Eeh, what's up doc?

March 23rd, 2010 at 01:46 pm

This is only a THOUGHT experiment, because right now, this simply isn't an option for me to consider.

Just the same, if you dig deep enough, frugality can be a strange and twisted path down the rabbit hole sometimes. What do I mean exactly? Raising your own rabbits for meat. DUM DUM DUM!

Raising rabbits for meat does make logical sense though. They're relatively easy to domesticate and raise. The meat is very cheap, even if you factor in the relatively low start-up costs for this sort of thing. I can be sure of the quality of the meat since I am raising them myself. And last but certainly not least, I can ensure that these animals live a "good life", and die painlessly by my own hands. Lots of good reasons.

Being a Surbanite though, you can also imagine why something like this isn't an option for me right now. I mean, can you imagine the Homeowner's Association finding out about what I'm doing in the middle of my aunt's back yard? Man, they'd have a cow! *rimshot* Thank you.

Maybe this is something I will look into again when the kids are much older and I live somewhere where this is perhaps an option. I don't know. What do you guys think about this hare-raising scheme?

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “Eeh, what's up doc?”

Analise Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 03:03 pm 1269356635
1269356635

Raising rabbits for meat is a popular 4H project. The kids take a trio, called a meat pen, to the fair to be judged. Then the winners are auctioned off, sometimes for a very high price (e.g., $1,000+). A hutch does not require a lot of space, but it's best if you live somewhere where farm animals abound. And don't give them names or treat them like pets.

Rabbits are very commonly raised in Europe for food. Rabbit meat is delicious, very low in fat... and often on the menu in restaurants. I like your idea of humanely sending them to their happy thumping grounds.
littlegopher Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 03:06 pm 1269356789
1269356789

I've heard they taste like chicken...sorry I couldn't stop myself.

I'm in the suburbs also, I don't think there would even be need to 'raise' rabbits here, as they already exist in great numbers. It's pure man vs. beast as far as any type of gardening goes in my town. (and it looks so dull and quiet here...)

If you're game, I'd say gopher it ..I'll stop now, really I will:-)
Broken Arrow Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 03:40 pm 1269358816
1269358816

Analise, I've seen PETA secret videos of slaughterhouses where not only do the animals suffer greatly, but moreover, the resulting quality of the meat is questionable due to the animal's poor health from such living condition. Now, I'm not a bleeding-heart vegan or anything, but if there is a way to obtain quality, cheap meat AND give animals a chance to live well and die painlessly, it's something that I should at least consider, eh?

gopher:
pjmama Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 03:55 pm 1269359708
1269359708

Interesting thought I certainly wouldn't have come up with on my own! lol. I'm with BA... giving animals the chance to live well and die painlessly is a wonderful thing. I'm no longer a veggie (and when I was it wasn't for ethical reasons), but I still believe ethical treatment of animals is important.
Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 04:00 pm 1269360055
1269360055

If you ever do raise rabbits and also get to have your garden, remember to spread the manure through your garden. Rabbit manure and bedding is very good for gardens.
ceejay74 Says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 05:14 pm 1269364492
1269364492

Well, I'M a bleeding heart vegan, and I think it's a good idea. The reason I went vegan was because I learned about factory farming, and the easiest way to remove myself from that process (as a broke starving college student) was to become vegan. But if I'd had easy access to humanely produced meat and dairy, I probably would have considered that route.

At this point I've been vegan for nearly 20 years so I doubt I'd bother to change my lifestyle again, but I applaud people who try to extricate themselves from the factory farms, no matter what method they use.
baselle Says:
March 24th, 2010 at 06:13 am 1269411200
1269411200

Rabbit is delicious. The Duvall friends (the ones with the ducks, chicken, geese) also raise rabbit. One thing I have to ask you: do you eat rabbit? Seems like an odd question, but Walt Disney made the rabbit pretty controversial as a meat. Its one thing to raise an animal for meat that you don't eat and not many people around you eat. I'm sure there is a rabbit club you can join and offer a bit of sweat equity to swap for a chance to learn about raising rabbits.

Another thought is to be a bee keeper. I've been seriously interested in that - but I rent so I'm in a similar situation. But I'm seriously thinking about checking to see if there are some beekeepers around to learn from.
LuckyRobin Says:
March 24th, 2010 at 08:09 am 1269418174
1269418174

Rabbit meat is pretty good, it really does taste a lot like chicken only slightly gamey. My mother used to trick me into eating it as a kid by telling me it was chicken (or often just not telling me it wasn't chicken, because cut up on the table it looks the same). As an adult I've considered this option but didn't really want to be responsible for the care of that many animals. Or the slaughter. I'm a bit too tender hearted. My mother on the other hand grew up on a farm doing that sort of thing. Well, she's just started with ducklings and chicks and if they go well this year I might suggest rabbit to her spring next year.

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BA

Could be worse...

Eeh, what's up doc?

8 Responses to “Eeh, what's up doc?”

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