60 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



chill carcasses in wire trays, ar- 

 ranging them so the pieces will be 

 of a proper shape for packaging. 



Cuttins and Packagins Rabbit 

 Meat 



Hotels, restaurants, hospitals, 

 clubs, and other establishments 

 usually purchase the whole carcass. 

 Their chefs prefer to cut them to 

 meet their own requirements. 

 Housewives usually prefer the cut- 

 up, packaged product. Cut up the 

 fryer rabbit with a knife; using 

 a cleaver may splinter the bones. 

 Common cuts from fryer carcasses 

 are illustrated in figures 30 and 31. 

 In large commercial processing 

 plants, a handsaw is used. A par- 

 affined box with a cellophane win- 

 dow makes a neat, sanitary package 

 for the chilled rabbit carcass (fig. 

 31). If the package is to be 

 handled considerably or the meat 

 is to be frozen, use a box without 

 the cellophane window, but wrap 

 the meat or the box in a special 

 salable wrapping to prevent freezer 

 burns and loss in palatibility. 



A box 9 inches long, 4 inches 

 wide, and 2i/^ inches deep is suit- 

 able for a fryer carcass weighing 

 1% to 214 pounds. Arrange the 

 cuts attractively. Include the 

 heart, kidneys, and liver. 



If you sell to the home trade or 

 furnish butchers with meat that 

 is to be consumed locally, you can 

 make a neat, sanitary, and inex- 

 pensive package by arranging the 

 pieces of fryer and a sprig of pars- 

 ley on a paper plate and covering 

 them with a piece of clear cello- 

 pliane or other wrapping material 

 (fig. 31). 



For information on regulations 

 governing the grading and inspec- 

 tion of domestic rabbits and speci- 

 fications for classes, standards, and 

 grades, write to the Consumer and 

 Marketing Service, U.S. Depart- 



ment of Agriculture, Washington, 

 D.C., 20250. 



Cratins and Shippins Live 

 Rabbits 



You can ship rabbits almost any 

 distance with safety, if they are in 

 good condition, properly crated, 

 and provided with food and water. 

 Do not ship them in extremely hot 

 or cold weather. Always use well- 

 ventilated crates that are long 

 enough to permit the rabbit to lie 

 down. Use straw, not sawdust, for 

 bedding. Crates with slanting tops 

 discourage stacking (fig. 32). 



Put only one animal in a com- 

 partment of a shipping crate. Ani- 

 mals to be in transit 24 hours or 

 less need only a small quantity 

 of feed and water. If the trip is 

 long, more feed and water are 

 needed. It is wise to attach to 

 each crate a bag of feed and a 

 printed request to feed and water 

 the animals once daily. Plenty of 

 fresh water and feed should be ac- 

 cessible to the rabbits at all time. 

 For rabbits in transit use the type 

 of feed given in the rabbitry. As 

 an alternative, a bunch of fresh 

 carrots placed in the crate will pro- 

 vide enough feed and moisture for 

 several days' travel, and eliminates 

 the possibility of spilling feed and 

 water supplied in containers. 



Label the crate clearly, advising 

 against exposing the animals to 

 sun or rain, and also against plac- 

 ing the crates near steam pipes. 

 Notify the purchaser when rabbits 

 are shipped. 



You can make shipping crates 

 from packing boxes. It is good 

 business, however, and effective ad- 

 vertising, to ship rabbits in dur- 

 able crates that are neatly built, 

 light in weight, and attractive. 

 Furnish ample space in each com- 

 partment and see to it that wire 

 netting keeps the rabbits from 

 ffnawins: the wood. 



