Am i really comfortable with the idea of raising rabbits solely to harvest their meat. Rabbit farming in south africa involves the breeding of rabbits for the meat industry as well as for the use of fur and wool. Mating two different breeds of rabbits, such as a california. After about seven weeks the rabbits are grown enough to butcher, and are called fryers.
So we thought we would take you through a little run down of what we have found works and doesnt work for us. When raising rabbits for meat there are many options for food. Their bodies are described as being commercial in type, that is, muscular or wellmuscled full of meat. Mar 15, 20 but we have lots of rabbits for our family because we use them as meat instead of eating chicken personal preference and use them for our dogs all meat diet. According to rabbit production cheeke, patton, lukefahr and mcnitt, 1987, pg 190, a weanling rabbit gains a. Meat rabbits what you need to know about raising rabbits for meat. You want to start breeding does female rabbits when they are reaching maturity.
If youre just starting out, id recommend starting with a trio 2 does and 1 buck. Refer to the information sheet starting a rabbit enterprise for additional insight of advantages and disadvantages of producing rabbits. Pure breeds were used along with their crossbreds, locally bred popu. Rabbits are raised not only for meat, laboratory use, breeding stock, and angora wool but also for their skins and for youth programs, such as 4h, ffa, pennsylvania rabbit breeders, and american rabbit breeders associations. They can be confined to hutches, and can be raised in urban as well as rural areas. The best way to get started is to look in your local are for a rabbitry and get some hands on experience, advice and ideas. May 05, 2018 meat rabbits what you need to know about raising rabbits for meat. Commercial rabbit production rabbits have been produced for 3,000 years. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about the best ways to feed rabbits.
The initial costs in settingup is small, rabbits breed quickly and frequently, they have large litters and grow to a good marketable size in a very short time. Breeding rabbits documentary modern method of rabbit. Pdf backyard rabbit farming can be a great idea for having healthy meat and an additional source of income for the family without much involvement. Rabbit project reference manual chad wootton r aising rabbits is fun. We recommend that you initially commence with 510 does and two bucks to get the feel for handling and managing rabbits. Breeding schedule when setting up a breeding system for your rabbitry, your first consideration should be your purpose for raising rabbits.
Then click save link as if you are using firefox, or save target as if you are using ie. Secondly you need to decide where to buy a rabbit as there are so many kind of rabbits in the world, but be sure to choose only the rabbit with in your local area. Before we can even think about breeding our rabbits we must have a good foundation stock. A good rule of thumb is to mate rabbits of the same breed to each other rather than crossbreeding large and small breeds. The commercial farming of domesticated rabbits, however, has occurred only recently. Free rabbitry record sheets to download and print rabbit. Rabbits that are grown with proper feed diet reach market weight of 1. The following topics are discussed in this publication. A complete handbook on backyard and commercial rabbit production 11 overview whether you raise rabbits for meat and fur, wool, or laboratory uses, select the breeds best adapted to the purpose. I learned, the hard way, that breeders dont generally sell a doe that is producing well. When it is time for breeding, it is best to put the buck into the does cage rather than the other way around. Breeding meat rabbits 101 the imperfectly happy home. The aim of this type of rabbit production is to sell rabbit meat for a profit.
The new zealand white, however, is not the only breed of meat rabbit, especially if youre planning to raise rabbits in your backyard on a small scale for the needs of your family. This production goal would require a small backyard operation consisting of about four breed ing females does and one breeding male buck. Rabbits are slaughtered by two ways stunning and killing. Before investing your money in rabbit production, get all available literature, talk and visit with other producers, visit a rabbit processor, and talk with your county extension agent. Oct 26, 2019 by dennis douthart rabbits make delicious eating. I do not handle our rabbits a lot unless i am picking replacements for breeding stock. Breeding domestic rabbits, from mating the buck and doe, to weaning the bunnies. Raising rabbits in your backyard from start to plate. Show records i used this one on a rabbitrywide basis. My family loves rabbit meat, and i raise a few meat rabbits for extended family members, too. In ordinary times many of the small rabbit raisers dont bother to save the skins, but they do have some value. It will help you decide if raising meat rabbits is right for you, and how to manage every aspect of husbandry involved, including feeding, breeding, health, processing, and selling. And never breed kits from the same kindling with each other.
The cultural acceptance of eating cottontail rabbit meat has set a favorable stage for the growing popularity of raising domestic meat rabbits as a smallscale, backyard enterprise. By the end of the second month, the breed known as californian or new zealand white will, if well looked after, weigh over. At this point they are weaned and should be placed in their own hutch. Mar 11, 2020 if you choose to raise rabbits in a shed or garage, be certain that it is well ventilated, and even some ac isnt a bad idea. Line breeding is the process of breeding closely related animals, usually father to daughter or mother to son, in an effort to improve individual traits. When i brought home our american chinchilla breeding trio, i had researched raising meat rabbits extensively. If you want to breed rabbits for a sustainable meat supply, theres a few things to take into consideration. To start raising rabbits for meat, you require breeding stock. Obviously, its a lot easier to butcher animals that you have confined. May 5, 2018 by debra ahrens leave a comment this post may contain affiliate links which wont change your price but will share some commission. Raising meat rabbits is one of the most space efficient means of growing livestock for meat. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat raising rabbits is one of the simplest things you can do on your homestead. Our family raises rex rabbits not listed, which dont compete with new zealands or many of the other breeds listed below for daystomarket.
Jan 23, 2018 if you want to breed rabbits for a sustainable meat supply, theres a few things to take into consideration. Commercial rabbit production mississippi state poultry science. Some say pellets are completely nutritionally balanced and you need to feed nothing else. You can even sell the manure for fertilizer to other gardeners. New zealand rabbits are a quintessential meattype rabbit.
Sep 08, 2015 digital pdf product the rabbit record book includes the following record keeping sheets. Raising rabbits for meat and fur is a good way to make money but only if you do it on a large scale, and it should be done as supplementary income only. We filled the web pages with as much detail as reasonably possible. Farming meat rabbits provides an economic option for many small and hobby farmers who are limited by land area. Feeding rates depend on rabbit weight and maturity. Today they are raised for meat, research, pets, show, and pelts. If you choose to raise rabbits in a shed or garage, be certain that it is well ventilated, and even some ac isnt a bad idea. Rabbits are extremely hot natured so it is important to place their shelter in a shaded area. A complete handbook on backy ard and commercial rabbit. Whether you live on a full blown many acre homestead, or on a town lot in the burbs, rabbits are a viable option in your selfsufficiency and survival planning. There are many species in the rabbit family but all domesticated rabbits are believed to have descended from a single species known as the european rabbit. Rabbits were a staple of the diet of anatomically modern humans, the phoenicians too consumed rabbit meat, and traded rabbits across the mediterranean spano giammellaro, 1999. Rabbits have a 30 day gestation cycle, and become mature at seven months. Developed in the 1920s in america, the california meat rabbit breed is recognised by its white body with black points legs, nose and ears.
This is done at large commercial concerns on as well as on subsistence farming. You can obtain names of buyers from a rabbit magazine. A complete handbook on backy ard and commercial rabbit production. Backyard production of meat rabbits in texas oaktrust. Breed young does of the small and medium breeds at 6 months of age and giant breeds when they are 8 to 9. These pellets are filled with protein and will help add the necessary weight to your rabbits in a short amount of time. When choosing breeding stock for the rabbit farming business, you should be very careful of the health history of the rabbits. Meat rabbits have been bred over years with meat production in mind. Dob is date of birth, and dtb is date to breed when your rabbit is a senior and old enough to breed. In the summer, it is wise to place frozen water bottles in the hutches with the rabbits to help keep them cool. Raising rabbits for profit all you need to know about. This does mean you have to end their life by killing them. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat.
Aug 21, 2017 breeding rabbits documentary modern method of rabbit breeding. We actually pull weedsgrass every day, twice a day and take it to the rabbits. Raising rabbits for meat is a lucrative business, providing income for millions of people, but there are some essential things you need to do before you venture into the rabbit farming business. The breeding stock consists of male rabbits which are known as bucks, and female rabbits which are known as does. Before you start producing rabbits, you must identify your market. As with all animals, the growth and physical development of the individual doe should be.
Raising rabbits for meat osu extension catalog oregon state. Raising rabbits can potentially bring in extra income if you sell the offspring or the meat you have left over. In six days it doubles its weight, and after 30 days its weight will have increased eightfold or more. The rabbit food and agriculture organization of the united nations. Whether you raise rabbits for meat and fur, wool, or laboratory uses, select the. I personally raise rabbits for a couple of reasons. A beginners guide to raising rabbits, including a rabbit barn, pens, feeders and waterers, breeding stock, care and feeding, breeding, butchering, and meat sales. Ive since learned that it would have been safe for me to take rabbits during this time, so in the future, if i have freerange meat rabbits, i wont wait through the whole summer to start butchering. Plus, raising meat rabbits is relatively easy, and if you shop around for bargains, the materials needed for raising meat rabbits can be inexpensive to purchase. A complete handbook on backyard and commercial rabbit production. Rabbit meat is popular among homesteaders because rabbits are easy to raise, and they breed easily and birth in less time than other traditional homestead livestock like sheep, goats, pigs, and cows. Ok, so you know the whole purpose of this is to be able to raise rabbits for food. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat mother.
Inbreeding is the same as line breeding but the animals are much more closely related, typically brother and sister. I only kept one sheet for the whole rabbitry and noted several rabbits placements on it in each show. Naturally feeding the meat rabbits the elliott homestead. Are you already raising rabbits but believe, like us, that there is always more to learn. Mixing your own feed is not recommended because it is difficult to get the right balance of essential nutrients. Used cages can be bought at small animal auctions, through newspaper ads, by word of mouth, or they can be constructed from used. Breeding rabbits, rabbit hutch, raising meat rabbits duration. Bucks male rabbits are usually ready around 6 months old if a small breed, 7 months if medium, and 9 months for a large breed. Beyond the planning requirements, financial costs, and daytoday supervision that even the most modest backyard rabbit farm entails, rabbitry forces farmers to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions. Pawhut deluxe large wooden bunny rabbit hutch chicken coop w large out.
To download, rightclick either pdf or word under each icon. How to raise rabbits for meat raise, feed, house, butcher. A simple cage like this works well to start out with. Domestic rabbits are very cheap to raise as a domestic animal and. For years five litters per doe per year was the goal of most rabbit breeders. Two does and a buck is known as a trio, and is a good starting point. Based on the the ideal type for meatproducing breeds, commercial. How to start a profitable rabbit farming business pdf. Smallscale sustainable rabbit production attra ncat. This article will outline how to start a commercial rabbit farming business, and the rabbit farming business plan pdf, word and excel.
The rabbits are usually fed on concentrates as well as bulky foods. With sufficient feeding, mature animals 45 months old of the smaller breeds should weigh 1 3 kilos each. Jun 22, 2017 have you been wanting to learn how to raise rabbits for meat. Colony raising rabbits isnt hard, but there are a few considerations that can make setting up a rabbit colony go more smoothly. Table 11 lists common rabbit breeds and their predominant color, weight, and uses. How to start a profitable rabbit farming business pdf guide. For smallmedium breeds, they can be bred at 67 months old. Aug 09, 2019 the guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat raising rabbits is one of the simplest things you can do on your homestead.
People worldwide raise rabbits for a variety of purposes including. At the same time, a 4h rabbit project can provide an important life skill learning experience. Rabbits grow rapidly because they are efficient at converting food into meat. A beginners guide to raising rabbits mother earth news. Get complete rabbit information, instructions and pictures for every facet of raising and breeding rabbits as pets, or for meat, show and fur. Let your space and your budget be your guide when raising meat rabbits.
Wellorganized and detailed, raising rabbits for meat is an excellent resource for anyone considering meat rabbits as a family food source or farm enterprise. Slaughter yields of different rabbit breeds and crosses at 10 to 12 weeks. We have had lots of questions coming in about raising rabbits for meat and how we handle rabbit care here on our little backyard farm. Some people find it difficult to slaughter rabbits for consumption because they considered them as pets rather than meat.
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