Farming and Breeding Fresh, Local Rabbits for New York City Restaurants
In our never-ending quest to show you how local food is raised and brought to market, I’m going to take you on a little tour inside a rabbit farm – John Fazio’s Rabbit Farm.
Yes, he’s the same farmer who raises ducks for big name chefs in New York City. But, you should note, he was known for his prized rabbits even before he started raising ducks. And he delivers them fresh, never frozen to NYC kitchens no more than a day or two after “processing” – offering a service that is really hard to find for local chefs.
So, I wanted to share with you the short tour John Fazio gave me. It was never meant to be a video story, but I just couldn’t pass up the education. I don’t think most people have ever seen a commercial rabbit operation. I hadn’t. And all I can tell you is that it’s interesting, very organized and very clean. So come along as John Fazio tours us through his facility, and shows his methods for raising fresh, local rabbits.
For more info on the farm, please contact me on Twitter: @SkeeterNYC
Or to purchase or taste John Fazio’s rabbits, please visit Marlow & Sons or Marlow & Daughters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or Savoy in SoHo.
Thanks for watching food. curated.
hmm, this is a tough one. the rabbits are so cute, and yeah, they must be perfectly clean, but anything like (animals raised in cages) disturbs me a little. it just makes me think, do people really need to eat rabbit?
This is such a lovely video and what an immaculate operation Mr. Fazio has there, wow! I truly enjoyed watching this video and it makes me miss my dad who owned and operated a small scale farm in Delaware County, NY. He raised New Zealand rabbits for many years and supplied Goffle Road Poultry in New Jersey. I am sure they would love Mr. Fazio to supply their meat rabbits.
This video is disturbing. It’s like Fazio’s operating a sterile, efficient, little, bunny CAFO where his poor creatures are crammed in cages and, by the looks of it, never get to see sunshine or the outdoors. My husband and I raise our own rabbits, outdoors, with plenty of sunshine and fresh air.
I really would love to film your farm Danielle and show another perspective to raising rabbits. Or do you know anyone near New York that runs an operation similar to yours? I’m very interested.
I don’t care how “humane” this guy’s farm and process is. This is utterly disgusting. I know rabbit is on menus througout NYC and the world, and has been for decades… centuries… but rabbit is NOT AN OKAY FOOD TO EAT! I come from a bunny raising household (strictly as loving and attended family pets), so have very strong opinions. But in America, where there is a vast and thriving meat market for beef, chicken and pork…. RABBIT should not be a special industry for those who have the taste and the cash. I can hardly watch this video, it makes me want to throw-up.
Hi Eugene. I’m so sorry about that. It’s great to get your opinion here and I’m happy that you care so much about animals. Please feel free to share how you think animals should be raised.
I guess I just wanted to show people how a commercial rabbit farm operates so they can form their own opinions about food and educate themselves. I, myself, don’t want to be in the dark about how food gets to my table…and making videos like this makes me start to consider food more thoughtfully, and I only see that as a positive thing.
Eugene, people with pet pigs might say the same about them. Pigs are far far more intelligent and social too…and factory farmed pigs are kept in worse conditions than these rabbits.
I’m not sure about this rabbit farm, as I prefer to eat animals that lived lives and ate diets appropriate to their species. I’ve hunted rabbits that ate my crops when I worked on a farm and they are very easy to hunt and butcher. You know they have had a free life if you kill them in the wild and the proportion of “good” fats is much higher.
Great Video Liza.
Wow, this video is creating quite a little debate on here. It can go both ways, you can ask yourself, do I really need to eat rabbit? and Why not eat it? I’m sure the same questions were raised when people started eating pigeons and quails for example. The good thing is, everyone has a choice to eat them or not. If its not your thing then don’t order it when you go to a restaurant. As for me, if its treated humanely, cooked properly, then I’ll have some rabbit here and there.
I don’t see anything more wrong with eating rabbit than any other animal, even though I raised them for much of my childhood. This factory farm is no better than the awful factory farms that 93% of the chickens we eat are raised in. No space, no daylight, no nature.
What’s wrong with a couple of bucks for wild rabbit? I found this video really disturbing, but I know it’s the ugly truth behind most of the meat consumed today. They’re seen merely as food machines. Ugh.
Way to go liza. Great video. Sustainability starts with an educated consumer. In balancing the needs for nutrients, economic propserity, and proper treatment of food resources, the only way we can move towards a more humane and resilient food system is by allowing consumers to make smart decisions for themselves. Your videos are critical to that. BRAVO!
Thank you Ian! I appreciate that you understand the importance to bringing light to the food practices we do not know. This is a tough reality for some, but the fact is, these animals get to our tables somehow and it IS better to be an educated consumer.
WOW! reading the comments I would say most of the video viewers didn’t have their volume on when watching the video, I thought we told why the rabbits have to be raised off the ground. So this gives me a idea for another way of raising rabbits, i guess i will start raising in big open pens outside and on the ground, this would cut my cost to nothing and i could have a great market. I could then say for all those who don’t want good healthy rabbits come to eat are totally DISEASED AND FULL OF WORMS AND PARASITES RABBIT. To all the video viewers let me know a name for this farm, it won’t have my name on it. Also i like wild rabbit but it is a dark meat and raised rabbit is white meat.
Rabbits can be raised OFF the ground AND OUTSIDE. You don’t need to keep them in a shed devoid of the natural elements.
…same thing with how you’re raising your ducks, in a shed devoid of the elements.
I for one certainly had my volume turned up. The reasons for keeping the rabbits in wire cages with no access to the outdoors or any kind of natural environment is no better than the reasons for keeping veal calves in tiny pens with no room for movement so their meat is lighter and more tender. Cutting the beaks of hens crammed in together so that they don’t peck each other when they go nuts or shoving tubes full of grain down the necks of geese bred for foie gras are other “good reasons”. Just because it makes a tastier product for us does not mean it’s an excuse for cruelty. Wild game is widely available, inexpensive and has been eaten safely since the year dot. Putting worms and disease in capitals doesn’t make the argument any more convincing.
I think it’s brilliant that this video exists, as there is so little information available to the public in the States about how their food is raised. Thank you for shining a light on this.
Since I filmed there first hand, I will say this…John certainly took great care in making sure his animals were very clean and well kept. The droppings and urine were cleaned every day to make sure the place had no problems with disease or bacteria. I also know he does not use any hormones or antibiotics on the animals. He is a firm believer in keeping things as natural as he can – even the food.
I have read there are other options for raising rabbits…but this is the reality of his operation and he tries as best as he can to keep the rabbits in good condition so he can attract top chefs, give NYers a sustainable, local, fresh not-frozen option for rabbit meat and make a living. He truly is proud of his farm. To me, it says a lot that he’s not trying to hide anything.
I bet most people do not know that when you say wild game is available, it is not true because any wild game that is native to us is by LAW not to be sold, so i guess this is a little bit of discouraging news, The only wild game you can buy can not be from ny, and who knows what kind of chemicals other states are allowed to use. so now we get back to when product is imported in what are we eating? This sounds like the people who don’t want people to spray their lawns for health reasons, so ask them do you eat plenty of fruit and greens in the winter, of cource they say, thats nice I don’t because after we do reserch and band certain chemicals they go to the other countries that use them to spray on the friut and other products they grow and ship them back to us. So happy and healthy eating to everyone who just can read articals, but don’t now the real truth, I was born and raised farming, so just ask and i will tell you the truth behind the scenes. I was raised on a produce farm.
hey john thanks for coming on this board to talk about what you do, i understand you said to raise the rabbits on the ground would lead to disease, my question would be, wouldnt the meat be better if they ran around a lot and used their muscles more, and had natural sunlight?
thanks
ian
I wont say that I am shocked at the comments people are making about your farm. Its the way of America.(But i am sure you already know this). I have had the luxury of eating rabbit about ten years ago and its some of the best meat I ever ate. And right now, I am scared of practically all the meat at my grocer’s because I have read one too many articles about how pigs and cows are bred. (Right now I mostly eat goat and lamb from a local Halaal store but i am not jewish or muslim, and the owner tells me he gets alot of people with my concerns buying such meats because they know they are not farm bred) But your farm is not the kind of place I have read about or seen in grainy internet videos. It looks very clean and the kind of meat I would love to eat. The animals look happy, aren’t tortured or fed on a steady diet of anti biotics. Most people do not have a realistic view of what the world food supply looks and the very same “activists” protesting niche markets like this dont even understand that they are trying to push every one into that dirty disgusting beef,poultry, pork market that is that way simply because the demand is too high in the first place. Other meats of the market would alleviate the demand and we would perharps get better products on our store shelves.
John Fazio should be praised for providing a clean safe and healthy beef alternative and not demonized by naive people with little or no understanding of the farming landscape and its realities.
I must say that after watching the video twice I didn’t feel like the rabbits were being mistreated. They were able to move around and the cages were clean. I think the reality is that the people who are complaining that they are in cages that “aren’t natural” probably wouldn’t be eating little bunnies anyway. I applaud Mr. Fazio for allowing Ms. de Guia to film inside his facility and allowing us to learn a little more about an industry that so very little of us know about… or in some cases have little understanding about how food is raised.
I have never eaten rabbit. But if I do, I certainly hope it comes from a facility like John Fazio’s.
Of course not, rabbits love to be confined in cages with little to no exercise. They also enjoy being used as baby machines, and especially enjoy being slaughtered and eaten. Rabbits are animals not food, and anyone who thinks otherwise should put themselves in a rabbit‚Äö√Ñ√¥s place for a moment and think…I believe it’s called empathy, try it…..it’s contagious.
Rabbits are by definition ‘Baby Machines’. No one forces rabbits to mate. They just do. And most ‘pet’ rabbits live alone in small cages anyway and are not ‘free range bunnies’.
Thank you, Andrew, for pointing out that pet rabbits are kept in similar cages. I’ll go further to point out that those same pet rabbits don’t go outside, and therefore don’t have access to sunshine and fresh air. Is that animal cruelty? What about hamsters and gerbils in cages, being fed pet-store pet food (of questionable quality, I assume)?
As for “baby machines” — bunnies are the mascots for Easter because they’re known for their fertility, and Easter is a celebration of Spring. Spring=mating=abundance=fertility.
I no longer live in the US, so I’m lucky to have seasonal access to very good quality game. I do know that when I did live in the US, finding reasonably priced, ethically produced meat and dairy was very hard, as was finding any information about the farm conditions of the meat neatly packaged in sterile trays in the grocery store.
I LOVE meat. I could never be a vegetarian, let alone vegan, but I feel very strongly that it’s not ok to strip any animal of basic natural comforts -and daylight, grass and room to move are VERY basic- so that we can eat more and more for cheaper and cheaper prices.
In the West, we eat too much meat as it is. We CAN afford to eat higher welfare meat if we choose to.
Videos like this one bring much needed information to consumers.
I now know that when I next visit NYC and am eating out, I’ll know not to assume the rabbit on the menu ever saw the light of day, though if you’re charging $20 for a plate of food, it had better be free range.
We in the UK still have a ways to go with our animal welfare standard requirements, but we do have more affordable access to clearly labeled higher welfare meat and dairy. We’re lucky.
I would never ever pay money for rabbit raised in conditions like these, clean or not. This isn’t a farm, it’s a factory. If you put a picture of this place on the package, would it make the consumer feel good about where their money is going?
Those who compare this operation to an industrial animal factory have never seen an industrial animal factory. Unless they were specially trained actors, these animals appear to be very healthy, calm, and content. Raising them outside on the ground is indeed an invitation to parasites as anyone who raises them will tell you. And in the wild, rabbits often live in holes in the ground. That sounds a lot more confining than those cages! Kudos to John for what appears to be an exemplary operation, and to Liza for this interesting video.
“And in the wild, rabbits often live in holes in the ground. That sounds a lot more confining than those cages!”
Lorenzo, apparently you have never investigated a wild rabbit habitat, or you would know that they live in those holes SINGALLY. AND, they choose those quarters for themselves. The earth is a nature habitat. Enslaved in wire cages with a hand full of others, living nose-to-nose their entire lives is man’s profit-driven cruel invention.
Hmm, what business are you in or considering?
Um, have you never heard of a wild rabbit WARREN, Ms Muller? This is a communal, underground habitat. Very confined, indeed. BTW, no one here is listening to your rantings but we’re having a good time playing.
I understand raising the rabbits indoors is preferable to raising them on the ground. Besides what Mr. Fazio outlined with the disease problem, you have foxes/wolves/cats to worry about, and also a level of responsibility and a food producer to understand the environment at all times. Indoor is the only reasonable way to keep all of this in check. I also understand the “but they never get to see daylight” argument. Nature can be far crueler than these well fed, handled, bred, and ultimately butchered animals. Just watch some National Geographic programming.
I don’t care for the vegan/vegetarian “meat is murder” crowd offering the don’t eat meat solution to the omnivores at large. That’s a close-minded singular view that is about as helpful as abstinence advice for eighteen year olds at their first year of college. So my question is this, what would the happy medium be? Retractable skylights? 3x3ft pens instead of 2x2ft?
I’m not suggesting Mr. Fazio implement the suggestions as he has his own financial priorities that must be managed as any other small business person must, but I would like to see constructive critisism out of this educated crowd rather than an outright crucifiction of what I see as an absolutely outsanding local food production operation.
Yes, Todd. You left “quite an opinion,” to quote your Twitter. The middle paragraph especially. I leave opinions like that often but like to flush when I’m done.
I just wanted to compliment this awesome video, and to let John Fazio know I appreciate him showing up in the thread to explain his point of view. I myself eat meat very infrequently, but might one day try rabbit just to try something novel to me.
The movement to inform consumers of where what they eat comes from, and what goes into its preparation, is great and videos and discussions like this can only help both our society and culture. Cheers!
Just wanted to avoid the chain of conversation heading straight to “I have a suggestion… Don’t eat rabbit.”
All apologies if you found that particular example rough around the edges. It was the first mentally available parallel in regards to avoiding the unavoidable for a large portion of the population and the unproductive banter that comes with the territory.
I have pet rabbits and I enjoy having them around. You definitely form a bond with them and they all have their own unique personalities. They are different types of rabbits than you would see being raised for food. They aren’t very large and they don’t have a lot of meat on them. They are domesticated pets. Granted some people might have the type of rabbits that John raises as pets, but in general not so much.
That said, they are still rabbits and while you might argue that they should be able to run and jump and do the things that rabbits like to do (and rabbits do love to run and jump) at the same time these rabbits are destined for slaughter and most of them probably attain full growth in a few months and are then sent out. Living in their little cage warrens that John has setup isn’t a particularly bad life from what I can see. Many people keep rabbits in much worse conditions in homes. They are clean and they interact with each other. In general the main thing is that rabbits are communal animals and as long as they can interact with others of their kind they are happy. Could they be living better lives as pets? I suppose, but I don’t see anything particularly cruel about the setup that John has there.
I mean, it’s certainly not worse than the cow and pig slaughterhouses that we have across the country where the cows and pigs wallow in their own feces.
People can feel free to eat what they want to eat. I won’t eat rabbit and I’d rather not be exposed to rabbit slaughter, but for some people it’s fine and I don’t really have a problem with it from that end. It would be hypocritical of me to lambast people for eating rabbits when I eat cow and pig all the time.
“Many people keep rabbits in much worse conditions in homes.” So, Harvey, do you mean to say that two wrongs make the lesser evil right?
Like i said I was born and raised on a produce farm. I woke up one morning to see that the rabbits had eaten all my crops. I would have starved if i din’t eat the rabbit.
Mr. Fazio, in reading about your justifications for doing what you do, I get a pretty clear picture of your character. The fact that your operation is small scale does not separate you from the likes of the large factory farms. You may be able to keep your operation cleaner (rabbits are naturally cleaner to keep), but you are all in the business for the same reason. And as with large scale chicken and egg operations, the “standards” for rabbits are created for maximizing profits: cram the most into the least amount of space to maximize the greatest amount of profit. Likewise, these standard do not hold you to much accountability since there are no laws to protect chickens or rabbits. And, like all for-profit businesses that try to fool the public by quoting the standards, you don’t care about the animals; you care about money.
You wrote, ” I woke up one morning to see that the rabbits had eaten all my crops. I would have starved if i din‚Äö√Ñ√¥t eat the rabbit.” That’s preposterous! Sounds more like you took revenge on the rabbits for getting into your garden. You can fool some of the people all of the time–especially if they’re young. But some of the people are too old to be fooled at all.
I echo the sentiments of others here: There is no “humane” SLAUGHTER. Premeditated killing is an act of violence no matter the species. And when the joy of killing takes over, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the joy killers to stop, especially if it is profitable.
Humans have made meat a staple food, because they suffer from sheeple syndrome. Nobody, that’s right, nobody needs meat to sustain life or health. And in the end, humans would rather be selfish than worry about the life of a defenseless creature. And nobody needs to see a defenseless creature wontedly killed to understand where food comes from. This notion is the new mantra for trying to desensitize an ever growing population of concerned young society.
Mr. Fazio, you’re not just a farmer, you’re a profit-driven business with all the standard symptoms.
How easy it is to attack people you don’t know, DMuller! If all of us flesh eaters (i.e. humans) are murderers, why should we even care how the animals are treated? This is a silly argument. There is no reasoning with someone like you who can ‘think’ only in the most extreme and absolute terms. Did you breathe today? You probably killed several million microorganisms, you murderous scoundrel!! And in the morning when you put on your organically grown, fair trade, hemp shirt, please remember that all human agriculture displaces and kills animals. Have you any idea how many little mice and baby birds and bunnies are slaughtered when that tractor comes along to harvest those soy beans you love so much? Tofu is murder, too! Do you see? We can all be silly like you!
We have a small 24 hole barn and raise rabbits for show and meat, mostly our own consumption. I’ve seen clips of rabbit farms with very poor conditions and this one is not. Congratulations Mr. Fazio on a great set up. Our rabbits hate coming out of their cages. It’s their “territory” and they feel safe and secure there. As long as they have food (we also include grass hay) and water they are comfortable.
As for being inside or out every 4-H Rabbit Club in the country will tell you to keep rabbits out of direct sunshine and in winter out of the wind and snow. While a few skylights wouldn’t hurt (they’d give some natural light for the human workers) it’s probably not that big of a deal. Good ventilation is much more important.
And importantly, rabbit meat has the highest protein and lowest cholesterol for ANY livestock. If you eat meat rabbit is great for your health. EAT MORE RABBIT!!!!
I was as fascinated by the comments as by the video (which was excellent). Mr. Fazio is clearly in the know about how and why rabbits need to be raised certain ways. There are indeed diseases which can be caught by eating wild rabbit, truly wild rabbits and I would not want to risk that.
If people want to eat rabbit (and a significant number do), I think that Mr. Fazio is honest about how and why he conducts his business as he does. If people truly knew how much of the meat they ate was raised, they’d find Mr. Fazio’s operation to be far more humane by comparison.
I had to come back and note that Mr. Fazio has taken a great deal of time to explain how and why he raises his rabbits. While some may feel there are better options, IF people are going to eat rabbit (and they are), his methods help ensure that people don’t get sick from rabbit meat. There are breeders who raise and sell rabbits in far worse conditions.
I can’t help thinking of Temple Grandin (a writer worth seeking out) who noted that cattle were going to be slaughtered and that couldn’t be prevented. However, she believed that they could be handled more humanely, even though they would be killed. I don’t see how this is any different than what Mr. Fazio does.
Liza — thanks for documenting what goes on in a rabbit farm. I am guessing, despite the cage environment, this is one of the ‘nicer’ rabbit factory farms.
however, it seems there is a huge missing part of this rabbit meat rearing process that the public needs to see — the part where the animals are slaughtered.
there is something quite ironic about the phrase ‘humane meat’ — it’s as big of an oxymoron as you can get. what is ‘humane’ about raising living beings in cages their entire lives…devoid of natural elements of sunlight, fresh air (that doesn’t only from from rooftop ventilation), and the ability to use their legs to hop farther than half a foot for their entire lives. and what is so ‘humane’ about eating dead carcasses of animal flesh?
john you said you were raised on a ‘poultry’ farm and would have starved. sorry, I don’t buy that. poultry is fed grains and feed…that is processed from the very same vegetation people eat. what an incredible waste of resources to take food to feed to animals, and then in turn slaughter animals for food.
It was a joke and i said produce not poultry. now let me tell all you vegge eaters meat is in the food chain, first of all depending on were you live produce does not grow in the winter, so by nature this is why man likes salads and veg. in the summer months and then turns to meats in the winter months do you think this is why you see the meat products sell more in the winter this is why all by nature, does this happen and we don’t even know that, also do anybody know how and why are teeth are designed the way they are, it is to tear MEAT. I would also like to know why so many of you that want everything to be natural, do you go outside and cover your plants with a plastic pot when their is a frost coming, let nature take it’s cource, why a fence around your garden let nature take it’s cource. do you know how many little rabbits die trying to get threw the fence and break their necks that cruel, for you to keep nature out of your garden, to be so selfish, someone should lock you a couple of feet away from your food source and see how you like it.
also let me tell you befor you write you should read, if you read some of the stuff here it will tell you why we raise the way we do, natural is not always the best as a person with a brain we are always thinking of better ways. Just like we use sunblock, WHY the sun is natural but it can hurt us. skin cancer. so nature freeks, if you are going to write something can you please use your brain. let me ask you if I bring fresh air from outside and run it threw a filter before it comes into the barn, is this like it is not natural air did i make the air, or just clean the air that you poluted when you drove by to see what i was doing, see I ride a horse, no motor powered stuff on my farm. now do we see what fakes you really are, it’s just what you do you think is right, no it’s your disicion which is fine but use your brain and just watch and ask educated ?’s.
A LOT OF MISSED SPELLED WORDS IN WHAT I WROTE BUT JUST A FARMER HERE.
Not everyone is arguing with you, Mr. Fazio, and when it comes to food and how it is produced, emotions can run high. It is clear that you care about what you do and how you do it. There can be a range of opinions about food production and my hope is that the discussion will lead to greater understanding rather than attacks on each other.
Liza, thank you for sharing with the public what a rabbit farm looks like.
I must say watching this video made me extremely sad and horrified. The rabbits are so cute and pet-able…even John Favio was petting them. Yet it’s such a stark contrast to everything else around them…Perhaps this particular facility ise more organized and cleaner than others. Still, seeing row after row of those tiny metal cages…I just cannot fathom how it must feel to have to go on day after day “living” like that. And they’re going through this for what? To be murdered and put on someone’s plate to eat. And it’s not like eating rabbits is going to do the person any good. Medical professionals and experts continue to prove that meat consumption is not compatible with our bodies, be it our teeth, immune system or our digestive system. Breeding rabbits and keeping them locked up in cages indoors, then killing them…it just doesn’t seem natural nor does it make sense to me. How could this possibly “humane”? I wish practices could instead be turned into more wholesome, life-promoting and eco-friendly practices like organic vegetable farming.
I realize my wording is rather blunt, but I don’t mean it to be insulting or attacking anyone, I’m just commenting on my reaction. But even though I didn’t have a good time watching the video, I still appreciate that it was posted and helped me see where meat comes from. (BTW, no, I will definitely NOT being eating any dead rabbits, nor any other meat.)
lite,
One of the biggest problems with people who see all animals as pets is they tend to put human traits to those animals. Animals do not think the same way people do. Life is not a Disney film where animals converse and discuss politics or what the plans of the day are. In the wild rabbits are burrowing animals. When they make dens for themselves and their families (who are usually booted out when old enough to fend for themselves), their dens are small and cozy so it reflects their body heat back on them in winter and the ground, away from the sun, cools them in the summer. I have mini Dachshunds and while they have the run of the house and the fenced yard, it’s not unusual to find 3 of them in a pillowcase with a pillow because animals actually do like small spaces for security and comfort. Most animals raised in kennels, cages, or other types of confinement are content to live that way because they don’t know any other life. They don’t long for what they don’t know, can’t afford, or something their neighbor has the way people do. As much as we love our pets, they are not people in fur coats. They are animals. They can be trained to understand simple commands, to live in our society as companions, but they live in the ‘here and now’, not the ‘what could be’. They have no idea what the ‘what could be’ even is. That’s why the rabbits in the video appear content and happy living as they do….they ARE content and happy. They have a clean place to live, enough to eat, and companionship. They don’t need anymore than that.
funny that you say that but do you know that many doctors tell you that if you are going to eat meat you should eat rabbit, it is the healtheist meat available to man. in the south they are using rabbit in nursing homes, for the older people becuse it has a lot of health benifits. and if you take notice yes we eat to much meat, we put a king cut steak on the plate and hardly no veggeies, a good balance should be a lot of veggies and a smaller cut of meat. I think thats what doctors mean when they say stay away from red meats, they don’t mean don’t eat it at all. I would like for you to show me one doctor that says don’t eat any meat, that is not true they will not tell you that.
here is another ? do you think if everyone was just to eat veggies that we could possibly raise enough to feed every one and that is not saying organic, that would be totally impossible. so all i ask is that before someone speaks they should really think, ( what i am going to say is it possable ) so you see what most say they are not really thinking, its just a dream. but as most doctors will tell you dreaming is healthy for you so keep on dreaming.
“… do you think if everyone was just to eat veggies that we could possibly raise enough to feed every one and that is not saying organic, that would be totally impossible.”
Mr. Fazio, your question is the new favorite parrot phrase of those who don’t think for themselves. This notion is ridiculous! Society would be shocked to see how much food ends up in the dumpster’s of all food industries including restaurants and grocery stores. If people had less choices and they had to pay more for them, perhaps they would be less wasteful, thinner, healthier, and financially better off: think obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, medical costs, etc. The notion that society SHOULD accept cruelty over better health for humans, and the earth is extremely troubling and dangerous. There is much evidence to show that greed is the driving force in the meat, dairy, and egg industries. These industries are all about bolstering profits not concern for the health of the environment or its inhabitants. Most change only when laws force them to.
“so all i ask is that before someone speaks they should really think, ( what i am going to say is it possable ) so you see what most say they are not really thinking,”
Oh, I’m thinking alright. I’m thinking about how my health has improved since I stopped letting the profit industries dictate my health. I’m thinking that nothing has to suffer and die for my nutrition. I’m thinking that the earth is made healthier by those, like me, who choose not to support devastation and cruelty. And I’m thinking that I have faith in my fellow man to know that when he is pushed to adapt to changing needs, he can do it. It’s the one thing that remains steady through the ages.
“its just a dream. but as most doctors will tell you dreaming is healthy for you so keep on dreaming.”
Some will claim they would rather die eating foods they want rather than deprive themselves, but when they are on their death beds, not one wants to die nor do they want to spend their later years suffering with debiliting health. What the food industry has created is not health-generating pleasant dreams; it’s life-sucking nightmares!
A note to those who think that rabbits don’t have a problem living their lives in cramped cages nose-to-nose and butt-to butt. It’s scary to understand that you accept this cruel industry standard as okay. Like I said before: sheeple syndrome.
Yes, wild rabbits live in small warrens underground, but they are also able to hop around outdoors, eat grass, see sunlight and behave naturally.
While it’s true that there are many pet rabbits kept in small cages, without the right natural stimulation, we’re talking about one or two per household being kept for love and companionship. It’s a shame that these pet owners are ignorant of or indifferent to the needs of their pet, but they’re not keeping thousands upon thousands in tiny cages purely for profit.
That the animals are kept out of their own waste is again to maximize profit, not out of any regard for the animals.
Given that 65% of the world’s land is inhospitable to growing crops, eating some meat it’s a smart, healthy and sustainable choice. The problem is that we’re all lazy and greedy, eating far more meat and processed food than we need and throwing an unconscionable amount of food away every year.
When a country’s beef industry is dictated by one fast food giant (McD) it becomes clear that serious changes need to be made, both by the government and by each and every consumer.
I don’t believe that it’s alright to strip an animal of its basic natural rights just because it’s going to end up as dinner.
If those cages were filled with cats and dogs, would everyone feel just as comfortable with it? I doubt it.
Liza, thanks for producing and posting this excellent (if emotionally challenging) video! I applaud your insistence on showing where “ingredients” come from – honest depiction of farming helps those of us who eat meat to appreciate and respect the animals as we prepare and consume them.
My hat is off to Mr. Fazio for maintaining the quality of life for his rabbits as he does. He obviously cares for them and his ducks. No doubt his profit margins would be higher if he didn’t respect and care for the animals to the extent he does – he deserves much credit for that! I just hope that more and more farmers treat their animals with similar care and respect, and I hope to follow them by showing the “processed” animals sincere respect in my kitchen. Thanks again! (I’d love to see a recipe using his rabbits)
NOTE FROM LIZA – Thanks Seth, I appreciate that so very much and thank you for adding your thoughts here. I think it’s important to hear every angle of argument for or against this. We all live by different ethics, and this topic will always be a heated one for many. I can only respect how people choose to eat and as a filmmaker add as much variety to my films as I can…
FYI – For anyone interested in continuing their education on rabbit meat as a source of food, please stop by later this week. I spent time with a local chef and will be premiering a video about butchering and cooking rabbit properly. I hope not to intentionally offend anyone, but being that I am a meat eater I too find these processes very interesting.
For the non-meat eaters, believe me, I am very much looking forward to Spring and Summer when I can get back on the produce farms and do interesting segments that’ll appeal to you. Lots to look forward to.
Yes, I think it’s good to see comments from all sides, (it actually fortifies my gratitude for vegans) and I too am looking forward to your future segments in the spring and summer =]
this will be the last time I write here I will just watch what others have to say, but I do have to say EMILY what the hell are you smoking to say that they are only kept clean so I can make More money, I really think you need caged rabbit meat in your diet becuse you did catch some kind of bug from all the natural stuff you eat that is eating away at your brain.
Liza, make no mistake, I was a conscienceless meat eater most of my life. That’s when I too suffered from sheeple syndrome: whatever was fed to me as truth, I swallowed. After I began to educate myself, with the help of some great organizations, I saw the barbaric horror, and I couldn’t unseen it. That meat became a sentient being, a creature with a will to live, a desire to raise its young, a being with the capacity for great suffering. I became aware that that unit of production was the victim of a heartless, greedy commercial industry.
Animals have hearts that pump life sustaining blood, brains, tongues, and teeth, livers that cleans toxins from their bodies, kidneys and intestines that eliminate waste, stomachs to process their food, they have five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and feeling, they have great capacity to suffer,and they have the capacity to feel joy and sadness, they procreate, and they care for their young. This issue is not about a “food choice.” It is about the victims who have been turned into a food choice for profit.
The meat-eaters commenting here are no different than mass society, they are self-absorbed, they prefer to feed their taste addictions rather then to care that that creature suffered and paid the ultimate price.
“Man is not the only species on earth, he just acts like it.” He has become the weapon of mass destruction consumed with selfishness and greed.
I hope you don’t eat apples. I was just on an apple farm a few months ago as they were spreading rodenticide. Most fruit farmers do. Which is a more environmentally sound solution: hunting pests or poisoning them? Neither isn’t an option because otherwise we would not be able to produce enough food.
Also, where are we supposed to get fertilizer for our crops? Animals or petroleum? Hmm.
Like most animal rightists, you probably have never been involved in food production, so you probably haven’t thought about these things.
Everyone else, make no mistake- to hardcore animal rightists like D Muller a dog is a pig is a rat is a boy. Cute animals are the low hanging fruit, but really they want to ban all uses of animals including life saving medical research.
If then, you are a man, suicide is always an option…
Liza I just want to apoligize for lowering my self to some of the others on this site. But you do a great job, and I am telling everyone I meet about how good you are. Thanks again for the great videos you have done on me. I have recieved a lot of calls, from new customers.
to d muller we are still waiting to here why like lorenzo asked is it alright for you to kill animals to harvest your crops.
Lorenzo’s comments are such childish dribble, they are not worthy of my time.
But, to you, sire, I say, if you are not mature enough to understand the difference between deliberate killing for profit and the unfortunate unavoidable field tragedies, then, you are not mature enough for intelligent conversation.
I see. So DMuller’s deaths are unfortunate, unavoidable collateral damage. I’m sure that’s comforting to those “living, breathing, sentient beings” he kills with his vegan lifestyle. I assume he’s a vegan because I’m sure he wouldn’t want to confine a dairy cow to a life of involuntary servitude. No leather belts, either I presume?
Animals eat other animals. Period. Rabbits basically exist to be used as prey for other animals. That’s why they reproduce so prolifically. Any 5-year-old with access to a TV nature show knows this. DMuller of course does not watch television.
BTW, I’m writing this with a bloody piece of steak in my murderous mouth.
Just because you can’t hear a soybean crying doesn’t mean it wants to be eaten. Soybeans have feelings, too. Stop the senseless murder of billions (BILLIONS!) of soybeans a year. Eat grass-fed meat.
Yahp, more profit-driven rabbit killers.
FYI about the soy, most of the forests are cleared for grazing land for livestock, and enough soy is grown to feed livestock to feed (and be left with surplus) all the starving people in the world. Instead of feeding people in need, we are growing soy to feed animals that are bred to be murdered and fed to people who will in turn suffer the health setbacks and more…meanwhile, the environment and biodiversity is also being destroyed, furthering the detrimental tolls of climate change/global warming.
So yes, let’s “Stop the senseless murder of billions (BILLIONS!) of soybeans a year” to make animals fat and then slaughter them, and instead focus on growing food for the people who need it while also being better stewards of the environment.
how about every farmer that gets what we call a sluaghter permit this is to shoot deer at night with a spot light, when they are eating their crops, and do you know most farmers belly shoot them so they can run off the land and die. what a waiste, just for the dam veggie eaters.
I don’t really understand this. Yes, it is a waste and terrible that they shoot deer, but what does that have to do with “veggie eaters”?
“…just for the dam veggie eaters.” Hmm, I guess I can conclude that YOUR diet concists of 100% meat? What a silly thing to say. I suggest you follow your own advise: think!
so mr. muller is this DELIBERATE KILLING FOR PROFIT.
Mr Fazio, for goodness sakes. I saw you in the video. You look old enough to have developed more sense than you exhibit here.
Like most people of opposing views, you have resorted to nonsense, and you are trying to shift the focus away from yourself, in a feeble attempt to justify what you do.
I will not address the fields and deer issue because it is not the topic. We are talking about a for-profit business that willfully kills gentle, defenseless, sentient animals. We are talking about a for-profit business that has created a food choice out of an animal that is not protected by any laws. We are talking about a business that requires a person to engage in the joy of killing for profit: snapping their necks, cutting off their heads, enslaving them in intense confinement so you can create more space for more intense confinement, we are talking about the lack of conscience it takes to be in the rabbit killing business. I’m sure you are familiar with the following methods of killing these gentle creatures:
*Hold the rabbit upside down. Quickly snap the head down and back to break the neck.
*Use the Rabbit Wringer
*Have one person bring the bunny to you. Set it on the floor and put a broomstick just behind
the neck. Step down on the broomstick (one person’s foot on each side) while you pull hard
on both back feet at once.
*Confine the rabbit so it can’t move. Using something heavy like a pipe, stone, or heavy wood hammer, give the rabbit a sharp blow between the ears. Immediately chop off its head with a
knife, and hang the rabbit to bleed.
*Confine the rabbit in a box so it can’t move. Shoot the rabbit between the ears with a pellet gun. Immediately hang it to bleed, or you can cut off the head.
Mr Fazio, as much as you hate it, we are talking about you and what you do. And we are talking about this web site that joyfully promotes this grotesque cruelty as a business for you and as a business for Food curated.
Mr. Muller so i see you no nothing about processing a rabbit, as anyone can see like John Fazio in the new york times dining section. my signiture is a rabbit with the heads on and any cruel way you just said does not have a head on and when you break the neck the head will come off, when skinning, so just to leave you sounding as stupid as you are I will not tell you how I do this you would just make a stupid comment anyway. and for not replying to my questions about killing deer because they eat veggeis is just becuase you don’t no the answer. and also veggies are in my diet and i am also on the sluaghter permits for the local farmers becuase i am one of the best night shooters around, i never miss that deer, the difference is that when i shoot a deer i bring it to a family that is in need so they can feed the family. I am thanked by so many local families for doing this. also don’t hit the rabbit you will bruse that wounderful tasting meat around the neck. If anyone would like a recipe on how i cook rabbit just ask, we use a lot of veggies in my recipe. we also put the heads in to my 10 year old loves to eat the meat around the head and the tounge is like getting to the heart of a artichoke. MR. MULLER MAY WE ASK WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING.
I too was raised on eating meat. My family used to go to a pig farm in Florida and choose a pig which in turn was shot for the purchase. They would bring this meat home and make kielbasy and the works. I was never a big fan of eating kielbasy when I was a kid and used to pick the meat out. There was a form of sausage called “kaszanka” that we would have for breakfast with eggs. It was after one of these trips by my aunt and mom that I came to know what this sausage consisted of, blood and rice. Let’s just say that I never had it again after making this discovery. Over the years I have stopped eating animals altogether iand n the process losing a lot of weight. It is this experience with my family that comes back to haunt me many times. Hopefully, your children will grow up to view the eating of animals in a different way than you do.Yes, now they are forced to eat what you put on their plates but maybe they will be lucky enough to go beyond that little world you live in once they become adults and are able to make their own decisions!
Hey John We enjoyed the tour of the facility. More farmers should allow consumers to see where their food is coming from and take the care you do. There will always be skeptics as we have seen, . and customers who want duck and rabbit. I had an old Italian friend who lived til 90 and he ate rabbit as part of his regular diet replacing beef. I would like to try a rabbit and duck myself. Keep up the good work.
hi john. Don’t let these guys get you down. You are not running a factory farm. I thought the cages looked a little cramped too. And this is coming from the point of view from someone who raises rabbits for show and also eats them. I also cull some of mine for dog food. I saw this posted on the meat rabbits yahoo group. if you are interested in joining send an email to meatrabbits@yahoogroups.com. Its a wonderful group full of knowledgeable people that raise rabbits for show, meat, etc. Anyhow, despite the smaller cages, your facility is otherwise wonderful, your rabbits look great. They don’t looked stressed. I applaud that you don’t wean them early, and you don’t take chances of over stressing them. i bet your rabbits have it much better then those that are weaned at an early age, and the does are bred to the point where they are burnt out. 2.5 years olf for breeding does is a really good production life since a lot don’t end up making it to that age. I also like that you said something to employee for scruffing the rabbit, and to treat her gently. Those rabbits also looked like they were well socialized and were craving for attention. Most would be bouncing off the cages trying to get away when you walked by them like that.
The thing is is a lot of people view rabbits only as pets when they are a mulltipurpose animal. Pets, food, fur, show. They don’t understand that rabbits are also kept as livestock, not household pets. there isa huge difference there. i raise rabbits for show, and do sometimes allow them outside in a pen during the summer months. But thats not saying that everyone has to let their rabbits out like that. Each of have our own way of taking care of them, and one way doesn’t always work for the other.
“And this is coming from the point of view from someone who raises rabbits for show and also eats them.” Imagine that, one heartless rabbit killer consoling another. Hmm, who would have thought.
“You are not running a factory farm. I thought the cages looked a little cramped too.” Description of factory farming: 1. cramming the most into the least amount of space to effect the greatest amount of profit. 2. Intense confinement and other cruel standards. But, then, janelle, who could expect YOU to see the truth?
” I also cull some of mine for dog food.” Unbelievable! Did I mention heartless already?
“…and the does are bred to the point where they are burnt out. 2.5 years olf for breeding does is a really good production life since a lot don’t end up making it to that age.” They also breed the life out of dairy cows because they too are treated as a unit of production. Did I mention heartless already?
“I also like that you said something to employee for scruffing the rabbit, and to treat her gently.” Did you notice they were on camera? Did you notice the employee did not change his method? It appeared to me, the employee did what he always does the way he always does it. Perhaps, janelle, you should view the video again.
“Most would be bouncing off the cages trying to get away when you walked by them like that.” I viewed the video again. For the life me, I cannot fathom where those rabbits would be jumping to in such intense confinement. Did you miss the part where Mr. Fazio mentions he has two thousand rabbits in the space you see?
“The thing is is a lot of people view rabbits only as pets…” Thank God for those compassionate people! “…when they are a mulltipurpose animal.” They are not multipurpose. It is the human weapons of mass destruction who have relegated animals to be units of production in their profit-driven greed ventures.
“They don’t understand that rabbits are also kept as livestock,” And who created that?
“… and do sometimes allow them outside in a pen during the summer months. But thats not saying that everyone has to let their rabbits out like that.” Breeding for profit by intense confinement certainty does not allow for a rabbit to have a rabbit’s life. To Mr. Fazio, and others like him, these are not rabbits, they are profit.
Someone once said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” Hmm, I wonder who’s guilty?
What man has done to the earth and its none-human species is conscienceless. “Man isn’t the only species on earth, he just acts like it.”
“Take away the bacteria and insects and in 50 years the Earth dies; take away the humans and in 50 years the Earth flourishes.”
D muller do yourself a favor and go do some research. http://www.arba.net. There you go. My bunnies happen to be very tasty, and my dog enjoys them too. I would rather eat that then the commercially farmed pigs that drugged up with baytril every day. Lol most rabbits are not bred for profit. so do your research. Mr fazio is doing the community a great service by providing I customers with a good clean meat that isn’t drugged up with steriods and antibiotics. BTW I am not going vegan any time soon.
“There you go. My bunnies happen to be very tasty,”
What a barbaric, selfish thing to do.
“and my dog enjoys them too.”
I cook vegan food for all twelve of my animals. I wouldn’t think of loving some animals while supporting their nutrition through the death’s of others.
“Lol most rabbits are not bred for profit. so do your research.”
And when did I make that statement?
How we make so much sence when we talk TAKE AWAY THE HUMANS AND THE EARTH FLOURISHES. so now tell us how you would no that if their are no humans to tell us, lets all lite up a joint and think the way people under the influance of drugs think.
BTW if you aren’t vegan, I hope you don’t eat chicken or beef. Because if you do you are being a hypocrit. Chickens and cows are cute too, but nobody seems to care if they get eaten. But if its the cyuute and fluffy oh god noes!
“Chickens and cows are cute too, but nobody seems to care if they get eaten.”
I care!
BTW Liza, great video. If you are interested in doing more on the rabbit industry contact the the ARBA through the link I provided above. Rabbit shows are also worth looking into too, and some even have meat rabbit buyers at them. The ARBA hosts thousands of shows every year, and they are the backbone of the rabbit industry (pets, meat, show). They do have rabbit shows up your way, and it would be a great experience if you are looking to get another point of view on raising rabbits.
Janelle, hi…it’s Liza. Thanks so much for your link here. I am interested in the continued education on rabbits, and food in general, and will look into filming one day at a rabbit show, do these typically happen year round?
For the D mullers out there, I hope people will outright dismiss their fanatical views. People like that lie all the time, take things out of context, and do not understand the issues they complain about. “Factory farm” is a propaganda term used to demonize all farmers much like “puppymill” is used to demonize all dog breeders. I read information from the Farm Bureau that the majority of farms are family owned, yet AR activists tell us most are “factory farms”. They hope people will turn against farmers if they can make the sheeple believe in their lies.
I don’t know why people choose to believe anything out of AR groups, after all they are 100% opposed to all animal use. What do they even know or understand about raising animals?
Farming is a tough life, you don’t make alot of money and you’re at the mercy of mother nature. The problem in our society is too few have any idea what it takes to produce the food we require to survive. It’s easy to demonize a farmer, to call them “for profit”, but is that really evil? Hey Muller do you work? The money you make, where is it spent? Do you give it all to charity? I doubt it. So before people attack someone for making a living with an animal think about why you work for a living.
The new trend is to call for small family farms with a handful of animals and nothing larger. Fine, so how do all you do gooders think they will be able to provide the food the rest of us non-farmers need? They may only be able to feed themselves and we live in an anti-agricultural society with laws so you aren’t going to be able to start your own farm to feed yourself on that residential property.
As far as rabbit care specifically, yeah they are kept in cages, not let outdoors, or left in sunlight. That applies to ALL rabbits, commercial meat, pet, 4-H, or show breeder. There are valid reasons that rabbits are cared for the way they are. Let them live outdoors like wild rabbits they get parasites or could be killed by predators. Leave them in sunlight they may overheat and die. Fresh air brought in by some form of ventilation is the norm and is not inhumane. The rabbits have been domesticated for thousands of years to thrive in a caged environment. They have always been used for a food source. You have them as pets fine, just be respectful that they are both food and fancy.
As far as humane slaughter the methods used are humane. They may not sound pretty but they have been proven to produce the quickest most pain free way to end the animals life. Again if this were 50 yrs ago many more on here would understand it because you’d be out raising and butchering your own food. Today with so few raising animals people don’t get it, food just arrives in a bag. Animal rights radicals thrive on the ignorance in our society towards farming.
I’ve seen video and photos of rabbit “rescue” with their “free range” rabbits. For one they are not let outside either. But their homes sure look pretty with rabbit poop all over the floor and urine, and plastic sheets covering walls so the rabbits can’t get to the wall to chew. Or the fights that break out because the rabbits are no separated, great stuff.
People need to understand the factors that go into raising animals before attacking it. Things like debeaking chickens is so they don’t attack and hurt one another. Pig gestation crates are used because of problems with mother pigs rolling over onto their young. There was something out not long ago ago free range chickens I think, wasn’t as wonderful as activists claim. And of course just how much are consumers willing to pay for food if we mandate only tiny farms with acres of pasture for the animals. Oh please note farmers have to pay property taxes to so the more acreage they own the higher their taxes.
I grew up next to a diary farm, small family owned and operated so I know a little bit about just how hard farming is. Several yrs ago they finally went under, now all that beautiful land is a housing development and we have one less source of dairy product. Currently we purchase milk from a family farm, they deliver it so I have often spoken with the owner about the pitfalls of farming. I raise show rabbits so I know alot about rabbits. I can tell you the worst abuse out there is the Mullers of the world running around attacking people and spewing they hate filled propaganda. We need to be more concerned about them.
“As far as rabbit care specifically, yeah they are kept in cages, not let outdoors, or left in sunlight. That applies to ALL rabbits, commercial meat, pet, 4-H, or show breeder.”
I have to disagree. Free rabbits do not cage themselves up. And both my friends who have rabbits and I do not either, and they are very healthy and happy.
“As far as humane slaughter the methods used are humane.”
How is slaughter humane, ever? that’s a complete oxymoron. There is no such thing as a so-called “humane” method for murdering
“People need to understand the factors that go into raising animals before attacking it. Things like debeaking chickens is so they don‚Äö√Ñ√¥t attack and hurt one another. Pig gestation crates are used because of problems with mother pigs rolling over onto their young.”
If this wasn’t so disturbing, I would be laughing my head off right now. With such unnecessary pain afflicted on these chickens and pigs, it’s amazing that they aren’t driven to attacking one another out of insanity…although that probably does happen. As for pigs rolling onto their young…I’m not even going to bother commenting. And since you say this job is so tough anyways, I highly recommend you find an alternative to ‘raising’ animals to be murdered or exploiting them for dairy products. There are alternatives^^ Like the “Mad Cowboy” http://www.madcowboy.com/ <– There are many others like him
Anyways, Heaven bless you and have a great day all
PS: To answer your questions about us "D mullers out there" being "hypocrites" I am a vegan and I do donate to charity, and I believe that is part of our inherent responsibilities as human beings
i think d muller is very mislead. perhaps you should go work on a farm for a couple of months so you can get a better understanding of how one works and why cute bunnies end up as dinner. I also hope you realize the veggies you eat were also grown by some farmers that keeps and eats their livestock. The vegan lifestyle does not save animals. shoving your views down our throats isn’t going to do you much good either. We are still going to eat meat, and eat our culled rabbits. This conversation is actually making me hungry for one of them.
“perhaps you should go work on a farm for a couple of months so you can get a better understanding of how one works and why cute bunnies end up as dinner.”
I already know the answer to why rabbits “end up as dinner.” And I would never take a job that violates my moral and ethical standards.
“shoving your views down our throats isn‚Äö√Ñ√¥t going to do you much good either.”
janelle, I’m a bit confused. Didn’t you come to this site on your own? Didn’t you read these comments because you chose to? I’ve reread my comments, and I didn’t find that I forced my thoughts down your throat. This is a common ploy used by some to defend their position; it really is meaningless.
“We are still going to eat meat, and eat our culled rabbits”
I didn’t doubt this for a minute.
Mr. Fazio,
One comment,
Karma is a bitch…make of it what you will!
What a sad world we live in.
D. Muller and Lite,
It does not pay to argue with ignorance and the pursuit of the almight dollar. You will never win.
Vegan and proud…especially after viewing this video.
Janelle,
Everybody has the right to make a comment here even though it may not agree with yours. So let them.
It’s called common courtesy. Just as you are going to eat meat and preach how good it is to do so, others are entitled to give the facts about the inhamanity of doing so, nevermind the health factor. Animals feel pain just like you and I. Have some compassion lady.
I think all the ones who think this is cruel should protest in front of my barn and get a news chanel to folow them. when ever something like this goes on tv or news papers I pick up a good 15 to 20 more customers. Keep up the good work vegge eaters.
Hi john don’t give them any ideas. You don’t need them finding out where you live, or trying to do anything to you or your rabbits or barn.
Just let it go. There will always be Idiots out there that can’t grasp the concept of livestock. I wish you were in my area. I’d buy rabbits from you in a heartbeat. 
Or maybe look into having you process some for me. I have a lady that does do it for me. Her only fee is that she keeps every fourth one for her family. Its a good working relationship and she does a really good job at processing them.
Liza go to http://www.arba.net. Click on the shows link. There are rabbit shows in every state all year round. I am in Michigan and we have them year round with two state convention shows. One in the spring, one in the fall. i am sure there are plenty of rabbit shows up your way.
Just go to the link and look up your state. And then pick a show date. Most are held at the county fair grounds, or exibition buildings within the city where it is being held. You can even email the show secretaries in charge, and let them know you’d like to film there. if you do a good job like you did with Johns barn, there shouldn’t be a problem. There are a few hundred to a couple of thousand rabbits entered per show. 47 different breeds shown, plus whatever rabbits are offered for sale on the show floor. They have raffles that benefit the clubs hosting them. a lot of times breeders will donate show quality rabbits to them to help them out a bit.
The ARBA also hosts a national convention every year. up to 20,000 rabbits and cavies are shown at this show. the location varies from one year to the next, because certain state clubs have to put in a bid for it. But if you can get a chance to attend that one, its worth it. Its one of the largest animal shows in the country, and certianly the largest rabbit show in the county. You can email the arba off their website. they can give you all the information you need about a show like that. The ARBA is the backbone of the rabbit industry. They have funded research in the past and do all kinds of stuff that benefits rabbits and their owners. Most of the stuff that you read about pertaining to rabbits kept as pets and livestock comes from the club and its members (not house rabbit society). Their information on keeping them is up to date and accurate.
janelle,
How dare you call anybody who has a different opinion than you an idiot? Last time I checked, you and people like John have a right to slaugther animals and I have the right to state my view. It’s as simple as that. I will not stoop so low as you as to start with name calling because believe me I would have an arsenal. Have some decorum. And as for protesting in front of your barn John, please don’t give me any ideas as I have a place to crash in Pine Bush in Ulster county which is probably near where your “slaughter house” is located. Sure, you may seem some profits from the exposure but there will may also be some dissidence and bad publicity. One suggestion, you shouldn’t have put a video on the internet if you don’t want to hear a difference of opinion. Also, please try not to base your life on money and riches as those things fade and you are only left with your conscience in the end. I hope yours will be clear John!