have you ever eaten / would you eat . . .

[Lucy the Valiant]

domestic (raised) rabbit?

 

I'm curious. (I know the "feeling" about this is different in the USA than in Europe and other parts of the world; if you feel like, feel free to chime in where you're voting from. )

[KungFuPanda]

I have. I have no 'yuck' feelings towards rabbit meat. It's an easy meat to raise and 'process.' I wish I actually liked it more, but if I'm eating it I'm just wishing it was chicken. My husband raised a few meat rabbits not long after we were married. If we HAD to raise our own meat, I can't think of an easier way to do it.

 

ETA: I'm not sure WHAT possessed my DH to give this a try. He read a few books, built a hutch, and raised a few meat rabbits. They're quiet, so you get no complaints from even very close neighbors. He was born in Brooklyn and had no experience with livestock. So if he could do it . . .

Edited March 17, 2012 by KungFuPanda

[MotherMayI]

I have not, but I would.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We like to eat rabbit. At times I've been on special diets where rabbit has been a treat. Rabbit curry is one of my favorites. I'm in the PNW of the US.

[MidwesternMom]

No. They sell it frozen at our grocery store, but I would not eat it. We have pet rabbits and they are gentle creatures. I am from the rural midwest. My husband's family is from the south and they all eat it.

[Susan in KY]

domestic (raised) rabbit?

 

I'm curious. (I know the "feeling" about this is different in the USA than in Europe and other parts of the world; if you feel like, feel free to chime in where you're voting from. )

 

Here is a true story for you from the heartland of America.

 

A friend, whom I'll call Bob, had a few rabbits he was raising, along with a few children. The eldest child, a dear daughter, was four or five and had a problem with biting people when she was angry. She refused correction about the matter, and it was becoming quite a problem.

 

One day, Bob went out to take care of the rabbits, and the male (George) bit him on the hand as Bob was moving him into the the run from the hutch. So Bob killed him, skinned him, and gave him to his little wife to cook up for dinner.

 

That night, the family was sitting around the table, enjoying a lovely hasenpfeffer. Dear daughter asked "Daddy, what are we eating tonight?"

 

"George," came the terse reply.

 

"Why are we eating George?" she queried.

 

"He bit me."

 

There was never again a problem with dear daughter's anger.

[Impish]

Not knowingly. By that I mean, I dated a guy whose mother couldn't cook for love or money, and I unwittingly ate moose for months before finding out that's what it was...I thought she'd screwed up beef, and she never told me it was moose, for fear I wouldn't eat it.

 

So, she could have fed me rabbit, and I'd be none the wiser, assuming she'd simply cooked the ever lovin crud out of some otherwise recognizable cut of meat again. :lol:

[saraha]

yes I have/ yes I would. It can take a while to get used to.

Edited March 17, 2012 by saraha

[elegantlion]

No, I wouldn't.

[Lucy the Valiant]

Oh, goodness, I love the stories!

 

I'm asking because DH is considering raising them - I've always considered them a back-woodsy-hillbilly thing to eat (though I did eat them when I was very young), but was SHOCKED when my current research reveals their high-end prices at upscale city restaurants.

[Firestar Academy]

I haven't but i would. as long as it didn't have any pink slime stuff in it!!

 

Robin in NJ

[clarkacademy]

No, I haven't or would I ever.

[momtoamiracle]

yes I have. Fried rabbit is wonderful. Much better than chicken.

 

 

 

we raised them for a time when I was a kid. We didn't eat our pets. Then my dad didn't want to slaughter them anymore so we had no more rabbits.

 

 

 

I couldn't raise them and eat them, but I'd eat them if someone gave me the meat.

[nukeswife]

No, I wouldn't.

 

:iagree: count me in on the No side.

[momtokea]

Yes, I have. My grandmother cooked it in Greece when I was little.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I did as a kid. My dad tried raising them for food for a while but didn't have the heart to butcher them, so he gave it up. I'd probably try it now. . . maybe :D

[Paz]

My dad is Italian and they ate rabbit in his family growing up. He know has it about once a year a special treat when he and his sister get together and make dinner with some relatives visiting from Italy. I have tried it but don't particularly like the taste.

[KungFuPanda]

True Story: when my city slicker husband attempted to 'process' his first rabbit, the crafty guy got away. He took some ribbing from our country neighbors. Now, these plump meat rabbits looked nothing like the wild rabbits in the area. The same neighbors that teased him, thanked him a year later. We had moved by then, but were told that our rabbit apparently found some friends and the local rabbit hunting vastly improved. I didn't even know any of our neighbors ever hunted wabbits before that. Perhaps they were inspired by the meatier selection? Or maybe it's something that doesn't work it's way into casual conversation?

[regentrude]

I have, and I like it very much. My grandma cooked rabbit on special occasions, it was a holiday/Sunday food, not everyday food.

My great-grandma's neighbors raised rabbits to eat; they were considered farm animals, not pets.

I'm from Germany.

 

Question for those who say they would not: Why? I understand if somebody is vegetarian, but a person who does eat meat: why other mammals, but not rabbit?

Edited March 17, 2012 by regentrude

[eternalknot]

Oh, I've grown up veg*n so no ... I wouldn't.

 

My husband would, and does. It's a normal meat for them, along with goat and lamb. His people are neighbors to regentrude's Germany, maybe that's why :)

[Annie Laurie]

The thought turns me off. But, really, it's just because it's not something I'm used to. When I think about it, if people raised small animals for meat themselves, it would be much more humane than our current system of factory farms.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Dh brought home a squirrel from hunting once and I ate that just fine. So I wouldn't have a problem eating it. My Papa raised a cow on our property miles away from where we lived. I refused to go out there and see it, knowing I'd someday have to eat it. But I think I could do it now.

[ondreeuh]

I have, and I like it very much. My grandma cooked rabbit on special occasions, it was a holiday/Sunday food, not everyday food.

My great-grandma's neighbors raised rabbits to eat; they were considered farm animals, not pets.

I'm from Germany.

 

Question for those who say they would not: Why? I understand if somebody is vegetarian, but a person who does eat meat: why other mammals, but not rabbit?

 

Well, to me they are pets, not farm animals. I've only seen rabbits in pet stores and at friends' houses. I can't even think of a farm-themed storybook that included meat rabbits. It's just a foreign concept to me. I've never eaten it or been offered it.

 

We are raising meat chickens for the first time - now this will be interesting. They are due to be processed in 3-4 weeks. We live in a Native community that hunts and fishes for subsistence, and we keep hearing people say they don't want to eat these chickens, they'd rather buy their chicken meat from a store. It's all about what you've grown up with, I suppose.

[mazakaal]

I don't think I could eat rabbit. Even if I wasn't bothered by it, my dd would be extremely upset because we have two pet rabbits that she adores.

[Laura Corin]

Yes, it's good meat. It tastes a little like chicken but is very lean. A bit like the taste of chicken dark meat but the consistency of chicken breast. The bones are quite fine, so that can be a bit fiddly.

 

I'd love to have the guts to shoot rabbits around here, but I don't.

 

Laura

[Colleen]

domestic (raised) rabbit?

 

I'm curious. (I know the "feeling" about this is different in the USA than in Europe and other parts of the world; if you feel like, feel free to chime in where you're voting from. )

 

Yes, rabbit is delicious. I've only eaten it in Europe (Switzerland and Germany), as it's much more common fare over there than it is here. (Come to think of it, I did once have an tasty rabbit dish at a restaurant on Vancouver Island, too.)

 

One of my Swiss brothers-in-law, in his youth, had a profitable business raising and butchering meat rabbits. Btw, horse is consumed in Europe (among other places), too.

[Donna]

No and no. I am a bit picky when it comes to what I will and won't eat though. My boys and husband would probably, yeah definitely, eat it though.

[Jane in NC]

Growing up in the Midwest, Hasenpfeffer (rabbit stew) was typical fare. My uncle raised rabbits so we usually brought some back for food after visiting him. My father would process them--not something the children wanted to watch.

 

I do not eat mammals now but were I to do so I think that locally raised rabbit might be a better choice than industrial cow or pig.

[The Girls' Mom]

I haven't, but I would. I'll try just about anything once. (with insects being the exception :lol:) Dh and I have even talked about the possibility of raising meat rabbits, but the thought doesn't sit well with the girls. Except my oldest. She had a rather vicious pet rabbit when she was younger, and said she has no qualms with eating them now. :001_huh:

 

Oh, born and raised in the Southern US.

[elegantlion]

Question for those who say they would not: Why? I understand if somebody is vegetarian, but a person who does eat meat: why other mammals, but not rabbit?

 

If I wasn't already conditioned to eat meat, I'd stop. I did for a while, but I don't like enough other food to survive, especially in a house of meat eaters.

 

I could never raise animals to eat, my parents both grew up that way, and it's not something I could do. I do not want to know that the meat on my table was running around in my yard earlier. I do not want to have ever petted my food, kwim. It's a mindset I've pondered a lot over the years, and I always come to the same conclusion.

 

I prefer some distance from my food, although I know exactly how the meat from the supermarket gets there.

[clarkacademy]

If I wasn't already conditioned to eat meat, I'd stop. I did for a while, but I don't like enough other food to survive, especially in a house of meat eaters.

 

I could never raise animals to eat, my parents both grew up that way, and it's not something I could do. I do not want to know that the meat on my table was running around in my yard earlier. I do not want to have ever petted my food, kwim. It's a mindset I've pondered a lot over the years, and I always come to the same conclusion.

 

I prefer some distance from my food, although I know exactly how the meat from the supermarket gets there.

 

:iagree:Exactly!! I cannot raise something to eat. To me raising it is like a pet. No way could I eat it. There are certain things that just don't seem like they should be food to me.

[HappyLady]

Never. Besides being vegan, I had 2 rabbits as pets. They were the greatest little buns ever! I couldn't imagine eating them. :(

[mom2scouts]

No, I wouldn't. We have a house rabbit and she's such a sweet and gentle pet. It would be like eating a pet cat or dog for me. Also, my son would never speak to me again!

[Live2Ride]

Yep, very yummy and quite lean.

 

As for raising animals for meat...we don't play with our food. It's not a pet. We don't love on them or pat their heads; we keep them somewhat untame. We give them a once over each day to check their health, we feed them well, we tend to their needs. We give them a much better life than feedlot animals. That to me is worse than raising it myself. People have got to become more educated about what they put into their mouth and how it got to be there. I love animals, but they are here to fulfill a purpose and if I'm going to eat them, I'm going to make sure they lived as natural and as stressfree as possible. Ok...off my :rant: sorry, but it's a subject that I'm pretty passionate about....:)

[angela in ohio]

Absolutely, though I think wild tastes better. Rabbit meat is soooo yummy.

 

Dh butchered one for a group of boys here (before he lets a kid hunt, he requires them to know what the end of the process will be like.) Then we made soup and they ate it the next time they were over. :001_smile: It was the only raised rabbit we've ever eaten; usually we eat wild ones dh gets hunting.

[elegantlion]

Yep, very yummy and quite lean.

 

As for raising animals for meat...we don't play with our food. It's not a pet. We don't love on them or pat their heads; we keep them somewhat untame. We give them a once over each day to check their health, we feed them well, we tend to their needs. We give them a much better life than feedlot animals. That to me is worse than raising it myself. People have got to become more educated about what they put into their mouth and how it got to be there. I love animals, but they are here to fulfill a purpose and if I'm going to eat them, I'm going to make sure they lived as natural and as stressfree as possible. Ok...off my :rant: sorry, but it's a subject that I'm pretty passionate about....:)

 

I do know where the food comes from. I live in the midwest, home of beef, pork, and chicken farms. I am not ignorant or completely in agreement of the processes or stresses it causes to put bacon on my table.

 

However, if there is a furry head within my property, I'm going to pet it. For myself, I can not disassociate with something that wags it tail at me. If you can, great, but I can't. I don't hunt, my family doesn't hunt, but I grew up and live in a rampant hunting area.

 

I worked for a vet for five years, I've seen pets and critters inside and out. I quit eating chicken legs the first time I saw a kitten have to have its leg amputated. I know where my comfort levels for food are.

 

I already have enough stress in my life, I don't need to have a breakdown in the kitchen because I'm eating fluffy the bunny. It's kind of moot point in our current home anyway. We have a city lot and couldn't raise anything anyway.

[EKS]

I have not eaten it, but I would.

[SailorMom]

I did a lot growing up. My grandparents raised them. It was a bit hard at first - but they really weren't treated as pets.

I could never, say, ave a little house-pet rabbit and then eat it, though!

 

I've always found it interesting that many South American cultures raise and eat guinea pigs. They look to small to bother, quite honestly......

[SailorMom]

We give them a much better life than feedlot animals. That to me is worse than raising it myself. People have got to become more educated about what they put into their mouth and how it got to be there. I love animals, but they are here to fulfill a purpose and if I'm going to eat them, I'm going to make sure they lived as natural and as stressfree as possible. Ok...off my :rant: sorry, but it's a subject that I'm pretty passionate about....:)

 

:iagree:

 

If we had the room, we'd raise our own. Feedlot animals..... so sad. On top of the bad treatment, the conditions make over-use of antibiotics necessary. Ug. I cringe to think about it.

I know it would be hard at first to raise and then eat our own meat, but I already feel bad for the animals we eat :) We are not vegetarians though (and I doubt my DH would ever even consider it) so I just try to get the meat from the best sources we can. Same with eggs.

[Tarreymere]

When I grew up in a city I had some neighbors who raised rabbits for food, and some who raised pigeons. Our backyards were very tiny and right next to each other. I remember the rabbit farmer outside with his two year old son playing with the rabbits one summer day. He said to his son "Which one do you want for dinner?"

The little boy pointed to one and daddy picked it up and bashed the back of it's head in with a rock. Off they went into the kitchen. Yuck. But it worked for them. And they never ran out of rabbits.

My mom's family raised pigeons. There was vertical coop in the garage. Every Sunday there was a baked stuffed pigeon for each family member and two for grandpa. I don't remember much about it other than I did look forward to it as a child.

 

I'm sure if times were tough enough around here I could learn to love rabbit and pigeon.

Edited March 17, 2012 by Rainefox

[5knights3maidens]

Yes, I would. I would not eat our pet rabbit, though. :001_smile:

[RoughCollie]

I do not eat rabbits. My mother is German, and she does -- but only when she is in Germany.

[gardening momma]

I have (in the US). I thought it was kinda rubbery, but I think it may have been the way it was cooked. I've heard it can be very tender if prepared correctly.

 

ETA: when I was a kid we raised rabbits for a while. We had one that was a favorite, so we never butchered it. We released it in its old age (we kids didn't realize then that the bunny probably soon became something else's food).

Edited March 17, 2012 by gardening momma

[Hannah]

I haven't yet, but I would. I have eaten many different kinds of game meat, including crocodile.

[jenangelcat]

We raise rabbits for meat. It's a lot less disgusting then raising meat chickens. The meat is really tasty, lean and high in protein.

[celticmom]

I haven't yet, but I would. I have eaten many different kinds of game meat, including crocodile.

 

:iagree:Although I would have to substitute alligator and rattlesnake for the crocodile.

[mytwomonkeys]

if i *had* too, i guess i would eat it. but under normal circumstances, no i wouldn't. i have actually never met anyone that has eaten rabbit & i've lived in the south most of my life. i had no idea it was normal cuisine.

[Shellers]

We bought a meat bunny, but we didn't eat him. We saved him from the skillet. I don't think I could ever eat a bunny or a goat.

[stripe]

I haven't, but have you seen the scene in Roger and Me with the rabbit?

 

...not to mention the scene in Fatal Attraction.

[LizzyBee]

I have and I would. I grew up in MD in a farming/hunting family. I married a city boy who became a hunter after marrying into my family. :D