rabbit farming is becoming more popular today than in recent years, so many people are beginning to start their own rabbit farms. Because of the small space requirements and diversity in uses for rabbits, it’s easy for nearly anyone to start and maintain a rabbit farm. However, before you do purchase your first bucks and does, be sure to consider the following questions.
Is there a good market for rabbits in my area? Rabbits can be used for fur, independent or commercial meat production, laboratory animals, breeding stock, show animals, or pets. However, not every type of rabbit is right for every type of production, and the demand for rabbit meat varies in different areas.
Can I properly care for my rabbits? Rabbits are somewhat delicate, and require daily care to ensure that they are healthy. Properly caring for your rabbits is important in keeping your business profitable, since an unhealthy doe will not have as many kits, and the kits will not grow quickly or well if ill cared for.
Am I legally able to raise rabbits? Many people have been successfully able to raise rabbits within city limits because they are not defined as farm animals. However, there are some areas that have limitations to the number of rabbits you can have, and some that may consider them farm animals. Be sure to also check that you can meet all of the space, health, and safety requirements for sales.
Do I understand rabbit breeding? If you do not understand rabbit breeding, you need to go out and fully research this subject before you start. Over-breeding of both does and bucks can have negative consequences. Rabbits are fairly good breeders, but you will need to plan out a good schedule for them to maximize their kit production while maintaining their overall health.
Do I know what breed of rabbit to use? Depending on the type of market you are targeting, you will need different types of rabbits. There are several types of meat rabbits that you can choose from, others that do well as laboratory animals, and dozens of breeds that will sell for show animals or pets.
One way to answer these questions and find information is to visit local rabbit farmers or breeders. They will be able to provide you with information and can help you select your first rabbits. Once you have answered all of these questions and done your research, you are ready to begin rabbit farming.
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May 12
6
Rabbit Breeding Supplies
If you’re just starting out with rabbit breeding or are considering starting a rabbit farm, you will need to have some supplies ready before you even start matching up bucks and does. Some things you will need far before the kits arrive, and others you will need for when they start growing.
You will need to house your does in cages that are large enough to fit the doe along with her 5 to 10 kits. The exact size will depend on the breed of rabbit you have, which will also determine the number of kits she will have in each litter. It’s important that there’s enough room for her to leave the nesting box unattended because the mother spends a lot of time away from her litter in the wild and will need to mimic that.
The nesting box should be wooden and mostly enclosed, and just big enough for the mother with her kits. To keep things clean between litters, you will want to line the bottom of the nest box with newspaper. The mother will use some of her own fur for bedding, but will also need straw as nesting material.
Some other things that you will need to have ready before the kits arrive are a calendar to keep track of due dates, sterile lubricant jelly in case of stuck babies, vanilla extract in case you need to have kits fostered by other bunnies, and a heat lamp to keep outside of the cage. You will only need a heat lamp if you will need to pull kits out to inspect them during the winter.
As the kits start growing, you will want to save any extra clean fur from the nesting boxes for future use. If the kits are late in opening up their eyes, you can use a sterile eye wash to help them along. If you do have to move kits from one mother to another, you can inhibit the olfactory senses of the mother by dabbing a bit of vanilla extract on her nose, which will help her accept the new kits.
The exact age of tattooing varies from breeder to breeder. Some people will do it as young as 4 weeks, but others recommend waiting until at least 8 weeks. Whenever you choose to tattoo your kits, it is important to have the supplies ready far in advance, and be sure you are familiar with how to use them. There are many different types of tattoo devices, so be sure that you have all the parts to your type as a part of your rabbit breeding supplies.
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It’s not that hard to raise rabbits, but to raise high quality rabbits for meat takes some planning and work. Rabbits multiply quickly, which means that it won’t take long to turn a couple of does and a buck into a barn full of bunnies. That’s the easy part. If you want to be sure that you have high quality rabbits that have the best possible meat on them, you have to be willing to do a few things.
The first thing you will need to do is purchase high quality rabbits. Any rabbit could be used as a meat rabbit, but there are some breeds that are preferred, for various reasons. Most of these rabbits are large and docile, which means getting the most meat off out of them, like the New Zealand and the Californian. The Palomino is preferred because they have a smaller bone structure which increases the meat ratio, and the Beveran is used not only for its meat but also for its long fur.
Once you’ve carefully selected the breed you want to raise, you will need to begin to look for good breeding stock. You can search for rabbit farms online to get an idea as to cost, and may even find some good deals there. Before purchasing any rabbits, research the farm as much as possible to be sure you aren’t risking starting with sick or low quality rabbits. You will want to buy rabbits that are at least 6 months old so you can begin breeding them immediately.
Rabbit meat is naturally low in fat and high in protein, making them sought after by people who are on a diet, or are simply looking to eat as healthy as possible. If you want to make your rabbit meat the most sought after, you need to feed your rabbits a high quality diet. It is essential for rabbits to have fresh water at all times, hay, pellet food, and fresh greens.
For your breeding stock that are over 6 months of age, providing constant access to Timothy hay will ensure that they stay healthy. Your growing young kits will need Alfalfa hay until they reach that 6 month mark. If you are keeping them beyond that, they will need Timothy hay as well. You can find pellet food at most pet food and farming stores. Be sure to find a high quality food that contains only pellets and is high in protein. Having some healthy fresh greens is also important when raising rabbits for meat, as it will naturally provide them with plenty of good vitamins and minerals.
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rabbit breeding is an important part of rabbit farming, whether for meat and fur, or for pets or show animals. It is important to have rabbits that are well bred and have good pedigrees.
Before breeding the doe, be sure that she is healthy enough for breeding. She should have bright eyes, move about her cage without limping, and have normal poop that doesn’t smear on her fur. She should also be eating and drinking normally. If you suspect that there is anything wrong with your doe, have your veterinarian check her out before breeding her. Breeding a sick rabbit could lead to spontaneous abortions or stillborn or sickly kits.
To breed your healthy doe, place her in the cage of the selected buck. Does are much more territorial than bucks, so she will be more receptive if placed in with the buck. The best way to tell if the pregnancy was a success is to see if she will accept a buck again about a week after the initial mating. If she rejects him, she may be pregnant.
If you do not already have some type of bedding in your doe’s cage, you will need to provide it for her so that she can nest when she is ready. Some does will begin nesting a week before giving birth, and others will begin just a few days before. Straw, newspaper, and aspen bedding are all good choices. The doe will also pull fur from her chest area to add to the nest. It is best that she has a nesting box that is just deep and wide enough for her to fit with her kits, to mimic the hole in the ground that wild rabbits dig.
The pregnancy will last a total of 28 to 32 days. It is normal for the doe to leave her kits shortly after birth. The kits have no scent which will attract predators, but the mother does, so she stays away from them as much as possible. Soon after birth, be sure to check on the kits to make sure that they are warm. If they do not feel warm, you can place a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel in the nest with them to help keep them warm.
In order to have a successful rabbit breeding program, you will need to be sure that the mother rabbit is well taken care of during pregnancy and after birth so that she can properly care for her kits.
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Mar 12
30
The Benefits Of Rabbit Farming
rabbit farming has a lot of benefits above farming other animals for meat. Whether you want to farm rabbits in addition to other animals or are looking to start a rabbit farm, it’s important to understand what the benefits are to starting a rabbit farm.
There are several different uses for rabbits in today’s markets which means they are great to use for a variety of purposes. They are typically raised for fur and meat, but are sometimes sold as pets. A lesser known use is for laboratories, which usually requires very a very specific breeding program and certain standards. With such a variety of uses, you can be assured that your rabbits will be profitable to you in at least one market.
Rabbit meat is great because it is high in protein and low in fat. With so many people becoming more health-conscious and seeking healthier alternatives, rabbit meat is making a comeback in the markets today. Part of what makes the rabbit meat so good is that rabbits are great at the conversion of protein in feed to muscles. Pigs convert about 17% and cows about 10%, but rabbits can convert about 20% into muscles. And because rabbits are designed to be leaner, they naturally have a much lower amount of fat.
The rapid rate of reproduction is another advantage to breeding rabbits. A female rabbit will become sexually mature about 6 to 8 months. She can start having litters immediately, and can do so continually. The amount of litters she will have in a year will depend greatly on her general health, her breed, the breeding conditions, and the environment. Sometimes, a breeding may not take, and environmental factors occasionally cause spontaneous abortions. Larger breeds will have larger litters, as will healthier does that are maintained in a steady environment. So, a doe can have anywhere from 15 to 63 kits in one year.
One of the other benefits to farming rabbits is that they are easy to keep as far as space is concerned. They can easily be kept in cages that stack, and do not need any amount of pasture land to graze in. And because they are not usually considered farm animals, you can actually start a rabbit farm in your city backyard or house. They are also quiet animals, which means no matter how close you are to your neighbors, your rabbit farming will not disturb them in the early hours like chicken farming would.
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Mar 12
22
How To Raise Rabbits For Meat
Raising rabbits for meat is easier than you may think. Rabbits do not take up a lot of space, are usually very hardy, and multiply quickly. When done correctly, you can multiply your breeding stock and therefore your profits in less than a year. At the best, a breeding pair could potentially produce 800 kits in the span of one year.
Before starting to purchase your rabbits, you will need to be sure you have plenty of space for them. Each doe will need her own cage in which she can raise her kits, and each buck will need his own cage. Paired animals of the same gender can become aggressive towards each other, and paired animals of opposite genders will not allow for optimal control over breeding pairings.
When you purchase your first rabbits, be sure you get the highest quality of rabbits that you can find. It is important to start with rabbits that are sexually mature, healthy, and everything you want in a meat rabbit. The most popular breeds of meat rabbits are New Zealand, Californian, Florida White, Palomino, and Beveran. There are other breeds that can also be used as well. Which breed you choose will depend on your preferences, and whether you want to also use and sell their fur.
Diet is extremely important when caring for meat rabbits, especially if you are planning on eating them yourself. They should always have access to fresh water and high quality hay, as well as pelleted food. When they are under 6 months of age, they should have Alfalfa hay. Any rabbits over 6 months should have Timothy hay. It is also important for rabbits to have fresh greens every day, such as spinach, cilantro, carrot tops, and parsley. Do not feed your rabbits iceberg lettuce as it has little nutritional value and can actually make them sick.
What you feed your rabbits will determine how healthy they are, which will affect their reproductive abilities, and how healthy the meat will be. Rabbit meat is a white meat that contains less fat than chicken meat and is very high in protein. When you are able to feed your rabbits a high quality diet, you will be able to make their naturally healthy meat even better.
Whether you do it for yourself or for profit, raising rabbits for meat is easy to do, and only requires quality rabbits on a quality food.
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Mar 12
14
Rabbit Breeding For Meat
If you are looking into rabbit breeding to produce rabbit meat, having a good breeding program is important to produce the highest amount and quality of rabbits that you can.
For people breeding rabbits for show or wool will need to carefully select breeding pairs and pay careful attention to lineages and pedigrees. But most rabbit farmers that are simply breeding for meat will not have to worry as much about that, but should still be keeping track of which rabbits are successfully producing large litters and healthy, large offspring. Replacement breeders can be chosen from these pairs to help better the breeding stock.
When you are just starting out, it is best to find a breeding pair that are already sexually mature, and possibly even a doe that has had kits before. Does become mature anywhere from 4 to 7 months old depending on the breed, so it’s better to have a pair or two ready to go rather than having to wait.
Breeding pairs should be kept separate except for when mating, and the doe should always be brought to the buck’s cage. Does can be very territorial and may attack rather than breed with a buck that is brought into their cages. If the doe is receptive to breeding, it will occur immediately. Most farmers will leave the doe in with the buck for a second breeding, just to be sure that it takes.
The does should be kept on a 35 day breeding schedule. That will give them enough time to recover between births, and will give you a chance to check on the health of each doe. It is important to check that the doe is as healthy as she can be before breeding her, as a healthy doe will produce healthier kits, and more of them.
The most important aspect of breeding is scheduling rest time for both your does and your bucks. A buck should not be expected to breed more than once a day, and should have a day or two off in between breedings. Too much activity for the buck will tire him out and he may not even be able to properly breed with the does if too much is expected from him.
The gestation of rabbits is from 28 to 32 days, and the kits will begin to eat on their own by 2 weeks old. Once you get the schedule figured out, rabbit breeding will become easier and you will see a huge increase in the amount of rabbits you have, and your profits.
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Mar 12
6
Healthy Crock Pot Rabbit Recipes
There are many rabbit recipes that will allow you to make delicious dishes with rabbits. You can even make rabbit dishes in a crock pot, which means a small amount of prep time early in the day for an amazing meal in the evening.
Aged Rabbit – If you have an older and therefore tougher rabbit to cook with, this is a great recipe for you. For preparation, you only need to cut the meat and chop some veggies, and it will cook for only about 4 hours. This recipe is intended to create 4 servings.
1. Cut one rabbit up into medium-sized chunks.
2. Dice 3 large onions, slice 6 medium carrots, and cube 4 to 5 large potatoes. Potatoes can be either yellow or white.
3. Gather the following spices: 1 bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon fresh oregano or 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 dash of salt, and 1 dash of pepper.
4. Add the rabbit to the bottom of the crock pot. Put the vegetables over top. Add spices. Pour 1 10 ounce can over the top of the vegetables.
5. Put the cover on, and cook on LOW for about 4 hours. Depending on the size of the rabbit chunks and the amount of rabbit meat, you may need to cook for longer, or you may be able to cook for less time.
6. Stir thoroughly.
7. Turn off crock pot and serve.
This recipe goes very well with a salad on the side, and when served with or on rice. For best results, use fresh and organic ingredients and brown rice. To make this recipe more of a stew, you can replace the can of mushroom soup with 1 cup of cooking wine and ½ cup of water. You may need to thicken this by adding a ¼ cup of flour and ½ cup of water mixture.
Other variants to this recipe include adding chopped celery, diced tomatoes, corn, or button mushrooms in place of or in addition to other vegetables. You can also add spices such as paprika, or anything else you prefer. The can of cream of mushroom soup can also be replaced with a can of cream of chicken soup, or a can of cream of celery soup.
Whatever you choose to do with your rabbit recipes, you can know that you are making the right choice by eating rabbit meat, as it is much healthier than most red meats, and contains more protein than chicken.
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Feb 12
3
Raising Rabbits For Meat
When choosing to raise rabbits for meat, which breeds are the best? There are many choices to choose from, but many experienced breeders will agree it is about the quality of bone to meat ratios. Also, it is important to consider the growth rate for a quality meat rabbit. Included below are the common breeds and the benefits of choosing the breed for your own rabbitry.
The Californian breed was developed in the USA in the 1920s to provide a strong animal for good meat and fur production. Californians are a cross of Himalayan, Standard Chinchilla and New Zealand white rabbits. The body of the rabbit is very plump and fast growing, while maintaining a very fine bone structure. The adult size is medium weighing 7 – 10 pounds (3.5-4.75 kg). The Californian rabbit averages 6 – 8 kittens per litter.
The New Zealand breed was first bred in America in 1916 for meat and fur production and is currently the number one meat rabbit in the United States. It is unknown which rabbits were used to suggest the name. It is commonly believed the rabbit stems from a New Zealand variety as well as Angora for the texture of the fur. They are commonly white with red eyes. Their fur comes in several colors black, red or white. The white rabbits are popular for meat production because of their large, broad and muscular bodies. They are also ready for harvest after 2 months of growth. The New Zealand rabbit adult size is large 8-12 pounds (3.6-5.4 kg). Their litter size averages 8 – 10 kittens.
There are many other choices that have benefits. However, these two breeds have proven to be a sustainable breed for rabbit meat. The next decision to make regarding your rabbitry would be to define your personal goals. For a small starter, one buck and two does bought together at a young age will work. Beware of sellers offering older rabbits beyond the butchering age as this would indicate an issue with performance or health. Next, decide how you will kennel the rabbits. Cages can be made from simple supplies or create a run with plenty of access to natural grass. Feeding can involve having access to natural foods such as kitchen scraps and dandelions or investing in a quality feed. Whichever direction is chosen, it is important to keep in mind your goals and expense.
Rabbits are hardy animals and when properly maintained will produce quality product for the backyard farmer to a larger scale profitable farmer. Raising rabbits for meat can produce quality meat choice for a meal.
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For your rabbit farming venture to be successful, you will need appropriate maintenance of the rabbit farm to avoid troubles and disruptions from happening. The rabbit farm must not be contaminated and should remain free of any unwanted substances and organisms to avoid diseases and health disorders. The nourishment, sanitation and cleaning process should be done properly and consistently. Rabbits do not react well if their needs are not met and are ignored. The rabbits would react negatively to the handlers if the basic needs are not provided. The rabbits would then be hard to feed and stimulate for proliferation and sexual reproduction. That is why the handler should invest time and effort in order to maintain the rabbit farm properly. This would have a lot of positive effects in the long term, leading to higher profitable margins.
Rabbits should not be held or handled in the wrong way due to the possible damages and injuries which can be sustained by the animal. Pulling the rabbit by the ears should be avoided due to the harm it causes. The tendons, muscles and connective tissues which can be found at the head, neck and shoulder could be damaged. The different internal components could be severed which could lead to bleeding. This would render the meat, skin and internal organs not viable for commercial distribution due to problems in quality.
The large cage used to contain the rabbit should have divisions and segregations in order to avoid territorial issues. This is because most rabbits would fight if their territory has been occupied by an unwelcome subject. Rabbits are very violent and hostile when this happens. The doe would immediately attack a buck if it is placed in an area which has been marked and claimed. This would lead to severe damages and wounds to the two rabbits involved. Establishing walls and demarcations in the living area would allow the rabbits to be separated from other animals. This would also prevent unsanctioned reproduction from occurring.
The living areas should be installed with the necessary air cleaning and waste diversion system in order to keep it clean. This would lessen the effort required to preserve the rabbits. The air cleaning system is attached with a powerful vacuum and an external outlet. The vacuum would allow fresh air to be placed inside the cage. This would greatly help the isolated rabbit feel comfortable and relaxed. The external outlets would allow the unusual smell originating from the rabbit to be diverted to the external surroundings. The waste diversion system is utilized to throw away the unwanted wastes found inside the cage. The wastes are full of harmful organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses which could greatly harm the rabbit.
Distribution of food can also be made easier by using an automated system which can release food to the cage at a specific time. This would greatly lessen the work required especially for handlers dealing with thousands of rabbits. This would assure that the rabbits would be provided with all their needs on your rabbit farming site.
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