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stumbling self sufficiency in a small space
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2:00 pm
Improver
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Sat 14-Aug-10
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Hi, just popping in to say hello from just above Cardiff.
I'm from a hill farming family , but at present still dreaming of having own small patch of somewhere.
So to date i have allotment and another small plot attatched to my property where i keep numberous rabbits for an excellent meat source.
2:13 pm
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
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Hi Rob and welcome to the Forum. I am sure you will enjoy it. I enjoy rabbit too, especially rabbit and potato soup - yummy!
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
2:25 pm
Councillor
Thu 7-Jan-10
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sut mae!
croeso i CSH.
Good to have another welshie in the ranks! where abouts are ye? I'm in the ever so fragrant depths of Llanrumney (yes I know, but it was cheap).
Intolerance will not be tolerated.
3:39 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Hi Rob and welcome - we Welsh people get everywhere don't we? I envy you your stock of rabbits.
I'll try that again!
4:07 pm
Councillor
Wed 30-Dec-09
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Hi Rob.
We could never keep rabbits - at least not for meat. Emma thinks they are far too cute to eat 
Visit my blog for food, drink, photography and hamsters.
6:06 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Welcome, Rob. Good idea about the rabbits. I was amazed to hear during the Open Golf this year that St. Andrews was a rabbit farm before it was turned into a golf course a couple of hundred years ago.
Shame you are so far away - we could barter fruit, veg and flowers!
Never knowingly underfed
10:23 am
Improver
New members
Sat 14-Aug-10
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Thanks for the very warm welcome from you all.
Danny.. we always have spare, more than welcome to barter.My father lives in Lowestoft.. not a stones throw away.
Toffee apple.. its taken a while since i have decided to get more serious with them to get the stock levels right.. still a long way to go yet. But i have collected blood lines from all over to get things right. My grandfather used to have dutch crosses on his farm and Belgian hare- would love to look into the belgians when i have created more space.
At the moment i have Californians, New Zealand white, and some crosses of both. i have been able to obtain the use of a Rex du Poitou wich has produced the most exciting F1 hybrid and a wonderfully delicious meat rabbit.
danast.. yes i have numberous rabbit recipes and recently have been playing in the kitichen with rabbit liver pate.... delicious!!
Rae mond iown diloch,mae'n dda gen i gwrdd a ti
sut mae pethau gen ti?
Bob yes it has taken a while for the family to get used to the idea... there is just no stopping them now, especially when you consider all the health benifits of such low fat / cholesterol meat so rich in omega and other nutrients.
11:18 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Budo1 said:
But i have collected blood lines from all over to get things right. My grandfather used to have dutch crosses on his farm and Belgian hare- would love to look into the belgians when i have created more space.
At the moment i have Californians, New Zealand white, and some crosses of both. i have been able to obtain the use of a Rex du Poitou wich has produced the most exciting F1 hybrid and a wonderfully delicious meat rabbit.
Crikey, Rob, I never considered that there are breeds like that with different characteristics. That's a bit of an eye opener. I never thought beyond the common wild bunny that you see in abundance grazing the roadside verges at this time of year.
This is worthy of a Rabbit Farming thread of its own in the self sufficiency forum but i would not lumber you with that necessarily.
Never knowingly underfed
3:28 pm
Improver
New members
Sat 14-Aug-10
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That sounds very interesting and technical... would love to help out
8:33 pm
Councillor
Thu 7-Jan-10
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noswaithdda!
to be honest dw i ddim ond dysgus cymraeg, so this is stretching me a bit.
Don't suppose you've any use for masses of runner beans or apple and blackberry jam to barter for your bunnies? I can crochet a nice blanket also, but that takes a while.
Do you use the pelt for anything? I'm guessing it's surplus to meat requirements. I bet it would make lovely snug boots. I got my mother's husband a lovely kosak style hat made from rabbit fur for when he's piloting his oil tanker round denmark (i hear it gets a bit nippy). Or if you had loads of them (which since you breed the little blighters I guess you must) a really snug throw to curl up on the sofa under.
I bet the scarecrow would love something like in her hovelette come winter.
Intolerance will not be tolerated.
10:26 pm
Improver
New members
Sat 14-Aug-10
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Rae, yeah im happy to barter out some bunnies.
The pelt is one thing i am looking into. I hate waste and certainly worth looking into. I have a company to contact to see if they will cure them. My grandfather used to sew pelts into gloves and coat hoods as warm liners.
7:39 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Budo1 said:
That sounds very interesting and technical... would love to help out
Good man, Rob. Thank you very much. I will email you with some thoughts on how we might develop that sort of thread with your expert help and knowledge.
Never knowingly underfed
5:45 am
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Oh good as my good friend has just started keeping rabbits for meat.
Can you believe it but there are no wild rabbits in Latvia, only hares!
9:15 am
Improver
New members
Sat 14-Aug-10
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The problem we have had in Europe is the introduction of myxomatosis which has decimated populttions in certain areas and left others undesirable.
personally IMHO once you have had a lovely home fattened rabbit you'll not want too many wild ones
i love rabbit ( most game actually) and have to say the home fattened is much more succulent with more of a delicate flavour, whiter meat; the added plus you know the age of the animal and there are no tough surprises. There is more meat on the dressed animal too. Depending on the breed and age there is easily 4.5 - 6 lb of tender meat on a dressed rabbit.
10:06 am
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
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Budo1 said:
The problem we have had in Europe is the introduction of myxomatosis which has decimated populttions in certain areas and left others undesirable.
personally IMHO once you have had a lovely home fattened rabbit you'll not want too many wild ones
i love rabbit ( most game actually) and have to say the home fattened is much more succulent with more of a delicate flavour, whiter meat; the added plus you know the age of the animal and there are no tough surprises. There is more meat on the dressed animal too. Depending on the breed and age there is easily 4.5 - 6 lb of tender meat on a dressed rabbit.
Wow that is much much more than on the wild rabbits I get. How fantastic.
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
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