Bushmin Farmed Rabbits:
Bushmin Farmed Rabbits is South Australia’s largest producer and processor in an industry where demand is on the hop.
Chris and Mignonne Bushell farm breed rabbit does and Damara lambs on their property at Long Plains near Mallala. They built their own slaughterhouse and value-adding processing plant there and were one of the first in Australia to add value to their rabbit meat.
Their rabbit legs are smoked using redgum and come in ready-to-eat plain or chilli flavoured.
Other rabbit products include portions, whole rabbits, rabbits marinated with red wine and garlic, gluten- and preservative-free sausages with almond and tarragon, cheese and chives, smoked or plain rabbit medallions, and rabbit schnitzels.
Chris and Mignonne BushminChris and Mignonne Bushell breed them like rabbits. At Bushmin Farmed Rabbits they process over 300 animals per week. But it’s not enough:
‘The industry Australia-wide is meeting about 10 percent of demand at the moment,’ said Chris, also president of Farmed Rabbit Industries of Australia Ltd.
After the calicivirus was introduced to knock out Australia’s wild rabbit population in the mid-‘90s, governments began to allow rabbit farmers to fill the gap in the market. Farming was made legal in South Australia in 2001 and Chris and Mignonne thought it would provide them with relaxed work in their semi-retirements.
Coniglio (Rabbit) from a restaurant in Ischia Island Italy
Chris said prior to farming there had been a strong market for wild rabbit.
Consumers have, however, become used to the less ‘gamey’ taste of farmed rabbit and restaurants Australia-wide are clambering for the product.
‘We had to educate people about farmed rabbit,’ Chris said. ‘But it’s easier to cook and we can guarantee tenderness.’
Chris said that, in an attempt to meet wholesale and restaurant demand, Bushmin, which has a current turnover of $300-400,000, would be processing 500-700 rabbits (December 2009.) He added that, as well as whole animals, Bushmin was big on value-adding.
‘We bone out, do schnitzels, fillets, back legs, smoked rabbit and sausages,’
Chris said, adding that he was about to reintroduce a popular cabana-like rabbit ‘beer stick’ and that he enjoyed playing around with different possibilities for rabbit sausages.
Bushmin rabbits are held in high regard for their taste, which Chris said sets them apart from those produced in other Australian states. He said various producers had diverse processing methods and that made all the difference when it came to taste.
Bushmin Farmed Rabbit's meat products
‘We use gas stunning before slaughter so the rabbits actually go to sleep. We find that has a strong effect on the taste.’
Chris said one of the main reasons that demand was not being met was that rabbit farming is not for bunnies. It’s difficult to protect animals from disease, especially if trying to operate free-range. For that reason Chris and Mignonne’s animals are housed in air-conditioned sheds, surrounded by Australian standard cages in which they have room to run around.
‘It’s difficult, too, getting the feed right,’ Chris said, adding that his company took the European approach of batch mating to ensure breeding excellence.
In addition to rabbits, the company has moved into other products, with milk-fed lambs an item for future menus. Bushmin Farmed Rabbits meat products are available at Adelaide Showground Farmer’s Market.
Source:
The South Australian Food Centre, Adelaide Showground Farmer’s Market.
