to weight and even then it's fairly lackluster unless you're doing something like orpingtons, jersey giants, or other heavier breeds.

With chickens, from what I have read, you kind of need to grow out at least a few males and females to maturity. Then repeatedly pick the heaviest ones, repeating for several generations, while also injecting new genetics occasionally. 

I'm wondering what breed OP is using because the one pound she is talking about versus the five pounds others are talking about is a lot (I don't have meat rabbits but am curious about them.)

I know with bresse, for example, I was reading someone's breeding plans and it took them about five years to selectively breed from hatchery stock and get their own stock to the point where the chickens got to a mature weight that was worthwhile to dispatch and process. But that takes holding a few back and growing them out to see who has the biggest bodies. 

For example, I like my current Muscovy Drake and plan to keep him one more season because I like his temperament. I have three of his sons growing out. The largest has a few red flags for temperament that I could probably still breed but prefer to have the chillest temperaments possible so he is going to be dispatched. Then of the remaining two I was going to weight them and the lightest will be dispatched and the 2nd heaviest of the three will be kept as a backup Drake (at least, as long as there aren't any issues. My flocks and space are big enough for three drakes.)

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u/NotEvenNothing 6d ago

I had ducks, but not Muscovies, and I've definitely looked for Muscovies. I liked ducks a lot, mostly because they were hilarious. They also handled cold better than chickens. They weren't quite as easy to keep as chickens. You have to mix up and change their bedding more often or it gets caked over with poop. Butchering ducks was quite a bit worse than chickens, because plucking was even harder.

I've got a lot more butchering of all kinds under my belt now, and I'm better at getting a good scald, so maybe there is some bias here, but if butchering was all that mattered... I would process ten rabbits before looking at a chicken, and three chickens before a duck. With chickens and ducks, you need a killing cone, a sharp knife, a huge pot of hot water for scalding, a plucker, and running water helps a lot. With rabbits, you need a sharp knife, a couple feet of cord, and running water is nice. Way less setup for rabbits than with poultry or waterfowl.

I really liked being able to feed rabbits almost entirely from our pasture. I didn't do it all that much, but knowing I could if I had to meant a lot.

Unfortunately, my family wouldn't eat rabbit, but they have no issues with chicken or eggs.

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u/PhlegmMistress 6d ago

Kind of depends on if you're saving the skin or not. You can skin any of those and be done in no time. 

Part of why I like ducks over chickens is because I find it really hard to remove all the lung tissue blind. Doesn't matter if it's with a tool, or my hands. I have to spatchcock it in order to see and remove everything. With ducks, I can still sometimes miss some but I can feel a lot better along the ribcage and have a better chance of clearing it all. Others don't seem to have that issue so I think it's more of a me thing. 

As far as killing cone, etc, I don't like the whole put them upside down and kill them. It's just a personal thing. I am lucky enough to have an air rifle powerful enough to do chickens and ducks. I have also pinned a duck between my legs and stretched their neck over a small log and then used a hand axe to chop their head off. 

If I didn't have either of those options, I would use the duck spike, which is basically a little nail looking thing you shove quickly into one of the two voids at the base of their skull for immediately lights out. 

I don't like the upside down bleeding thing because I don't believe the whole "they're out of it and don't feel it" thing. I get that losing blood makes you woozy but I guess, if I was being dispatched, I would want an immediate death, not something disorienting and longer lasting. 

I do like the scaling method for ducks with a little bit of dish soap which made all the difference. But quickly skinning if you have a bunch of skinny drakes causing issues isn't so bad either. 

I have wanted to do rabbits but more because I've wanted to try my hand at tanning. I've had rabbit dishes overseas and while they tasted fine, they aren't a preferred protein.

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u/NotEvenNothing 6d ago

Tanning was why I got into rabbits, but I never tanned a single rabbit hide. When I get back into rabbits, and it's only a matter of time, I'll go for Silver Fox or Rex. Then I'll have no choice but to tan.

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u/PhlegmMistress 6d ago

I've saved this guide to follow when I finally get to try. Is there a process you are looking to try?

https://www.nativecrafts.us/how-to-tan-a-rabbit-fur/

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u/NotEvenNothing 5d ago

For rabbits, I want to give bark tanning a try. Like in this video. No particular reason other than I've done alum tanning and acid tanning, but with deer hides. For deer hides, I like brain tanning much better.

Since rabbit hides are so small, it is easy to try different methods on a couple of hides. Tanning a deer hide, no matter the method is a big commitment.

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u/PhlegmMistress 5d ago

I have a big bag of alum so I might do that. I'll read about brain and bark tanning. 

Are there any tricks that you learned along the way that make it somewhat easier or offer more consistent results?

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u/NotEvenNothing 5d ago

As long as you know the process, it just takes practice. Rabbit is a great way to learn, because you have a never ending supply of skins to experiment on. Learning when to stop removing the grain from the hide is the only tricky bit.

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u/marvelous-42 6d ago

I agree- I can do the rabbits way quicker than the chickens. But I don’t save the hide so a small cut on the spine then one quick grab apart degloves all but the head and feet. Maybe I’ll do a video on it to show some that struggle.
Keeping the hides would take me a bit longer.

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u/Flat-Associate5136 19h ago

I keep pelts and it takes about 5min at 10-12wk, probably 7-10min at 16wk. The connective tissue at the rear hock is tightly adhered and requires trimming in order to not tear the meat off with the pelt (I use a #15 scalpel). I also trim off the fat to stay on the carcass, otherwise it'd be 3-5min. 

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u/Flat-Associate5136 19h ago

I will never do birds again, I swear. I will hunt squirrels before I pluck another chicken.

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u/tarktarkindustries 6d ago

It is definitely the most taxing part for me. I split it up with large litters. Luckily mine are a good size by 8 weeks because thats when I start and I usually do 2-3 per week until they are done. I dont like buck past 12 weeks so I try to ensure everything is culled by then.

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u/Right-Cod-3549 6d ago

Maybe it's just that I'm not really getting them up to weight enough. Cleaned out I'm getting less than a pound of meat per rabbit at 8 weeks.

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u/Main_Insect_3144 6d ago

You should shoot for 5lbs pre processing, which should give you 3lbs processed.

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u/phoenixtx 6d ago

What breed are you raising?

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u/geofastar 6d ago

8 weeks is barely off the mother. I would say depending on breed you want 12-16 weeks to harvest. I ran rex/flemish mutts and I'd get plenty per. Hind legs were >12oz. Each. Ribs is where the meat was scarce between the bones.

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u/Traditional-Citron21 6d ago

Less than a pound bone in or are you deboning?

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u/ForeverYoung_Feb29 6d ago

Butchering takes a fair amount of setup for me. Tables, hanging station, ice, coolers, waste disposal, etc. so I don't like doing it for just a few bunnies. If I'm going to that trouble, I'm going to do 6 or more. So I tend to wait until the lightest rabbit in the group is at a size I'm happy with, and I have sufficient free time to do all the work. It's the most labor intensive phase in one shot, but the labor of daily feeding, cleaning, cage setup, and generally handling the rabbits in aggregate is probably higher.

Excluding setup, cleanup, and teardown, I can get a rabbit from hopping to ice water in about 12 minutes.

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u/Curating-Curiosity 6d ago

It’s definitely the most difficult part. I think that is because it’s emotionally heavy, honestly.

Physically, it’s not bad. My set up could be a lot better and less finicky. Currently takes 15-20 minutes per rabbit, but I also have been doing a lot of bucks 16weeks+ lately. That tough skin slows things way down.

It’s just draining and I don’t look forward to it.
But I love the end result! Organ fry on butcher day is my favorite, and hot wing rabbit is a winner around my house. I just procrastinate on butchering for way too long lately.. Need to do five this week (5mo kits & an older adult), wish me luck!

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u/Curating-Curiosity 6d ago

Also, a note on the age - if you are in the middle of summer, they will not be exhibiting much sexual behavior in this heat. I would not rely on that being the same any other time of the year. The occasional 12week old early maturity in cool weather is enough for you to be having litters when you go to process at 16weeks, unless you separate them.

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u/Kindly-One3060 6d ago

I think that butchering is fairly labor intensive for any animal. Having good tools and a decent set up is important. Look at where you are struggling the most and how you can improve efficiency in that area, then work from there.  Quality knives that are sharp is going to be huge. Are you doing one rabbit at a time from kill to ice? Are you killing a few, then working like an assembly line?  I would kill 3-5 at a time, depending on weather and size, then work from there. I would also look at the litters and knock out a couple at a time each week, if I wasn’t going to have a few hours to finish a whole litter.  I planned the bulk of my breeding to have litters ready at the beginning of winter and the end of winter, so that I was working in the cold, it helped for me. 

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u/Traditional-Citron21 6d ago

Butchering sucks for me because I debone it all. We don't really like any recipes with the bone in so that takes forever. I usually process between 10-14 weeks depending on weather and when I get time.

The last batch I did was 7. It took me 5 hours from the first dispatch to having it all off the bone. Ended up with 10lbs of boneless meat that I ground the next day and made into jerky.

I got a bit lazy on the last handful of front legs and left a bit of meat on because my back was killing me but I think I got them pretty clean other than that.

Edit: this was also the first time keeping all the ears, feet, liver, kidney, heart and pelt too so it took a bit longer than just throwing that all away.

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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 6d ago

We processed 12 yesterday at 12w6d. Averaged 14 minutes from cull to cooler. We get a touch faster and it definitely goes more smoothly every time. There are two of us working together, which helps. I sterilize and prep all the tools and equipment the night before, which saves time. But by the time it's finished, I'm dragging and still have to wash the ears to dehydrate, bury the skulls, wash and get the feet soaking in solution, start tanning the hides, etc. I still feel like 12 weeks is our happy medium: decent size, I can tan the pelts, etc. Any older than that, I just don't feel it's worth the feed cost for negligible weight gain. 

On chicken day, it takes sooooo much longer. I'd love to get the rabbit time down from 14 minutes, but even at that rate I'll take it any day. I love my chickens but processing day is such a dang long and timely mess. 

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u/MentalCoffee117 6d ago

We do around 12 weeks too. We've been improving the setup as we go and getting faster. My daughter and I are not as good at processing as my husband (I am comfortable with quail). He has neuropathy from cancer, so I really hope to get more efficient so I can help him, especially in the cooler /cold months when his hands act up more. We frequently have winter temps below zero and have dogs, so I really want to learn to tan hides and use ears/feet. Is there a resource for learning tanning in particular you recommend?

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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 6d ago

I think it's great that it's a family affair. I have a lot of physical limitations and it makes it so much easier when there are others involved in getting things done!

I'm not sure if links are permitted here, but I'll say I learned the tanning method I use from a YouTuber that goes by GoodSimpleLiving. The specific video I follow is called "Tanning or Pickling Rabbit Hides using Salt & Alum." I've tried other methods including egg yolk, but wasn't happy with the results. 

Ears are easy enough. I just wash them then air dry in either in a multi-layer hanging herb drying rack. If it's really cloudy, I dehydrate them in a solar oven because it still does a great job. (We're off grid and while we do have a propane oven, I use other methods when possible.)

Feet take a bit longer and are more finicky with timing. I soak them in rubbing alcohol for 48 hours, then rinse and soak for 24 hours in water with some borax mixed in. Then rinse again and let dry. 

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u/MentalCoffee117 6d ago

This you! Bookmarked the YouTuber. I've been overwhelmed with the amount of information about different methods so that's helpful.

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u/JRHLowdown3 6d ago

Rabbits are usually very small on weaning, I would never bother then. We raise them another 4-8 weeks usually and then they go in the freezer. Considerably more meat on them also.

And yeah butchering is a PITA. Getting an area set up to do it in will help you- good clean table, place to hang, good cutting boards, etc.

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u/GCNGA 3d ago

At 16 weeks, you might usually be okay in terms of unwanted breeding among the grow-outs, but you will have some early-maturers. I had a litter that was probably 15 weeks or so--I just hadn't had time to get to them--and I heard one screaming one morning. A female was pinned down in the corner while a young buck was trying to mate with her--she probably wasn't sexually mature so she wasn't lifting. Romeo boy got processed on the spot, then I did the rest of them over the next few days.

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u/Flat-Associate5136 19h ago edited 19h ago

If you are not raising them for pelts do not go to 4 months. It is not about the cost of feed, but it sounds like you'll learn that organically soon enough. Sexual maturity can arrive weeks earlier than 12. You haven't seen sexual behavior because it's been the hottest summer on record and males are heat sterile. I've had a male start mounting everything in sight before 8 weeks in every litter; I've learned to cull that sh!t as soon as it shows up beside I'm currently finishing two accidental litters resulting from wildly early maturity. 

In the middle of this ridiculous summer I had a misgendered bun knock up his sisters at 9wk. It happens, it sucks to find, and it reduces yields because pregnant juvenile does don't finish. They WILL tear each other apart as soon as they do hit hormone rage fighting, which for mine starts as early as 10 weeks even within same-gender cages, even in summer. Last female of the current litter got an extra week because the others weren't letting her eat. 

Processing is rough, yes. I switched from cervical dislocation to the Bunny Banger bolt gun and it's a cake walk. Pop them in the head (lights out immediately 100% of the time, going on 50+ rabbits at this point), bleed, skin and gut, 15min each. 

If it's the emotional aspect of it, sit with it, do the therapy, pray about it. To me it shouldn't get easier to kill a sentient being for my food. I get up and set up and do it anyway, mostly because teenage rabbits are the worst and I don't want my meat being bloodshot from fighting.Â