Concerned rabbits don't have enough fat? Worried about rabbit starvation? Watch this video before commenting! kzread.info/dash/bejne/pYurvJmtZ5zPoaw.html

@YouTubePurgetheblackplague

4 ай бұрын

How do fatten the rabbits up? Rabbit meat starvation exists.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

@@KZreadPurgetheblackplague You'll have to watch the video next week!

@ColtonBrummell

4 ай бұрын

I used to raise Cornish Cross, at the Kendall Co Fair in Illinois, for 4-H. I got Grand or Reserve Champion 7 of the 10 years that I showed. fyi for reference on my perspective. This is a truly fascinating video, I'm glad to have discovered your wisdom, here, just now.

@MajorMalfunction

4 ай бұрын

"Rabbit starvation" isn't due to lack of fat. It's because rodents lack one particular amino acid humans require to produce certain proteins. But if you're eating other proteins like dairy, eggs, and other meats, rabbits are a perfectly fine addition to a balanced and varied diet.

@dealarr

4 ай бұрын

Some of us are starting to wake up to the presence of an Almighty overlooking everything we are doing. For generations our Maker had endured us slaughtering His Creations and stuffing into our mouths. This latest bout of angry "natural disasters" worldwide, is because the world had gone after her, the harlot of babylon. Delving into eating dead bodies, corruption, no justice in the courts and same sex marriages are just some of the things the Almighty hates. So before it's too late, turn back and farm things that don't need to bleed bro. This is an uncorrupted verse for the corrupted Sunday book called the "holy bible" that had stolen Truth from the Israelites and a bunch of corruptions and Law relaxation in the "New Testament". Proverbs 12:10 10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Rabbit eggs have too much sugar in them for me and they only come around once a year😂

@wigster600

5 ай бұрын

They also aren't laid in the same place like a nest, they tend to get hidden all over.

@3nertia

3 ай бұрын

🤣 You win the internet!

@VOIDSTRANGER2099

3 ай бұрын

It’s a real pain getting the rabbits to lay eggs in the same spot

@Agapy8888

3 ай бұрын

Lol

@RaeHadzega

3 ай бұрын

They're also smaller than they used to be. I have to supplement my diet with more squishy chicks.

Now I live in a city of 10 million people in Southeast Asia. It is common for people to have roosters and chickens for their own consumption. In my view it is immoral that citiies in the USA won't allow people to raise the animals of their choice.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Don't even get me started. It's a combination of corruption, and decadence. In many places in the US it's illegal to turn your yard into a garden, let alone raise animals.

@SpecialSoldier109

5 ай бұрын

Big business 🤝 government

@John-100

5 ай бұрын

We have our rulers living in another country. They treat us like shit. But if there is a war they want to get going, they are more than happy to send my people to die in that war. Don't let anyone tell you different American peasants don't run their country. I can not identify who rules over us because of censorship...

@ellencox8415

5 ай бұрын

​@@westmeadowrabbitsyep, my HOA won't allow a "garden", but every time I replace something in my "landscaping", it's with something edible. The HOA is strict about raised beds "look awful". If I didn't have grade school children who LOVE being able to ride their bike to their friend's house.... I would live in the middle of nowhere, so I would be less likely to get the "letters".

@hmr1122

5 ай бұрын

When did the US become the USSR of the 70s?

24:40 nope. I live in an apartment in nyc and have never had any thought of raising rabbits or chickens. And yet I sat here for 30 minutes like I was a survivalist. You just explain things great man, keep at it

@thehairywoodsman5644

3 ай бұрын

when/if there's a civil war, or WW3 for just the grid goes down , or there's another Great Depression...people living in apartments in huge cities, will first eat their cats and dogs..then each other. where I live there are wild pigs, deer, squirrels, rabbits, fish, ducks, geese alligators, turtles ....all these things are food, for me and my cats and dogs........

@OLskewL

3 ай бұрын

@@thehairywoodsman5644 Calm down, Jesus Christ is Lord. God Loves you ❤

@aszul7750

3 ай бұрын

@@thehairywoodsman5644 high horse

@thehairywoodsman5644

3 ай бұрын

@@aszul7750 not on a high horse, trying to warn people that cities are a death trap....

@reapersritehand

3 ай бұрын

​@aszul7750 the horse will be eaten too

I have no desire whatsoever to raise meat rabbits but I watched this because you made a fantastic video. Obviously took time to put together a very well informed video.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

I appreciate that!

@mountainwoodcamp1638

5 күн бұрын

Yes! My first video, and it just is so right on. No bs, no time wasted, just exactly what we need to hear.

Raise both. You get meat and fur from the rabbits and eggs from the chickens. When the chickens stop laying due to age, you can eat them too. Also, the feathers can be of use sometimes... like for fly tying. After all, fishing is good too.

@DCIphanatic

5 ай бұрын

Does the age of the chicken change the taste at all? Does waiting until they're older mean tougher or different meat?

@feliscatus5161

5 ай бұрын

​@@DCIphanatic older chickens can be used for soup or making broth!

@hatefulcupcake460

5 ай бұрын

It's mostly older roosters you can taste a difference but I find older chicken meat to be a bit tougher.

@WalrusWinking

5 ай бұрын

Feathers can also be used for fletching if you bow hunt. Now fletching needed for bow fishing, though.

@DrDuckMD

5 ай бұрын

Yeah but old chickens have tougher meat. In the store they call older chickens, broilers. Younger chickens they call them fryers. Old chickens taste just fine but it’s very hard to convince somebody who has never had an older chicken, or wild game for that matter, that it’s better than a younger and more tender chicken.

Thanks for winning my husband over for having rabbits. Also excited that they are so space and noise effective that i could keep them a secret from nosy neighbors

Bud.... everything you said is spot on. First time I ever felt it necessary to take my hat off and say get some hard-core. You are informed, articulate, efficient, moderated and circumspect. Totally appreciate your video

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad you sound it useful, it means a lot!

@mountainwoodcamp1638

5 күн бұрын

Exactly!

I have been raising rabbits now for almost 3 years. I started in the city (nobody knew how extensive I became) but recently moved to a rural property. A feature of rabbits that I appreciate is that you can move kits from one doe to another if one overproduces. I have one doe that will raise no more than 8 so if she produces any more than that, I move them to another doe. On the other hand, I had one that produced 13 once and raised every one to weaning. I like being able to control who breeds with whom. I love the manure. I have only just discovered your channel and look forward to making my way through your videos.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

That's a solid point! Welcome to the channel!

Started watching your videos a few months ago. 40 commercial cages came up for sale, with feeders, and waterers, for a total of $800. Pulled the trigger, and have turned 2 breeding does and a buck into 20 total. Continuing to grow my herd. For 3 years we have done meat birds and sheep. After having these rabbits for only 6 months, I've quickly come to the realization that rabbits beat out meat chickens, hands down. This video further confirms everything I've been ruminating on, and more! Thanks

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Glad to here it! I believe most farmers would happily switch from chickens to rabbits if there was market demand for it.

@LemonyFresh2000

5 ай бұрын

Make sure to eat other meats as well, there's some minor vitamin that rabbits are missing that'll make you sick by not ever eating it. I think ot was like 40-60% of your meat can be rabbits if you eat varied meats for the rest iirc (could be wrong, please do your own research for your health). Good luck and have fun figuring out rabbit recipes!!

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

@@LemonyFresh2000 I hope nobody is eating 100% of their diet in any one type of food!

@yankeegonesouth4973

5 ай бұрын

​@@LemonyFresh2000rabbit meat is too lean to be a complete food, I think. Sailors used to run into trouble if their other food sources ran out and they only ate rabbits, because they weren't getting enough fat in their diets.

@Blackpill149

5 ай бұрын

well grass fed,bugs and worms fed chickens which are an year old produce most nutricious meat within an year.Rabbit is not better than chicken meat.It just depends on the guality of meat

Rabbits are the way to go. My wife and i started raising rabbits and chickens back in 2020. We agree. Rabbits are better and easier. We still have chickens, for the eggs and to diversify our production but we harvest way more rabbits than we do chickens. Theyve become a staple in our diet. We find that grinding up the meat works best for us. Rabbit tacos are pretty tasty.

Both is best for me. I use chickens to keep the ticks and other bugs under control, and don’t have to feed them corn and soy. Home mixed feeds. And they gives us eggs. We find rabbits are the best food to meat ratio if done correctly, and way easier to harvest. We also use a lot of good fats due to rabbits being so lean. Avocado oil, olive oil, ghee, tallow, avocados, flax seed, chia seed, pumpkin seed.

@j.f.fisher5318

4 ай бұрын

That's the thing for a prepper situation, if you don't have the oil sources rabbit starvation is deadly.

@pegsol

4 ай бұрын

@@j.f.fisher5318 Pigs give lard. Ducks have a lot of fat.

@nou8953

4 ай бұрын

@@j.f.fisher5318 even something as minor as sunflowers or squash seeds can give you the oils to not suffer from rabbit starvation, it's a really uncommon thing for how much people talk about it. You have to literally subsist off of nothing but lean meats for it to be a danger

@j.f.fisher5318

3 ай бұрын

@@nou8953 but if folks don't go in knowing that, they'll die. And that was never mentioned in the video or by anyone else in the comments.

@mattjohnson9727

3 ай бұрын

What do you do for the home mixed feeds?

I am an old farm boy and I prefer raising rabbits to chickens any day! If you want chickens, get either or both a Rhode Island Red or a Rock Island; they give brown eggs and quite often, double or triple yolks. And also, they are self sustaining, less work. But for meat, rabbits are the way to go and something that is very rarely mentioned, they give you great dreams at night. This is why Kings and Queens preferred eating them. I liked your video and you are spot on with what you said! Happy New Year to you and your's!!!

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks you as well!

@keylanoslokj1806

4 ай бұрын

Reds are quite aggressive against children and pets though. They are quite territorial and wild. Don't you know any more domesticated egg layers that give big ones? (Like multiple yolks etc)

@Self_sufficient_

2 ай бұрын

Orpingtons are by farm one of the best chicken breed options

I have raised both and will always have both as long as I can physically do so. Chickens give us meat and eggs and we sometimes use the fluff some breeds have on them. Rabbits give us meat and pelts. And both can be pets.

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Agreed I've kept chickens for eggs as well, but the point of the video is that if you are just looking for meat, rabbits are better.

@russelllyme4885

6 ай бұрын

Not enough fat on rabbits

@thelxvechild3193

5 ай бұрын

​@@russelllyme4885they are meant to be a healthier alternative so less fat can be a desirable aspect of it. Depends what you're looking for

@chrisharper1225

5 ай бұрын

Definitely need both.. need the fat the chickens give you

@habituscraeft

5 ай бұрын

​@chrisharper1225 I think it really depends on your overall picture. I'm considering raising cuy and quail, both of which are substantially leaner than rabbit and chicken, respectively. But I'm also planning to keep lard pigs and buy beef products, so I'm not terribly worried. (Plus, a lot of the plant crops I'm already growing are decent oil producers, even if that's not my main reason for growing them.) I don't know that anyone can be reliably self-sustaining on a single food source, so it seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone who in this scenario is just starting out in animal husbandry.

Thank you for staying on point an not walking around with a shaking Camara talking about other things.

I think your points are unbeatable! Meat, usable manure and pelts are super valuable to myself! A half dozen of $20 chicks for unlimited eggs and feed em mostly food scraps, supplemented with grain. Then simply dog food when they're too old to lay. Love the vid! Thanks for opening my eyes!

Back in the 70’s we tried raising rabbits. At 6 weeks we couldn’t tell the bucks from the does. We had small English Checker. A larger breed would be much simpler and waiting 12 weeks as well. We ended up with some very frustrated rabbits. Great vid. May have to try again.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! I would definitely recommend a meat breed like New Zealands or Californians.

I raised both chickens and rabbits. I could feed my family (generously) with one rabbit. It took 2 chickens. I knew every bite my rabbits ate. They were meatier, more tender and I felt, cleaner and better for my family.

@gnmidnight1191

5 ай бұрын

But eggs

@N0sf3r4tuR1s3n

5 ай бұрын

@@gnmidnight1191 that's why both. Chickens primarily for eggs, and sometimes you raise extra chickens to eat, and lots of rabbits specifically for eating.

@Blackpill149

5 ай бұрын

I wanted to eat rabbits but my mom has a big problem with it IDk why

@Blackpill149

5 ай бұрын

Both produce same amount of meat stop the cap

@sallywasagoodolgal

5 ай бұрын

@@Blackpill149 We butchered at 9 weeks, and the weight might be the same, but the amount of bone is different. The back of a chicken has almost no meat, but the back of a rabbit is quite meaty. I think the rabbit has a different ratio of bone to meat. I really could feed my family with 1 rabbit, and it did take 2 chickens to go as far.

I have raised rabbits and chickens in the past, I would say the ease of processing the rabbits is reason enough. So, so much easier than chickens.

@redrustyhill2

5 ай бұрын

Chickens taste good, rabbits don't

@WhiteWolfeHU

5 ай бұрын

Well red beard, how are you gonna get that red on your beard if you’re not slicing bird necks but instead go around clubbing rodents….?

@tissuepaper9962

5 ай бұрын

@@redrustyhill2 this guy can't cook

@aarepelaa1142

5 ай бұрын

@@redrustyhill2 bro you eating them raw tf you doin?

@BIGBigBoiNICK

5 ай бұрын

​@@WhiteWolfeHUdo you think rabbits dont have blood?

I respect that you did this in one take, zero scripting- all off the dome.

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

To be fair, I did cut out a couple of stutters and ums!

@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805

Ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits well then im reporting you bro lol

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

@@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805 🤣

I grew up in SE Pa. You were never out of the smell of a chicken house. My 1st job was at a company that inoculated turkey and chickens. The company was named Sexchick it is still in business today. I know a fair amount about chickens. I raise rabbit now. In theory you can get 185LBS of meat from 1 buck and 3 does. I believe that. My family eats rabbit meat 1or 2x a week. You are correct about some social issues. Some of my friends think I am a bad person for eating rabbit meat. Easy to grow no low smell inexpensive food. With My 5yo grandson can have a rabbit from live to in saltwater in less than 5 minutes with my help. Great info.

Rabbits really are the best kept secret in the world of meat animals, hardly any buzz about them on the big homesteading videos but MAN are they convenient. I got fresh butchered rabbit when I visited my grandmother outside of the US and the resulting fried rabbit tasted exactly like fried chicken.

Thanks for this video. I wanted to get chickens or quail but both are illegal where I live, but this makes me realize I can start raising rabbits right where I am rn instead of having to wait till I can move more rurally.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

That's the best thing about them. You can do it in stealth and get around those insane laws!

@Joe-yo1tm

5 ай бұрын

Chickens are illegal? Where on earth are you from?

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

@@Joe-yo1tm Most cities and even suburbs in the US unfortunately.

@MageSkeleton

5 ай бұрын

part of the problem with bloat and bureaucracy, stuff like rabbits aren't listed as "illegal" because they didn't think it was an option. it's all part of finding ways to dig into your pockets for your hard earned money. But more people need to be aware of the seed business.

@henrywylie8978

5 ай бұрын

@@Joe-yo1tm Hamilton Ontario

This is one smart dude. His information delivery is eloquent. Fair assessment from multiple viewpoints, well done bro.

German here. My Grandpa raised meat rabbits since i can think and i am glad someone mentions how good they are. We also were on some rabbit exhibitions in our area so i guess here it is more known although still very niche. I plan to raise them too some time in the future.

While I don't have never had rabbits, and only have layer chickens, I agree with you 100%. I plan to get rabbits at some point, but I'm procrastinating because I don't like to hurt animals. However, if SHTF..., I'm gonna wish I had meat rabbits.

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

A lot of my customers keep a trio as pets and have them just in case.

@shannonp4037

5 ай бұрын

Make sure if you buy a Doe, that she is a producer for at least 1 litter. Many Does cant reproduce.

@j.f.fisher5318

4 ай бұрын

Just make sure to have other sources of fat else rabbit starvation is a problem.

Thank you for the comparison. I have laying hens and meat rabbits. Frankly I eat eggs not chicken meat. I'm high desert, we had a hum doozy July, 118+. My rabbits are in a well insulated shed with TWO A/C's. They never got above 75 during July. I lost 5 chickens in 3 days the last of July. ATT, I have room for 21 cages. Will be be breeding this week, hope all my does give me kits in December. I raise American Chinchillas, 5 pds live is 3.5+ dressed. My problem is I'm too near suburbia. Have a neighbor that shuns me because I raise and (horrors) eat rabbit. Nevermind have a neighbor raises 12 head of cattle. We all have 2 ACRES with weekly irrigation rights.

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

It always blows my mind that people are ok with eating cows and not rabbits.

@howardrichburg2398

6 ай бұрын

You don't need the neighbor that dislikes you for 3ating rabbit. 6 the grocery stores c,island they can buy baloney. Don't share your rabbits with them.they can move to the city.

When I lived in Wichita KS there was so many people who had chicken coups in their yard. Very few cities allow this. It was actually very nice to see. One night my buddy invited me over for dinner and I got to eat one. Can't beat that. My buddy took much pride in his chickens and set up.

I found this video, because today marks the end of my year of raising chickens and the beginning of my year raising rabbits.

You are an excellent communicator. I would add that chicken meat is almost devoid of vitamins and minerals. Red meat is a good source of iron. Albumin (egg protein) is the best protein. Whey (milk) is second best and animal proteins are third.

@alsaunders7805

5 ай бұрын

Unfortunately I am allergic/sensitive to the protein in eggs and milk(casein). So it is mostly meat for me. 🤔🤓🍻

I love my meat bunnies, they're delicious :) I like how quiet they are. I'm in a trailer park and can't keep anything else due to close neighbors and strict 'pet' rules. I do love the rabbit poop for my small container garden, too.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that KZread listens to our conversations and makes recommendations based on that, but I’m glad it does. My girlfriend (has lived her whole life in very urban areas) has not stopped talking about how much she wants to have a few cows some day and no amount of explaining to her all the downsides and requirements of cattle and also just how they are a general pain in the ass to take care of had convinced her (it helped to show her a video of calves being banded), but just last night I suggested maybe we raise rabbits when the time comes instead and she said it was an acceptable compromise. Getting her to consider harvesting them might take time, but even being in the position to buy them isn’t in the cards for the near future yet anyways, so there’s time. Anyways, thanks for a well thought out discussion, I’ll have to watch more of your videos and maybe send her a few

Great video! I live in the country where we raise chickens for eggs and meat and we have a thriving colony of snowshoes on the property so we get meat there without almost any infrastructure. So i think like so many things in life the correct answer is BOTH cheers mate

The feed eficiency factor sold me the rabbits. Good video man. By the way, would be a good if you did a video about the best plants to grow in a small property (lets say, half to an acre) if we want to formulate a reliable source of rabbit feed

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

I've got a lot on different plants, but I need to make a good overview. a lot of those videos were poorly shot and I want to redo them as well. Thanks for the suggestion, I will make it soon!

@shannonp4037

5 ай бұрын

I've read that rabbits typically only eat what is outside of the dirt. Lettuce, leafy greens, Green beans, etc. The carrot thing is not typically what they eat since rabbits are not diggers.

@ForestToFarm

5 ай бұрын

@@shannonp4037i had rabbits as a child. One day I filled the cage with all sorts of stuff from the garden and then green leaves for trees and also dry fallen leaves from fall. The rabbits all went after the dead dry Maple leaves until they were all gone. Then they pushed stuff around looking for more Maple leaves. I added more Maple leaves and they all went after those Maple leaves. Pretty crazy but apparently fallen fall Maple leaves are candy to rabbits. Terry

@Ravum

5 ай бұрын

​@@ForestToFarmI had an unexpected amount of joy imagining your story. Thank you for that.

Rabbits are great. You are correct that in a supply chain they ate the best homestead meat due to zero outside inputs required. You can wean chickens and pigs off of grain, not completely, over several generations. You need another meat to go with the Rabbits bc there's not enough fat. I raise blue butts, a hog with hybrid vigor, and they are at about a 2.5 -3/1 grain to meat conversion rate, but 1/3 of their diet comes from other sources like grocery store melon rinds and expired goods from food banks. The hogs also range in the woods and on pasture so this helps with grain conversion ratio. Love pigs and Rabbits and laying hens and turkeys.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

I agree! In my opinion the wining combo for a small homestead is hogs, rabbits, and laying hens. They compliment each other nicely. The main reason I advocate for rabbits is that most of my viewers are in urban/suburban contexts with less than an acre of land. They can really only do small animals for protein, and of them i think rabbits are the best.

Have raised both in my life. One thing you did not mention in life stages, is the possibility that a mother rabbit will eat her young. It happens under best conditions. Is always good to know that. Loved your comparison. Glad you pointed out the Cornish cross is genetically designed for one thong and one thing only. This is the first video of yours I have watched, looking forward to seeing others.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 ай бұрын

In my own experience I've never had it happen, but it is a possibility. I'd weigh that against chickens eating their own eggs though and call it a wash.

@shelli9566

3 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits I understand it is a wash, however, people who have not have either of these experiences, it is much more of a huge shock difference finding a box full of dead baby bunny heads v. a box of broken eggs. Again, great information. Have a great day.

Growing up my papa had a small homestead on the edge of a small town. And this hit it on the head. He keep rabbit for meat and laying hens for eggs. They would eat the hens from time to time and was mostly in something like chicken and dumplings. He grew up in the 20's and knew a hard life and raised a dozen kids so things had to work or he had nothing to do with it.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

Exactly! People talk about dual use chickens and they are great for eggs! The meat is a nice treat once in a while. But if you want to have a lot of meat, every week, laying hens aren't going to cut it.

I m not farming now , But raise meat rabbits for years and skin and dress out in 10 mins, and the meat was so good, miss not being able to raise them any more

Just moved from a subdivision to 10 acre wooded lot and I have no idea where to start. Thanks for all the information.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

That's awesome, have fun!

My uncle had two long rows of rabbit cages in his backyard. This was in the suburb of SF. Raised a large family.

Long videos are better. Nobody wants a four minute video with little to no info. And no retention. Great video thank you 😁

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

I appreciate it! Unfortunately you can't please everyone on here but I try my best.

My gosh.. I had to pause watching this on the TV to write a comment. Not even halfway through and I'm impressed...to say the least. The amount of information, how thorough you were with all the possible things you could consider in comparing.. I could almost cry. It's like my ears and brain were being gently caressed and carried on a cloud of bliss to greater depths of understanding. My soul has been touched. Instantly subscribed.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! This has to be on of the best comments I've ever had!

We raise both. Rabbits are easier hands down. Hubby prefers the fat and taste of chicken. Raise both if you can! Diversity!!

@Anonymous-vr9hp

5 ай бұрын

Strip as much fat as you can from the rabbit and save chicken fat,pork fat, BACON GREASE ❤ for cooking the rabbit.

Yosemite Sam approves this video. I'm here in Colorado and I'm definitely going to look into raising rabbits for myself.

I'm getting ready to move to a more rural location and raising hay and animals is my goal. This is the first time I've listened to a promotional video on raising meat rabbits. I must say the presenter did a great job, was very articulate, and made a great argument for raising rabbits. I have a lot to learn but I'm very curious about learning more on raising rabbits. Thank you, brother.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

Best of luck!

@CharlieGoy

4 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits Thank you, kindly. My first video on your channel and already viewed two more... excellent stuff! I lived in the Massachusetts bay area for over twenty years, beautiful state although a little too liberal for my taste. Congrats on your new location and the best of luck to you, too! Peace.

Subscribed! Very nuanced view on raising chickens and rabbits. Would love more in depth videos like these, very informative, solid arguments. I always thought rabbits were more prone to disease. I've only raised meat chickens, but definitely consider raising rabbits right now. Thanks!

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for subscribing! I'd say they're roughly equal in disease susceptibility. They both have things that will knock them out (RHDV for rabbits, bird flu for chickens) but I'd say they're both pretty robust with the exception of the cornish cross.

@Valchrist1313

5 ай бұрын

The government here has ordered mass culling of chickens due to avian flu in the past, and threatened to do it again. There are also special laws with poultry specifically because of avian flu. Rabbits have no zoonotic diseases.

NASA in the 1960-70's was working out meat for their space stations in the Lagrange points and the results from their studies showed that rabbits were the most efficient animal per pound for launching into space.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

That's really cool!

Now I know why my granddad raised rabbits. Thanks :)

Thank you so much.. you have shared so much valuable information. Years ago, I raised rabbits... and you have reminded me of why I did that.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

You are so welcome!

We mostly eat eggs.Chicken is saved until they stop laying. As far as pigs , here in Arkansas there are truckloads of feral hogs and we kill a few a year to eat. We have also raised rabbits but we have far more wild rabbits than tame. I like rabbit meat and would probably raise them again.

Geese can be a super addition to a chicken coop. Instead of building a separate space for the geese expanding the pen area and adding a small "pond" (I used a turtle sandbox that was a holdover from my kids) you can put them directly with the chicken. This also serves as body guards for chickens and a very good alarm system for intruders. I just picked up diakon and clover seed so I can improve the feed for my rabbits, particularly in the winter.

Never considered raising rabbits myself for meat. I looked into chickens but found my town prohibits them. Now I'm really going to look into rabbits as a possibility and I'll be watching the rest of your videos. Thanks for the great content.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

You're welcome! Good Luck!

@Yes-hf6cw

4 ай бұрын

What the fuck? How can town prohibit raising chickens? Even in communist countries you can raise animals for meat and eggs

You can substitute up to 50% of chickens food with comfrey. You can attract black flys for snacks. Chickens can clean bugs out the gardens and help break down compost. You can grow rice and corn mixes to help. I’ve seen ppl that don’t use any feed from the story at all for their chickens. I think they all have their own place. You can’t eat rabbit all the time just like you can’t eat chicken all the time. A good mix of chicken duck quail and rabbits make a good combo for a small farm. If we was goin to take one out then let’s take chicken out for duck. More meat and bigger eggs. The only thing a rabbit would have an advantage is breeding. They breed like crazy!

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Broadly speaking I agree. For those with enough land chickens can be fed totally off the pellet. My winning combination is heritage laying hens+rooster (breed them and east the culls and extra roosters), hogs, and rabbits. For people who don't have the land however, I recommend rabbits over chickens.

@loserorangeorvoremonster8047

5 ай бұрын

You need so much more specific things for ducks, chickens don’t need as much and are at least more simple

@HolyPineCone

5 ай бұрын

Do you have a link or such to any videos of people not buying any chicken feed? I would really like to get a few pointers.

@josephspruill1212

5 ай бұрын

@@HolyPineCone google or KZread videos on comfrey and chickens. Not to be a smart ass. They are so many to choose from. Each one has at least one thing you can get from it. My son raises chickens is why I know! He told me the same thing, google it dad lmfao!

@johnnywriight

5 ай бұрын

@@loserorangeorvoremonster8047yeah ducks are wayy more work

Definitely considering this once my wife and I secure our land

We raise both, along with Muscovy ducks which provide actual red meat. Our chickens and rabbits are in the same 'barn' ~ which is 10 x 20 feet made from dog kennel panels, has a tin roof, and a wired floor. I have zero waste by letting the hens under the rabbit cages (but not on top). Our ducks are truly free range and mostly feral, but scovies are the best parents out there. This gives us several types of meat (I use the 'scovie breasts like mini roasts and cube/can the remainder for 'beef cubes') along with eggs, fur, and feathers from just small livestock. When we bring in new chicks, we isolate them the first two weeks, then they go into one of our old wooden hutches that we modified by covering three sides. The hardware cloth floor keeps the brooder much cleaner, the front side being open allowing those chicks to see the hens and the rabbits, and the hens are totally familiar with them by the time we open the door. We always have a rooster or two, and any hen that goes broody is just moved into the brooder box. I prefer the hens hatching out clutches because I don't need to run the heat plate (I don't recommend using a standard heat lamp in this setting!!). Feeding and watering is all in one, including our watering system. We have a rain cachement system from the roof going into black barrels. This provides water for both the rabbits and chickens thru the spring/summer/fall. We also have water bowls. Best of all, we made a chicken plucker. I don't really mind hand plucking though, and did so for years before we built the plucker. The ducks are FAR worse when it comes to plucking. I can dry pluck a chicken in under 5 minutes even though I generally give them a dunking. We are in a semi-suburban area and all of our neighbors have chickens, guineas, and ducks.

I watched this because I'm looking into alternatives to the CC. Your arguments are very compelling - great work, and great arguments. That cute, cuddly factor is very real, though. Not just for the bystanders, but for the homesteader as well when it comes time to harvest them.

This reminds me of a story my mom told me about a trip she took to Belgium when she was in college. She nearly accidentally accepted a meat rabbit (lapin) as a thanks for something she did because she thought the guy was offering bread (du pain). As it was something she couldn't do anything while visiting Belgium and she couldn't take it back to the US with her, she declined. Also, given the various stories I heard about her raising chickens and rabbits, I would never want to raise chickens in any setting, while I could be convinced to raise meat rabbits.

Thank you for the video! I have been trying to make this same argument to my husband but wasn’t able to articulate it like you did.

Appreciate your detailed analysis. Don't plan to ever keep chickens or ducks or geese again except perhaps muscovy. You make a good case for rabbits.

Thanks for recording this, it wasn't anything I'd considered before because rabbit meat is almost nonexistent in South Australia outside of the Chinese markets in Adelaide

@Veltrosstho

4 ай бұрын

Wild considering you guys have a rabbit problem. But it might be a law issue.

@AlexShiro

3 ай бұрын

No supermarkets there carry it? I found rabbit in the Meat - Game section in a few in NSW when I lived there?

Great video! Thank you so much! I have friends who raise meat rabbits, but prior to watching this video, I had never seriously considered them as an option for home-scale meat production. I am now stoked to learn more about meat rabbits, and how I might integrate them into my food security plan. Cheers - and keep up the excellent work! 🍻

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Good luck!

@Valchrist1313

5 ай бұрын

One rabbit will fertilize nearly an acre of crop growth over the course of a year if you collect the urine also.

I raise both, one thing you can’t get from rabbits… eggs which have many more uses. However rabbits also provide fur. If you can do both I would recommend it

@PuReWiReZ

4 ай бұрын

You should consider raising Cadbury Bunnies.

I grew up raising rabbits and hunting them as well i didn't get into chicken until adulthood. I love both but if I could only do 1 of them it would be rabbit. Great video thank you. Oh and with chicken plucking do with boiling water way easier!!!!

I've started my own. I personally don't eat rabbit meat, but I've found a small market for rabbit meat (Chinese restaurant). Best part is that they pay a premium for mature rabbits which is something people should keep in mind as they can breed like rabbits and you might quickly find yourself overwhelmed. I only raise rex rabbits now for this reason, since the fur on mature rabbits is more useable, I (alum pickle) tan the hides and summer hides of rex rabbits are still great gifts or for making mittens. Winter furs are outright luxurious. Get the colors you like I keep a single tone of castor.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

sounds like you've got a good operation going!

Don't worry about longer videos. It's quite nice and people often have a stretch of time to invest in such a good informational video.

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

Thanks. I always laugh because in my studio there's a comment right next to yours of people yelling at me for taking to long.

As someone who has raised both, I found rabbits to be superior to chickens. When I get to have a homestead, I plan to have rabbits and a few milking goats. If I need eggs I will get ducks. You covered a few of the reasons already in the video. I might even get into rabbit where I am at, once I own it fully.

Excellent video, sir. Just makes me wish even more that I'd pushed my dad to let us raise rabbits when we were kids. My cousins raised them for whatever reason he would never let us get rabbits.

@westmeadowrabbits

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! At least you can raise them now!

This channel must be young, because I am an immediate subscriber. I assumed you had many more followers than now, so anyone reading this comment please like And subscribe to support this man who is conveying clear honest truth.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 күн бұрын

Thanks a lot I appreciate the support!

Appreciate your viewpoints. We already have chickens and have been considering rabbits.

This video is one of the best comparisons of chickens and rabbits. Well done......👏👏👏

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Hello New subscriber from Michigan. We are a small farm that is wooded on just over 10 acres. We bought our farm in June of 2020. And it's been a working process since. We raise California and New Zealand meat rabbits, dairy goats which kidding season just started yesterday with 29lbs and 8oz worth of kids as a set of huge triplets. We do raise our own food and grow it for our needs also. This was a good video. Thank you for sharing. Till next time God Bless.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! I'm moving to a bigger farm and looking to add goats. What breed do you raise?

@heavenly-dreamsdairygoats

3 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits Alpine's

There is another option for localities that ban poultry - pigeons. The parents feed the squab, so that makes it easier than chickens, they grow fast and you can butcher the squab at 28 days. Pigeons are generally not considered to be poultry, and you can always claim that you are breeding racing pigeons.

@BS-np8xt

4 ай бұрын

Technically they are racing pigeons, since they'll be racing to their plates :p

@peterwilliams2152

4 ай бұрын

@@BS-np8xt 10 points!

Thank you for this great information on the difference between meat chickens & meat rabbits, I'm glad I watched your video 🥰

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great video - I'm trying to educate myself more and more on becoming less reliant on industrial complexes of society. I've always wondered why we don't use ducks and geese more in industry farming, I would appreciate a video of your take on that. I think you've convinced me and many other guys in this comment section that rabbits are superior for meat... Step 2 is us convincing our girlfriends or wives 🤣

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Ducks and geese are better for the individual and the planet, but not for factory farming, I'll add it to the topic list. As for the girlfriends and wives...that's the really hard part.

@BasedZoomer

Ай бұрын

​@@westmeadowrabbits Thankfully in my case I'm the wife 😂 The tough part will be the daughter, for us lol!

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

@@BasedZoomer Yea you've got your work cut out for you!

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

@@BasedZoomer Yea you've got your work cut out for you!

I like your thoughts on rabbits verses chickens. When I was growing up we always raised chickens and kept them throughout the year. Instead of just raising some of our chicks from the hens we bought some meat chickens once. We didn't butcher them soon enough and many of them died so, even though it was 60 years ago, your comments about meat birds not being suitable to long life is true. To this day I love the sound of hens clucking to each other as they forage through the day. I like chickens. Having said that, I wish we would have tried raising rabbits when I was young. It seems to be straightforward and doesn't have as many downsides as raising chickens for suburban or urban dwellers. I don't understand why they are so expensive in a grocery store. They're cheap to raise, butcher etc and yet they cost so much to buy. ????

I bought 36 acres a couple of years ago and I want chickens for eggs, cornish cross for the freezer as well as rabbits and quail for proteins, but I'm in the early stage of getting setup on any houses, been working on clearing trees to put in an orchard, good imformative video

@westmeadowrabbits

3 ай бұрын

Good luck! If you haven't raised livestock before start slow, the learning curve can be steep!

Well done! You made some excellent points herein. Nicely presented and dang, you moved right along in your speed of delivery. Thank you!

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Darn your logic and facts. Now I need to start building some infrastructure for rabbits 😅

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Sorry!

When I was little we always had rabbits for food we mostly fed them grass and kitchen scraps and we used to go to fields in the neighborhood to fill big sacks with dandelions including the roots because the are very nutritional for rabbits.

@westmeadowrabbits

2 ай бұрын

That is awesome!

I don’t have a farm, neither do I have the money or space for one, but for some reason I still watched the whole video lol

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

Well thanks for watching either way!

Would you agree that, if you can get away with it, the best entry-level combo, for a resilient protein source from an urban back yard, is laying hens + rabbits? I ask because the entry level animal of choice, for most people in suburbia, is the laying hen, not the meat chicken. And I think there's good reason for that. I don't think the disadvantages you listed, aside from noise, apply to laying hens. In a Geoff Lawton style chicken composting system, for example, you do roughly the same work you would do for composting without chickens (you turn the compost 5-6 times: once a week). The chickens themselves require very little work or bought in feed, making eggs an extremely cheap protein source. But yeah, meat birds aren't good, on the backyard scale. Processing is tough, they're fragile, require attention multiple times a day, most of their food is bought in, etc. I never tried raising Cornish Cross, but people I know who did ... failed pretty hard, the first go around. And I don't know anyone who keeps doing it, year after year. They tend to come to the conclusion that it's not worth it.

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

100% agreed. that's why I was careful to distinguish between meat birds and laying hens. One minor point on Geoff Lawton though. His primary business is commercial compost not eggs. He gets something like 60-80% less eggs than if he fed grain. I also don't think a single household would produce anywhere near enough scraps to sustain a laying flock, so you would still have to feed grain. That being said, eggs are a better food than grain, and the ratio is more favorable than it is for meat. There's nothing wrong with supplementing laying hens diet with grain, and if you are looking for meat in suburbia, go with the meat rabbits.

@johnnywriight

5 ай бұрын

Quail a great urban option too

You make good points. The reason why I have chickens over rabbits is because I have no problem butchering a bird or even losing one. I have not had a rabbit get in my garden so I still have a favorable impression of them. Ethically it's silly, I agree. Im slowly turning to rabbits, the PO of my house had cages and I can jump into it quite quickly. Chickens are a nuisance. I have 25 and have been letting me down with eggs. I understand it's winter. But I have an egg eater that I haven't outed yet. My neighbor had 2 roosters as pets and they would sound off all day, setting off the dozen or so roosters spread out over a couple of blocks. I get having a rooster for novelty, but I'm starting to sour on chickens.

Growing up, we had both chickens and rabbits. Rabbits for meat and chickens for eggs. Of course, in the 1950s, chickens weren't as specialized. These are all good points. One additional thing we noticed is that it is easier to protect rabbits from predators.

How do rabbits taste vs. chicken? I have never had rabbit. There is also a big difference between store chicken vs. organic raised chicken. Store chicken is much mushier than organic and pasture raised. The non-store chicken meat seems denser and more sustaining after consuming. Great video. I am going to show my 11 year old. He is going to be excited about your video!

@AgnesMariaL

5 ай бұрын

You'll have to get one (grocery stores sometimes have them) and try it, it's hard to describe. They don't have a gamey flavour per se, but they do taste unique. I know I didn't like rabbit the first couple times I had it, but now that I'm older I like it.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

For fryers it's a very mild flavor, but definitely different than chicken. Older animals have a stronger taste and texture. However, it cooks just like white meat from chicken. Young animals can be prepared like chicken breast, older animals can be stewed or roasted.

@onri_

5 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits You know how cattle are grain finished / Grass finished to change the flavour of the fat, can something similar be done with rebbits?

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

@@onri_ I haven't experimented with it much. The primary reason it effects beef flavor is because cattle store fat in their muscle tissue, and changing the amount/profile of that fat in the meat changes the flavor. Rabbits cannot store fat in their muscle tissue, only on top of it. So changing their fat content won't effect the meat taste.

@gjmottet

5 ай бұрын

Rabbits taste like chicken, but better. It does depend on what they were eating and the age you eat them. Older males taste "bucky" and can get tough, but 8-12 week old rabbits are mild and like lean chicken breast meat - it is really really tasty.

In Russia, many people raise rabbits in rural areas. I would like to describe some aspects that are not touched in the video. 1. Rabbits require more attention. Due to the fact that food and water must be given for EACH cell. Whereas chickens can be fed all at once. 2. Rabbit food is a separate difficulty. In summer, rabbits feed on fresh grass. Which must be personally mowed down. A gasoline scythe is used for this, which is noisy and your neighbors will definitely know that you are harvesting grass. You can use a good old ordinary braid in the old style, but it takes a lot of effort. And to prepare for the winter, hay needs to be overgrown. Which requires a storage location. And which is very dusty, which is a problem for people with allergies. 3. Rabbits do not tolerate extreme heat. 4. Rabbit skins are practically useless. All that can be made of them is a hat or a vest. The hat is too warm for our climate. And a fur vest is a kind of clothing that is less practical than industrial ones. This can only be done as a kind of hobby. 4. As correctly noted, rabbits are too cute to kill. Unlike chickens. 5. The most serious point. Rabbits are highly susceptible to insect-borne diseases. Every rabbit owner in Russia will face this. Once a year or once every two years, all or almost all rabbits can die in terrible agony. I have never come across something like this in relation to chickens. Chickens don't get sick with anything except worms sometimes. In order to avoid rabbit disease, specific methods are required. Vaccines, insect repellent/mosquito net on cages. In the USA, due to the smaller rabbit population, this problem may not be

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

We've actually got a pretty good amount of rabbits here. I think the genetics are probably different. For example, in our south it is very hot, but that's where most of our rabbit industry is. That disease sounds horrible, but we don't have it here so I'm happy about that! However we do get outbreaks of bird flue every few years. This is mostly a problem for the big chicken farmers, but it does kill millions of birds.

@nizzyvak

5 ай бұрын

In Italy also the main problem for rabbits is illnesses.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

@@nizzyvak I imagine you are talking about RHVD. We don't have that here really.

@nizzyvak

5 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits honestly I don't know I talked with some local old folks and they told me so but I don't know what is the problem exactly. Let say they are not anatomic-patology experts.

Thank you for the valuable info. Keep up the good work you're doing here! Best regards and a happy new year to you and your family

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, you as well!

Excellent presentation, I am prepping all the way and having a blast. Rabbits for some reason were distant on the radar, now I am going to bring those thoughts to the front of mind, awesome project. Thank-You

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on ducks vs chickens in a similar context. My wife and I raise a small flock of Khaki Campbells just outside of Downtown Indianapolis on a 1/3 acre lot. There are definitely some points your raised on chickens that can easily be substituted for ducks, i.e. buying feed, brooding/incubating, plucking, not as much usable meat, etc. That being said, we decided to elect them over chickens because they have quite a few upsides versus chickens: 1) Their manure is not as Nitrogen heavy and much more diluted so it can be applied to crops directly. I spread the used straw from their coop in the garden and in other planting beds around the yard, as well as dump their bathing pool on the garden providing a nutrient rich watering regularly. 2) They have a great foraging instinct, but do not have the destructive tenancies that chickens do when they do grab bugs out of the garden. 3) They are omnivorous and will eat greens and other lawn clippings (our flock likes to follow me when I mow the lawn since I shake up all the bugs and prechop their salad) 4) They are not loud, aside from when they make a danger call which is still plenty quieter than a rooster crowing. 5) They lay year-round and are not perturbed by winter weather. We plan to expand our operation to include rabbits in the future, as they've always been on the radar, but was glad to hear your thoughts on the pros of rabbits in the greater husbandry argument. Excellent video and keep up the good work!

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! That's a lot of really interesting information I'd feel less confident talking about ducks vs chickens because while I've raised chickens, I've never raised ducks. That being said they are definitely on my radar.

On 2 acres but still “country” suburb- have 3 hens for eggs but this spring hope to add rabbits. Heard lab grown meat does NOT. have to be labeled as such… want to learn as much as I can this winter

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Check out the rest of the channel if you interested in meat rabbits!

@spoolsandbobbins

6 ай бұрын

Smart!

Great video, you made some excellent points. I had not considered geese before, but I am looking at them in a new light.

Really great content. I live in a suburban area and found this really informative and eye opening.

I LOVED YOUR VIDEO! This is my first time seeing your channel. I was especially excited because of the fact that I have read a book called "Eat Right for Your Type by Dr Peter D'Adamo, who says that my blood type B husband and my 3 blood type B children will eventually end up developing serious health issues, if they consume chicken on a regular basis... Chicken is the perfect substitute for them. And in his book, he states that eating rabbit is beneficial for those who are blood type B. I know that's not the point of your video, but I feel like this was something very related to the topic, and maybe helpful to anyone who sees this video. ❤ Thank you!

I just shared this on my Instagram. Such a great summation of thoughts I've had for a while but put together much better than I could!

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks!

I have absolutely no interest in every raising any animal, but this was so interesting and so well done I just watched a 30 minute video about it.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Well I think that's just about the highest compliment I can get!

I have ducks, chickens, quail and sheep. One one of the things I like about the sheep is they eat grass most of the year, when I do have to feed hay its something I can buy from a local small farmer. I need to look closer at raising rabbits. Thanks for the info.

@westmeadowrabbits

13 күн бұрын

I often compare rabbits to sheep, they have a lot in common, just at a smaller scale.

You murdered this video!!! There was not 1 moment of dull or useless information in what you said. Wow! Well done having an absolute plethora of knowledge on this topic and for being so articulate in addressing this subject from so many angles.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! I try to cover all the angles so people don't yell at me for missing something lol.

Thanks so much for this great video - really have gotten hubby and I rethinking our plans. Currently I have a small egg business on 5 acres, last spring I hatched out 4 Bourbon Red turkeys to start a breeding program. Labor intensive, but we love our birds. In the spring we had planned on building a small run in shed for a couple of beef cows, never really thought about meat rabbits, although growing up in military bases in the 1970s, rabbit was always a staple in the meat department, and I remember it being delicious! Hubby and I will start researching rabbits for sustainability. The idea of building rabbit tractors and rotating them thru our fields is very appealing! Thank you so much :)

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

Glad to hear it! 5 acres is really the ideal minimum size for self sufficiency. Sounds like you've got a good operation that rabbits would complement nicely. If you're doing tractors I'd run the turkeys behind the rabbits after a few days. The shorter grass will make it easier for them to forage bugs and seeds.

I am so glad I found your channel... learned so much from watching it. You make a lot of sense and I agree with you. I inherently knew that rabbits were easier and more productive than chickens. Will be starting my own herd shortly. Thanks so much!

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

Your welcome! Good luck!

@katrinagarland5219

4 ай бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits You're (not your) welcome... sorry, Mom was an English teacher. :)

A solution to the feed issues for chickens, that also doubles as a problem for urban farmers, is raising bugs. When i had chickens, i could save a lot on feed by raising my own bugs for them; soldier fly larvae, mealworms, roaches, etc. I could breed bucketfulls of them for pennies, and they're packed with protien and nutrients for the hens. Once i move out to somewhere more rural without an HOA to worry about, I plan on setting up an even bigger bug operation to feed my future flock. But in general, yeah rabbits are far more efficient to feed.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 ай бұрын

Nothing wrong with bugs for chickens, it makes sense. Although I heard a great quote form Richard Perkins on this. To paraphrase "You aren't really solving the feed issue, just transferring it. This is fine for a few hens, but at scale you just become a bug farmer, not a chicken farmer."

Dude! You’re amazing!!! Thank you for a VERY comprehensive review of this subject!

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!