Rabbits

We were given 7 rabbits the other day which had been shot on a local farm. Paul brought them over and we cleaned them out.
For those of you who have never gutted a rabbit before, here are a few pictures.
We will show some pictures on skinning them at a later date.

The rabbits need to be "pauched".  This is where we squeeze any remaining urine and food waste from the rabbit and then remove the organs and intestines We simply squeezed the lower abdomen to ensure the bladder etc is empty

To remove the internal organs, first make a small nick in the skin in the animal's lower abdomen

Enlarge the hole slightly with your fingers

Choke up on the knife and hold your finger along the spine, covering the tip. This helps to avoid puncturing the intestines. Then open up the abdominal cavity with the knife.

Remove the internal organs and intestines, remembering to push your fingers through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity. Remove the heart. Also cut down through the pelvis and make sure that any internal food waste is removed

Rinse the animal well after cleaning out.

Rabbits make for excellent eating and these rabbits will all end up on the table as food. The skins will be cured and even the bones will also be used for various crafts.