When I butcher a rabbit, I place the carcass in cold saltwater to soak for a few hours. I roll up the hide and put that in a used plastic grocery bag. In another grocery bag, I put all the internal organs, feet and head (offal). Both the offal and hide plastic bags go in the freezer for later use. Once frozen I call them rabbit popsicles.
I usually butcher several rabbits at once. The dog gets the offal from one rabbit fresh and that's plenty for him. He eats it fresh but not enthusiastically.
Today I pulled out a rabbit popsicle from the freezer. When Jax saw me with the bag he got really excited. I dumped the popsicle and he excitedly went to work on it. That frozen rabbit offal was completely gone within one hour. I've had other dogs in the past that preferred fresh but not Jax.
The BARF (bones and raw food) and other raw diets are becoming popular for pets. I've noticed that wild predators normally will start with eating the internal organs and even the stomach contents and intestines. I strongly suspect the enzymes and bacteria that grow naturally in the prey's digestive system, not only are beneficial for the prey animal for digesting their food but are beneficial for the predator eating them, just like live culture foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut are good for us.
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| Jax feasting on a rabbit popsicle |
