# question on meat rabbit sales



## JONNAT14 (Apr 12, 2013)

does anyone know any requirements or laws concerning a small-scale rabbitry ?

like the problem here with me is. the wife informed me there is no way she is going to eat rabbit. lol. i am still going to eat rabbit, possibly my daughter too but will have to tell her its chicken.lol.
but what will happen is I know that I will have left over meat. like the kind that there is too much for me to eat. so I was wondering if I found a resturant or two or even a few people to buy my left overs, what kind of law regulations will i have to be aware of and follow ? or is there some kind of limit before I need to start worrying about laws and regulations ?

Oh yeah I live in south carolina  thank you for the advice!


----------



## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

> but what will happen is I know that I will have left over meat. like the kind that there is too much for me to eat


hope you mean before you cook it and not after.....lol I always think of "leftover" as you know finish a meal and what is left over is leftover..

There is just the two of us, so I am limiting the breeding, unless you are set on selling some you could do that. I also vacuum seal ours and one day I am going to try canning some. 

As far as selling...DH has a couple of friends that want to buy a few, so we don't get into any liability/legal situations...the rabbits will be sold live, there will be no processing done at our house except for personal use. What they do with them after they leave our house is their business. I am pretty sure in TN, you have to be USDA inspected to sell any type of meat here.

I would rather not sell meat only for the simple fact people are too sue happy and if someone or something were to get sick, I don't want it falling back on us

You probably could google meat sales in your area to find out restrictions


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

This is the info I got, I copied from a e-mail---there were some pdf files attached.


"""In order to sell process rabbit to the public:
1. Rabbits must be processed in an approved facility. 
2. You must be registered with SC Department of Agriculture and possess a valid RVC. 
3. Rabbits must be labeled in accordance with Fair Packaging Laws
4. You will be subject to routine food safety inspection by SCDA.

Iâve attached a registration packet. Please let me know if you have any questions. 


*Angie M. Culler*
Field Supervisor, Food Safety & Compliance
South Carolina Department of Agriculture 
Hugh E. Weathers, Commissioner

123 Ballard Court
West Columbia, SC 29172
803-737-9690 (office)
803-737-9703 (fax)
_[email protected]_ """


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

I sell a few rabbits live to people. The ones that buy one for meat and want help cleaning their rabbit I offer to do it for free, tips accepted. It Only takes minutes to clean one.


----------



## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

countryfied2011 said:


> hope you mean before you cook it and not after.....lol I always think of "leftover" as you know finish a meal and what is left over is leftover..
> 
> There is just the two of us, so I am limiting the breeding, unless you are set on selling some you could do that. I also vacuum seal ours and one day I am going to try canning some.
> 
> ...


Rabbit is EXCELLENT canned. I do this with older stewing rabbits...and I also will take 6 month old Netherland dwarfs that I cannot sell dress them out and put them whole in quart jars. My nephews call it Bunny in a bottle! Makes the best soup you will ever eat.


----------



## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

I sell the rabbit live and then process as a courtesy. I usually have people waiting for fryers.


----------



## jolly rabbit (Apr 30, 2012)

most states allow you to sell live and process as a free service. I sell my culls all the time for 10-15 dollars a head.


----------



## JONNAT14 (Apr 12, 2013)

ok so it seems i need to sell them live then offer processing as a courtesy... sounds better than trying to sell just the meat... great advice in these forums.


----------



## tentance (Aug 16, 2012)

technically according to federal law, they are supposed to be processed in a licensed/ inspected facility. but you can sell it live, and kill as a courtesy, and they can clean it themselves in their own kitchen/backyard/whatever they want.
also you could can, which you already thought of, make jerky, and use as dog, cat, or chicken food. i thought it was going to be awful, but it was really good!
the manure really is amazing for the garden. i was skeptical at first, until i experimented with planting seeds directly into poo. i literally dug a hole, put poo in it, planted seeds, and mulched, and am now convinced. rabbits are worth having just for their organic fertilizer properties.


----------

