Welcome to Homestead Rabbits!
Homestead Rabbits is dedicated to enjoying meat rabbits as contributing members of a homestead, backyard, or small farm. This website is a wealth of good, down-to-earth advice, tips, and tutorials to get you started raising rabbits right.
Many people dive headlong into raising meat rabbits only to get frustrated and discouraged as they meet with failure after failure. “My rabbits won’t breed. We keep losing litters. I accidentally bought 2 male rabbits instead of a breeding pair.” The list goes on and on. Others are simply overwhelmed by all of the conflicting information about raising rabbits and don’t know where to start.
If you are struggling with any of these concerns – know that you are in the right place. Everything you need is right here.
Hi, I’m Alyssa – a Homesteader, Mom, and Meat Rabbit Raiser
I teach backyard homesteaders how to raise meat rabbits so they can confidently produce wholesome, healthy meat for their family.
At Homestead Rabbits, we have over 10 years experience raising rabbits and will help you avoid common beginner mistakes so you can hit the ground running. We’ll walk you through every step of the process from finding good stock, to feeding, breeding, butchering and preparing a rabbit for dinner.
I have mentored hundreds of new rabbit raisers just like you. Here’s what they have to say…
Alyssa is a fantastic teacher about something she has a ton of personal knowledge of.
“We all need to take more interest in the food we eat, especially those of us who eat meat. Processing your own meat animals is a great start.”
-Will, New York
My wife and I are extremely glad we found you.
“This is amazing information! Thank you very much for answering my questions and sharing your experience with rabbits.”
-Manuel, Virginia
You have set my bar and expectations soaring!
“Clearly knowledgeable. Alyssa really cares about her rabbits and takes the time to make sure you do as well. Gorgeous, healthy, hardy rabbits with great temperaments and boatloads of personality.”
-Stephanie, New York
I couldn’t have hoped to find such a perfect place to begin our new endeavor.
“I am so happy to have found you. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for and your website is such a joy to use.”
-Rebecca, New Hampshire
This blog has been a dream of mine for a long time. I have streamlined my methods over the years to get maximum benefit from minimum input and labor.
Homestead Rabbits is a valuable resource of sound information, tried-and-tested methods, DIY tutorials, and helpful tips on raising meat rabbits.
Our Story
My husband and I purchased a historic farm in central New York in 2007. I was very pregnant with our fourth child. The first few years on the farm were a blur as we struggled to keep up with the large property, a home business, and lots of little ones.
Life on a homestead can be hard. Many times I asked myself: “Why am I doing this?”
The answer always came from deep within. “I want my children to know how to work. I want them to know where their food comes from, I want them to know how to feed themselves.”
These principles are fundamental and sadly missing from our culture today. As such, we have diligently taught our children how to garden, sew, cook, can, bake, compost, and raise chickens.
In 2012, our older children got involved in 4-H. Our daughters raised and showed some cute pet bunnies. My oldest son wanted a “manly rabbit” so we ended up with our first Champagne. Champagne d’Argent rabbits are a beautiful heritage breed from France. Of all our rabbits, he was the calmest, sweetest guy – I liked everything about him. After some research, we decided to start raising meat rabbits to feed our large family – Champagnes were the breed of choice.
Before purchasing breeding stock, I wanted to make sure I could butcher a rabbit and that the family liked the taste of rabbit. I purchased a live fryer from a local breeder and dressed it myself (with a little moral support from a friend). We let the cleaned rabbit rest in the fridge for 2 days, then proceeded to prepare it for dinner.
All of the kids were amazed at how different, yet similar it looked to chicken. I made Hunter Rabbit. Everyone LOVED it!
Since then, we have acquired quality breeding stock and are enjoying plenty of healthy meat and bountiful garden harvests (due to their fertile manure). Our children help care for the rabbits. They make sure each bunny gets plenty of loving attention! The older kids assist with record-keeping, tattooing, processing, and cooking yummy rabbit dishes for dinner.
Meat rabbits are an integral part of our farm and have become my all-time favorite livestock. I enjoy everything about raising rabbits and can often be found sitting in the rabbitry watching them munch their greens… it is my peaceful, happy place!
Realize that there is a steep learning curve when it comes to raising rabbits. It definitely pays to do your homework before diving in.
I had raised many types of animals for years. “How hard could it be?“
Let’s just say that I spent the next 3 years learning everything I could about raising rabbits and sifting through the myriad of opinions and bad information from inexperienced newbies.
After lots of trial and error and more than my share of missteps, I have finally found my groove and realize how simple the process really is once you are armed with the right info.
Our mission is to help others experience the same joy, satisfaction, and success we have achieved.
A few things about me
- I love dark chocolate, the darker the better!
- Favorite author: Tasha Tudor
- I love seeing things grow.
- Born in New Hampshire – the Granite State.
- When I was young, I set a goal to dress out a chicken just like ‘Ma’ in ‘The Little House on the Prairie’. I achieved my goal when I was 30 and had the opportunity to process some extra roosters.
- As a teenager, I raised and trained a team of oxen calves in 4-H.
- I have a quiet personality and am usually soft-spoken, except when I’m excited about something.
- We don’t watch TV – Just a family movie once a week.
- I’d rather get a workout shoveling manure than run on a treadmill.
- You’ll find our family in church every Sunday. The sabbath is a sacred day of worship, rest, and renewal.
Are you ready to begin your own meat rabbit adventure?
Sign-up to receive rabbit raising tips, recipes, and tutorials geared toward your success!
If you’re just getting started, be sure to subscribe then check out our Meat Rabbit Quick Start Guide.
If you’ve been raising rabbits for years, subscribe and submit a free breeder directory listing if you sell meat breed rabbits.
We’re always looking for people to write guest posts and would love to learn from your input and experience. Just contact us with your areas of expertise.
Your e-mail is safe with us. We hate spam.