Wanna Raise Meat Rabbits?

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When I was in my late twenties, I went to meet my in-laws who lived in France. They had retired from busy Paris to my father-in-law’s natal village in the country and were living a totally different life. They gathered wild mushrooms in the forest, collected eggs every morning from their chicken coop, and raised meat rabbits that they allowed to run free in a shed. 

At the time I was on a health kick and I had started looking for clean meat sources and alternatives to the American diet. Just before our trip I read an article about rabbit meat and how it is leaner than pork and even chicken. I had eaten rabbit before, and I really liked it, but you couldn’t find it very often in my neighborhood grocery store, so I was looking forward to having rabbit in France. My mother-in-law was a fabulous cook and prepared an amazing rabbit dish. One thing led to another, and before the visit was over I had fallen in love with the idea of raising my own meat rabbits.

The internet was in its infancy at the time  and it was difficult to gather the information I needed. It took months to figure out how I was going to outfit my rabbitry and which breed to purchase, but eventually I was ready to take the plunge. I got my act together and bought a trio of Palominos.

Fast forward to 2024, an age when more and more families are looking to move away from the industrialization of modern living to pursue a lifestyle that allows for more freedom. Whether it be planting a garden, raising your own meat animals or living off-grid, many of us are looking for a way to disengage from a way of life that is losing its appeal. 

How do you decide whether raising meat rabbits is for you? Well, if you live in South Idaho, you can attend Sara Grever’s masterclass. Sarah spent her childhood on the family farm, participating in 4H and raising all sorts of animals. In 2019 she starting breeding rabbits. In her mid-twenties she made her longtime dream of having her own farm a reality, where, in addition to her rabbit colony, she raises quail, sheep and chickens. 

Sarah’s passion lead her to open The Heritage Institute, where she teaches animal husbandry. Her meat rabbit masterclass is held in-person, at her farm, and covers everything from birth to butchering. She’ll introduce you to the breeds she raises: New Zealands, Californians, Chinchillas, Flemish Giants and Continental Giants, and discuss the pros and cons of the top ten specific breeds for meat so you can make an educated choice.

Sarah will show you several styles of housing. You’ll see a barn equipped with traditional hutches as well as her own colony-style option. She’ll teach you how to keep your animals comfortable and minimize weather related health issues. You’ll learn the benefits of controlled vs. free feeding and which supplements to include in your rabbits’ diet as well as how to keep your herd healthy, treating common ailments without visiting the veterinarian.

You’ll learn how easy it is to determine the sex of your animals—when you can observe it in person, which is what you will do during the masterclass. Once you have mastered identifying the sex of your rabbits, Sarah moves onto a live breeding session, so you won’t be left scratching your head as to whether the mission was properly accomplished. 

Learn how to ascertain whether your females are pregnant and what to expect. Here is where record-keeping becomes most important, so the class covers different technology options, essential in managing nest box placement, as well as the subsequent life and growth of the kits. Once your rabbits have reached their butcher date, it’s time to address the inevitable. Each participant (or couple) will butcher a rabbit assigned to them, a valuable part of the class. 

The class wraps up with a group dinner, rabbit, of course, featured as the star of the meal, and participants leave with a manual covering the material they have learned. Sarah is also available for consultations on setting up your operation. Back when I started breeding, I would have taken Sarah’s class in a heartbeat. The road to rabbit breeding is lonely when you don’t have people you can rely on and learn from. 

For more information on Sarah Grever’s classes as well as a schedule of upcoming events, please visit her website at  https://facebook.com/littlefeatherfarm.