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Post by Wendy on Nov 3, 2015 2:27:33 GMT
After much consideration I have decided to get out of rabbits. There is absolutely no market for them & we just don't eat them enough. I have probably 50 in the freezer & 50 quarts canned. I would rather do chickens & I get a lot more meat from a chicken. I may regret it later, but at least need a break for now. I have a buck & 3 does that will go to my brother. He had given me his cage & rabbits a couple of years ago. He said he will take them back & mess with them for awhile. Less feed to buy & now less water to mess with over the winter.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 3, 2015 3:02:01 GMT
Hey, you just need to do what is right for you and your family. I got out of rabbits years ago for much the same reasons. Sometimes I think about getting a trio again...I have all my equipment still, but then I think again....lol.
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Post by Wendy on Nov 3, 2015 3:38:50 GMT
I can always get more goats!
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Post by paquebot on Nov 3, 2015 4:41:52 GMT
I never did figure out where the rabbit market went. We peaked at around 80 in 1976 but still had a market for every one. That was a drought year and price of pellets doubled. Couldn't afford to sell at what the local butcher would pay and continue feeding them. Accepted an offer for the whole lot and was out of the rabbit business. However, one could buy frozen rabbits in every supermarket. Now I don't think that I've seen a one in 10 years. I've got wild ones canned but I'm the only one who likes them.
Martin
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2015 16:18:28 GMT
If there was a market for squirrels, I'd be a millionaire. Make that 100 Billionaire!
Here, frozen rabbit was carried by more of locally owned type grocery stores, and as they got closed because of the big chain groceries, a whole lot of stuff never sees the light of day again. Walmart and Food Lion rule the grocery store business here, with a smattering of Harris Teeters. All the old IGA and Cash'n'carry stores are long gone. A small chain of 3 stores still operates in a nearby town, where you can still find rabbit, quail(we knew a guy who made so much raising quail in late 50's/early 60's that he quit his regular job, he had so many to attend to. And made a small fortune, with quail!). Even the small chain don't bring in whole or half beef to butcher anymore, so the days of free dog bones is history.
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Post by barefootfarmer on Nov 7, 2015 6:45:45 GMT
I downsized my rabbits to just the number that I wanted to feed for the amount of rabbit droppings I needed for my gardens. We never really enjoyed them for meat. I did raise them to feed to our livestock dogs, but honestly, it still wasn't worth the effort.
You know, they are cheap enough and readily available enough, that you can always jump back in if you change your mind. It's nice not to have to deal with rabbit care on a large scale in the winter, too.
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I'm done
Nov 7, 2015 9:34:32 GMT
via mobile
Post by tenbusybees on Nov 7, 2015 9:34:32 GMT
I made the decision a few weeks ago to be done with rabbits too. The meat to work/feed ratio for our family size is no longer worth it. I traded a few does, a buck, and a cage or my starter dairy goat herd. I'm butchering the rest, if it ever stops raining, and trading the cages/bottles/boxes for a couple of weener pigs next spring. It is going to be bliss not having to run ice bottles all summer. Gonna miss those cute little babies though.
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Post by wolfmom on Nov 8, 2015 12:37:52 GMT
I saw frozen rabbit for sale in Kroger's yesterday. Dunno the price.
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Post by Wendy on Nov 8, 2015 17:36:30 GMT
I saw frozen rabbit in Kroger one time too & it was $16 for 1!! I charge $8 for 1 & can't sell them.
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Post by barefootfarmer on Nov 8, 2015 18:08:00 GMT
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Post by mollymckee on Nov 9, 2015 0:18:15 GMT
My oldest brother and I raised Dutch rabbits as kids. A university in a nearby city bought all we would sell and we're looking for more. Even years after we stopped raising them, they would call every so often to see if we had any. It was nice because they bought them live and Dad dropped them off when he went to work.
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Post by farmchix on Nov 9, 2015 18:10:57 GMT
If there was a market for squirrels, I'd be a millionaire. Make that 100 Billionaire! Here, frozen rabbit was carried by more of locally owned type grocery stores, and as they got closed because of the big chain groceries, a whole lot of stuff never sees the light of day again. Walmart and Food Lion rule the grocery store business here, with a smattering of Harris Teeters. All the old IGA and Cash'n'carry stores are long gone. A small chain of 3 stores still operates in a nearby town, where you can still find rabbit, quail(we knew a guy who made so much raising quail in late 50's/early 60's that he quit his regular job, he had so many to attend to. And made a small fortune, with quail!). Even the small chain don't bring in whole or half beef to butcher anymore, so the days of free dog bones is history. I would have been your stiffest competition in the squirrel market at our old house. We had over 50 nut trees--so, we had squirrels the size of dogs! I don't miss those little boogars at all!
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