Rare Heritage Rabbits

I am new to site. Their is a big problem with figuring out how to post correctly. I have raised rabbits off and on since childhood. I would love to start back again. Would love to have breed that is both beautiful and good meat. Hopfully this site will help with questions.
Zuni

Welcome Zuni!! I hope we can get this forum busy, for the buns' sakes. What breeds do you have experience with? I hope you choose a rare breed for your rabbit adventures, as they can use all the help they can get! I am hoping to expand my rabbitry to include Beverens and American Chinchillas to start, then later will look to include at least two more. I currently have angoras, mostly German or German cross/hybrids. I also raise Rex, just because I love the breed so much, but am scaling back to make room for a larger Angora and rare breed program.

I do have experience tanning and using furs from my rabbits, so if you have questions, for now, I can do my best to help. I hope we get more people on here to broaden the experience base, because you never know what someone else may come across as a useful way to go about rabbit stuff.

Good to have you here!

Kim

Kim,
I would love it if you would post your excellent tanning method for everyone!

Well, after processing a recent batch of chocolate Satin juniors, DH was very careful in skinning and I froze the skins to tan later. I am really excited about the prospect!

Being that it is winter and their coat is better then, not to mention the fact that we had to hold off processing until they were older anyway (they were 4 months old), we should end up with some gorgeous furs!

Kim, you said you usually salt and alum the green skins before freezing, but we didn't have either, so, as per an article I read from Mother Earth News, I just split them down the belly, folded in half, and rolled them up with the grain of the fur. Only 2 would fit in a gallon size freezer bag! I double bagged, just to further help prevent freezer burn.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Krystal

Well, we finally got around to tanning some of those skins from the winter. Between being sick a few times and a daughters wedding it wasn't easy! However, the furs turned out beautiful!!!

And it wasn't difficult. The hardest part was the fleshing process. We gave a few extra soak time in the second solution which helped. I can't wait to make something gorgeous! We have decided it's definitely worth the effort to grow a few juniors out a bit each winter for their fur. This will be our winter project being that it's usually too cold/wet outside to do much, for very long! Wink

If you have any questions I'd be happy to help, if I can!

Krystal