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I'll be hosting an introduction to meat rabbits later this summer along with Patty Wesner of Livingston Brook Farm here at Cold Antler! It will be held on August 11th. The 5 hour workshop will include an hour lunch break, (10AM-4PM) and explain the basics of setting up a small rabitry for personal use. You'll learn the basics of picking out breeding stock, setting up housing, feeding, hay, ear tattooing, pedigrees and butchering. There will also be a live demonstration of harvesting a rabbit, from cage to freezer wrapping, and I am planning to have kits for sale: a mix of the Chin, Palomino, Rex, and Silver Fox bloodlines. Patty may have rabbits for sale too (she specializes in Flemish Giants!) They will grow into hearty stock for sure, as all come from proven does and bucks.So if you'd like to learn how to add a little homegrown protein to your garden's bounty, live in a suburban area where chickens aren't allowed, or just like the idea of clean meat close to home: come on over. There will be a campfire and cold home brew that evening if anyone wants to stick around. (Private party after workshop!) If you're own ears are perked, send me an email at jenna@itsafarwalk.com, and I'll give you the details. Hope to take at least ten registrations!
Here's a great article about raising rabbits for food from the NY Times, lots of great photos!
photo from nytimes.com
posted by Jenna Woginrich at 2:00 PM
21 Comments:
My dad used to raise them and he would me out to get one and prep it for cooking. If I wasn't in NC I would definately be there. Hope your hand is better after dealing with mess at the sale the other day.
Odie
Jenna, for those of us who live too far away to attend, do you think you might consider (someday?) maybe putting up a Meat Rabbit 101 online course? I figure there may be certain things that would get lost in translation, but I think it would be a great place for starting. My husband and I keep thinking about getting meat rabbits, but can't quite make the plunge because, well, we don't know anyone else who does it. (Anyone in Knoxville TN raising meat rabbits? We'd love to chat!)
Incase anyone is interested, i will have an old order Mennonite woman named Jean post her 2nd post on my blog this Tuesday. Please feel free to visit and leave a question for her if you like. Richard from Lebanon county's Amish settlement.
For those who are kind of far away (in my case, about 7 hours), would there be a chance that we could camp on your property overnight?
The only problem is that you're so far away....Boo.
This is a great idea for a class, wish I lived closer so I could come. I'm picking up my first "meat" rabbit tomorrow at lunch time (I have angoras for fiber right now), he's an 8 week old New Zealand buck. So excited. I love rabbit, I've been dreaming of heavenly smells wafting from the crockpot....
Richard, what is your blog?
Oh man, I am so interested in this! I am really fascinated by the idea of raising my own meat rabbits. The hardest part for this suburban girl would be killing the rabbit myself. I think I read Watership Down too many times as a kid! :-) Any tips on how you get past the first initial shock of killing something so cute?
Richard, I would love the link to your blog as well. I have meat rabbits, but have to cull them because of an impending move to town (boo).
Hey Jenna, this is my first comment on your Blog! I am about 4 hours south in Pa, and am also wondering about the camping idea? I have started my rabbitry already, but haven't gotten to butchering yet. I would love to learn hands on, and of course to meet you! How much for the class?
Sounds like a great class and time! I wish I was closer. Just for the fellowship.
I enjoyed that article on meat rabbits very much!
There are a couple of campgrounds not far from Jenna. I'm staying at the Battenkill campground for her meat chicken class coming up. They have tent sites and a couple of cabins. I'm staying in a cabin for the weekend.
Ugh!!! Wish I could. When are you going to start offering coursed by correspondence? I'd sign up!! :):)
Love ya Jenna!
When someone comments, you can click on their name and go to their blog. So just click on Richard's name and you will go to his blog.
What LaShanda said. I'd love to take a correspondence course from CAF.
There is also Lauderdale Campground near by for camping. Just thought I would add. We certainly don't enjoy having to dispatch and process our rabbits but knowing they don't suffer is important to us . We felt responsible to assure their comfort and stress free end. When sending animals to a "processor" they can be subject to waiting in a strange place -sometimes for days- usually food and water is withheld. We feel that we can best handle our own rabbits at home where they are treated kindly, raised organically with sunshine and fresh air and humanely processed.
My work doesn't let me travel much, but I would love to see a webinar on this topic! I just got my first rabbits a couple of weeks ago, but it will be a few months before I'm cooking up rabbit stew.
Bridget- I wondered how on earth I wrote a response to a post I hadn't even read yet...then I remembered my screen name isn't my name. I'm also Bridget. :)
I can vouch for Battenkill Riversports and Campground for their cabins. I stayed in one last spring for her meat chicken workshop. Provided they still exist after Irene came through, their cabins are really nice and clean. The space heater really made the room toasty.
I tented out at Battenkill Campground last October and still think of it especially as I drift off to sleep...owls and coyotes and the river flowing by singing me to sleep. Wonderful place to stay.
Recently got into the rabbit scene and can't wait to get my first kits out of Martha my momma New Zealand/Californian. That Rabbit Ginger soup will certainly be utilized.
I'm with Heather on the idea of offering an online course on rabbits. I just want to have them for the compost-enriching poop, but I suspect my husband, the caveman carnivore, would like to eat them. Please consider offering your class info to e-subscribers. Best wishes!
Hey Jenna and all current meat rabbit growers! How about giving us newbies a list of your favorite go to rabbit growing books here in the comments? We just got into meat rabbits and need all the help we can get!
Thanks so much!
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