Do you know how to ‘process’ (a.k.a.) butcher your own livestock? If you are growing your own rabbits or chickens this is an essential skill you need to know. But yes, it can be pretty scary – especially on your own. Heather has a story to tell about how she was able to butcher her first rabbit. If Heather can do it – so can you. Watch and be inspired. And then go learn this crucial skill. Teaching you how to butcher small livestock is on the DVD set at www.GrowYourOwnGroceries.com/ – this is the video set that is a crash course in how to grow food when it counts.
Marjory Wildcraft is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network, which is an online community that recognizes the wisdom of “homegrown food on every table.” Marjory has been featured as an expert on sustainable living by National Geographic, she is a speaker at Mother Earth News fairs, and is a returning guest on Coast to Coast AM. She is an author of several books, but is best known for her “Grow Your Own Groceries” video series, which is used by more than 300,000 homesteaders, survivalists, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
COMMENTS(15)
I also recently slaughtered and butchered small livestock – two sheep. The spiritual as well as practical experience is almost beyond description. The practical side is pretty obvious, but the spiritual side of it – which you so wonderfully demonstrate in your video – is incredible. If an opportunity arises to participate in this process, don’t pass it up. The awe-full respect for Life that arises is more than worth any discomfort. And the practical knowledge gained is extremely valuable.
Thank you for your kind words Michael.
Rabbit question: I live near you, and I purchased rabbit hutches with the intent of raising rabbits; however, my original sources said they kept losing rabbits to the heat. I know you keep your hutches under shade trees. Have you had a problem of losing rabbits to the heat? I’ve thought of running misting lines, but I’m reluctant to take the chance with the hot summers. How do you keep your rabbits healthy when it’s hot?
Hi Carla,
Yes, I have lost rabbits to heat here in TX. And yes, I use misters to help them stay cool. The hutches are under a big shade tree, with a good insulated roof, and the misters.
I am also doing an experiment with ‘free range rabbits’ but at the moment the dogs keep killing them – they know they aren’t supposed to, but they love the chase so much and the rabbits end up dying.
But free range means they can get into shady spots and dig sown into cooler earth during the heat of the day.
Back in the late 1980’s when I was in High school, I was in the R.O.P.
Regional Occupationial Program which for those that don’t know High school students go to work at local business to learn a trade of some kind. My first job was working the Local ZOO in Folsome Calif. it was informative but I felt bad as most of the animals were taken from their Abbusive Owner’s & Who in the hell needs an African Lion as a pet anyway?
My Second job was with a Local Butcher shop that would go out to your Farm shoot the livestock with an Air-Bolt-Gun and then skin & dress it for you on site or have you bring it down to the shop in town & Process it in the shop …. Thus allowing the ROP Students the chance to learn the process of butchery ( Curing, Cutting, smoking, Etc.) Plus I learn that if it was done the right way the meat would last allmost as long under frozen conditions as it would take to raise a new sides of beef from a calf !
I plan on raising my own livestock on the land that I’m now saving for, Since I’ve gone into being A SOLAR ELECTRICIAN !
I lost some rabbits to heat the first year. Then we moved the hutches to between the leland cypress trees that are bordering the property at about 10 -15 feet apart. There is just enough room between two trees for one hutch and they have stayed cool all summer. They are also more protected from the wind and rain in there and the hutches are not so obvious to passers-by. The manure just falls down and I spread it to other cypress trees and fertilize them. If you can plant cypress or cedar or any type of nice evergreen tree, they keep the rabbits much cooler because the branches stay nice and low, so they kind of surround the cage. I also use the meat in enchiladas, tortillas, rabbit stew with dumplings, rabbit taco soup, all sorts of ways. My teen daughter fries it up with orange sauce from Panda Express and loves it. We cook them, take the meat off the bones and can it with broth, so we have it for “fast food” meals all winter. Delicious!
Thankfully we do not have the heat problem up here in Michigan.
I have eaten parts from 100+ rabbits over the years.
I have always thought they were way better than chickens.
They are more fun while they are growing.
The meat tastes better.
They are easier to clean.
The hide is more useful.
The poo is great for the garden and when the worms get done with it that makes it even better.
Now if only they would lay eggs we could get rid of those chickens,,8>)
Alan, they are quieter too. But diversity is a good thing.
Dearest Marjory, Have you ever listened to ma wild cotton tail bunny while a coyote is trying to get it out of a brush pile? Rabbits are not ALWAYS quieter. 8>))
Good Morning Marjory. The subject of an animal having to be killed to eat it, is a hard one. I am an older prepper that has been a city girl all my life, now I live in the country. Now that I have really Good Food my husband and I raise, it does not compare to what I was eating before from the market. We raised our first hog who I got to know and was able to scratch on the back. Well, there he lay on my plate….Can I eat him? Yes I did, and enjoyed it. If you care for any food animal, give it what it needs to grow and be healthy. Having respect for that life with a quick death. I feel the meaning for that animal has come to the proper end. Now I am not saying death is an easy thing but to know the animal gave all he had, it is a gift to me. I am still working on my feelings on this but it is getting better.
I enjoyed your video and your direct information
Joyce Trevorrow
Joyce, Marjory will respond to this once she gets back from her wilderness trip. Thank you so much for reaching out.
Hi Joyce,
Yes, butchering is definitely a hard thing. And I am glad so – if it weren’t than I know I would be in serious trouble.
Marjory, I do not think so. It is no big deal for me. I can treat a critter great then kill it and eat it.
That doesn’t make me feel bad nor does it make me what to kill anything else.
When I was 12 my rotten step-father killed my pet rabbit. This was a huge brown friend of mine that ran around loose but came running when I called it. It stayed out of the garden and really loved the clover growing in the yard. Winters it slept in the dog house with our Basset Hound. That night Brownie was on the table and she tasted great. I had three pieces. My rotten step-father did a bad thing but that meat on the table was just meat not my beloved pet.
Wonderfully said, Joyce. I believe in treating every critter with kindness and respect. Not too many people I know have had chickens that loved to be picked up and petted. Those 30 hens are gone now but for three years they laid 30 eggs a day and when I sold most of the eggs they paid for all of their feed and litter, three feeder pigs, all of the pig feed each year and half of the processing.
Yes the chicken egg money bought three $50 feeder pigs (Shoats) and all of the feed for pigs and chickens each year. I treated the pigs well too. It is a happier life when all of your critters love you.
I raise rabbits, and had hard time selling them this last year for several reasons.
1. Mainly I can make more money an hour working a driving gig (instead of sitting and waiting for a sale at the flea market; the once a month local farmers market does Not allow live animal sales).
2. Rabbits get Covid, different than humans type, but have been dying easily, and I don’t want to expose any animals to the public due to that.
3. The local 4H and FFA kids have name brand, pedigree rabbits for sale, and don’t want my mutts (1/2 flop:1/4 California:1/4 American )
4. I don’t want to eat them, or slaughter them; they are different then chickens (which I’ve slaughtered before).
Can I just let them go in my backyard? Or by a creek somewhere?
Tired of paying for hay and feed,
Lisa