We’re raising meat rabbits! Here’s why.
When you’re living on a quarter of an acre in an HOA, it might seem like you’re stuck. Like there’s nothing you can do but wait until the time is right to get your own piece of land. But that’s just not true! Meat rabbits are just one of several small livestock you can keep in a backyard. And they’ve got a lot more benefits than you might think! Check out our top reasons for starting meat rabbits below, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Reason Number One: Rabbits breed like…rabbits
We decided rabbits were right for us because of several reasons. Raising rabbits on our homestead will allow us to produce up to 600 pounds of meat in one year (if we want) all in our little backyard. That type of independence sounded pretty darn freeing and reassuring to us, especially given the price of meat (and everything else) these days.
Reason Number Two: High Quality Meat
In addition to being able to produce a lot, rabbit meat has the highest percentage of protein of any meat out there! We do feed them pellets and hay, but we also supplement with lots of greens from our own garden. The nutrition benefits of high quality meat we’ve raised ourself fit our goals and way of eating as a family super well.
Reason Number Three: We could start NOW!
Last but not least, rabbits were right for us because we didn’t want to have to wait anymore! Rabbits are small, quiet, and can be kept discreetly if need be. It’s not like we’ve got noisy pigs or chickens out there! Bees and rabbits definitely weren’t where we imagined our livestock experience would start, but they are allowing us to start when we otherwise couldn’t. Which is music to our ears!
Here’s a video I put together of us building our rabbit hutch, and then a sneak peak of our trio of bunnies!
Should you get meat rabbits?
If you’re still on a small piece of land, but you’re feeling the urge to be a bit more independent from the food system, rabbits are a great way to go. I know they’re cute and soft, which can be tough come harvest day (we have a while til then, but I’m sure it will be no fun), but they really are a great resource to have. Plus, if you’ve got small children like I do they’re relatively low risk when it comes to injury, and a great way for your kiddos to experience animals. I highly encourage you to give them a try, and let me know what you think!
If you do decide to take the plunge (or if you already have some rabbits), tag me on Instagram @sweetgumspot so we can learn together!
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