Knowing how rabbits can destroy grass, dig under fencing and generally make the 'Great Escape' look like a toddler with a trowel in a patio tub i don't think 'Eating' rabbits as a back garden venture is a good idea.
2 lovely bunnies - great. A little 'jiggy jiggy' and 2 become a potential 10! Then you need separation while they grow to a decent size and prevent further breeding.
Your separate enclosures for just two now has to accommodate a lot more bunnies.
Keep them on concrete - stops them digging. Feed them pellets - ensures they grow to a decent size before you neck them. I guess you could always just keep them individually in little cages - i'm sure battery chicken cages will do the job. NOT!!!!
At this point i ask anyone with a calculator to do the maths on materials/upkeep/land rent on this idea and compare pricing to just spending a few quid on a 'wild' shot rabbit once or twice a year from a reputable source - better qualilty of life for the bunny - better flavour.
Rant over.
ahh.... and relax..........
Treacodactyl Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 25795 Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 05 7:08 am Post subject:
Having a few bunnies for the pot is a way of life in France and not all contries have a glut of wild bunnies. Even in Surrey if the stories of the latest strain of mixie killing 90% of the little grass cutters are true then well soon not have many. Again this will be a problem for people keeping their own breeding stock outside.
When my family kept pot-bunnies when I was a lad they were looked after far, far better than any form of battery farming I've seen.
Hi Caplan, don't worry we are not battery farmers and nor would we tolerate anybody that is. Our bunnies are kept in concrete housing overnight - safe from the foxes etc. and during the day we put them in a moveable run. This way the damage to grassland is avoided and I rarely have to cut the grass
With regards to the work involved, I hardly think we could call it work when it is an enjoyable way of life (as Treacodactyl said "quite the norm in France"). The grass pellets cost us 5 euros a sac which (with 2 rabbits) has lasted for at least two months at a time. Not expensive either then. In addition to this they get to eat fresh grass and dandies whilst in the run.
I've nowt against eating wild rabbit, it's just that we don't seem to see any around here. We only intend to breed ours once or twice a year as this will be easily sufficient rabbit meat for the family.
The concrete sheds were here when we moved in. They had been used to keep pigeons in. A bit of patching up on my part and they make sturdy, weather proof hutches.
Sorry Simon - it wasn't meant as a personal rant against you.
I know you have put the thought and energy into your 'bunny project' and you have the space and time to ensure it's success.
My rant (and i should have made this clearer - sorry ) is that most people on here live in the UK in modest sized properties - Some one i know tried to raise them in a smiliar way as food for his pedigree dog breeding kennel. The dogs wouldn't eat rabbit meat and he ended up in a mess with more rabbits than he knew what to do with in his backyard!
Even with mixy wild rabbits are still abundant in the UK and they'll bounce back (no pun meant) after it fades away.
In the UK I'd stick with wild shot ones - unless you are prepared to offer them the same level of care as Simon does
) is that most people on here live in the UK in modest sized properties - Some one i know tried to raise them in a smiliar way as food for his pedigree dog breeding kennel. The dogs wouldn't eat rabbit meat and he ended up in a mess with more rabbits than he knew what to do with in his backyard!
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