Rabbit Farming: Factors to Consider Before Buying Your Rabbits

Since, the beginning of this month, we have been dishing out excerpts from our highly recommended book “RabbitMania: The Ultimate Rabbit Farming Guide”. We addressed topics such as Gender Differentiation in Rabbits and Rabbit Housing. This week, we will address the factors to consider before buying a rabbit for farming sake.

1. Popularity: It will be difficult to locate breeds that are rare, either locally or universally, while it is relatively easier to locate the more common or popular breeds. Popular breeds are easier to find and easier to sell.

2. Size: You should be able to handle the size of the rabbit breed you choose easily. Smaller rabbits eat less and require smaller cages, but they have smaller litters compared to the larger breeds. It is also advisable for starters to begin with the smaller sized rabbits for easier handling and management.

3. Versatility and Demand: Choose the rabbit breed that best suits your market aim. Market aims could be for the rabbits to be sold as babies (for breeders), pets, laboratory animals, meat, fur and feeders. More versatile breeds should be favoured for their versatile market purposes.

4. Other factors to consider when choosing rabbit breed are temperament, ease and cost of handling, grooming and care.

GETTING YOUR RABBIT STOCK

1. Purchase your stock from reputable farms.

2. Check and test for sensitivity to Pasteurellosis, because it is a disease of economic significance in rabbit production.

3. Purchase rabbits when they are about 3-4 months of age.

4. Treat against Coccidiosis before they are put in hutches using any Sulfa drugs.

5. Quarantine newly acquired rabbits for at least 3 weeks before mixing with the stock.

6. Check to be sure of the sexes of the rabbits you want to purchase (you can check for clarification here). For instance, if you want two does and one buck for breeding, ensure that is what has been given to you and not two bucks and one doe, or god forbid three bucks!

We are sure you have learnt a thing or two from our excerpts this month. Click here to get the book for practical guide to Rabbit Farming.

#AnimalHealth #RabbitFarming #RabbitMania #Agribusiness #Animalhusbandry