I Think I'm Officially Crazy!

My mom talked me into our newest venture - raising rabbits!  Yes, really.

We plan on selling them, but mainly using them for meat. 

Yes, I know.  Bunnies are cute and furry.  There is actually a long tradition of raising rabbits for meat that has for some reason fallen out of style the last few decades other then a resurgence during WW2.  The Dutch probably would not have survived the Nazi occupation if it were not for their backyard rabbits!  Rabbit meat is low in cholesterol and fat and a domesticated rabbit is all white meat!  A buck (male) and two does (females) can give you 300 lbs a meat a year from their litters.  Not shabby!  And since the kits are ready to eat at 10 weeks or so there is not a lot of investment compared to other meat animals. 

People have difficulty with the thought of raising their own meat.  Our society is so far removed from where meat comes from.  At least I know that my meat had a very happy and comfortable life.  Think those poor animals you get from the grocery store.  They were practically tortured!  My animals have fresh air and treats and cuddles and then one bad moment.  Or at least that is the idea. 

So here are our newest additions, these will be our pets/breeders. 

This is Captain Jack - a Broken Black New Zealand.  He's our buck!

This is Mocha.  She's a Flemish Giant/Dutch mix.

And these adorable babies are Captain Jack's babies with another Broken Black New Zealand.  They are too small for us to figure out their sexes yet.  We plan on keeping two of them and we have possible homes for the other two!

This is Claire's favorite baby.  We are definitely keeping him/her.  She's been calling it Cloudy.

 

Claire with one of the spotted babies.  Daddy already had me promise that we will keep one of those!