Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2012 1:24:57 GMT -7
WARNING...VERY GRAPHIC PICS...PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN VIEWING WITH CHILDREN, OR IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH OR JUST LOVE BUNNIES TO MUCH!!
I will follow this up with a thread on how I process rabbit for putting in the freezer, you will find I do not like to waste any of the animal...its ALL edible and tasty!!
There are a lot of pics, I will try to keep teh wording to a minimum. It was over 105* with the heat index, so I would break their neck and pull the head off, then hold them over a 5 gallon bucket on the walk back to the basement letting them bleed out. I did all the work in my basement over a set of cut open feed sacks laid on the concrete floor and with a fan to circulate the cool air...NOT pointed at the rabbits as it would blow loose hair all over, but pointed at a chair I had nearby for sitting in for breaks. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. I will follow this thread up with another on how to process the carcass for the freezer. I did all 6 in the litter, taking about 10 minutes each from the time I removed them from the hutch to putting them in water. Sorry so slow, I am sick and not feeling the best. Enjoy and I hope someone out there learns something from this. The hangers I am using are ones I got from a poultry processing plant, they work great!!
Beheaded and bleeding out in the bucket
Hang the carcass so it is free to work with
Ring the back legs and pull the hide free.
After both legs are free, carefully cut around the tail and genitals to remove them with the hide.
Pull the hide down until only the front feet remain connected to it, this method makes it possible to stretch and cleaqn the hide and leaves it in one uncut, tube shaped piece.
Cut the front feet off just above where the hide is attached to remove it all at once. I use large dikes or wire cutters for this. Notice the stomach pouch is still in tact.
Split the pelvic bone being very careful of the bladder. Make a small opening and insert 2 fingers and the very tip of knife between fingers to carefully open stomach in short gently downward strokes of knife being SUPER careful not to nick the intestins or other organs. Its hard to do this with both hands AND take pics, sorry. When belly is half open, carefully take ahold of the tube above the bladder and WITHOUT squeezing the bladder, remove it and throw it away. Loosen the colon (fecal tube so it can be removed with the guts. Then finish opening the gut and removing the organs. I save the kidneys, liver and heart. Here you will see the organs have been removed, but the kidneys will be attached to the spine area in pockets of fat and will not come out with the other organs, I remove these and place with the other organs in a bowl of ice water.
You now have a clean carcass ready to remove the back feet, I cut them just below the hanger careful not to drop it on the floor.
Place carcass in a pan of ice cold water while working on others.
When all carcasses are ready, take them to a sink (I have a large deep sink in my basement just for butchering...its not dirty, those are stains. Rinse each one until clean,
Once washed well, I place in a pan of ice cold water with a cup of Mortons TenderQuick and place in fridge for about 4 hours. Granted tame rabbits may not need it, I find it makes it much easier on the stomach and even more tender for older folks or those with bad teeth to be able to eat it easier.
Yes, I used the knife I got from WC...I LOVE IT!!!
Hope this was something you find interesting and informative, there are many other ways, this is just how I do it. Enjoy!!
I will follow this up with a thread on how I process rabbit for putting in the freezer, you will find I do not like to waste any of the animal...its ALL edible and tasty!!
There are a lot of pics, I will try to keep teh wording to a minimum. It was over 105* with the heat index, so I would break their neck and pull the head off, then hold them over a 5 gallon bucket on the walk back to the basement letting them bleed out. I did all the work in my basement over a set of cut open feed sacks laid on the concrete floor and with a fan to circulate the cool air...NOT pointed at the rabbits as it would blow loose hair all over, but pointed at a chair I had nearby for sitting in for breaks. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. I will follow this thread up with another on how to process the carcass for the freezer. I did all 6 in the litter, taking about 10 minutes each from the time I removed them from the hutch to putting them in water. Sorry so slow, I am sick and not feeling the best. Enjoy and I hope someone out there learns something from this. The hangers I am using are ones I got from a poultry processing plant, they work great!!
Beheaded and bleeding out in the bucket
Hang the carcass so it is free to work with
Ring the back legs and pull the hide free.
After both legs are free, carefully cut around the tail and genitals to remove them with the hide.
Pull the hide down until only the front feet remain connected to it, this method makes it possible to stretch and cleaqn the hide and leaves it in one uncut, tube shaped piece.
Cut the front feet off just above where the hide is attached to remove it all at once. I use large dikes or wire cutters for this. Notice the stomach pouch is still in tact.
Split the pelvic bone being very careful of the bladder. Make a small opening and insert 2 fingers and the very tip of knife between fingers to carefully open stomach in short gently downward strokes of knife being SUPER careful not to nick the intestins or other organs. Its hard to do this with both hands AND take pics, sorry. When belly is half open, carefully take ahold of the tube above the bladder and WITHOUT squeezing the bladder, remove it and throw it away. Loosen the colon (fecal tube so it can be removed with the guts. Then finish opening the gut and removing the organs. I save the kidneys, liver and heart. Here you will see the organs have been removed, but the kidneys will be attached to the spine area in pockets of fat and will not come out with the other organs, I remove these and place with the other organs in a bowl of ice water.
You now have a clean carcass ready to remove the back feet, I cut them just below the hanger careful not to drop it on the floor.
Place carcass in a pan of ice cold water while working on others.
When all carcasses are ready, take them to a sink (I have a large deep sink in my basement just for butchering...its not dirty, those are stains. Rinse each one until clean,
Once washed well, I place in a pan of ice cold water with a cup of Mortons TenderQuick and place in fridge for about 4 hours. Granted tame rabbits may not need it, I find it makes it much easier on the stomach and even more tender for older folks or those with bad teeth to be able to eat it easier.
Yes, I used the knife I got from WC...I LOVE IT!!!
Hope this was something you find interesting and informative, there are many other ways, this is just how I do it. Enjoy!!
;D
