Lil' Tiny Smewchie-Woochie!

What do you mean "despite the reasons they have been bred"...? D:

See Below ^_^

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3415992/

X_x

I promise we are doing our best to make sure these guys live a good life--this is not at all a factory or commercial operation, we are breeding for our own consumption. We are also working to contribute to the dying genetics of heritage breeds--an important task that without the meat-aspect could potentially make the already sad overpopulation situation worse.

I know it makes many uncomfortable initially but part of the reason  Atraties and I are so open about it is that we want people to know about it. In my opinion, cruelty likes closed doors. By being honest about what we are doing we open a dialog about something many in this country don't want to discuss--the horrors of commercial livestock. We keep a blog so that others can give us suggestions to help us improve their lives.

As someone who rescues pet rats as a past-time, I can assure you that the welfare of these rabbits has been taken into account. We give them room to express natural behaviors, house them near each other so that they can interact and provide toys, treats and other stimulation. Eventually we'd love to do a "free-range" version but we are having a lot of difficulty with the realities of planning such a venture--it looks like the price of freedom compromises health, safety etc.

Dude, I'm not judging. xP I understand why and how you're doing it, and I think it's certainly commendable that you're trying to make this work out in the nicest way possible for all parties involved. I just...couldn't bear to kill and eat something that I helped to raise and had named. Maybe wild rabbits, but...augh.

I can certainly appreciate that, and as the person who will be doing the slaughter, I am VERY much not looking forward to it. I hope I can bring myself to do it. There is a reason we aren't naming the babies that we are intending for slaughter. I don't think I could kill something I'd named for anything other than euthanasia for humane reasons.

I hope things work out alright for you guys. If you don't think you can do it when the time comes, do you plan on just adopting the bunnies out, or will you force yourself to do it?

Given that we do need to eat, and are aiming to eat ethically, I will try to push myself to do it. Having been instructed helps make me more confident so I'm fairly certain I can do it. We'll see at the time I guess.

 atraties already answered but to add: I'd personally be against adopting them out--there are too many wonderful, friendly, rabbits dying in rescues. I'd feel to release our babies into the pet-market would be to make that problem worse, especially since we wouldn't be able to afford to spay/neuter them all at the local rates.

I understand that. Would you keep them, then?

We would probably contact our mentor who, not only do I trust to do it humanely, if she wasn't able to come herself would help us find someone who would do it. Unless they are purebred stock going to other breeders or a retired breeder (those we *do* treat as pets to some extent) those bunnies will not leave this place alive.

Due to an RSI in my wrists I wouldn't be able to do it myself.  Atraties went to one of our mentor's slaughters to learn firsthand, because we were concerned about that when we were planning. Those were HER bunnies though, not ones we raised and handled ourselves. I think having some emotional distance is important, so we treat them as "the babies" and not as "aww Fluffy and Spot." I've worked with meat-lambs before and while I wasn't exactly happy after the slaughter I'm not prone to fits of emotional attachment that gets in the way of reality--right now we have 14 babies on the ground. We cannot afford that many nor can we guarantee them good lives at those numbers.

thanks for linking for me =)

Most welcome ^^

It's great that you're treating your meat bunnies so well. Do you guys have plans for the bones/pelts of the rabbits you eat?

Yes, we have a few local artists that have been asking about skulls, I plan to keep one or two for myself--but there will be quite a few. The pelts we will be sewing into rabbit quilts, but it may take us a few tries to figure out the proper skinning and tanning--we're a little concerned about that. If you are interested in anything please PM me and I'd be happy to discuss =) We consider the fur etc by-products and are not breeding for that, but there should be plenty to go around still.

We're trying to use as much as we can so that their lives aren't wasted in any way.

Have you guys thought about soft mount taxidermy? A lot of people would be interested, I'm sure.

I'd thought about doing it but hadn't even considered that others might want one, thank you for the idea =). I would LOVE to learn how do it, and plan to try with a creme eventually, but I've been told that working with rabbit is one of the hardest animals to do because the skin is prone to tearing. I haven't tried it myself yet so don't quote me on that!

Let me know if you do, I know some people who may be interested. c:

I've heard that some rescue shelters will take furs for orphaned critters as opposed to blankets, I guess to make the little orphans more comfortable. Maybe if you had extra somewhere may take it :) Just another idea is all...

do you have facebook?? my friend i spoke of knows how to skin and tan her meat bunnies and does a good job too i dont think she has a FA but i know she has face book. if you want i can PM you her face book???

That would be nifty =) I think I responded on an earlier journal because i found your comment from weeks before 2 days ago (I must have missed the notification =/) I'd love to hear from others how they do things.

Not so hard to do when raising pigs.... Our friends used to look at us funny when they'd stay over and our mom would ask us what we wanted for breakfast and we'd cheerfully ask for some Spot Sausage or Alice bacon to go with our pancakes... My little brother despised Alice.. he was just the right hight for a scratching post when we had her. She'd see his little red coat and come running. He hated going outside when we had her.. made using the outhouse hard. *chuckle* Chickens weren't bad raising for eggs and meat either, harder to name though. We only did rabbits for 'show' for 4-H, (Well and eating.. Pot Pie was tastey).