There is a lot of flack that comes with raising rabbits for meat. Top of that list is the subject of dispatch. If you are sensitive to the topic ending a life, this is your fair warning to skip this post. I will not be talking in depth about the actual dispatch method, but confronting the mental/emotional toll and the social stigma that accompanies it. 

It is no insignificant thing to take a life, but neither is it taboo. We have nurtured a misconception in society that equates responsible animal husbandry with a lack of death. That simply isn’t true. The humane dispatch of livestock is a calculated decision of what is best for the animal, the herd, as well as the method of creating sustenance for the lives of others. We are not psychopaths for being able to take a life, even if it is cute and fluffy. 

Before the argument of vegetarian/vegan options comes up, let me quell that whole topic. I actually have attempted a vegetarian lifestyle. Unfortunately I am allergic to a significant number of supplements used to facilitate vegetarian diets, meaning I can’t take most vitamins or consume items that have artificially supplemented vitamins in them. In short, I do require meat to sustain a reasonable quality of life as there are certain vitamins that are more efficiently acquired through meat and dairy. 

“But they’re intelligent creatures.” 

Yes. Everything we eat is an intelligent creature. Even plants are intelligent creatures capable of learning and communication. No matter what, every life on earth exists at the expense of another. This does not mean I am heartless. In fact, I am very attached to my rabbits. They all have names and get pets, cuddles, and playtime regularly. They have a better quality of life than most pet rabbits even if it is a shorter lifespan. Ending their lives is no simple chore. 

A number of people who raise rabbits will tell you the key to getting over dispatch is to not be emotionally attached to them. For some people that is the only way that they can get the job done. They don’t name them or play with them at all, but I am incapable of that. Everyone has a name and I coo over them right up until the moment it’s over. While that may seem to make things harder, I know that I also gave them all of the love they deserved in that short life. While I may be sad, I’m also incredibly thankful. 

Perspective is key in dealing with the emotions of culling livestock. These rabbits have led a comfortable life never having to fear predators and knowing they will get fed every day. They’ve never been abused by a person who stopped caring for them because the novelty wore off. Most importantly, their lives have a purpose and meaning. They fulfill that purpose by feeding others (humans, dogs, snakes, birds of prey). We strive to use all parts of the animal so that their sacrifice is not a form of waste. Their meat is consumed, hides preserved for use, and other waste parts composted. 

Additionally, I know that my animals were treated well, fed a proper diet, and died painlessly.

Now I’m certainly not suggesting that raising meat to butcher is a chore that everyone should endure, but it is oddly satisfying to have hands-on knowledge of exactly where your food came from. Still, you don’t need to have blood on your hands to be a little more considerate of the farmers, homesteaders, hunters, and all others striving for sustainability through animal husbandry.