Making Money from Voracious Bunnies as Additional Income

The difficulties we experience in our modern economies dictate our need to look everywhere for additional sources of income to supplement our household budgets. The interesting thing is that we don’t have to look far and wide for ideas. Try to find out how profitable your hobby can be when monetized. This reminds me of my childhood hobby.

There was a time when I and my younger brother used to keep rabbits as pets. These pets came in a variety of shades which included white, black, grey and speckled. The most interesting aspect was the colour of their eyes. Some rabbits had blue, red, black, brown and even grey eyes which made them appear rather attractive.

Rabbits are also not very demanding to keep, so long as you feed them on time. A balanced nutrition is important in ensuring they remain healthy. The keeping of livestock is prohibited in some residential areas especially in urban regions. Ensure to find out if you live in a more liberal region before trying this out lest you clash with the law.

Your initial expenses will go into building a hutch for the rabbits and buying the first couple of animals (A buck and a doe). The main habitat for your rabbit will be a hutch made of wood and wire mesh to keep the animals contained in an enclosure. This makes your control over them easier. It also prevents them from feeding on your favourite plants or crops. The size of the hutch will depend on the number of rabbits you have in your keeping. The hutch should be designed to have ample space that takes into consideration three compartments which include; sleeping quarters, feeding and the toilet section. A 2.5 feet (length) by 2 two feet (width) by 2.5 feet (height) will suit one bunny rabbit. Sleeping quarters should be kept dry at all times. The toilet area should be emptied as often as possible. This is due to its tending to fill up with rabbit droppings rather quickly, considering the fact that rabbits are voracious feeders. Whenever I looked at my rabbits, I always saw them feeding.

Rabbits tend to be herbivorous in nature and will consume a wide variety of food. There are prescribed feeds specifically manufactured for rabbits. They come in form of dry pellets and can be purchased from retailers of animal feeds and even supermarkets. Ensure to supplement the food with green matter, grass and hay for a balanced diet. Caution should be observed in your choice of green matter because very few vegetables suit rabbits. Lettuce is not recommended. Water is mandatory and should be changed daily.

There is a cliché that talks about ‘breeding like rabbits”. I was amazed to discover how true this was when it came to propagation. They never waste time when it is time to breed. They start breeding on attaining an age between six and eight months. Their gestation period is between twenty and thirty one days. Barely have they discarded their young ones than another litter comes by. I believe this goes a long way towards enriching any aspiring keeper of rabbits. It is usually wise to isolate rabbits according to their different age groups.

1) Source of protein: Although one might keep rabbits as pets, they also come in handy as a source of high protein. Parents should not be turned off when their children decide to turn one of their bunnies into dinner. A rabbit can be slaughtered for meat within three months after birth. The meat tastes wonderful too, but is low on fats and calories, making it a suitable substitute for beef. You only need to arrange to have your local butcher slaughter and skin it for you if you can’t do it yourself. I remember not having the stomach for slaughtering rabbits and always leaving the task to my younger brother up till now.

2) Source of finances: Rabbits provide an easy and excellent source of finances. This implies that, what we started as a hobby can quickly turn into a source of income. You can choose to rear for sale on a large scale. A five month old rabbit can fetch between $12 and $40. Imagine how much 1,000 rabbits can fetch, a handsome sum between $12,000 and $40,000. There are organizations in your neighbourhood that are ready to buy all your rabbits from you to satisfy tenders in big hotels. Or better still, get the tender yourself. This is a good reason not to stick to your badly paying white collar job. There are many openings out here only if you open your eyes wide. Rabbit keeping is enjoyable too.

3) Source of Organic Manure : A rabbit’s droppings can be commercialized when used to make good quality organic manure which is more preferred to chemical fertilizers.

Caution

Rabbits can be lovely to look at and also to keep. Don’t get too attached to your rabbits. You might not want to sell them if this happens.