meat rabbits

what are yere views on breeding rabbits for meat? I read recently about a meat rabbit breeder who had her rabbits in a pasture type setting in large moveable tractors. and more in a colony setting in a fenced in field of 1 acre with lots of grazing.

If they're well cared for and killed humanely I think it's a brilliant thing they're doing, I'm vegetarian but because I don't like the way meat animals are kept, not because I object to eating meat. And eating a rabbit, cat, dog, horse is just the same as eating a pig or cow imo

I personally think the life, and the way the rabbit leaves life, is more important than what happens to it after death.

i think its the quality of life that matters and not necessarily the length. i visited a meat rabbit forum and there seemed to be a lot of talk about the best interests of the rabbits and their quality of life aswel as how best to humanely end them. i like the idea of rabbits grazing also.

DemiS said:

If they're well cared for and killed humanely I think it's a brilliant thing they're doing, I'm vegetarian but because I don't like the way meat animals are kept, not because I object to eating meat. And eating a rabbit, cat, dog, horse is just the same as eating a pig or cow imo

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I wouldn't eat it but if others choose to I would much rather they bred the rabbits themselves and gave them a good quality of life before they are killed rather than buy meat from a supermarket

If I had the space I would quite possibly breed and eat my own rabbits. There's no better way to ensure the quality of life of the animals you're eating.

When my grandad was maybe 40 odd, he kept rabbits for meat, and they had 2 pet rabbits my mom and auntie looked after their rabbits but weren't allowed near the meat rabbits in case they got attached. He built them 'proper' hutches (4ft I think he said they were) which was huge when they had rabbits (my mom and aunties rabbits had a 5ft hutch... Each! :shock: lol )

I agree with Sky-O I wouldn't eat rabbit though

I am always happy to hear that meat animals are being kept in good conditions.

i have eatn wild rabbit and realy liked it. never domestic though. and i will not be eating any of my half wildie litter ha! lots that breed meat rabbits breed them so they are all the same colour and look the same so they wont get 2 attached. t

BattleKat said:

If I had the space I would quite possibly breed and eat my own rabbits. There's no better way to ensure the quality of life of the animals you're eating.

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As long as they are given a good life and killed humanely then I feel fine with it. The only reason I have stopped eating meat was because I didn't agree with the barbaric way these slaughterhouses were keeping and killing the animals. If you are going to eat meat (which is perfectly natural) then at least show the animal some respect and dignity. I mean you are taking it's life so that you can eat after all. It is the least we can do in return

I'm totally for that idea, its the best way

The following is my personal opinion and I do not want to force it on anyone


I would NEVER knowingly eat rabbit meat. It is freely available here in Germany, and I have been to restaurants where raw rabbit meat can be seen next to the grill

Everyone around me knows that I would not eat it, and fortunately no-one has eaten it in my presence, I would be likely quietly leave the restaurant if anyone did


I personally want to cut down on meat eating, and eventually go purely vegetarian.

I have a strong affinity to rabbits, but sheep, pigs, chickens and cows also have feelings and as much right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as anyone or anybun

I don't know how people can look their pet rabbit in the eye and then scoff a distant cousin...or how people choose one rabbit over another as food or as a pet...but above all how people can keep food rabbits knowing that one day those docile, friendly, trusting, intelligent creatures are destined for the chopping block

when we die our bodies turn to grass, the antelope eat the grass... the circle of life to be honest id prefer if rabbits were never domesticated. the cruelty is not in dispatching and eating, its keeping them in a house and thinking they want to b cuddled and talked to like a child. they want space grass shelter and socializing with others of their kind. indoors to them is alien and un natural. let rabbits be rabbits.

I do eat meat, but I like to make sure I know where its coming from. I hate to think any animal suffers a horrible life be it for my dinner or any other reason, so happy animals is great, even if destined to be dinner. I have eaten wild rabbit before, I hated the taste, and wont be eating it again, but i have kept chickens and any cockerel offspring that arent needed are used for food, we have kept sheep and pigs before too when I was small, and they were for food (bar one pig that we called daisy oink, she was epic and ended up at a petting farm thing). I despise waste too, so if you're going to eat any animal, I would rather it was fully appreciated, skin/fur, all meat and all offal used etc.

wildbuck said:

when we die our bodies turn to grass, the antelope eat the grass... the circle of life to be honest id prefer if rabbits were never domesticated. the cruelty is not in dispatching and eating, its keeping them in a house and thinking they want to b cuddled and talked to like a child. they want space grass shelter and socializing with others of their kind. indoors to them is alien and un natural. let rabbits be rabbits.

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I get your point about the circle of life...few prey animals get to choose when they die

but for a person that keeps rabbits to decide when each of the fit and healthy ones should die...for food...it is too much for me to bear or decide..."yesterday when you came so trustingly to the door of the hutch, I gave you yummy food, a nose rub and a cuddle, but today I just have an axe"...sorry, I couldn't do that, I would rather starve

wildbuck said:

when we die our bodies turn to grass, the antelope eat the grass... the circle of life to be honest id prefer if rabbits were never domesticated. the cruelty is not in dispatching and eating, its keeping them in a house and thinking they want to b cuddled and talked to like a child. they want space grass shelter and socializing with others of their kind. indoors to them is alien and un natural. let rabbits be rabbits.

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I have no problem eating any type of meat (I couldn't eat rabbit myself) so long as that animal has had a good life and was killed humanely.

I will say tho that I find the bit of your comment that I bolded very offensive, I have house rabbits and they are very happy and they are able to show many, many natural behaviours.
They get more space inside (being free range) than they could get out in a hutch/run combo, they are all in bonded groups and they all get grass through the year when it is available.
And during the summer when the weather is nice they get to run around the garden, even when the back door is open so they can go out most of them choose to chill out on the front room carpet.....

wildbuck said:

when we die our bodies turn to grass, the antelope eat the grass... the circle of life to be honest id prefer if rabbits were never domesticated. the cruelty is not in dispatching and eating, its keeping them in a house and thinking they want to b cuddled and talked to like a child. they want space grass shelter and socializing with others of their kind. indoors to them is alien and un natural. let rabbits be rabbits.

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Forget it...cba.

I think it would be a good thing as long as the rabbits are taken care of well. Next best thing to being vegetarian at least. Unless you buy from a local farm that you know takes good care of their rabbits, you never know if the rabbit was treated badly or not. That goes for all meat animals, and I think raising your own animals should also be encouraged for eggs and dairy since those industries are evil too.

piningforarabbit said:

The following is my personal opinion and I do not want to force it on anyone


I would NEVER knowingly eat rabbit meat. It is freely available here in Germany, and I have been to restaurants where raw rabbit meat can be seen next to the grill

Everyone around me knows that I would not eat it, and fortunately no-one has eaten it in my presence, I would be likely quietly leave the restaurant if anyone did


I personally want to cut down on meat eating, and eventually go purely vegetarian.

I have a strong affinity to rabbits, but sheep, pigs, chickens and cows also have feelings and as much right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as anyone or anybun

I don't know how people can look their pet rabbit in the eye and then scoff a distant cousin...or how people choose one rabbit over another as food or as a pet...but above all how people can keep food rabbits knowing that one day those docile, friendly, trusting, intelligent creatures are destined for the chopping block

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re bolded part - exactly, I don't think there's any difference between any animals. No animal deserves to be eaten more than another.

I've been vegetarian a few years, but before that I only had chicken, turkey, pig, cow, and fish/sea food since those are the only really commonly eaten animals here and my parents would never eat duck, lamb, rabbit, etc so they never bought those types of meat.

I'm glad that I didn't eat a lot of different kinds of animals before I became vegetarian and I have no problem that people don't feel right eating certain animals but I hate it when people act like certain animals are above being eaten when there's no difference between a rabbit and a chicken or pig or whatever (not saying anyone here has said that). Just because one animal is commonly seen as a 'farm animal' and another as a pet doesn't mean the farm animal wouldn't make a good pet. I love all animals pretty much equally and plan on having many species of 'farm animals' as pets

wildbuck said:

when we die our bodies turn to grass, the antelope eat the grass... the circle of life to be honest id prefer if rabbits were never domesticated. the cruelty is not in dispatching and eating, its keeping them in a house and thinking they want to b cuddled and talked to like a child. they want space grass shelter and socializing with others of their kind. indoors to them is alien and un natural. let rabbits be rabbits.

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So 1. why do you keep them and

2. Didn't you just say you had a half wildie litter?

ETA: On the meat topic, I agree with the others, glad to hear there are some broiler animals being kept well :thumb:

I agree with Sky-O.

Also, I'm not sure I could eat rabbit, it would be a little weird when I have 2 at home that I care about, but I'm not a vegetarian and I don't think cows etc deserve any less quality of life than a rabbit does.