Pet Rabbits Hutches & Cages Genetics Breeds Care of Rabbits Resources RAW Rabbit Store More
Survival Preparedness: Backyard Meat Rabbits
Why survival preparedness?
On July 13, 2010, The National Inflation Association (NIA) issued a press release reflecting their belief that hyperinflation may become a reality in America by 2015. According to the NIA, government debt coupled with price controls will eventually reduce the value of the US dollar to nearly nothing.
Sponsored Links
If you wonder what hyperinflation might look like, this NIA YouTube video graphically illustrates the possibilities through a water shortage in Boston that occurred in May, 2010. While the Boston crisis resulted from a broken water main, the NIA believes a currency crisis will result in a similar panic however on a nationwide scale.
Emergency Food Supply for Survival Preparedness
We don't mean to be alarmists. Except, we've lived in both Peru and Brazil, and have seen runaway inflation in action. That's when you get your paycheck and head straight to the store and spend every red cent of it on food and hard goods, because tomorrow it's only worth half of today's value. I'm not kidding.
In 2003, it was labor unrest that prompted our decision to maintain a simple emergency food supply at the ready - rabbits in our backyard. At the time, five grocery chains had gone on strike at the same time throughout the region where we lived. The shelves in the local Albertson's grocery store were bare in no time.
Across town, the shelves at the only other grocery store were equally bare. The strike rumbled on for many months. At the time, we had no plan in place for survival preparedness, and no emergency food supply on hand.
The workers eventually returned to their jobs, but the refrain kept running in the back of my head: "...What if...? How would the town eat if the grocery store shelves completely emptied??" In a crisis, shelves can empty in a heartbeat. Even in America the time could arise when only those with a survival plan would survive.
We decided to incorporate live animals into our survival preparedness plan. Given the current recession, we are even more sure that we made a wise decision.
Every domestic rabbit represents 1 meal for a family of four, plus a pot of stew. Each is also a defense against hunger in the face of interrupted income, food supply, or other threats to one's well-being. With a little bit of rabbit care, the meat "stores" very well on the live rabbit in its rabbit hutch.
Additionally, raising rabbits for meat leaves a very small ecological footprint. Unlike a cow, for example, it is easy to butcher one rabbit and use the entire animal without refrigeration. No need for electricity.
"Raising and Eating Rabbits in the Big City" -- This news story features three families on Nicollet Island in downtown Minneapolis who are partnering together to tend a vegetable garden and a ‘barnyard’ including rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese, all within a very modest space.
Yes, you can raise rabbits in the big city, and in the country, for self-sufficiency and improved nutrition.
Rabbit farming does take a bit of education and know-how. But - that's why we're here. We'd like to help by sharing with you everything we know about raising rabbits for survival preparedness. Take your time and peruse Raising-Rabbits at length. Contact us with your questions, if necessary.
As you make your survival plans, don't forget your pets. Fresh raw rabbit meat, bones and liver makes a very healthy homemade pet food, or at least, home-grown, for our carnivore dogs and cats.
Have a question about rabbits for survival? Have a survival tip?
Can you offer other feedback? Lots of you have been raising rabbits for survival for years. On the other hand, some of our visitors might be fairly new to rabbits, much less rabbits for survival.
We'd love to hear from all of you:
Ask your question(s)
Give us your thoughts about survival
Offer tips on raising rabbits with an eye to survival
Know any tricks, such as food curing and storage? Share it!
We decided to incorporate live animals into our survival preparedness plan. Given the current recession, we are even more sure that we made a wise decision. 
