Why gut rabbits straight away but not hares?

Why should you drain a rabbit’s bladder?

Advises Ed Cook:

I always find it very annoying when I handle rabbits paunched by someone else only to find that they haven’t been ‘peed’ properly.

There are two or three good reasons why this procedure should be followed and the main one is to preserve meat quality.

If a bladder full of urine is left inside then the flesh will quickly become tainted and quality will suffer.

Remember – it should be every Gun’s aim to ensure the rabbits he kills go into the food chain in the best possible condition.

The last thing we want is someone to be put off buying this product because the meat had an unwanted taste!

A rabbit’s bladder should be emptied as soon as possible after death, and the procedure is simple.

You will find that by turning the rabbit over so that its back is in your left palm, the back legs will automatically splay open. All you have to now do is run the thumb on your right hand along from the belly towards the rabbit’s back legs – an action that will empty the bladder of urine.

It only takes seconds to do and is a very worthwhile habit to get into.