Commercial Rabbit Farming Business | Start a Rabbit Farm to Earn Money

Are you planning to start a business raising rabbits for commercial use? Then, our guide can help you learn the basics of starting a rabbit farm right out of your backyard.

Here you will find rabbitry facilities and equipment needs, rabbit breeding guide, and miscellaneous tips about running a rabbit farm.


Rabbits are small sized animal. So it's very easy to start a commercial rabbit farming business. Make a proper business plan before starting. Here we are describing the most important steps of starting commercial rabbit farming business.

Benefits of Rabbit Farming

There are many benefits of commercial rabbit farming business. The main benefits of rabbit farming business are listed below.

• Rabbits are very fast growing animal.
• Their food converting rate is better than other animals.
• One female rabbit can give birth about 2 to 8 kids each time.
• Rabbits can be raised within a short space.
• Production costs are less, compared to other large sized animals.
• Rabbit meat is very tasty, nutritious and easily digestible. All aged people can eat without any problem.
• There are no religious taboos consuming rabbit meat.
• In case of meat production, rabbits are placed after poultry.
• Kitchen wastes, grass, plant leaves etc. are favorite foods of rabbit. So you can raise some rabbits for your family needs, using this type of low cost and easily available commodities.
• Rabbit farming require less labor compared to another animal farming business. You can easily use your family labor for successful commercial rabbit farming business.
• Commercial rabbit farming business require relatively less capital and you will get back your investment within a very short period.
• As it is a highly profitable business, so commercial production can be a great source of earning and employment.
• You can meetup your family nutritional demands through raising a few number of rabbits.
  
  

Rabbitry Facilities and Equipment Needs

Rabbit farming requires modest investment as it needs only simple facilities and small land area. A small rabbit farm could have 15 to 100 rabbits requiring between $5,000 and $10,000 in startup capital. For a meat producing rabbitry selling premium priced rabbit meat, an ROI of 45% during the first year of operation is possible. To start your rabbit farm, prepare a rabbit hutch that is well lit and well ventilated with heating and cooling systems. Metal cages are usually recommended for its ease of cleaning. Equip the cages with feed hopper, watering system, and nest box.

Rabbit Breeding Guide

Rabbits are used for their wool, fur, and meat. They are also used as testing specimens by laboratories. Their breeds usually determine how they are used. And so, before starting a rabbit farm, it is important that a prospective rabbit breeder determines to whom he should sell his rabbits. Will it be to restaurants, meat shops, individual purchasers, schools, laboratories, hospitals or breeders? One can advertise his business in rabbit journals, rabbit association directories and farm periodicals and by joining rabbit exhibits.


Breeding stock for a rabbit farm may be bought from local breeders. Medium-sized rabbits breed at 6 to 7 months of age and give birth after a month of gestation. Female rabbits can produce up to 50 live rabbits annually, with births high during the summer. They produce an average of 9 kits per birth.

Rabbit Farming Essentials

• Check with your local office about regulations that you must comply with in relation to rabbit farming.
• Breeding rabbits for laboratories requires special license and controlled conditions to meet customer-required characteristics, such as weight and age
• If you are planning to sell rabbit meat, you should think of slaughtering and storage facilities in addition to your usual farm facilities
• Temperature control in rabbit breeding is important as rabbits are sensitive to extreme temperatures
• Make sure that you have each rabbit’s health record in order. This is particularly important if you are raising rabbits for sale as breeding stock. Potential buyers might ask to see them when looking for stocks to buy
• Maintain a sanitary operation to prevent the outbreak of disease in your farm that could potentially be damaging to the business
• To keep your startup cost low, you can construct rabbit housing yourself from available construction materials you have

For resources on rabbit breeding, visit American Rabbit Breeders Associations.

Marketing

In some areas, marketing rabbit products is not so easy. So it will be better, if you determine your marketing plan before starting. You can try your local markets or nearest town.



Through proper care and management, you can make maximum profit form your rabbit farming business. Always try to take good care of your animals. Feed them quality nutritious food, keep their house clean and purchase healthy breeds for starting. Thus you can make your rabbit farming business highly profitable.

Rabbit Housing and Routine practices

3.1 Rabbit Housing Requirements:

• The house must protect the rabbits and keep them from escaping
• The house must protect the rabbits from predators
• The house must protect the rabbits from adverse weather
• The house should allow easy, comfortable access for the manager
• The house must be self cleaning or easy to clean
• The house should be of reasonable cost, easy to maintain and be durable.
• Ideally, rabbits should be kept in cages either outdoor with extended roofs or indoor where the cages are kept inside buildings on platforms.
• A rabbit unit should be well ventilated, rain-proof and allows some sunlight
  
  
  
  

3.2 Rabbit Housing Dimensions:

• Standard cages for rabbits should measure: L=80cm, W=60cm, H=45cm.
• For pregnant does or does with young kits, a provision for a nesting box of 30cm by 30cm.
• Usually weld mesh wire is preferred because of ease in maintaining cleanliness. The quality of available weld mesh wire in Kenya is however poor and does not last long
• Many farmers have thus resorted to using all-wooden cages or wooden plus weld mesh wire cages.
• Multi-tier cages are becoming popular because they safe on space. More than two-tier cages are however not recommended because of difficulties in management.

Related Article

• How to start Commercial Rabbit Farming Business

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