Before the video even starts. 1: Rabbit poop is ready to go in the garden, chicken poop needs composting. 2: Rabbits reproduce faster. 3: Rabbits mature faster than chickens. 4: Rabbit kits are more hardy than chicks. 5: Rabbits take up less space than chickens. 6: Less disease like salmonella. 7: I have never seen a chicken skin hat or chicken skin gloves. Although chickens do give eggs and their crispy baked skin is tasty! 8: The only drawback is rabbits do not lay eggs! 9: Chicken is so different, I'd have a small flock for eggs and the occasional chicken dinner.
@@jfeoujfdfeldsam4967 Please share your recipe here. Thanks. I saw this one RUclips video where the ENTIRE rabbit was cooked, and the skin was eaten. "How to cook Rabbit in Nigeria" by BattaBox ruclips.net/video/950EHDPdW10/видео.html
I have a rabbit. He is litter boxed trained. My friend said to not use rabbit poop in gardens because they can carry diseases. Do you have information on this?
OMG. THANK YOU for putting the money right at the front of the video and filling the vid with good info. I hate the popular "watch this 60 min vid for 5 min of info" style.
Looking at your hutch design reminded me of my grandpa’s neighbor when I was a kid! His design looked like yours, but had a single wooden tray running at a 45* angle under the hutch to funnel the poop from all 3 cages into a bucket at the end. The trough had about an inch lip on either side to keep it from rolling off and to make sure it all went to the bucket. Saved him having to bend and scoop for the garden!
I could feed my family with 1 rabbit, when it took 2 chickens. Also my rabbits ate vegetable peels, and garden extras, alfalfa pellets, alfalfa hay, and salt. My chickens preferred things I didn't want them eating. They were forever scratching around in the cattle pens, and chasing bugs. I kept worm bins under my rabbit cages, so there were no insects, or smells. I had to clean the chicken coop. Home raised rabbit is very, very good. Better tasting than chicken.
Sorry for a newbie question I'm interested in starting to raise rabbits for food. Can anyone tell me what a worm bin is? I'm guessing a container underneath the cages?
It was always a treat to go to my grandparents' house to see the rabbits. My grandfather never let us pet them so that we didn't get too attached, but it was still a great time.
I'm in the same boat: prefer rabbit to chickens. We raise both, but the cost of feeding a bunny is CHEAP compared to what we spend on a bird. We're fortunate to be able to put up our own hay and veggies which make the rabbits a no-brainer feed-wise.
I was planing on Rabbits and Chickens but from the video I see the best option for us would be Rabbits for Meat and just some layers until they are past there prime. At least if I am understanding correctly lol... Great video, really enjoyed it. Thanks
This is a great tutorial on meat processing. I wish you had mentioned inspecting the Lungs and Liver for anomalies. Those of us that are experienced processors do it without thinking, Rookies have to be reminded.
This was an excellent break down of the pros of rabbits over meat birds. Completely agree with everything you said. I am planning my homestead and I might have to reconsider meat birds for rabbits.
Rabbits and goats are two must haves for large garden areas.. their pellet poop is perfect, slow release and like you said garden gold. Plus anyone who's had rabbit cooked in bacon and stuffed with some peppers 😋
@@noface9978 contact your local 4H or FFA program. Also the local High School may have an Agriculture program and the teacher may be able to sell some rabbits.
Totally agree. Plus we found that we prefer the taste of rabbit over chicken. The meat also pressure cans better because of the low fat content. You just have to learn how to cook them in a different way. Occasionally we get the hankering for a chicken dish but that is why we raise dual purpose heritage breeds. Just think though if the supply trucks stop rolling tomorrow, could you support a flock of chickens or a warren of rabbits? I will never give up my rabbits. One more thing. They are way better suited to our negative twenty to forty bellow celsius Winter temperatures.
@@eyeswideshut2800 I wonder what the ratio is of Omega 3 to Omega 6 . Comparing chicken meat to rabbit meat. I think there would be a significant Omega 3:6 ratio difference since rabbits are fed a grass based diet and chickens are fed grains.
@@richardmang2558 The brain needs fat for fuel and rabbits don't have much so you'll be stupid, slow and confused. I learned this from the best survivalist in the country, I had no idea rabbit would not sustain you. Taught me to head harvest, there's moisturizer in that skull...lol
Its so true though. They are literally to dumb to get up out of the heat, or out of their own water dish. They can have an acre of shade, but they will sit under the light until they die of heat exposure. I've never seen anything like it, dumb mutant birds.
Very informative Melissa. I’m seriously considering starting to raise rabbits this coming spring. We will probably always also do meat chickens but the rabbits would also be for our family. I did almost spew water everywhere when you said they’re giant meat bananas.
Just a few more advantages with rabbits....Worm beds under static cages produce a ton of worm castings, (SUPER SOIL or 'tea'), and eliminate 'cleanup'. Rabbit meat is VERY lean and has essential amino acids. The 'aroma' is superior. AND, they don't make noise! JMHO. God Bless.~Eli.
Great knowledge, really enjoyed listening to you talk, and explain the difference between rabbits, and chickens. You're fantastic for doing what you do, and sharing it! :D
Thanks for sharing this information. I like the idea of fresh eggs but the cold manure is very attractive to me as a gardener. You were very upfront about your analysis!
I was just thinking about Cornish crosses but now I might just do rabbits after all. My husband had them when he was a kid and his father taught him how to process them. He is well aware of how to grow them and what they eat. Reassessment time.
Wow, very very interesting video! I'm looking into broilers, but I simply never even considered rabbits. Rabbits actually make a lot of sense! Thanks!!
I agree 100% and we haven't even processed any meat chickens yet, because it's too easy to process and raise rabbits! I hate having chicks in the brooder also, I'm hatching out chicks for more layers and I'm so ready to be done! Love my rabbits though and yes, they are cleaner tasting than a chicken to me also!
A baby chick is able to go outside and withstand cold temps at 3 weeks old. Brooding chicks can get annoying sure, but it is usually pretty quick and they are so friggin cute. My kids love love saying Hi to the baby chickies.
Lets talk rabbits...thanks so much for this video! I like raising Californians. The New Zealand's were too large for me to handle. Rabbits are the BEST to raise all round. My 10th edition of Encyclopedia for Country Living features a great section of what to feed rabbits if you can not get grain. I did not lose any of my 50 Rock Cornish, but would not bother to raise them again. I like Barred Rocks for eggs and that is it for chickens for me! I want to try to make rabbit manure compost for raising earth and compost worms. I had a college friend who put himself through college by selling bait worms!
Found you guys recently and this is my retirement plan! In the woods away from stupid people. Too many years in the Marine Corps and Homeland Security. My question is, do you have a preferred BRAND of feed pellets for the rabbits? Thank you and your entire beautiful family for the videos. Very informative and entertaining!!!
0:32 I swear I’m tired of people saying chickens are dirty, they’re not as dirty as you think they might dust bath, but that’s nothing they just shake it off🫤
@@slamboy66 Hers are walking on wire and some RUclips Homesteaders compassionately make the correction. Why would that be hard to comprehend, the earth is not covered in wire. Poor rabbits want to call 1-800-PETA, "Hey PETA I'm ok with them breeding us for food but they've got us on wire"...ijs
@@eyeswideshut2800 I understand , but for some it is function over ??? Mine are in a 400 sq ft coop/run style barn. It is free roam. Everyone has a box, most are named for repeat customers.
@@eyeswideshut2800 It really depends on the wire. You can get coated wire and its common practice to add a wood piece where they can get off the wire when they want. You place that in the middle since rabbits use corners to urinate. They poop anywhere.
I've been wanting to get rabbits but didn't want to overwhelm myself with having to deal with both rabbits and chickens at the same time, so I went with the chickens. We've had them a few months now, and they go through so much feed it's crazy. I used to buy 18 eggs a week and now that we get almost a dozen a day we barely eat them. And on top of that my kids and I have never had fresh chicken, so I don't even know if we'll like it. But it doesn't matter because I can't stomach the idea of fishing around for guts anyway, so of 15 chickens, 5 are 4 years old and we're basically feeding them all to give away eggs.....Should have gone with rabbits. Lol
Your ancestors are crying over this pathetic comment. Do you feed the birds any leftovers or grass? Do you have them pastured or locked up in tiny cages? Chickens are better than rabbits in every way. They are more modest than the promiscuous rabbit. They are smarter and hardier. They lay eggs!!
@@greensnapper1602 I only had to butcher one before I decided to never do that again took me almost 3 months before I could stomach chicken. And before you say anything it was the smell that got me, I mean I used be a butcher there's not a single animal that i know of that smells good on the inside, but my God that was by far one of the worst things I've ever smelled my entire life.
He is a shar pei, only breed I've ever had my entire life! They are very loyal, and very smart. He knows just what belongs here, and will protect baby rabbits, chickens, kittens, you name it. They are great!
Been raising chickens for about twelve years and just getting ready to get into rabbits. There is a trick to raising the cornish x with minimal/zero loss, and it comes down to 3 things: how you raise them, how much you feed, and observation. They really do not do well in a coop setting, despite the fact that commercially they are raised in huge barns; the best way to raise them is on pasture in a tractor as of 1-2weeks of age (might still need a heat lamp, but drill a hole, install a hook to hang said lamp and run an extension cord). Feed: free-feed ONLY while they're still in the brooder; once in the tractor, cut back and spread the feed across the ground, this encourages foraging. Observation: take a few minutes everytime you go out to feed or move the tractor and watch them: do any seem uninclined to stand up, or perhaps having mobility issues (tends to happen at around the 5-week mark)? If so, STOP with the commercial feed - so forage only - until the lameness is resolved (anywhere from 24-72 hours). Another point would be predation: we wired in the floor of our tractor one year, it it wound up a clumpy, poopy mess - solved predation, but defeated the purpose of the whole tractor concept. We wound up learning - quite by accident - that one of our dogs could be trusted with birds, despite what we thought, so we removed the wire and just put the dog in the tractor with the chickens every night! Knowing that the cornish x have had their "I'm full!" switch bred out of them, you CAN keep them alive well beyond a year and breed them! You just have to be very careful when it comes to diet. Our Brienne of Tarth was a rescue that hadn't been able to stand up for at least a week when her owner called us to take her for a free chicken dinner, but i saw an opportunity: into the bathtub she went! First 24 hours, water only; then, greens only until the day she flew out of the tub two weeks later! I bred her back to a barred rock (one of the foundation breeds) and got offspring without any of the health issues and got the same growth and carcass weights, as well as carcass quality, as the cornish x. So, it CAN be done, but you must have patience and be very mindful of the diet!
Yes officer, I have 23 pet rabbits 😊 lol I feel this, that’s what we have to do. The head of animals control lives across the street from us however, knows what we do, and doesn’t care.
@@GoodSimpleLiving Yes! Skinning a chicken (instead of plucking) is harder than shopping a rabbit. Once the skin is cut from the back legs and the head is off, it peals right off!
I like your channel. Now, love to raise rabbits. Raised 300 as a teen, at the same time raised 525 chickens. Raised the chickens in a broader. That was before the cornish crosses came around. As a youth it wasn't a problem. Now I let the hens hatch the chicks and keep them in runs sometimes never loose any. Same with rabbits your right sometimes one sometimes none. A cornish rooster with my laying hens gives a cornish cross just butcher all of them as soon as I need them. Since I have the practice, I don't mind the plucking, use cones and can do a chicken in 5 minutes so. What I do for animal waste is since was a caterer have 4 of the roaster ovens and heat them up to 350* and add the waste and some water after 45 minutes its over 212* so its sterilized and ready to use, make potting soil and garden soil that way. It cooks while I do other things. Have a good day.
Your doggie is so cute! I'd like to note that you are overlooking one key element of the chicken vs rabbit debate: Chickens are hilarious! The amusement pays for itself. Lol.
Enjoyed your chicken/rabbit comparison. BTW we raised Cornish X broilers for a number of years while my son was in 4H (He won many ribbons with them). We found that the reason they died easily was because of lack of digestible minerals (dry minerals don't work) We used Growers Mineral Solutions as a liquid mineral source mixed in their feed, and IMO they are the best with lowest possible heavy metals. Our birds were able to run around and even breed at 13 pounds each with zero breast blisters (when I didn't get them butchered in time). Dipping cleaned birds in at least 3% hydrogen peroxide will get rid of Salmonella bacteria. We will consider trying rabbits, sounds interesting. I had to quit with chickens because I became severely allergic after some really nasty chicken dust blew in my eyes when i was working on the coop on a windy day. My eyes swell up like balloons when exposed to chicken dust. Colloidal Silver drops in my eyes clears it up quickly, but it is still a pain. Another option is to just skin the birds instead of plucking them.
Hello my friends here is Joel from Florida I been watching your videos what a beautiful family my respect on everything you guys doing that is the real way to grow families living behind the the city with all the virus we are having recently keep going enjoy the time and those beautiful mountains where is real life
I am surprised you don't take the nest boxes out when they are that big. It would make more room for them in the cage. I see you have Cinnamon breed, I just bought three days Cinnamon yesterday, already have New Zealand Whites.
These are all Rex rabbits. I leave the boxes in until they are 4 weeks old, and then we remove them. It's still chilly at night, and I like them to have the nest.
I agree with everything you say about rabbits vs chickens. My one regret about rabbits is the tiny bones both along spine and elsewhere. I don't like to cook them for others because I have to warn them to be careful about the bones. Also I like the taste of chicken a little more.
Just found your videos, awesome, love it! This video is a real eye opener! Begs the question, why do we eat so many chickens when rabbit is so much easier and cheaper??!! Madness! Not sure if you mentioned what breed your rabbits are, what breed do you keep for meat? Are they a high meat yield?
That's a great question! We breed Rex rabbits because although they are not the largest rabbits, they are a great dual purpose breed. We save hides and sell live to cover costs.
@@GoodSimpleLiving thank you for answering. It sounds like you guys have a pretty good setup. Guessing you sell live as pets, bet you get some interesting looks when you say you're selling the surplus but eating the rest! Lol! Have you made anything from the pelts? I can't wait to have enough pelts to make a giant patchwork rabbit skin bed throw. Now I know how to tan, I'll be keeping all the pelts I can. Only just getting into your channel so playing catch up but from what I've seen so far, huge thumbs up, you have some very lucky kids!
Tim Taylor-Medhurst try buying rabbit in the market, you will pay $20 a rabbit in this area. 7 or 8 for chicken. At home it is completely opposite. I agree about raising rabbits. Plus their manure is best for gardening
Good Simple Living Hello, I just found your channel and love it and your property. What do you do when you want to get away for a weekend or week with the kids? Who takes care of the rabbits and chickens? Who do you sell your pelts to? This is all so very very interesting! I wish you the best on your move.
Our neighbours Cross Poodle - Spaniel would totally clean up the area where we processed the chickens. It would be spotless after returning outside after a break! Quite beneficial, and all the dogs were trained to respect the chicken's and turkeys when Free Range. Fortunately, we never lost one, with miles of Forest behind us. We we're very fortunate, when you hear of losses to tiny weasels, foxes and coyotes.
I have not processed rabbits yet so it looks much easier however as far as the chickens go when I used to process them I would just peel the skin off, feathers and all just like peeling the hide off of a rabbit and you wind up with skinless meat the same and much easier than plucking
I put water or fruit juice in a spray bottle and spray the meat down in the smoker every half hour or so. Great for everything I've used it on including rabbit.
Really nice video. I had always lived in suburbia, but my husband moved our family to a rural area. We got some chicks and eventually butchered the ones our neighbor's hunting dogs didn't kill. It was a very messy and time consuming job, as you said. We kept some laying hens when we moved into town for my husband's health problems, but I can definitely see the benefits of raising rabbits. Good teaching video :)
Good Simple Living I was thinking the same thing as the other commenter. I’m curious too as to how much meat you get from a rabbit at 15 weeks. I look forward to reading your reply. Also, how many rabbits do you harvest at a time? How many litters (?) do your rabbits produce in a year?
RUclips, Facebook, and Google just has that ability now. You know they have been listening to everything said around your mobile devices for years, right? All 3 companies "know" every text that shows before you on the screen. They can read pics as well. I was looking at a picture of a menu to a restaurant on facebook. As I stare at the boba tea options, I wonder, "how is that made?". I go to youtube's home page and just as I go to search, I see a suggested video, "How to make boba tea". VERY creepy!!! Maybe they do read minds...
@@tabandken8562 I've known of this for quite sometime, but I generally don't allow my brain to process it because I think it would drive me to paranoia. But the creepiest part is the "thinking about it". It's easier to explain the ads and stuff as them listening in or tracking your internet use, but what about when you haven't said a word? Idk how many times now I've gone to look something up and no matter how I start the phrase, "how to"..."recipe for"...the top result is almost always word for word what I was going to type, after just those couple of words. Ive even tried to test it. It's creepy.
Hi there!!! I would just like to say that chickens are much more clean and happy when you use a portable house, and electric fence. A lot of people don't have the room for that though. Moving them to fresh pasture really helps. Its just something I've noticed. I don't think your being a bad chicken owner though!
Yeah chickens are pretty messy birds. 😂 We have 4 acres and most of it is field, sowe don't really notice. Also we've never done meat birds. Do they tend to be messier?
@@GoodSimpleLiving A coop is not supposed to be stinky. If it is stinking then you are doing something wrong. Very wrong. Deep bedding is all you need to control that stink, soak up the moisture, and lock it in until compost time. You catch a whiff of ammonia and you just add more carbon to the bedding. Done and done.
@@kingmanspiritsandwine8291 I just think chickens stink in general. They stink to process too. Even our tractored meat chickens had a smell, and they got fresh pasture twice a day.
Make a simple plucker. A 4 inch PVC drain cap, 8 cheap bungee cords 12 inches long and a 2 to 3 foot long 1/2 inch all thread with 2 fender washers and 2 lock nuts. It runs off of a 1/2 inch drill
I’m no animal rights activist, eat these things to your hearts content. Hell, I’m eating rabbit right now. But goddamn, I could never kill one like I do chickens. They’re just too fuckin cute.
I hear a lot of folks do that, but a skinned bird to me is so similar to a rabbit. The only reason I still raise meat birds is because my kids love the crunchy skin, lol.
Timely information as I just put a Nesting Box in at 27 Days yesterday. We bred 3 females and 2 seem to be Duds, but then maybe they're just carrying a small number of babies. Great info, loved your Video and learned lots in the Comments!
I bet they are bred. We have does that don't pull any hair until the moment of delivery on day 31. My last doe to kindle hardly looked round at all, and had 14 kits! It's difficult to tell on some.
That is true. I'm a Christian so I obviously see it as a fulfilled law. The European domestic rabbit are a different species from the dessert hares of the bible, and we use wire bottom cages so they can't eat poop, but I understand they are not considered kosher. Shalom.
Thank you! So here my only issue with that.... a plucked chicken is a rabbit essentially lol. They are such a pain to raise compared to the rabbits so if I can't eat their crunchy delicious skin then why?? haha
Back in the late 1970's when I was a teenager I used to raise meat rabbits (New Zealand Whites) and then I finally got some flemish giant bucks and used the New Zealand White Doe x Flemish giant bucks for meat production. had does on two week cycle separation, so i new litter about every two weeks Pack of wild dogs one night took out my whole setup with four does/2bucks production model and grow out cages.
Before the video even starts.
1: Rabbit poop is ready to go in the garden, chicken poop needs composting.
2: Rabbits reproduce faster.
3: Rabbits mature faster than chickens.
4: Rabbit kits are more hardy than chicks.
5: Rabbits take up less space than chickens.
6: Less disease like salmonella.
7: I have never seen a chicken skin hat or chicken skin gloves.
Although chickens do give eggs and their crispy baked skin is tasty!
8: The only drawback is rabbits do not lay eggs!
9: Chicken is so different, I'd have a small flock for eggs and the occasional chicken dinner.
should try baked rabbit skin
@@jfeoujfdfeldsam4967 Please share your recipe here. Thanks.
I saw this one RUclips video where the ENTIRE rabbit was cooked, and the skin was eaten. "How to cook Rabbit in Nigeria" by BattaBox ruclips.net/video/950EHDPdW10/видео.html
As the phrase goes, "... breeds like rabbits"
I have a rabbit. He is litter boxed trained. My friend said to not use rabbit poop in gardens because they can carry diseases. Do you have information on this?
@@janinemaldonado6806 no more than really any other animal manure
OMG. THANK YOU for putting the money right at the front of the video and filling the vid with good info. I hate the popular "watch this 60 min vid for 5 min of info" style.
You bet, we aren't that kind of channel.
Looking at your hutch design reminded me of my grandpa’s neighbor when I was a kid! His design looked like yours, but had a single wooden tray running at a 45* angle under the hutch to funnel the poop from all 3 cages into a bucket at the end. The trough had about an inch lip on either side to keep it from rolling off and to make sure it all went to the bucket. Saved him having to bend and scoop for the garden!
That's a great idea!
I could feed my family with 1 rabbit, when it took 2 chickens. Also my rabbits ate vegetable peels, and garden extras, alfalfa pellets, alfalfa hay, and salt. My chickens preferred things I didn't want them eating. They were forever scratching around in the cattle pens, and chasing bugs. I kept worm bins under my rabbit cages, so there were no insects, or smells. I had to clean the chicken coop. Home raised rabbit is very, very good. Better tasting than chicken.
Yes agreed!
Sorry for a newbie question I'm interested in starting to raise rabbits for food.
Can anyone tell me what a worm bin is? I'm guessing a container underneath the cages?
@@becky2235 yep a container full of wirns!
Plus, rabbits lay Easter eggs. ;-)
Cadbury!
Mmmm.. Cadbury Eggs....
Q: Why does the Easter bunny hide the eggs?
A: He doesn't want anyone to know he's screwing a chicken.
Good Simple Living And Homesteading I love Cadbury chocolate and the almond bar.
Oh yeah I forgot about that
It was always a treat to go to my grandparents' house to see the rabbits. My grandfather never let us pet them so that we didn't get too attached, but it was still a great time.
I now know what my father did to me as a child.
I'm in the same boat: prefer rabbit to chickens. We raise both, but the cost of feeding a bunny is CHEAP compared to what we spend on a bird. We're fortunate to be able to put up our own hay and veggies which make the rabbits a no-brainer feed-wise.
Yes way less food and waste.
But eggs 😍🤤
@@thorman1089 ...get at least one Easter bunny
I was planing on Rabbits and Chickens but from the video I see the best option for us would be Rabbits for Meat and just some layers until they are past there prime. At least if I am understanding correctly lol... Great video, really enjoyed it. Thanks
This is a great tutorial on meat processing. I wish you had mentioned inspecting the Lungs and Liver for anomalies. Those of us that are experienced processors do it without thinking, Rookies have to be reminded.
The sustainability is why I will start raising rabbits 🐇 in the spring.
They are very sustainable and affordable.
Good Simple Living you don’t get eggs from rabbits though
fozzie prepper where can I buy some rabbit s?
@@archiemunro3824 you'd have to buy an egg laying breed like the Cadbury.....
@fozzie prepper, do it.
This was an excellent break down of the pros of rabbits over meat birds. Completely agree with everything you said. I am planning my homestead and I might have to reconsider meat birds for rabbits.
I really dislike meat birds lol
@@GoodSimpleLivingyea and they eat like crazy
Rabbits and goats are two must haves for large garden areas.. their pellet poop is perfect, slow release and like you said garden gold. Plus anyone who's had rabbit cooked in bacon and stuffed with some peppers 😋
Yum!!
Ryan Tollmann where can I find some rabbits
@@noface9978 contact your local 4H or FFA program. Also the local High School may have an Agriculture program and the teacher may be able to sell some rabbits.
Totally agree. Plus we found that we prefer the taste of rabbit over chicken. The meat also pressure cans better because of the low fat content. You just have to learn how to cook them in a different way. Occasionally we get the hankering for a chicken dish but that is why we raise dual purpose heritage breeds. Just think though if the supply trucks stop rolling tomorrow, could you support a flock of chickens or a warren of rabbits? I will never give up my rabbits. One more thing. They are way better suited to our negative twenty to forty bellow celsius Winter temperatures.
They don't provide enough fat for the brain so make sure you're getting your omega-3s.
@@eyeswideshut2800 I wonder what the ratio is of Omega 3 to Omega 6 . Comparing chicken meat to rabbit meat. I think there would be a significant Omega 3:6 ratio difference since rabbits are fed a grass based diet and chickens are fed grains.
@@richardmang2558 The brain needs fat for fuel and rabbits don't have much so you'll be stupid, slow and confused. I learned this from the best survivalist in the country, I had no idea rabbit would not sustain you. Taught me to head harvest, there's moisturizer in that skull...lol
@@eyeswideshut2800 Please tell us how you "head harvest" and how you prepare and consume what is harvested. This is something I am not familiar with.
"Really creative at finding ways to die!" 😂😂😂
Its so true though. They are literally to dumb to get up out of the heat, or out of their own water dish. They can have an acre of shade, but they will sit under the light until they die of heat exposure. I've never seen anything like it, dumb mutant birds.
Good Simple Living And Homesteading lol seriously though. My grandma has chickens that are too dumb to literally bake in the sun
Irfan Osmanovic Jesus, you’re dumb.
@@reggie8370
Agree irfan Osman...dumb moron +
@Irfan Osmanovic Did.....Did you even watch the video?........Are you even aware of the context?
"Like a giant meat banana" - cracked me right up! Good informative video - thanks!
Thank you, haha
I'm so glad I've found you guys. I just invested in our first breeding stock of rabbits.
Very informative Melissa. I’m seriously considering starting to raise rabbits this coming spring. We will probably always also do meat chickens but the rabbits would also be for our family.
I did almost spew water everywhere when you said they’re giant meat bananas.
Hope your family love the buns my Bunny is six years old and he's so smart and he trust me like a Dog!
Just a few more advantages with rabbits....Worm beds under static cages produce a ton of worm castings, (SUPER SOIL or 'tea'), and eliminate 'cleanup'. Rabbit meat is VERY lean and has essential amino acids. The 'aroma' is superior. AND, they don't make noise! JMHO. God Bless.~Eli.
Yes, yes, and yes!! Also my son's name is Eli :) God bless!
You're doing a fine job folks. Hope for our future. My hope is that my minimal support and comments are always a Blessing to you.~(OLD, Eli.....LOL).
@@singleman1986 thank you so much!!
"...like a giant meat banana!" 😂 That got me laughing. I love your channel and your animals! ❤️ Incredible how you do things over there!
Thank you
Great knowledge, really enjoyed listening to you talk, and explain the difference between rabbits, and chickens. You're fantastic for doing what you do, and sharing it! :D
Thank you so much!
After the first debacle without the plucker, we decided it was well worth the investment.
I just love your channel!! Kauai mama here raising rabbits for the first time. Finding all your info so very helpful
I am on the verge of investing in rabbits, thanks for the wonderful information.
Thanks for sharing this information. I like the idea of fresh eggs but the cold manure is very attractive to me as a gardener. You were very upfront about your analysis!
Thank you, glad it was helpful :)
They're just too cute for me tbh. Chickens I don't get so attached to haha. It was good hearing you get squeamish too!
I grew up on bunny meat😂😂😂. My grandma used to keep them for meat and coats! She made coats of their skin.
thank you. as a city boy I eat food but really don't know how it works.
Glad to offer any info we can.
Most people eat and have no idea what process put that steak on the plate. Learn to feed yourself. It puts up a few steps up on the survival chain.
I really admire y'all's little farm. I hope to have something like it soon. You're one of my favorite homestead channels.
Ah thank you!
I was just thinking about Cornish crosses but now I might just do rabbits after all. My husband had them when he was a kid and his father taught him how to process them. He is well aware of how to grow them and what they eat. Reassessment time.
We do both, but I far prefer rabbits!
Wow, very very interesting video! I'm looking into broilers, but I simply never even considered rabbits. Rabbits actually make a lot of sense! Thanks!!
I agree 100% and we haven't even processed any meat chickens yet, because it's too easy to process and raise rabbits! I hate having chicks in the brooder also, I'm hatching out chicks for more layers and I'm so ready to be done! Love my rabbits though and yes, they are cleaner tasting than a chicken to me also!
I am even over my layers, I think Im going to be done with chickens for a while. I luke eggs, but not sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
A baby chick is able to go outside and withstand cold temps at 3 weeks old. Brooding chicks can get annoying sure, but it is usually pretty quick and they are so friggin cute. My kids love love saying Hi to the baby chickies.
You are a true teacher . You are full of knowledge and common sense. Really appreciate it.
Ugh that dog tho. Love all those squishy rolls! My dog is squishy too. We could probably make a mini out of the extra 🤪
Aw I'd love a mini Captain Wrinkles!
Lets talk rabbits...thanks so much for this video! I like raising Californians. The New Zealand's were too large for me to handle. Rabbits are the BEST to raise all round. My 10th edition of Encyclopedia for Country Living features a great section of what to feed rabbits if you can not get grain. I did not lose any of my 50 Rock Cornish, but would not bother to raise them again. I like Barred Rocks for eggs and that is it for chickens for me! I want to try to make rabbit manure compost for raising earth and compost worms. I had a college friend who put himself through college by selling bait worms!
Really creative at finding ways to die, I felt that I used to raise chickens lol
Your videos are so helpful. I can’t wait to have my own homestead
Awesome, I'm so happy to hear that!
Found you guys recently and this is my retirement plan! In the woods away from stupid people. Too many years in the Marine Corps and Homeland Security. My question is, do you have a preferred BRAND of feed pellets for the rabbits? Thank you and your entire beautiful family for the videos. Very informative and entertaining!!!
Thank you for your service. We've had great success with Purina complete and timothy hay.
0:32 I swear I’m tired of people saying chickens are dirty, they’re not as dirty as you think they might dust bath, but that’s nothing they just shake it off🫤
Thanks for the tips, I wish rabbit meat was more acceptable by society.
Yes seem like they are tasty and reproduce faster.
It is a accepted all over Europe. Very typical for most countries I know
Haha, I have never worried about salmonella before harvesting chicken! Interesting. Welcome to Idaho! I'm glad I found your channel.
Plus rabbits are quiet . I also get to tan the hides.
I hope you don't have them walking on wire.
@@eyeswideshut2800 Why would you say that ?
@@slamboy66 Hers are walking on wire and some RUclips Homesteaders compassionately make the correction. Why would that be hard to comprehend, the earth is not covered in wire.
Poor rabbits want to call 1-800-PETA, "Hey PETA I'm ok with them breeding us for food but they've got us on wire"...ijs
@@eyeswideshut2800 I understand , but for some it is function over ??? Mine are in a 400 sq ft coop/run style barn. It is free roam. Everyone has a box, most are named for repeat customers.
@@eyeswideshut2800 It really depends on the wire. You can get coated wire and its common practice to add a wood piece where they can get off the wire when they want. You place that in the middle since rabbits use corners to urinate. They poop anywhere.
Thank you for the short and sweet explanation, very helpful!😊
I've been wanting to get rabbits but didn't want to overwhelm myself with having to deal with both rabbits and chickens at the same time, so I went with the chickens. We've had them a few months now, and they go through so much feed it's crazy. I used to buy 18 eggs a week and now that we get almost a dozen a day we barely eat them. And on top of that my kids and I have never had fresh chicken, so I don't even know if we'll like it. But it doesn't matter because I can't stomach the idea of fishing around for guts anyway, so of 15 chickens, 5 are 4 years old and we're basically feeding them all to give away eggs.....Should have gone with rabbits. Lol
Oh man, haha. Sounds like the typical backyard chicken story! You know, it's never to late! Get a breeding trio (2 does and a buck) and give it a go!
I Bet If you Eat a Meat Bird you will NEVER BUY Meat in a Store EVER AGAIN Bet
Your ancestors are crying over this pathetic comment. Do you feed the birds any leftovers or grass? Do you have them pastured or locked up in tiny cages? Chickens are better than rabbits in every way. They are more modest than the promiscuous rabbit. They are smarter and hardier. They lay eggs!!
@Some Chick On The Net ,
If you have so many eggs , why not sell them ?
@@greensnapper1602 I only had to butcher one before I decided to never do that again took me almost 3 months before I could stomach chicken. And before you say anything it was the smell that got me, I mean I used be a butcher there's not a single animal that i know of that smells good on the inside, but my God that was by far one of the worst things I've ever smelled my entire life.
I just started watching your channel. Thanks for all of the good information.
what kind of dog is that?! he is so cute and so gentle with the rabbits looks like the perfect livestock guardian!!!!
He is a shar pei, only breed I've ever had my entire life! They are very loyal, and very smart. He knows just what belongs here, and will protect baby rabbits, chickens, kittens, you name it. They are great!
Been raising chickens for about twelve years and just getting ready to get into rabbits. There is a trick to raising the cornish x with minimal/zero loss, and it comes down to 3 things: how you raise them, how much you feed, and observation. They really do not do well in a coop setting, despite the fact that commercially they are raised in huge barns; the best way to raise them is on pasture in a tractor as of 1-2weeks of age (might still need a heat lamp, but drill a hole, install a hook to hang said lamp and run an extension cord). Feed: free-feed ONLY while they're still in the brooder; once in the tractor, cut back and spread the feed across the ground, this encourages foraging. Observation: take a few minutes everytime you go out to feed or move the tractor and watch them: do any seem uninclined to stand up, or perhaps having mobility issues (tends to happen at around the 5-week mark)? If so, STOP with the commercial feed - so forage only - until the lameness is resolved (anywhere from 24-72 hours). Another point would be predation: we wired in the floor of our tractor one year, it it wound up a clumpy, poopy mess - solved predation, but defeated the purpose of the whole tractor concept. We wound up learning - quite by accident - that one of our dogs could be trusted with birds, despite what we thought, so we removed the wire and just put the dog in the tractor with the chickens every night!
Knowing that the cornish x have had their "I'm full!" switch bred out of them, you CAN keep them alive well beyond a year and breed them! You just have to be very careful when it comes to diet. Our Brienne of Tarth was a rescue that hadn't been able to stand up for at least a week when her owner called us to take her for a free chicken dinner, but i saw an opportunity: into the bathtub she went! First 24 hours, water only; then, greens only until the day she flew out of the tub two weeks later! I bred her back to a barred rock (one of the foundation breeds) and got offspring without any of the health issues and got the same growth and carcass weights, as well as carcass quality, as the cornish x. So, it CAN be done, but you must have patience and be very mindful of the diet!
Chickens produce meat and eggs. Peter Cottontail is the only rabbit that delivers eggs.
They're also much easier to hide if you live in a town that doesnt allow farming animals, because their so quiet.
Yes officer, I have 23 pet rabbits 😊
lol I feel this, that’s what we have to do. The head of animals control lives across the street from us however, knows what we do, and doesn’t care.
That is the best description I have ever heard lol MEAT BANANA
So true though.
@@GoodSimpleLiving Yes! Skinning a chicken (instead of plucking) is harder than shopping a rabbit. Once the skin is cut from the back legs and the head is off, it peals right off!
The kits are so cute! We all know how fast and often rabbits multiply!
I like your channel. Now, love to raise rabbits. Raised 300 as a teen, at the same time raised 525 chickens. Raised the chickens in a broader. That was before the cornish crosses came around. As a youth it wasn't a problem. Now I let the hens hatch the chicks and keep them in runs sometimes never loose any. Same with rabbits your right sometimes one sometimes none. A cornish rooster with my laying hens gives a cornish cross just butcher all of them as soon as I need them. Since I have the practice, I don't mind the plucking, use cones and can do a chicken in 5 minutes so. What I do for animal waste is since was a caterer have 4 of the roaster ovens and heat them up to 350* and add the waste and some water after 45 minutes its over 212* so its sterilized and ready to use, make potting soil and garden soil that way. It cooks while I do other things. Have a good day.
You're going to have to make some videos to share what you know. I've never heard of this before, but I have every kitchen gadget known to mankind.
Your doggie is so cute! I'd like to note that you are overlooking one key element of the chicken vs rabbit debate: Chickens are hilarious! The amusement pays for itself. Lol.
They can be funny and I like the sounds of chickens.
Nothing beats watching baby rabbits run around like crazy. Can spend hours doing that.
Enjoyed your chicken/rabbit comparison. BTW we raised Cornish X broilers for a number of years while my son was in 4H (He won many ribbons with them). We found that the reason they died easily was because of lack of digestible minerals (dry minerals don't work) We used Growers Mineral Solutions as a liquid mineral source mixed in their feed, and IMO they are the best with lowest possible heavy metals.
Our birds were able to run around and even breed at 13 pounds each with zero breast blisters (when I didn't get them butchered in time). Dipping cleaned birds in at least 3% hydrogen peroxide will get rid of Salmonella bacteria. We will consider trying rabbits, sounds interesting. I had to quit with chickens because I became severely allergic after some really nasty chicken dust blew in my eyes when i was working on the coop on a windy day. My eyes swell up like balloons when exposed to chicken dust. Colloidal Silver drops in my eyes clears it up quickly, but it is still a pain.
Another option is to just skin the birds instead of plucking them.
Oh very interesting!
Thanks for the Tip on using Hydrogen Peroxide in the Scalding Water.
You might try rabbits, they don't produce that dust that chickens do
Hello my friends here is Joel from Florida I been watching your videos what a beautiful family my respect on everything you guys doing that is the real way to grow families living behind the the city with all the virus we are having recently keep going enjoy the time and those beautiful mountains where is real life
Also, rabbit eggs are much more colorful than chicken eggs. ;)
If you put a little cross piece "scraper" on the front of the box you won't have as many kits get pulled out of the box :)
I would raise chickens for eggs, but not for meat.
Why not for meat?? I love fried chicken, even when I have to fry it myself!!
What are you going to do with them after they are too old to lay? That's like two years.
Rangers....mmm.mmm good!
@@heathercortes9567 false. Hens live 8 years plus
I raise rabbits for eggs
That rabbit is so sweet to let you pet her while she's in labor
I am surprised you don't take the nest boxes out when they are that big. It would make more room for them in the cage. I see you have Cinnamon breed, I just bought three days Cinnamon yesterday, already have New Zealand Whites.
These are all Rex rabbits. I leave the boxes in until they are 4 weeks old, and then we remove them. It's still chilly at night, and I like them to have the nest.
I agree with everything you say about rabbits vs chickens. My one regret about rabbits is the tiny bones both along spine and elsewhere. I don't like to cook them for others because I have to warn them to be careful about the bones. Also I like the taste of chicken a little more.
Yeah those can be tricky when you slow cook.
Just found your videos, awesome, love it!
This video is a real eye opener! Begs the question, why do we eat so many chickens when rabbit is so much easier and cheaper??!! Madness!
Not sure if you mentioned what breed your rabbits are, what breed do you keep for meat? Are they a high meat yield?
That's a great question! We breed Rex rabbits because although they are not the largest rabbits, they are a great dual purpose breed. We save hides and sell live to cover costs.
@@GoodSimpleLiving thank you for answering. It sounds like you guys have a pretty good setup. Guessing you sell live as pets, bet you get some interesting looks when you say you're selling the surplus but eating the rest! Lol!
Have you made anything from the pelts? I can't wait to have enough pelts to make a giant patchwork rabbit skin bed throw. Now I know how to tan, I'll be keeping all the pelts I can.
Only just getting into your channel so playing catch up but from what I've seen so far, huge thumbs up, you have some very lucky kids!
Tim Taylor-Medhurst try buying rabbit in the market, you will pay $20 a rabbit in this area. 7 or 8 for chicken. At home it is completely opposite. I agree about raising rabbits. Plus their manure is best for gardening
@@timtaylor-medhurst9665 oh yes, some pretty shocked faces for sure! We haven't done much more than throws and runners. I sell most of the hides.
Good Simple Living Hello, I just found your channel and love it and your property. What do you do when you want to get away for a weekend or week with the kids? Who takes care of the rabbits and chickens? Who do you sell your pelts to? This is all so very very interesting! I wish you the best on your move.
Buddy from way back in highschool, his father made rabbit summer sausage from his meat rabbits. It's THE BEST summer sausage I've ever eaten! 😋😋😋
Yum! Yeah it's a highly overlooked meat.
my dog is a pig when she sees a rabbit she sees food starts licking her chops and gets all excited, I have to keep her inside when proccesing
The dog here is pretty patient, but the cats drive us nuts!
Our neighbours Cross Poodle - Spaniel would totally clean up the area where we processed the chickens. It would be spotless after returning outside after a break! Quite beneficial, and all the dogs were trained to respect the chicken's and turkeys when Free Range. Fortunately, we never lost one, with miles of Forest behind us. We we're very fortunate, when you hear of losses to tiny weasels, foxes and coyotes.
Really nice video. Everything you said about Cornish X is so true and that's why I'll never do them again. Red Rangers are SO much easier
How do they taste tho?
I have not processed rabbits yet so it looks much easier however as far as the chickens go when I used to process them I would just peel the skin off, feathers and all just like peeling the hide off of a rabbit and you wind up with skinless meat the same and much easier than plucking
Cindi Hauper! Hahaha. God bless y'all.
God bless you! Yes my 6 year old named her that, and had no idea why it was funny!
Hahahaha she said “this buck is about to see some action” 😂
Do you ever smoke rabbit? We have a hard time keeping it moist when smoking, might as well make jerky...which is killer by thr way!
I put water or fruit juice in a spray bottle and spray the meat down in the smoker every half hour or so. Great for everything I've used it on including rabbit.
We do, but first we wrap it in bacon! Wrap it up in bacon and smoke with apple juice.... amazing!!
Ever smoke Gorilla Glue #4
@Saks Place ,
I did try to smoke rabbit once. I was never able to get it lit.
Use a bullet type smoker that has a bowl (for water) in between the coals and the meat. Juicy like you can't imagine.
Really nice video. I had always lived in suburbia, but my husband moved our family to a rural area. We got some chicks and eventually butchered the ones our neighbor's hunting dogs didn't kill. It was a very messy and time consuming job, as you said. We kept some laying hens when we moved into town for my husband's health problems, but I can definitely see the benefits of raising rabbits. Good teaching video :)
I remember my Yaya from Greece would raise rabbits for meat.
Mine too! My Yaya was from Samos!
@@GoodSimpleLiving Awesome! Mine was from Crete 😄
Just stumbled across your channel. Just what we were looking for before getting into raising rabbits 👍
Mmmmm meat bananas 🍌
I have not eaten rabbit for a long time, my mouth is drooling
So you separate the litter from the mother around week 6, at what age range do you butcher them?
I separate at 6-7 wks and my rex are ready for butcher around 15 weeks.
@@GoodSimpleLiving please how many kg (weight) do you get at that 15weeks? Thanks.
Good Simple Living
I was thinking the same thing as the other commenter. I’m curious too as to how much meat you get from a rabbit at 15 weeks. I look forward to reading your reply. Also, how many rabbits do you harvest at a time? How many litters (?) do your rabbits produce in a year?
Was looking for more info on rabbit care and accidentally ended up BACK on your channel. Lol. I didn't realize it until you pointed out Cindy Hopper
How the hell is RUclips reading my mind?
*A.I. using algorithms through monitorization of your "smart" devices.*
*THEY know you better than you know yourself.*
@@tropocal2343 I should probably stop watching porn.🤓🤣🤣🤣
RUclips, Facebook, and Google just has that ability now. You know they have been listening to everything said around your mobile devices for years, right? All 3 companies "know" every text that shows before you on the screen. They can read pics as well. I was looking at a picture of a menu to a restaurant on facebook. As I stare at the boba tea options, I wonder, "how is that made?". I go to youtube's home page and just as I go to search, I see a suggested video, "How to make boba tea". VERY creepy!!! Maybe they do read minds...
@@tabandken8562 I've known of this for quite sometime, but I generally don't allow my brain to process it because I think it would drive me to paranoia. But the creepiest part is the "thinking about it". It's easier to explain the ads and stuff as them listening in or tracking your internet use, but what about when you haven't said a word? Idk how many times now I've gone to look something up and no matter how I start the phrase, "how to"..."recipe for"...the top result is almost always word for word what I was going to type, after just those couple of words. Ive even tried to test it. It's creepy.
@@somechickonthenet Yes, I know. Just like my menu example.
Hi there!!! I would just like to say that chickens are much more clean and happy when you use a portable house, and electric fence. A lot of people don't have the room for that though. Moving them to fresh pasture really helps. Its just something I've noticed. I don't think your being a bad chicken owner though!
We've done both. We tractor our meat birds, and they leave behind so much mess.
Yeah chickens are pretty messy birds. 😂 We have 4 acres and most of it is field, sowe don't really notice. Also we've never done meat birds. Do they tend to be messier?
@@krystalnelson9591 oh yes, especially cornish
I've raised rabbits for meat. I could clean 4 or 5 rabbits in the same time it took to clean 1 chicken.
Yes agreed, and not nearly as stinky.
We have both, meaties and the "laying ladies".
@@GoodSimpleLiving A coop is not supposed to be stinky. If it is stinking then you are doing something wrong. Very wrong. Deep bedding is all you need to control that stink, soak up the moisture, and lock it in until compost time. You catch a whiff of ammonia and you just add more carbon to the bedding. Done and done.
@@kingmanspiritsandwine8291 I just think chickens stink in general. They stink to process too. Even our tractored meat chickens had a smell, and they got fresh pasture twice a day.
Wow for real!?
Make a simple plucker. A 4 inch PVC drain cap, 8 cheap bungee cords 12 inches long and a 2 to 3 foot long 1/2 inch all thread with 2 fender washers and 2 lock nuts. It runs off of a 1/2 inch drill
We will need to give a plucker a try next time!
I could never kill a rabbit. It would be like eating a dog.
Why should plants bear all the burden for our sustanance?
Many, many, chickens approve of this video! Great job explaining 👍
Haha, Foster Farms however....
@@GoodSimpleLiving how do u dispatch your rabbits? I have only done a few in the past and have very little experience. I wonder what the best way?
@@GoodSimpleLiving lol
I have a whole video dedicated to just the dispatch
@@GoodSimpleLiving ok. I looked....but not very hard. I wi find it. Thanks! Great job!
That's a whole lot of carrots
I'm looking forward to having rabbits at my farm making me cold manure for my plants and meat for our bellies 😁
I just subscribe to channel thank you for making these videos that very informative and entertaining
Thank you!
kenji sniffs baby rabbit, so cute 😍
They’re so cute it’s be hard for me to kill them 😭
There is a cute factor.
Can I just say, that is a well fed kitty. Chonky boi! XD
I’m no animal rights activist, eat these things to your hearts content. Hell, I’m eating rabbit right now. But goddamn, I could never kill one like I do chickens. They’re just too fuckin cute.
I admit that I prefer plucked chickens but I only process a small number of birds a year. I don't have a plucker, I skin the birds to save time.
I hear a lot of folks do that, but a skinned bird to me is so similar to a rabbit. The only reason I still raise meat birds is because my kids love the crunchy skin, lol.
And it tastes like chicken anyway!
I just found you! Nice video, Iit appears that I align with your family values, and ideas ! You have a new subscriber! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy our channel!
"Meat Banana"😂👍
I really appreciate you and your families knowledge! Thank you so much, I subscribed!!
Thank you!
Don't eat my rabbit :'(
Why would I eat your rabbit?
Timely information as I just put a Nesting Box in at 27 Days yesterday. We bred 3 females and 2 seem to be Duds, but then maybe they're just carrying a small number of babies. Great info, loved your Video and learned lots in the Comments!
I bet they are bred. We have does that don't pull any hair until the moment of delivery on day 31. My last doe to kindle hardly looked round at all, and had 14 kits! It's difficult to tell on some.
I do not eat rabbits because they are considered unclean according to the jewish Bible.
That is true. I'm a Christian so I obviously see it as a fulfilled law. The European domestic rabbit are a different species from the dessert hares of the bible, and we use wire bottom cages so they can't eat poop, but I understand they are not considered kosher. Shalom.
i have a goldfish
Thank you, lovely video and very educational. You know, if you don't like plucking chickens you can also skin them, that's what I do.
Thank you! So here my only issue with that.... a plucked chicken is a rabbit essentially lol. They are such a pain to raise compared to the rabbits so if I can't eat their crunchy delicious skin then why?? haha
Back in the late 1970's when I was a teenager I used to raise meat rabbits (New Zealand Whites) and then I finally got some flemish giant bucks and used the New Zealand White Doe x Flemish giant bucks for meat production. had does on two week cycle separation, so i new litter about every two weeks
Pack of wild dogs one night took out my whole setup with four does/2bucks production model and grow out cages.
Awe bummer
the cat walking with kenji! so cute!
They are buds