Raising rabbits for meat and for profit.

Rabbit meat is white. It is highly rich in protein. Don’t feed your rabbis on dry grass, spinach leaves and weeds. These are unhealthy because they lack vital nutrients and can also be poisonous. If you have to feed your rabbits on indigenous vegetation, Mallow and Crotolaria are best because your rabbits will grow fast and yield high kits of litters. These vegetables are high in nutritional and medicinal elements. The two indigenous vegetables are rich in calcium, vitamin A and fibre which make them essential to pregnant and weaning rabbits helping in controlling constipation and system clean up. Rabbit urine when diluted in water can be used to get rid of white flies, aphids, caterpillars and cut worms.

An aspiring rabbit farmer should attend training on rabbit farming. The training should focus on breeding, disease control, feeding, production of feeds, pens construction as well as how to market the meat and hide from rabbits. There is increasing demand for meat, skin and manure from rabbits especially where there are opportunities for free flows of goods across international borders. A farmer should strive to improve the quality of their animals and also network with peers for increased surveillance and information on marketing and disease control.

Construct the cages in such a way that the rabbits are not exposed to harsh weather and also are shaded from direct sunlight, strong winds or heavy rainfall. The floor of the cage should be slanted in a way to collect urine into a container in a way improving the hygiene of the dwelling. A farmer can earn from sale of rabbit meat, manure, urine and skin. Rabbits are fed and supplied with fresh drinking water maximum twice a day. Cleaning the pens dairy avoids diseases like Newcastle especially when combined with strictly following the vaccine schedule. Raised cages keeps off mites which might cause skin rushes on rabbits. Before engaging in rabbit farming, do a proper market survey. Rabbit meat is not consumed by many people and therefore it is good to locate a market upfront before venturing into the otherwise profitable business as rabbit farming utilizes small spaces.

For hare raising business the barns can be constructed from inexpensive material. Rabbit urine should be drained into a tank to hold down odours and make cleaning easier. In Africa, temperatures are conducive but in colder countries you may need to use artificial means to raise the temperature above freezing point. Construct the rabbit cage with compartments for does and bucks and some mating space. Animal pallets feed should be kept in a garbage can out of reach to rats and other varmints. A butchering table should be available so as to prepare rabbit meat for sale. The remains from the butchering table are fed to chickens and maybe farm pets. Rabbit meat has high nutritional qualities meaning that rabbit farmers have trouble in supplying demand. Full-time commercial producers prefer raising rabbit pedigrees, unlike people who keep hare as pets who can go for any breed. Main ones are New Zealand and California breeds. Rabbit pedigrees grow to butchering weight quite fast. They give 8 to 10 kits per litters per year. Rabbit meat has more protein and less cholesterol compared to most meats. New Zealand breed’s skin will more easily separate from the meat than other breeds making butchering easier and faster.