MEAT RABBIT EXEMPTION PETITION
Why Not Rabbit?
Tennessee Needs a Meat Rabbit Exemption
Small farms across Tennessee are ready and willing to provide safe, ethical, farm-raised rabbit meat — but current state regulations make it nearly impossible. It’s time to modernize outdated rules and give customers access to the healthy, sustainable protein they’re already asking for.
The Problem With Current Tennessee Rabbit Regulations
Unlike poultry, which benefits from small-farm processing exemptions, rabbit meat laws in Tennessee are outdated and restrictive. Small farms can raise rabbits and sell them live, but consumers are legally expected to process the meat themselves — something most families do not want or know how to do safely.
This creates:
A food-safety risk for customers
A financial barrier for small farms
A market gap for a sustainable protein
Lost opportunities for rural agriculture
It’s time for laws to reflect today’s food systems, not the past.
Consumers Prefer Processed Meat - Not Live Animals
Families across Tennessee — from homesteaders to home cooks — overwhelmingly prefer rabbit meat that is already processed, cleaned, and packaged, just like chicken or turkey.
Today’s laws force customers into unsafe, impractical options. A modern system would allow farms like ours to offer:
Safe, professionally processed rabbit meat
Ethical, humane handling
Transparent sourcing
Farm-to-table traceability
Why This Matters
Food Safety
Allowing licensed farms to process rabbits reduces consumer risk and ensures meat is prepared under proper handling standards.
Support for Small Farms
Processing rights mean increased income, stronger rural economies, and more self-sufficient farms.
Humane Handling
On-farm processing prevents stress and transport injuries, offering a more ethical pathway from farm to table.
Sustainable Protein
Rabbit is high-protein, low-fat, resource-efficient, and ideal for the growing demand for sustainable meat.
A Simple, Common-Sense Update to Tennessee Law
We are requesting that Tennessee adopt a small-farm rabbit processing exemption similar to the existing poultry exemption.
This would allow farms like ours to:
Process up to a reasonable annual limit (example: 1,000 rabbits)
Sell directly to customers, farmers markets, and local businesses
Provide safe, properly handled meat
Give customers the processed product they actually want
This change would empower small farms, improve food safety, and expand local, sustainable protein choices.
Meat Rabbit Exemption Petition FAQ Section
FAQ 1: Is rabbit meat safe?
Yes. Rabbit meat is a lean, healthy, well-tolerated protein. When processed properly, it is as safe as chicken or turkey.
FAQ 2: Why is it currently illegal for small farms to process rabbits?
Rabbit laws simply haven’t been created, unlike poultry. Poultry received modern exemptions, but rabbits never did — leaving a legal gap that hurts farms and customers.
FAQ 3: What changes are you asking for?
A small-farm exemption allowing limited on-farm rabbit processing with proper sanitary standards, similar to existing poultry exemptions.
FAQ 4: Do customers really want processed rabbit meat?
Yes — the overwhelming majority of customers prefer a processed, ready-to-cook product. Expecting families to process live animals is not realistic or safe.
FAQ 5: Is this about large factories?
Not at all. This is specifically for small farms, selling directly to local communities — not industrial-scale production.
FAQ 6: Does the "COTTAGE LAWS" allow sale of rabbit meat in Tennessee?
NO! Contrary to popular belief, the “Cottage Law” does not allow for the sale of any meat, except for the 1000-bird poultry exemption in Tennessee.
FAQ 7: How to sell rabbit meat in Tennessee Legally? (the main issues)
As the law currently stands in Tennessee, small farms cannot legally sell processed rabbit meat.
Rabbit is classified as a non-amenable species, meaning it is not covered under the federal poultry exemption that allows small farms to process and sell chicken or turkey.
Because of this classification:
A producer must use a USDA-inspected processing facility to legally sell rabbit meat.
However, no USDA-inspected facilities in Tennessee currently process non-amenable species like rabbit.
The only available option is a custom-slaughter (customer-use only) facility, where the meat must be labeled “NOT FOR SALE.”
This creates a regulatory gap where farmers cannot legally sell rabbit meat even if it is processed safely and humanely.
Clear state-level regulations—similar to poultry exemptions—are needed so small farms can legally offer farm-raised rabbit meat to consumers.
Be Part of the Meat Rabbit Exemption Petition Change
If you support small farms, food freedom, consumer choice, and safe, humane meat options, your signature helps move Tennessee forward.
Current Petition Signatures for the Meat Rabbit Exemption Petition:
Help Spread the Word
@littleyardleyfarm Meat Rabbit Exemption Petition #meatrabbitexemptionpetition #whynotrabbits #smallfarm #meatrabbits
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