Homestead mailing list

[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

In a message dated 6/28/2006 11:47:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
mmcharry AT gmail.com writes:


> The one thing I notice is that everyone apparently raises rabbits in
> cages. Would it be possible to raise them in a chicken tractor and
> take advantage of pasture? Any reason why that isn't done.
> 


It's a chore.  The rabbits are forever tunneling under the tractor and 
absconding.  Also, rabbits do not have an estrus.  If a buck and doe get 
together 
even for half a minute, you are in the bunny business whether you were ready 
or 
not.


> I've never eaten domestic rabbit, but we used to have wild rabbit in
> season when I was a child 
> 

No resemblance.  Both are excellent but are nothing alike.  Domestic rabbit 
is very mild and is flavorful in the same way homestead chicken is.  There's 
almost no meat recipe that rabbit won't do for:  excellent for sandwiches, 
stew, 
pot pie, tamales, barbeque, and is a good universal ground meat.

Native cotton tails and jack rabbits are a different species than domestic 
rabbits.  They can't interbreed (different number of chromosomes).   I''ve 
raised domestic rabbits on only weeds and tree trimmings (similar to a wild 
rabbit 
diet) and still there isn't the remotest hit of gaminess in them.

I reallly like wild rabbit, and from the scores of them I see hopping all 
over the place this year it looks like I can indulge this winter, but the 
flavor 
of them is less flexible than domestic rabbits.