More Than One Way to Skin a Rabbit - (Graphic Images) Actual Article

So, let's go over the method I use to bring a rabbit from cage to table. Let's cut to the chase (no pun intended) and start off. 

Needed: 

1. High powered pellet gun

2. Pellets

3. fillet knife

4. Log with two nails sticking out of it.

5. Hatchet

6. 2 bags (1 garbage bag for guts, another for the dressed meat)

1. Gather all of the rabbits you want to slaughter. I had 3 batches, this cage fit about half of them comfortably. I put a box in front of their cage so they didn't have to see the butchering process.

2. Load your pellet gun. It helps to have another person hold the rabbit's ears and back legs so that you have an accurate shot at the brain stem (slightly north of the bottom of the back of the skull, below the midpoint). Pull the trigger and throw it to the side to allow the nerves to kick out. (I highly recommend not doing more than six at a time, as they get harder to dress as they get colder).

3. Once you get about six of them shot, hang them by their legs to bleed out. Wait about 10 minutes (or one beer and a smoke) and start chopping off the heads. 

4. The best way to do this is to place their head between the two nails sticking up, pull the back legs, and chop. Throw the heads in a garbage bag for waste. 

5. After the heads are cut off, chop off the feet above the ankle and the front paws above the wrist. This will make the undressing much easier.

6. After that is done, you will want to grab the back of the rabbit's neck hole and stick your hand inside of the back of the carcass through the head opening. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the organs, pulling out the arms first (as if you are taking off its shirt). You will use the elbows to pull the rabbit's skin off, so don't lose the hands. 

7. Once you have pulled the fur off of the whole rabbit, make a shallow incision from the lower abdomen through the ribs with your fillet knife. Yank out all of the guts and insides and dispose of in the trash bag. Some people save the hearts and giblets, but not me. 

8. Grab the two back legs and break the pelvis by folding the two back legs back until they touch. Cut a v incision to cut out the rear end and tail. Make sure you remove the esophagus from the neck and the entrails and other loose organs from the pelvic region. 

9. Once it is assured all organs are removed, wash thoroughly (I soak mine in salt for 5 minutes to absorb out the blood. After that, grab a gallon freezer bag, submerge in clean water and seal after the gravity pulls up the air in the bag. 

Voila! You have fresh farm raised meat that is healthy and great eatin'! Follow, upvote and resteem if you found value out of this post. And stay tuned for my rabbit paprikas dish next week!