Rabbits: Wild -v- Home Reared

Welshwoofs

Warning: If you're squeamish; skip this thread!!

Ok, so I've been mulling over the whole topic of bunnies. They're a fantastically healthy meat, taste wonderful and are cheap. Beef/lamb/pork is expensive and though I need to budget hard, I hate having to buy meat whose provinance and rearing conditions are unknown to me.

So I'm thinking of eating the good old bunny over the winter. The question I'm pondering is whether to get an air rifle and get my supply from the wild, thereby helping to keep down the population or breed some New Zealand Whites in the garden (approx 1/2 acre garden so lots of room for runs) and despatching them the old fashioned way.

There are obviously pros and cons to each...

Wild
CON: Air Rifle will cost around £100 most likely and I have to be aware of regulations for carrying it around and where I'd use it (permission from landowner etc). Success isn't guaranteed, I could spend a cold evening crouching in a field and come home with nowt.
PLUS: Cheapest option since I'm not paying out on rabbit housing, rabbit food and having the hassle of bunny husbandry (especially when my Mastiff is rather fond of chasing them). Wild bunny is also tastier than domestic breeds.

Home Reared
CON: Mostly costs and care. NZ Whites are ready for slaughter in 8 weeks, but that's 8 weeks of food. Would have to restrict the dog's garden access. Would have to find care when I went away. Meat not as nice as wild.
PLUS: Reliable source of meat, you know you'll always have a bunny. You don't have to be bothered about all the laws/regulations surrounding air rifle ownership and use.

Anyone got any experience of either option who has an opinion on the best way to go?

Oh...and any good bunny recipes other than the good old pie?

BrandNewDay

I'm interested to hear more about this, too!

You know... the River Cottage web site message boards would probably have information. I've seen discussions of trapping/shooting rabbits there.

If I could learn how to kill, skin, dress, etc small animals and birds, I think it would be good for me. It's not something I want to tackle on my own with just a book, though.

ravylesley

Hmm I'm rather drawn over this one as I'm all in favour of free meat.But Mixamatosis is still rife around the rabbit population so not keen on eating the wild variety so I'd probably plump for domestic reared

Lesleyxx

grandmafraggle

Hi, in my younger days my ex tried to teach me to shoot, couldn,t even hit the dustbin let alone the can on it!!!!!

So he bought me ferrets, many a happy morning was spent out in all weathers netting holes and trying to find the ferrets!!! Mind you we did catch plenty of bunnies.

Now am far to old to be running around fields so I have found a very nice man who shoots rabbits, he charges £1.00 each for them( paunched but still with fur), £2.00 if he skins them. I buy 10 at a time and have a mass cook of them.

We had thought about breeding our own but decided it just wasn't financially worth it.

Good luck with whichever route you decide on.

grandmafraggle

Sailor_Sam

I don't think i've ever eaten rabbit. When i've seen them on River Cottage etc, fancy the idea, but where do you go to buy one ?
Never have them for sale in Asda. Why ?

mardatha

I was going to say ferrets as well... they're amazing wee things. I know the americans go in for rabbit keeping in huge numbers, if you're on any american forums then ask there... they discuss housing and feeding etc a lot.
I used to cook a lot of rabbit when the family were at home , and the mixy ones arent a problem since you dont eat the head.

Welshwoofs

Sailor_Sam wrote: »

I don't think i've ever eaten rabbit. When i've seen them on River Cottage etc, fancy the idea, but where do you go to buy one ?
Never have them for sale in Asda. Why ?

Most butchers will sell rabbit but supermarkets seem to steer clear of it. I guess a lot of people are a little squeamish about eating them which is a pity because they are delicious!

Grandmafraggle - wish I could find a bunny hunter to sell them to me. Nobody around here seems to do it and the wild population has got so large that a local nature reserve is now referred to as 'the warrens'.

Mardatha - were ferrets difficult to keep? I'm guessing you don't train them as such - natural instinct would be to whizz down the burrows. Is ferreting something you can do on your own or do you really need someone at each net to despatch the bunny?

sunflower76

My parents breed bunnies for the pot. They have mum and dad as pets but babiies are despatched as soon as they are large enough.

As mum and dad are pets they get fed on proper food, hay etc but the babies get mainly greens taken from the local market at closing time. This means that they are given very little traditional bunny food that needs paying for. They all get put in a run to eat fresh grass and daddy gets free run of the enitre garden.

They breed approx 4 times per year, sometimes less depending on how many she has in each litter.

Yes there is the hassle of looking after them every day but as two are pets anyway it isn't a huge feat.

mardatha

You drape the net over the entrance to the run, ferret chases them out, and you grab them and hit them on the head . I didnt do that personally, my son wanted to be a gamekeeper when he was younger and he did it. We had rabbit stew often.
Ferrets are gorgeous -- affectionate and cuddly and they follow you everywhere in the garden. We had an old rabbit hutch and kept 2 lady ferrets. (Fergie & Di !! ) He used to stuff them into a carrying bag and even in his pockets .. I do love ferrets they are such mad wee things. They smell a bit though, you cant bring them into the house. You shouldn't have to pay anything for them.

sophiesmum_2

I have a lot of maltese friends and it is quite common in Malta for families to breed rabbits for the pot. Even in apartments there are often rabbit runs on the roofs. Rabbits in Malta are very much seen as food and not pets.

Rabbit casseroled in red wine and garlic is yummy:D

mardatha

well you know whats in it and where its been eh !