Raising livestock on a small scale is becoming more and more popular, which is a good thing considering the state of the economy. Rabbits are one meat animal that even urban dwellers could conceivably raise for meat (and profit) if you can get past the squeamishness involved in killing and butchering something you saw born and raised from a cub. Some of us can, some of us can’t. I personally prefer not to raise animals I’m going to eat, but I’m more of a fishing kind of guy. Maybe a couple of years from now that will change.
But I have seen small game butchered and for those of you on the fence about it I want to present this video so you know exactly what’s involved. A quick note – you see the rabbit dispatched with a Benjamin Sheridan air rifle. I would prefer a .22 lr but in an urban environment where an airgun is needed (in most cities and towns it’s illegal to discharge a firearm) make sure you’re using something powerful enough to kill the rabbit humanely. The air rifle in the video is more than adequate but when it comes to .177 or .20 caliber air rifles there’s really no such thing as overkill. I have a .20 cal Benjamin co2 pistol and though I might rabbits with it in an emergency I’d prefer a air rifle to ensure not much suffering went into the kill.
Probably not safe for work. Watch the whole thing though to see if you’ve got what it takes before investing in some breeding stock. It’s also one of the better detailed videos on processing the rabbit I’ve seen. But don’t forget to tan those rabbit skins – they can fetch a pretty penny in the right markets.