Having an efficient meat rabbit processing set up is key to a successful meat rabbit butchering day! Not only do you need the right equipment to get the job done, but also, the way items are set up + the placement of equipment can make a big difference in how long the process takes.

We recently processed our first batch of meat rabbits, and had a very successful time with it! We were very pleased with all the items we used for processing, so let me share with you what we used & why!

What equipment do you need to butcher rabbits?

It’s important for me to state that people have been processing rabbits for food without special equipment for a very long time. You do not NEED all of this equipment and would be able to technically get the job done with a knife alone. However, having some of the equipment listed in this post will allow for processing your meat rabbits more quickly + make the day more enjoyable…which means you’ll be more likely to continue raising your own rabbits for meat in the future!

So what items did we have on hand for our rabbit processing set up?

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Rebar

We decided on the cervical dislocation method with a piece of rebar behind the ears for the dispatch of our rabbits, and it worked very well! The rebar doesn’t slip around on the rabbit like something smoother might, and we found this method to be very quick & effective.

Gambrel

Once the rabbit is dispatched, you may want something to hold them up for the skinning process. We really liked having a gambrel for this purpose because it securely holds the rabbit in a hanging position by their feet for the processing. You can position it at a height that makes processing most comfortable for you which is great for a day when you’re working through many meat rabbits!

Cooler with Ice

Once you’re finished processing the meat rabbits, you’ll need a space to chill them. You could also do this in a refrigerator for a few days, but if you have a larger number of rabbits to do at a time, a cooler is the perfect option! This cooler* is probably much larger than is needed, but we also use this for large batches of meat birds, so it’s dual purpose for us!

If you’d like to know more about the equipment we use and HOW we dispatch and process our meat chickens, you can check out the first post in that series here. 

Game Table

This is one of those things that isn’t necessary but nice to have, and you could really use any table that you have on hand! There are a few knives and tools you’ll be using for skinning + some parts of the rabbit that you might want to dispose of. Having a place to set those items down during processing is something that may be easily overlooked but shouldn’t be.

This table* has a place to hook up a hose to be able to use the sink feature which can really come in handy when it comes to thoroughly rinsing the rabbits prior to putting them in the cooler. There is also a place to secure a trash bag for easy disposal of parts you don’t want to keep. You can use any sort of table that is easy to disinfect, but we really like this one and also use it for our meat chicken processing days!

Exacto Knife

For most of the cuts during the skinning process, we found it’s easiest to use a small and precise blade like an exacto knife*. Anything bigger would be a bit much & might actually make processing more difficult + make you more prone to cut yourself. However, any small blade would probably work just fine!

Larger Knife

For cutting off the head, I would definitely suggest a very sharp larger knife. We have this one* that we use for the dispatching of our meat chickens, and it works great! The more items that you can use for multiple purposes and animals, the better!

Pruners

For cutting off the feet of the rabbit when you’re finished with processing, we used these pruners*. They come in a set of 3, so you’ll have extras if you’re anything like us and seem to misplace tools easily + the extras can also be used in the garden!

Water Hose, Tarp, & Trash Bags

These are the types of items that are easy to forget but are definitely good to have on hand when processing your meat rabbits! There are a few times during processing that you’ll want to spray down the rabbit, so having a hose nearby is a good call. We place a tarp behind the gambrel to keep blood from getting on the structure behind it. And we liked having a trash bag or two for all the parts we decided not to keep this time.

This is all the equipment that we find to be really helpful when processing rabbits for meat! You don’t NEED all these things, but we have found them to make things much more enjoyable and efficient. Is there anything you would add to the list? Comment below with your tips or questions!