Slaughtering and Butchering

• 1). Lay the rabbit down on a hard surface with its front feet pointing toward the back. The neck will lay flush with the hard surface. Keep the rabbit calm by offering a treat.
  
  
• 2). Place a broomstick over the rabbit's neck. Stand on either end of the broomstick while you pull the rabbits hind-legs up. This will snap the rabbit's neck, killing it instantly. The rabbit dies quickly, with minimal pain. You will know the rabbit is dead when its head flops to the side.
  
  
• 3). Lace a chain and hook through a rafter or other sturdy overhang. Lock the chain in place by using the hook. Attach the hook into one of the chain links at your desired height. Tie the back feet together using a piece of thick string. Leave a short length of string between the feet. Suspend the rabbit from the hook using the length of string between the hind feet.
  
  
• 4). Place a large bowl beneath the rabbit carcass. Wear gloves to protect your hands during the butchering process. Slit the throat and let the blood drain before continuing.
  
  
• 5). Cut the line that binds the hind feet. Make an incision below the tail and slide the knife just below the cut to release a flap of skin. Grasp the flap of skin and peel the skin off by pulling down. Cut around the hocks to remove all the skin from the legs. Cut the front feet off completely. They do not offer much meat and are better used as good luck charms.
  
  
• 6). Cut a vertically down the center line of the rabbit's belly. Remove the internal organs. Set aside the heart, kidney and liver for cooking. Discard the remainder of the internal organs.
  
  
• 7). Remove the rabbit from the rafters. Rinse the carcass in cold water. Remove any remaining fur and blood.
  
  

Storage

• 1). Submerge the carcass in a bucket of ice water. You can repeat this step up to three times. Keep the carcass in the ice water for five minutes during each cycle. Plunging the meat into ice water quickens the coagulation cycle of bleeding and makes the meat easier to cut. This step can only be performed after the butchering is complete.
  
  
• 2). Position the carcass on a large cutting board and cut the carcass vertically down the middle. This provides two large pieces that can be placed on a grill intact. If you require smaller chunks of meat for stews or kabobs, use a meat cleaver to divide the carcass. Cut horizontally along the carcass with a cleaver. A large rabbit will yeild seven to nine pieces of meat for cooking.
  
  
• 3). Place the meat in large resealable plastic bags for storage. Push all the air out of the bags and seal before placing them in the freezer for storage.