Faith Farm

Butchering Rabbits---WARNING!

I have been asked to post the process for butchering rabbits.

WARNING! This is butchering information-Not for the weak stomach or mild of heart.

Now that has been said---I feel that home butchering for my families consumption is a simple procedure that can be done in a respectful and humane way.  Butchering any animal regardless of what kind is unpleasant for me, but keeping in mind that I am providing healthy meat for my family makes all the difference.  Here at faithfarm the butchering and cleaning of animals is handled by the men-folk.  The processing and packing is usually my job.  For the purpose of this I will try to best describe the process.  I do recommend finding someone who has done this before to show you "hands on" how to process any farm animal.  This is not one of those things you want to learn the hard way.

Killing and dressing a rabbit is not a hard process.  Hold the rabbit by the back feet and quickly snap its head down and back, breaking the neck and killing it instantly.  Cut off the head and hang the carcass upside down to bleed out.  I use a bucket below the carcuss to catch waste.  Cut the skin around the hocks and slit the skin from hock to anus inside each leg.  Then you just pull the skin down over the carcass as you would pull off a sweater.  Put the pelt aside and slit the carcuss from tail to abdomen, cutting around the anal opening between the hind legs.  Let all the entrails fall into a bucket below where you have hung the rabbit.  Take the carcuss down and rinse the meat.  Lay out on a cutting board, split the hind legs from the back.  Cut the back into two peices.  Cut the forelegs apart and rinse all parts again.  I like to chill the meat before packaging for the freezer.

I hope you find this information useful.  Blessings>faithfarm