Producing Quality Meat Rabbits

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Producing Quality Meat Rabbits
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Quality Assurance

• WHAT is Quality Assurance?
• Quality
• Standard
• Assurance
• A pledge or a promise
• To consumers

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WHO is responsible for Quality Assurance?

• Everyone involved in food production!
• Livestock producers
• Food processors (packing plants, milk plants)
• Grocery stores restaurants
• Consumers

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Commercial Rabbit Industry

• 8 to 10 million pounds of rabbit are marketed
  each year in the US

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Nutritional Value of Rabbit Meat
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Parts of a Rabbit Carcass

• Foreleg
• Rib
• Lion
• Rump
• Hind leg

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What are the steps to quality meat rabbits???

• 1st Housing
• 2nd Nutrition
• 3rd Health/Breeding Programs
• 4th Marketing Plan

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Housing

• Housing
• Many types and Varieties
• Need to provide
• Ventilation
• Protection from drafts

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Housing

• Provide a dry environment
• Provide plenty of space
• General rule of thumb ¾ square Foot per pound of
  body weight.
• Example a 4lb rabbit would need 3 square feet of
  cage space or a 18x 24 cage

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Nutrition meat type rabbits
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Health

• Common Diseases of Rabbits raised in a meat
  production system
• Digestive Disorders
• Pasteurellosis
• Parasites
• Sore Hocks

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Digestive Disorders

• Newly weaned rabbit is most vulnerable
• Enterotoxaemia is the most common disorder
• Coccidiosis is a protozoa that causes diarrhea.

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Pasteurellosis

• Respiratory Disease (Snuffles)
• Larger groups of Rabbits
• Poor Ventilation and high ammonia levels caused
  by urine.

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Parasites Sore Hocks

• Two main types of Parasites
• Mites cause ear and skin mange
• Protozoa Coccidiosis
• Sore Hocks
• The main disadvantage to wire cages
• Wear of the fur on the hocks and can create open
  sores on the hocks

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Reproduction

• Traits of concern
• Number of kits born
• Number of kits weaned
• Litter Weights at weaning
• Litters per year (usually 5-8)

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Marketing

• Things to consider with meat rabbits
• Slaughtering Facilities
• Packaging Labeling
• Potential Buyers

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Marketing

• Selling Rabbit Meat
• From the Farm- can be slaughtered on farm and
  labeled as not inspected, no license required.
• At a Farmers Market- Must be processed by a
  licensed slaughter facility, mobile retail food
  license required.
• Grocery or Restaurant-Must be processed by a
  licensed slaughter facility, retail food
  establishment license required.

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References

• DATCP- Division of Food Safety Wisconsin food
  Regulations Overview for Farmers and Market
  Gardener Wishing to Direct Market.
• Backyard Production of Meat Rabbits in Texas.
  Texas Ag. Extension Publication E-138
• Agriculture Alternatives- Rabbit Production. Penn
  State Cooperative Extension Publication 1994.
• http//www.elook.org/nutrition/beef/4434.html
• http//www.elook.org/nutrition/lamb/3909.html
• http//www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/standards/AMS-RabS
  T-2002.htm