Mike and I have been talking about adding rabbits to the homestead for awhile now. Rabbit is one of the leanest, highest protein meats you can find…and the turnaround from birth to freezer is pretty hard to beat. With the exception of created-in-a-lab Cornish X monstrosities, I don’t think anything produces that quickly. Other benefits? The meat is delicious (one friend said, “If I could buy this, I’d never eat chicken again.”), they take up very little space and their manure can be put directly on your garden. Win/win/win!
We have been dragging our feet though, since as many of you know, on a homestead there are always more projects than time in the day, (and money in your bank account)! In fact, we’d almost crossed off getting rabbits this year because of the whole “building multiple hutches” thing, getting the feeders and food and hay…and the bunnies, of course.
Enter the wonderful thing we call Facebook. I was heading over to a farm group for the NC and VA areas to add a friend (which means, Dirt Rich Farmers, you’re to blame for our impulse bunny purchase!).
Lo and behold, a screaming deal on two hutches with feeders/waterers/food and the two bunnies themselves. And shockingly, they were less than an hour away.
That NEVER happens around here.
So we hitched up our farm trailer, drove down a steep and winding dirt road (so scary I closed my eyes) and found a great little homestead at the end.
Jacob sheep, Anatolian Shepherds, chickens (obviously!), alpacas, llamas and…our bunnies.
These two will be our first foray into raising rabbits. They’re a little smaller than a New Zealand (which is the classic meat rabbit), but I think they’ll do just fine.
Supposedly, they are Blanc de Hotot Rabbits, and I shall keep you posted as we learn all about the joys of rabbit raising.
Meet Sweet Pea (she’s still a little shell shocked), and Butch.
Oh, and in case you wanted more cuteness…here is a picture of some of their Jacob lambs. CUTE!!!
PS. The owner said she put them together about two weeks ago, but didn’t actually SEE the “action”…so we’re thinking we might have baby bunnies on the ground in 2 wks…or we won’t! We shall see.
YAY bunnies! I LOVE that I was the impetus for this purchase. They are absolutely lovely. I just wish I could help get them settled in their new hutch this weekend!
Raising rabbits is the best! I think you will love your new editions.