10 Important Points You Should Consider Before Starting a Rabbit Farm

One of the simple ways you can gain financial freedom and at the same time meets the nutritional needs of your family is to engage in rabbit farming.

Yes it’s true and it’s possible, but before you can attain any form of freedom at all, you must be determined, ready to make sacrifices and be disciplined.

Many farmers are often disappointed and frustrated at the outcome of their chosen agricultural venture.

Due to their inability to have a holistic and in-depth knowledge of their chosen field of agricultural endeavour.

This is often attributed to fake statistics, overrated and over-exaggerated profit margins being presented to them by business agents that are only interested in selling out their products.

This knowledge base article will present you as an intending rabbit farmer or an already practising rabbit farmer.

The basic requirement you need, to kick start your rabbit farming, in a simple manner without the use of any complicated technical jargon, and from the perspective of a practising rabbit farmer.

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1. You should put the Environment into consideration when starting a rabbit farm
   

When starting a rabbit farm never joke with this very important factor. Rabbits need a safe environment where they can easily multiply and thrive. Rabbits should be protected from bad weather conditions i.e extreme heat stress.

Rabbits don’t do well under heat stress. In hot climates, rabbits should be reared indoors with well-insulated rooftops.

If possible their housing should be constructed in an environment where trees are planted usually above the buildings to provide shade and natural breeze and at the same time good ventilation in and out of their cages or hutches.

Your ultimate goal is to protect your rabbits from direct sunlight, droughts, rainfall, loud noises and radiators.

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2. Housing and Design (Rabbit cages or hutches) should be among the first on your mind when starting a rabbit farm
   

Rabbits can be reared on both floors (deep litter) or on cages or hutches. I have reared rabbits in both housing systems. Both have their pros and cons.

Let’s start with the floor system of rearing rabbits.

Advantages

• Freedom
• Large space to play around
• Ability to display natural instincts and behaviour i.e. digging holes, scratching, being playful, mating naturally, making nests, searching for food etc.

Disadvantages

• More prone to diseases, they come in contact with their urine and faeces easily.
• The rabbits can easily be stolen
• Poor accountability
• They can dig their way out i.e. escapes to the outside world, which exposes them to predators
• Very difficult to monitor their health condition
• They can easily start fighting each other
• Rodents might be difficult to control
• Feeding and providing water might be cumbersome

Using the cage (hutches) system is my favourite, although it has its own pros and cons but is by far preferable.

Disadvantages

• Less room to express natural instincts and behaviour
• If the wrong net or wire is used can hurt the rabbit’s feet.
• Requires good timing and observational skills to know the right time to place the nesting box for production.
• Constructing the cages (hutches) might be a little more expensive when starting.
• The steel or iron used can easily rust, and termites can destroy the wood used in constructing the cages. The good thing is, both can be prevented by using rust-resistant steel or well-coated iron material. Termite’s resistant wood should be used when constructing cages.

Advantages

• You will have all your rabbits at your fingertips (at a glance).
• Watering and feeding your rabbits with the cage systems becomes an easy task
• You can easily monitor their weight gain and individual Wight easily
• When you have your rabbits in cages, they are a beauty to behold.
• Your friends, family, school children can easily visit, and view your rabbit farm
• Children and adults alike can easily assist you in some essential task of feeding them even in your absence.
• The cage system makes it even easier to monitor each rabbit’s progress in terms of their health behavioural pattern.
• Non-performing rabbits can easily be removed
• Rodents can easily be curtailed
• Well-constructed and sturdy cages will guarantee the safety of your rabbit i.e. they cannot dig holes or escape outside, which can predispose them to danger.
• You can easily place the nesting box in their hutches

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3. Nesting boxes
   

Most intending rabbit farmers over looked this important item when starting a rabbit farm. Nesting boxes for rabbits come in varying sizes and shapes the rule of thumb is that your nesting box should be able to fit properly into the rabbit cages.

Without hindering the free movement of the rabbit within the hutch, and at the same time allowing enough space for both the kittens and the doe.

You can use good wooding material to construct the nesting box or cut the edge of a gallon or 25l plastic jerry can, to be used as a nesting box for your rabbit.

4. Making rooms for expansion and accommodation

One of the wonderful characteristics of rabbits is their prolific nature, and ability to multiply within a short period of time.

Before starting rabbit farm you should  make provisions for expansion and ensure that you have the capacity to accommodate quite a number of rabbits.

Once they start giving birth and multiplying. i.e. you should have separate hutches for both buck and doe, fryers and the growing bunnies.

When adult male rabbits are kept together they do fight ferociously, so as they grow, they will all need separate hutches for best practices.

5. How to dispose of your rabbit waste should also be on your mind before starting a rabbit farm

Before you ever think of starting a rabbit how to dispose of rabbit waste should be on your mind. Cleanliness and good hygiene are the best antidotes for disease. Well, designed rabbit cages are usually self-cleaned.

It means you can easily collect either their urine or faeces in a container, which can either be used in your garden as manure for your vegetables or you can package it and transport it to your farm or sell it to neighbouring farmers.

Whichever way it’s good compost manure. Rabbit urine can be used as a good source of fertilizer and pesticides.

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6. Feeding and watering system

Most modern rabbit cage designs are usually automated i.e you don’t need to be feeding your rabbits twice a day, they feed themselves.

In the absence of an automated system, you can use a good ceramic or stainless steel material, because rabbits are fond of chopping materials with their teeth such as plastic or wood.

On what to feed your rabbits, rabbits do wonderfully well on hay and green vegetables although the green vegetables need to be properly washed, and the water allowed to dry from the leaves.

They can also be served pelletized feed. Rabbits eat a host of leaves, especially during the dry season, leaves such as mango, bitter leaves, banana, orange leaves etc.

You should gradually introduce it to them. Tomatoes leaves should be avoided at all costs.

Water should be made available to them at all times.

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7. Medication

Rabbits are very sweet and easy animals to rear, as long as proper accommodation and a good hygienic environment are provided.

You will seldom have health issues with your rabbits. As a good farmer, before starting a rabbit farm, you should have the following basic drugs handy, ivermectin, oxytetracycline, sulphadimidine and good multivitamins.

8. Good record keeping

Good and proper record keeping will stand you out from other rabbit farmers, it shows that you mean business, and you are taking your rabbit farming seriously and to the next level.

Knowing the date and the number of kittens produced per doe in a particular hutch will not only give you the overall success rate.

Proper record and bookkeeping will give you the number of rabbits produced on your farm per given period of time.

The quantity of feed consumed, the number of rabbits sold i.e fryers, weaners, and adult rabbits and the profit margin.

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9. Providing an adequately safe and secure environment

Before you bring in your rabbits, you should consider the living area where you intend to keep your rabbits.

How secure and safe is it?  From predators such as dogs, cats, foxes, rats, birds of prey and even thieves.

Having a well-trained guard dog that grew up on your farm is not a bad idea. They do an excellent job of keeping predators and thieves at bay.

10. Advertisement and sells

Rabbits are beautiful creatures that are loved by many, in no time people will get to know about your products (rabbits), as long as they are healthy, neat and beautiful.

Pet lovers and health-conscious individuals that are looking for lean meat with less cholesterol will come to buy from you.

Friends and family. Research institutions are looking for rabbits in high demand for their experiments. Restaurants and eateries will be your points of call.

Developing a good website will also let the world know about your products (rabbits).