Meat Rabbits

[emclayton]

Would like to know how small rabbit producers market their rabbits. I am deciding whether I wish to get in to the Meat Rabbit business. Does any one have any suggestions?
Marilyn

[nfunk]

What area do you plan to produce the rabbits? or have you identified any key markets that you would like to be able to access?

[emclayton]

I live in Southern Manitoba. I know there's a bunny runner that goes to California once a month but I'd like to find a closer market. There's rabbit meat sold in some Brandon store thus there has to be someone out there that wants the product. I haven't checked out the red tape but I figure it will be much like selling chicken or fresh eggs. Just feeling my way before I get into too many rabbits.

[emclayton]

Be very careful of your markets before you invest much time and money. There have been several people in our area that try rabbits and have worked hard at it. They eventually had to give it up because the over supply made the meat worthless. Don't let this discourage your plans, just be aware. nobody likes to work for nothing.

[cakadu]

Biggest thing is that you will have to find markets that are willing to pay you enough for all of your costs. If there is someone going to California with the rabbits, then that requires a federal kill, which can be somewhat more costly.

Here in Alberta, I'm not sure if you could even find a federal kill for rabbits. I know that there are small abbatoirs that will do rabbits, but how often and at what cost, I have no idea. That is one of the biggest problems that we face in terms of being able to truly diversify - finding ways and means to process that are legal.

I can relate a dilemma that we still face and are still trying to find a way around it. We were approached several years ago to grow muscovy duck (which is very fine eating by the way) for a market in Vancouver and the price and volume would have made it worth while to undertake supplying these birds. I haven't kept up on the marketing end of it recently, but when we were first approached, there was actually another fellow that told me that he knew of someone who wanted 750 per month - again economics would have warranted doing something like that.

Our biggest problem was not being able to get a federal kill on them here in Alberta and the only other alternative was to take them on a truck for 12 hours to a federal facility just outside of Vancouver, which by the time you allowed for their rules of shipping, the stress on the birds and the time and effort to get them there, it all of a sudden became less of a doable proposition. Not that we have given up entirely on it, just have yet to figure out how we are going to get around the processing end of it. Even on a provincial kill, most that do birds will only do them once a year, which does not help when you have to give a year round supply.

The best thing would have access to groups that are closer to you that eat rabbit on a somewhat regular basis; like many of the alternative species it takes a while to build up a market. As has been suggested, you need to find out what people are willing to pay, how many they want and how often they want them, what parts of the rabbit do they want, what and who are your competition etc.

Often with the more alternative speicies, they want the primal cuts, which leaves you with the sub-primals and you have to find markets for those too. Take lamb for example (which isn't really an alternative meat, but it's certainly not as popular as beef - especially here in Alberta) most restaurants that will offer lamb normally just want the rack and sometimes the chops and occassionally legs, which leaves about half of the animal that you have to find something to do with.

There are ways to find that niche market that works best for you i.e. direct marketing to customers, but it takes some work and some pencilling out to establish whether or not it is economically viable for you.

Best of luck!

[emclayton]

Thank You, rswatson and cakadu for your replies. I have a friend who is shipping to California with a Runner. Her first shipment wnet the end of December. I was wanting to supply closer to home but as yet I haven't got all the homework done. It does not look to encouraging. My brother-in-law is a Gov't Vet thus I will have to pick his mind. I doubt I'll get too much encouragement from him. Thanks again,
Marilyn