My pup's breeder raised her dogs on freshly killed wild deer.
She even raised the puppies on fresh kills and my pup (and his sibblings) have been feasting off freshly killed deer carcasses since they were babies.

I had him checked for worms by my vet as soon as I got him and he was clean.

The breeder also gave me whole deer heads (fur, brains and all) for my dogs, which they really loved. They ate their share of wild deer heads a few months ago, and again, no worms (I had them tested recently again because I was paranoid ).

If anything, my dogs look and act healthier since they started getting less processed meats and more whole-prey and wild game meats.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

I'm curious, Yuko, how do you kill the rabbits? Even I am thinking about raising these critters as food for my dogs. We've killed chickens before, but rabbits, I think, may require a different approach that probably requires a little finesse.
As for the worming issue, I'll be taking my dogs in to be wormed since I hadn't before I started raw. I'm rather curious that since my dogs stopped eating their poop how the worm issue is going to go.

I quickly wrap the rabbit up in a plastic bag (do this seconds before you kill it so it doesn't suffocate!!), hold/secure it on a hard surface and smash it (hard!) on the head with a mallet.

It's an instant death and they don't see it coming.
I've read about methods where you snap their necks/spines but that seems a lot less foolproof than just smashing their heads. They have very delicate skulls which makes this a very effective, humane and easy method.

The rabbits that I feed to my dogs are all hand raised and are used to being handled and carried, so they don't get stressed out when you're positioning them.

If you're new at this, I'd recommend learning to kill baby rabbits first (around 2 months old). They're far easier to position and hold still -- you'd be surprised how powerful an adult rabbit can be if it's determined to escape.

I'd also recommend petting the rabbit for a bit so it settles down and relaxes. I really love rabbits as pets and hate to see them suffer or get scared. I try to make the killing process as quick as possible when the rabbit is calm and not feeling anxious and scared.

If you do this right, it should not be a traumatic and stressful even for the rabbit (or for you!). Ideally the rabbit should be calm and you should be very quick and act before it has a chance to get worried and try to escape.
There should be no struggling, no squeezing/rough-handling the rabbit and no fuss.

Good luck!

(PS: the dogs may not realize that the fresh rabbit is food the first time around. My tip is to just let them play with the carcass, carry it around, bark and growl at it, drag the guts all over the place etc. and let them take their time figuring it out. Once they "get it" and really start to enjoy fresh prey, you'll have a HECK of a hard time holding back the most sedate dog from a fresh rabbit carcass!! )

 Quote: yuko blum

...PS: the dogs may not realize that the fresh rabbit is food the first time around. My tip is to just let them play with the carcass, carry it around, bark and growl at it, drag the guts all over the place etc. and let them take their time figuring it out. Once they "get it" and really start to enjoy fresh prey, you'll have a HECK of a hard time holding back the most sedate dog from a fresh rabbit carcass!!)

Cool. I just have to allow the idea to pass through "The Wife" filter

Just as a side note, I just got in contact with a fresh meat supplier -
who can get me rabbit/fowl - which is what I expect. But, he can also
get me squirrel AND predator meats.

Any thoughts on squirrel AND predator (bobcat, and such that a hunter
would bag) as a feed?

Good luck with the convincing!

I always feed my dogs outside in the yard - all the fun with no cleaning

I would NOT feed any predator to my dogs! The closer phylogenetically a species is to a dog, the more likely it is to transmit whatever diseases and parasites it carries to the dog.

Besides, animals like bear, cougar and bobcat are reliable transmitters of trichinosis.

I also wouldn't feed squirrels. Unlike strict herbivores like rabbit and deer, squirrels are omnivorous and will eat insects and even bird and mammal meat when it can (kinda creepy, but I've watched squirrels around here scavenge on stinking carrion, really gross).

Again, it's a personal choice.

I just don't think it's worth the risk... besides, herbivorous prey is plenty and widely available so I see no reason not to stick to it

I don't feed any carnivors to my three. My husband is a trapper and traps mink etc... but we don't feed them to the dogs and they aren't interested in eating them.

 Quote: Yuko Blum

.. I would NOT feed any predator to my dogs! The closer phylogenetically a species is to a dog, the more likely it is to transmit whatever diseases and parasites it carries to the dog....

Excellent point.

herbivorous animals it is! Thanks guys!

Brontosaurus = good

Tyrannosaurus Rex = not good

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Brontosaurus = good

Tyrannosaurus Rex = not good

And would you happen to know of any suppliers of fresh brontosaurus?