Raising Pastured Rabbits For Meat

An accessible, practical resource for pasture-based rabbit production-complete with rabbit husbandry basics, enterprise budgets, and guidelines for growing, processing and selling rabbits commercially. In recent years, there has been talk in the food world that rabbits make more sense than chicken. In a country with a $41 billion broiler chicken industry, this might seem like a pretty bold statement, but it's hardly unsubstantiated. And yet while media has been abuzz about the supposed super protein, very few farmers are stepping up to meet the rapidly increasing interest in sustainably raised rabbit meat. This is partly due to the lack of available resources in the field of rabbit husbandry. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat is the first book to address the growing trend of ecological rabbit husbandry for the beginning to market-scale farmer. Inspired by Daniel Salatin, who has long been considered the pioneer in integrated rabbit farming, Nichki Carangelo proves that a viable pasture-based rabbitry is not only possible and user-friendly, it's also profitable. In Carangelo's approach, happy, healthy rabbits are seasonally raised outside on pasture, using a pasture and wire hybrid system that promotes natural behaviors and a diverse diet, while effectively managing the associated risks. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat offers valuable information on how farmers can build their own rabbit enterprise from scratch and includes tips on breed selection, breeding techniques, nutrition guidelines, record keeping tools, slaughtering and butchering instructions, marketing advice, and enterprise guides to help farmers plan for profitability. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in integrating rabbits onto a diversified farm or homestead.

You Are A Step Away From Discovering The Ins And Outs Of The Art Of Raising Pastured Rabbits For Meat, Fur Or As Pets! Rearing rabbits make a lot of sense in so many ways compared to chicken. Yes, I know chicken do produce tasty eggs and meat, but rabbits also produce equally if not better tasting meat, fur and much more. What's more; bunnies are in many ways easier to keep and maintain than chicken, are far less messy than chicken, yield ready-to compose compost, are pretty easier to keep and house, don't require too much space, are not noisy and disruptive, naturally grow super-fast (without any hormones), multiply fast and much more! The $44 billion broiler chicken industry is big, but these are benefits it can't compete with, as these are all perfect ingredients for anyone wishing to raise high-quality animals in small spaces without needing too much maintenance work - a perfect recipe for the modern busy farmer who has a million and one other things to juggle with! Perhaps any one of these reasons has piqued your interest to rear rabbits and like any curious beginner, you are wondering... Where do you begin? How do you rear rabbits for business? How do you even start keeping rabbits in your homestead - what should you consider? How is an ideal rabbit hutch supposed to look like? How do you create one? What do rabbits eat and what do they hate? Is it possible to detect all health problems in rabbits and address them in a timely fashion? If so, how? What are the things I need to do to ensure my rabbits are happy and active? If I'm not right, I'm pretty close! Yes, rabbits make perfect pets and can be great for business and this book will show you how to rear them like a pro. More precisely, you will learn: How to raise rabbits for business, including the right way to raise them on a communal farm, on your property, legal considerations, involving neighbors and more Important considerations you should make before starting, including determining how many you should keep, selecting a breed, slaughter and disposal, cost and profit potential and more Reasons why you should raise rabbits and how to setup your own rabbit hobby farm How to plan your rabbitry, including key points to consider The ins and outs of building different kinds of hutches using different kinds of materials How to feed and water the rabbits the right way The ins and outs of rabbit breeding and healthcare How do deal with behavioral issues that may end up being problematic How to housetrain your rabbit the easy way How to keep the rabbit busy and engaged with secret 'rabbit games' Answers to commonly asked questions about taking care of a rabbit The ins and outs of different breeds of rabbits raised for different purposes - and how to raise them How to understand rabbit language and use that information appropriately Detecting or interpreting common problems or features ...And much, much more! Even if this is the first time owning a rabbit, this book is weaved for beginners, so you can expect to have an easy time with it! Click Buy Now With 1-Click or Buy Now to get started!

The most comprehensive book on how to raise and breed your own poultry flock is now fully updated and expanded “The ultimate book for those who want to know everything there is to know about raising poultry.”—Gene Logsdon, author of Letter to a Young Farmer “There’s no better introductory reference on the joy of home-raising chickens.”—Booklist The first edition of The Small-Scale Poultry Flock helped thousands of small-scale farmers and homesteaders successfully adopt a practical and integrative model for working with chickens and other domestic fowl based on natural systems. In this expanded and thoroughly revised edition, readers will find plenty of all-new material. Author Harvey Ussery introduces readers to his new favorite breed of chicken, Icelandics; describes how he manages his breeding flock using a clan mating system; presents detailed information on the use of trapnests and record-keeping spreadsheets for evaluating breeding hen performance; and provides step-by-step instructions for construction of an ingeniously designed mobile poultry shelter. Readers will also find fully updated information and tips on all aspects of flock management, including: Growing (and sourcing) feed on a small scale Cultivating earthworms and grubs as high-protein poultry feed Brooding (and breeding) at home Implementing manure management Using electric net fencing for ranging flocks Using poultry as insect and weed managers in the garden and orchard Enlisting your chickens as garden tillers and compost-makers Protecting the flock from predators Keeping the flock healthy Working with mother hens Ussery presents a sustainable and ecologically friendly model that can be adapted for use at a variety of scales. His advice and examples throughout the book will prove invaluable for beginner homesteaders, growers looking to incorporate poultry into their farm, or experienced flocksters seeking to close their loop.

Rabbits are versatile animals, farmed for their meat and fur, as laboratory animals, and also as pets. This well-established book continues to provide an overview of domesticated rabbit production, covering topics such as breeding, husbandry, feeding and health. Now in its fully updated tenth edition, it includes an expanded consideration of important issues such as animal welfare and sustainable methods of production. With chapters relating specifically to meat production, pet rabbits, rabbit shows, and angora wool production. Providing updates on worldwide production trends, figures and new feed additive products, this book is an essential resource for anyone involved in rabbit production - from novice to experienced breeders, veterinarians and industry professionals.

Including information on cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, and goats, and exotics like bison, rabbits, elk, and deer How can anyone from a backyard hobbyist to a large-scale rancher go about raising and selling ethically produced meats directly to consumers, restaurants, and butcher shops? With the rising consumer interest in grass-fed, pasture-raised, and antibiotic-free meats, how can farmers most effectively tap into those markets and become more profitable? The regulations and logistics can be daunting enough to turn away most would-be livestock farmers, and finding and keeping their customers challenges the rest. Farmer, consultant, and author Rebecca Thistlethwaite (Farms with a Future) and her husband and coauthor, Jim Dunlop, both have extensive experience raising a variety of pastured livestock in California and now on their homestead farm in Oregon. The New Livestock Farmer provides pasture-based production essentials for a wide range of animals, from common farm animals (cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, and goats) to more exotic species (bison, rabbits, elk, and deer). Each species chapter discusses the unique requirements of that animal, then delves into the steps it takes to prepare and get them to market. Profiles of more than fifteen meat producers highlight some of the creative ways these innovative farmers are raising animals and direct-marketing superior-quality meats. In addition, the book contains information on a variety of vital topics: • Governmental regulations and how they differ from state to state; • Slaughtering and butchering logistics, including on-farm and mobile processing options and sample cutting sheets; • Packaging, labeling, and cold-storage considerations; • Principled marketing practices; and • Financial management, pricing, and other business essentials. This book is must reading for anyone who is serious about raising meat animals ethically, outside of the current consolidated, unsustainable CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) system. It offers a clear, thorough, well-organized guide to a subject that will become increasingly important as the market demand for pasture-raised meat grows stronger.

Gene Logsdon breaks down the garden walls and celebrates the side of gardening that isn't a finicky, style-obsessed, and expensive hobby but rather a hilarious, sensual, and endlessly satisfying way of life. The borders of the contrary garden are limited only by the imagination. Why should "crops" be merely common vegetables? Why not wheat? Why not the pigeons on the rafters of the barn, or bluegills and edible cattails from your own homestead pond? This is Gene Logsdon at his provocative best. Frequently irreverent, but always optimistic and practical, he uses the tools of good humor and common sense to smash conventional gardening to smithereens.

A comprehensive guidebook for those interested in raising poultry on pasture, this reference is organized in an easy-to-use format with topics ranging frombrooding to processing, laying hens to broilers and turkeys, shelter designs, and marketing. (Technology-Agriculture)