Rabbits, the ultimate self-sustaining food source

I'm not sure if you thought of this but inbreeding can become a problem if you are planning to do this for a long time. It can lead to undesired traits which would normally not survive in the wild, and possibly, eventually make your future rabbit generations sterile. I see you aren't breeding each new generation but eventually you will have to replace the older rabbits with younger inbred rabbits and so on. You should think about having 2 or optimally 3 different groups of rabbits, (1. more meat and of course more you have to feed , and 2. you could alternate the breeding patterns as to keep up the genetic diversity and keep your food source away from sterility.

MT

Originally posted by State of Mind
reply to post by admriker444

 

Another Idahoan! Woohoo! Lol

I've also heard that if you lived on rabbit meat alone, you would starve to death since they take more calories to digest than they provide. I've personally never had rabbit.


Also, about feeding them grass clippings----that could go badly. We used to have a horse when I was little, and I tried to feed it grass clippings. I got a sound spanking, and my parents told me that lawn clippings from the mower leave particles of metal in the grass that could potentially kill the horse.

I havent had any problems yet from grass clippings. Its not the only thing I feed them though. I do toss in some pellets to fatten the babies up. I also got some hay from a farm near me in Nampa.

I think I paid $15 for a large bag of pellets and its lasted me 3 months so far and still have plenty left. and the hay was $2 and still lasting. so its very cheap to feed them.

Originally posted by ModestThought
I'm not sure if you thought of this but inbreeding can become a problem if you are planning to do this for a long time. It can lead to undesired traits which would normally not survive in the wild, and possibly, eventually make your future rabbit generations sterile. I see you aren't breeding each new generation but eventually you will have to replace the older rabbits with younger inbred rabbits and so on. You should think about having 2 or optimally 3 different groups of rabbits, (1. more meat and of course more you have to feed , and 2. you could alternate the breeding patterns as to keep up the genetic diversity and keep your food source away from sterility.

MT

when the current female I have is done breeding I plan on replacing her with one of her offspring. The male I'd likely get from a local farmer so the genetic line isnt similiar.

A lot of the local farmers nearby have this unofficial program of swapping livestock for breeding purposes. They even keep charts so inbreeding is avoided

Originally posted by Melissa101
Rabbits are an okay for survival IF they are not your only source of food. See Rabbits do not contain enough fat they are pretty much a protien only rich food, so a diet of just rabbit would kill you. You must eat a fair amount of carbs and animal fat too. Not to bust your bubble, rabbits are a good idea to suplement with just not for soul survival. Melissa101

yeah as far as a sole food source rabbits arent good. I do have almond trees which provides some fat. And of course being in Idaho I grow potatoes lol.

In a perfect setting, I think I would have preferred to raise goats or pigs. Goats because they can provide fresh milk and fatty meat. Or pigs which has a ton of meat. But both would tear up my nicely manicured lawn and likely draw attention from neighbors

I wouldn't have a diet of just rabbit. Mainly though, aslong as you don't eat just rabbit you won't have to worry about that. That Rabbit starvation can be said about any really lean meat if that's all you eat.

Anyway, I never raised rabbits, I mainly shot them. Rabbit, pheasant, partridge, grouse, puddle ducks like mallards, gadwall, and teal and deer were part of my diet growing up. I can see though if you live in an area where hunting isn't feasible, but in North Dakota it's quite a bit different from the rest of the country.

My mom did have chickens down at her house in Kansas though. Definately not as noisy as you believe though, infact they didn't make much noise at all from what I remember.

reply to post by admriker444


Now, thats some usefull info. Thanks.

awesome i would eat rabbit regardless if i had to or not its good.

The three sisters method...thanks Von Doomen thats a new one on me...my experience gardening is raised bed...they will go nicely together...

In gardening in the past we had purslain as a weed ...till I found out it was edible...now i have to get it from other peoples gardens...
I like weeds they are under rated and so common.

Rabbits like clover and it grows like a weed here...
Old electric guitar strings make A1 rabbit, fish, and bird, snares too in a ShTF emergency situation

[edit on 22-7-2010 by Danbones]

I think this is a great idea, theres nothing wrong in being self sustainable. Rabbit is also said to have one of the best cuts of meat, the saddle, it was kept for the king/queen in days of old.

Great to see you raising your own meat, here's a site that lists some of the best meat breeds.

www.ehow.com...

I've done chickens with pretty good success; they are noisy when popping out eggs and they're gross if you try to cage them too tightly.

I'm past that project for the moment... so for now... I'm sticking with deer, turkey, and stream fed trout... They're just too abundant to turn down and I don't have to feed them anything except brass and hooks.

Sri Oracle

Thanks for posting this thread and to all the replies i've read, some great ideas here. Raising animals, growing gardens, canning meat, fruit, vegies and drying berries is in my opinion something that much of society doesnt know much about, anymore. It is to easy to go to the corner store or phone in some pizza instead of cleaning a rabbit or tilling soil, or spending a day or 2 to can fish or peaches etc. It wasnt that long ago that was daily/yearly life for my family. My dad worked and my mom cared for the garden and animals along with the help of us 4 siblings. Feeding, watering and cleaning the animals pens was part of my weekly routine, not playing xbox. When it was time to harvest the chickens, the whole family was involved, we all picked the fruit as it ripened. We had a cold room that was packed with canned goods for the winter and fresh meat, veggies and fruit when the season was right. Those lessons have followed me as I also try to raise what I can, but society has made it very tough with all the laws we need to abide by and the moneys we need to make in which we only see 50% of, to pay for a vehicle, mortgage, clothes etc.

My hat goes off to all of you who take the extra time to practice some or all of food production and preserving. There may be a time when the richest person is he who has a cold room full of preserves and the ability to replenish it.

[edit on 22-7-2010 by quest4info]

I have kept rabbits for several years. I like them as friends basically.

Rabbits are a strange creature, Lagomorphs; even the name sounds alien to me. Surprisingly rabbits have a language and they are constantly using it. I can speak in Lagomorph it isn't hard at all.

Language of the Lagomorphs

I do not like that rabbits have zero immunity when it comes to injuries. One cut or bite and they fester and abscess. Nothing is worse than seeing a rabbit with a face full of seeping wounds. It is wise to keep them separated unless you can bond them. Never keep two males together.

Rabbits produce two kinds of poop, one is a smaller, odder shaped poop that the rabbit eats; this is how they replenish their natural intestinal flora. Having a rabbit on a wire floored cage prevents the rabbit from gathering this necessary ingredient for good health.

Rabbits must be bred before they reach one year old or else the pelvis fuses together; any subsequent pregnancies will result in a dead doe and the loss of the litter inside of her.

Rabbits cannot be given antibiotics at all. If they lose the natural flora in their systems they lose the ability to absorb nutrients and will fail. Rabbits are prone to infections if they become injured.

Rabbits are intolerable to heat. I live in the desert southwest and my rabbits are given a run where they are allowed to burrow deep underground. I do have an air-conditioner unit attached to the window of the main rabbit house (walk-in) but that is only used during August extreme temps.

Rabbits have the most fragile spines of any animal I know. Even a fall from a chair can break a rabbit's back. Too many people pick rabbits up and drop them. I personally do not grab a full grown rabbit and try to pick him up without using gloves and a heavy shirt. Even the tamest rabbit can panic, kick/bite (oh man do rabbits have a mean bite), and get dropped. Rabbits have no height judgment at all if they are not grounded.

When rabbits get fleas it is a miserable experience. Advantage or any other systemic flea product can be used if it is the cat formula, not the dog formula; even then, there will be losses.

When rabbits get ear mites it is miserable too. I use Moxidectin which is a systemic pesticide. If you have sparrows around you will have mites regardless.

I wont list the beneficial things about rabbits because that could fill another page, but I do like that they are naturally litter-trained to use a cat box; this helps with keeping pens tidy and emptying into the mulch bin so much easier. Rabbits kept on wire-bottomed cages do not learn to use a litter box and the trays and underneath areas get nasty really fast, and smelly. Litter boxes are the way to go. I have never met a rabbit that did not like to use a litter box.

I personally raise chickens for meat and eggs, currently have two turkeys this year, and there are tons of doves and pigeons for all those SHTF occasions! I like pigeon meat. I hate squirrel meat (it is a rat). It is comforting to know that rabbits are not rodents.

To help further clarify the three sisters method.

you plant your corn in a row. But you have to let it mature slightly ahead of the beans and squash, so they dont kill the corn at the start or hamper it. once your cornstalks are maybe 1-2 ft high, you can plant your beans. You plant them at the base of the corn. and the beans will grow up the corn stalk, so you dont need to provide them with a stake backbone. and thirdly, you plant the squash on the periphery of the corn. the squash will spread out along the floor. So by using all three plants your are greatly conserving space. Goodluck!

If a person relies on rabbit for a protien source, what would be sustainable ways to add the needed fats to ones diet? I see almonds was posted, what else?

reply to post by quest4info


www.vegsoc.org...
You could use chicken eggs. Legumes and lentils are also good sources you can grow!

reply to post by Greensage


Actually rabbits CAN be given antibiotics...
Enrofloxacin (Baytril) - orally or injectable
Procaine Penicillin - injectable into the muscle
Tetracycline - can be added to their H2O
Sulfaquinoxaline - can be added to their food

It's always good to get a culture & sensitivity test done
so you know what kind of bacteria you're dealing with
in order to have correct antibiotic prescribed.

Ektar

Ive had rabbits my whole life as Pets, as do my children. There absolutely no reason for you to be eating them unless your a slackjawed hick and cant afford a loaf of bread and peanut butter because you'll get more protein and nutrients out of them than you will do with rabbits. The fact that you wouldn't even read up on if there are any nutritional benefits to eating rabbits means your just a complete moron. I hope something terrible happens to you

Originally posted by Snibbz
Ive had rabbits my whole life as Pets, as do my children. There absolutely no reason for you to be eating them unless your a slackjawed hick and cant afford a loaf of bread and peanut butter because you'll get more protein and nutrients out of them than you will do with rabbits. The fact that you wouldn't even read up on if there are any nutritional benefits to eating rabbits means your just a complete moron. I hope something terrible happens to you

This is a survivalist thread, I suggest you get back to your PETA world of strawberrys and lollipops.

Originally posted by Snibbz
Ive had rabbits my whole life as Pets, as do my children. There absolutely no reason for you to be eating them unless your a slackjawed hick and cant afford a loaf of bread and peanut butter because you'll get more protein and nutrients out of them than you will do with rabbits. The fact that you wouldn't even read up on if there are any nutritional benefits to eating rabbits means your just a complete moron. I hope something terrible happens to you

wow, really ?

I suppose its because rabbits are cute furry little critters that I shouldnt eat them ?

The point of this thread is survival. Of course I can get more calories from a bag of doritos chips and a jar of peanut butter. But what happens if tomorrow there is an oil strike ? The grocery stores will quickly empty out of food. Personally I dont want to wait around for my goverment to set of a site and have the military hand out rations.

Did you see how long it took FEMA to get food and water to the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ? People died waiting as it took the goverment 4-5 days.

Also, there is the economy. Today I can afford doritos and peanut butter, tomorrow maybe I cant. Im averaging 30-40 pounds of meat per month right now. It costs me maybe $10 a month in pellets, water, and hay to produce that 30-40 pounds of meat. Thats $0.30 cents per pound. Compare that to beef which is anywhere from $4 (for chuck) to $15 per pound for the good stuff. The same amount of chuck beef would cost me $120 a month, Im only spending $10

Am I foolish to want to spend $0.30 a pound for meat as opposed to what the grocery stores overcharge us for ?

Finally, there is the issue of safety. My rabbits eat only organic veggies and yard waste thats pesticide-free. My rabbits dont receive antibiotics or hormones. My rabbits arent treated badly. My rabbits arent put inside a toxic container with carbon monoxide gas to keep the meat looking pretty for the grocery store display.

I dont waste anything from my rabbits. The rabbit poop is great fertilizer for my veggie garden. Im currently saving up a ton of it and plan on using it over the winter to reinvigorate my soil's nutrients. The guts Ive used as fish bait and boy does it work well ! The fur coat can be used to make warm clothing, I got a local seamstress to make me 4 pairs of gloves.

One last thing, the meat itself doesnt spoil very fast. Put it in some olive oil and it will keep fresh for 2 weeks in the fridge. And beyond that, you can dehydrate the meat into jerky ! I have a cheap old dehydrator that Ive used to make rabbit jerky and its tasty and will last a yr.

here is an idea bbuy a four foot deep swimming pool fill it buy some catfish fry and several hundred pounds of oatmeal once fry is 3 inches long start feeding them 2 handfuls of oatmeal a day within a year you will have a pond full of big catfish enough where you can harvest one a day pool only has to be 12 feet across but 4 feet deep.