Taking On Livestock, Part I

(Page 8 of 8)

March/April 1987
By John Vivian 
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But they're so darned cuddly that it takes real will power-at least at first-to slaughter them. (And remember, you'll be repeating the process over and over throughout the year.) If you have children who have made pets of the rabbits, you may find it nigh impossible. This brings up a crucial point. Differentiate early in your livestock-raising career between beasts to be food and those to be pets. As dirt-farm practical as I try to be, I couldn't eat a rabbit or duck that my daughter had cuddled or trained to follow her around the place. Give your meat animals qualified affection-love at arm's length. We call our steers "Hamburger," our hogs "Sunday Lunch," and don't name our too-easy-to-adore meat goats at all.

RELATED CONTENT

While rabbit meat sells best in California, live rabbits are easy to dispose of in most areas. Try selling just weaned bunnies to pet stores for half the retail price—or direct to eager customers around Easter. Anytime you tire of the mammals, an ad in the paper should move adults, cage, and equipment for most of what you've invested.

On a personal note, I have to admit I've slaughtered my last meat rabbit for a while. Martha has won out with both tenderhearted and economic arguments. She sells one-pound just-weaned bunnies for $15 each to pet stores (they retail for $25 to $40). That beats any price I've ever seen for rabbit meat.

Editor's Note: Next issue, John Vivian moves on to the larger country livestock: pigs, goats, sheep, horses, and cows.

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