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Producing Quality Meat Rabbits

Producing Quality Meat Rabbits. Quality Assurance. WHAT is Quality Assurance? Quality Standard Assurance: A pledge or a promise To consumers. WHO is responsible for Quality Assurance?. Everyone involved in food production! Livestock producers

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Producing Quality Meat Rabbits

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  1. Producing Quality Meat Rabbits

  2. Quality Assurance • WHAT is Quality Assurance? • Quality • Standard • Assurance: • A pledge or a promise • To consumers

  3. WHO is responsible for Quality Assurance? • Everyone involved in food production! • Livestock producers • Food processors (packing plants, milk plants) • Grocery stores & restaurants • Consumers

  4. Commercial Rabbit Industry • 8 to 10 million pounds of rabbit are marketed each year in the US

  5. Nutritional Value of Rabbit Meat

  6. Parts of a Rabbit Carcass Foreleg Rib Lion Rump Hind leg

  7. What are the steps to quality meat rabbits??? • 1st – Housing • 2nd – Nutrition • 3rd – Health/Breeding Programs • 4th – Marketing Plan

  8. Housing • Housing • Many types and Varieties • Need to provide • Ventilation • Protection from drafts

  9. Housing • Provide a dry environment • Provide plenty of space • General rule of thumb: ¾ square Foot per pound of body weight. • Example a 4lb rabbit would need 3 square feet of cage space or a 18”x 24” cage

  10. Nutrition – meat type rabbits

  11. Health • Common Diseases of Rabbits raised in a meat production system: • Digestive Disorders • Pasteurellosis • Parasites • Sore Hocks

  12. Digestive Disorders • Newly weaned rabbit is most vulnerable • Enterotoxaemia is the most common disorder • Coccidiosis is a protozoa that causes diarrhea.

  13. Pasteurellosis • Respiratory Disease (Snuffles) • Larger groups of Rabbits • Poor Ventilation and high ammonia levels caused by urine.

  14. Parasites & Sore Hocks • Two main types of Parasites • Mites: cause ear and skin mange • Protozoa: Coccidiosis • Sore Hocks • The main disadvantage to wire cages • Wear of the fur on the hocks and can create open sores on the hocks

  15. Reproduction • Traits of concern: • Number of kits born • Number of kits weaned • Litter Weights at weaning • Litters per year (usually 5-8)

  16. Marketing • Things to consider with meat rabbits: • Slaughtering Facilities • Packaging & Labeling • Potential Buyers

  17. Marketing • Selling Rabbit Meat • From the Farm- can be slaughtered on farm and labeled as not inspected, no license required. • At a Farmers Market- Must be processed by a licensed slaughter facility, mobile retail food license required. • Grocery or Restaurant-Must be processed by a licensed slaughter facility, retail food establishment license required.

  18. References • DATCP- Division of Food Safety: Wisconsin food Regulations Overview for Farmers and Market Gardener Wishing to Direct Market. • Backyard Production of Meat Rabbits in Texas. Texas Ag. Extension Publication E-138 • Agriculture Alternatives- Rabbit Production. PennState Cooperative Extension Publication 1994. • http://www.elook.org/nutrition/beef/4434.html • http://www.elook.org/nutrition/lamb/3909.html • http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/standards/AMS-RabST-2002.htm

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