RABBITS for meat, with a twist
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 8:27 am
Hi there,
Not sure where this goes ...
Part of homesteading is having dogs, IMO. I have 5, mostly all rescues from awful situations. For various health reasons and because I believe it is better, I feed my dogs raw meat. Lately, our supply has been low (off cuts from butchers and deer leftovers and organs from people who hunt in season). Since we want to be self-sufficient, I am wondering if maybe we should start raising meat rabbits for them. Here is my thinking ... we have to grow them and then we kill them, skin them, cut off the feet (and head if it is not already) and maybe drain them and put them in an ice bath. Voila! Ready meal. The dogs need the skeleton for calcium and the organs. It is a perfect meal. There is not enough meat on chickens to do this.
What I am stumped on is the math. A rabbit carcass would last a few days per dog. I believe in prey model feeding and have had great success even though it is odd so am okay with giving them each a carcass to work at (helps their teeth) over a day or two. Our dogs have such messed up digestive systems that this is the only method that works. Therefore, they do not need a rabbit a day. For example, my Mastiff should eat about 3 lbs of raw meat a day so that makes a 9 lb. rabbit carcass good for 3 days. So she would need 2-3 per week?
Mastiff x2: 2-3 week
Bulldog and other two dogs: 2 week.
Would I freeze the carcasses for the dogs? Could I raise enough to kill fresh all year and give them like that? Am I living a pipe dream by thinking that would be their main diet?
Sorry for the strangeness of the topic. I love my dogs and they are therapy support for my son.
Not sure where this goes ...
Part of homesteading is having dogs, IMO. I have 5, mostly all rescues from awful situations. For various health reasons and because I believe it is better, I feed my dogs raw meat. Lately, our supply has been low (off cuts from butchers and deer leftovers and organs from people who hunt in season). Since we want to be self-sufficient, I am wondering if maybe we should start raising meat rabbits for them. Here is my thinking ... we have to grow them and then we kill them, skin them, cut off the feet (and head if it is not already) and maybe drain them and put them in an ice bath. Voila! Ready meal. The dogs need the skeleton for calcium and the organs. It is a perfect meal. There is not enough meat on chickens to do this.
What I am stumped on is the math. A rabbit carcass would last a few days per dog. I believe in prey model feeding and have had great success even though it is odd so am okay with giving them each a carcass to work at (helps their teeth) over a day or two. Our dogs have such messed up digestive systems that this is the only method that works. Therefore, they do not need a rabbit a day. For example, my Mastiff should eat about 3 lbs of raw meat a day so that makes a 9 lb. rabbit carcass good for 3 days. So she would need 2-3 per week?
Mastiff x2: 2-3 week
Bulldog and other two dogs: 2 week.
Would I freeze the carcasses for the dogs? Could I raise enough to kill fresh all year and give them like that? Am I living a pipe dream by thinking that would be their main diet?
Sorry for the strangeness of the topic. I love my dogs and they are therapy support for my son.