raising rabbits for food and profit

[dtinnan]

I couldnt find any threads on rabbits, so i'm asking for any information I can get on raising rabbits for food, and to sell for a profit.

does anyone here raise rabbits? any suggestions on best breeds? what about selling the pelts? are startup costs high? anything to beware of?

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have two friends that are interested in going in with me. both told me they would help with feeding, maintainance, costs, etc. but they both said I would have to do the killing and processing, which I don't mind doing.

thanks in advance for any help.

 

[k15n1]

Possum Living is a book that includes a chapter on raising rabbits for meat.

 

[mrscoyote]

Check out our sister site "Backyard herds" the link is at the bottom of the page. They have a section about and for rabbits.
Nancy

 

[lee&lyric]

Possum Living is a book that includes a chapter on raising rabbits for meat.

I'm on the chapter about Gardening now. Ms. Freed was surely a cracker at 18; she's a hoot!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I used to raise rabbits. I raised californians and cali/flemish X. I got out of it, b/c I found it too labour intensive, esp in the winter, and I didn't like raising them in cages--it just went against what I was trying to achieve. (raising animals as natural as possible.) Your start up costs can be less if you get used cages, but you usually get what yoy pay for. they can be quite cost effective if youstick to a tight schedule as far a sbreeding on tiime and slaughtering on time. I also found thta there was not a uge market for rabbit meat. I did have one guy who wanted my rabbits to feed to his snakes. As far as the pelts, I didn't find a market for that either.

If your family and your friends like rabbit, it will be a sound enough venture, but I also found that my family preferred chicken and other meats I raise better than rabbit.

for start up, you will need obviously a place to raise them, cages waterers food bowls some way to catch the waste. I stacked my casges three high, with rubbermaid type containers underneath that I emptied into a manure bin outside ( you can also sell the rabbit poo--gardeneres love it) You need to keep the cages clean, or your bunns will get sick. (usually cocci) n the winter, you need to switch to crocks(depending if youget frost or not) I only refilled the crocks twice a day in the winter. In summer, they need water alwaay, and you need to be aware that they can overheat easily. forzen 2 litrs soda bottles do the trick.

Also in winter, they need artificial lighting to make sure that they still breed. If they are not getting enough light, they will not breed.

 

[dtinnan]

thanks, everybody, for the tips and encouraging words.

I have been researching, and getting prices together, and i think we are gonna get us a coupla rabbits next payday.

i've got a shed thats about 12 by 12, that i'm planning on keeping them in. it already has power, i just need to run water to it.

I am amazed that none of my friends or coworkers have ever eaten rabbit. my cousin and i used to bring my grandmother rabbits by the dozen, and she would have the whole family over for a rabbit fry. those were the good days.


thanks again for the help!

 

[citylife]

Check out my page. I started out with a trio and now have 2 bucks and 4 breeding does with a hold back doe. I also run 5 chickens under my set up. This summer I had 22 kits to butcher within 2 weeks of each other. Now I have neighbors who like a few from time to time and they buy a few bags of rabbit food for me so to speak. I am expecting all four breeding does to kit in the next few days.
I raise florida meat rabbits. They are around 5 lbs as adults. I butcher between 10-12 weeks old. I like the size of them and one rabbit will feed a family of 4. They eat very little, have a good food to meat ratio and ver very little bone. All I can say....... is I am impressed.
Buy... "Storeys guide to raising meat rabbits"
My set-up now has large grow out pens, breeding female cages that went from 12' long to 26' long. Nine cages, more then handle the backyard rabbitry I have created. There is no reason to expand my project on this property. And, I am very happy with the amount of meat I am getting out of my setup.
I will be updating my page soon.
I hope this helps.

The lady with 2 rescued cocker spaniels, rescued rotty, german shepherd, fostered american bulldog, 5 city chickens, 6 florida white meat rabbits, their kits and a ball python.

 

[dtinnan]

sorry if buying and selling rabbits doesnt go in the buying and selling section. my bad

 

[Beekissed]

You are going to find a lot more info on BYH, next door. You certainly can raise rabbits for food and profit and I find them to be the most profitable small livestock one can raise besides honeybees. They don't take up much space, they require little maintenance and they are so productive that you can breed yourself right out of a market if you aren't careful. They do well stacked onto chickens and vermiculture, they provide healthy and lean meat~more so than any other small livestock when you consider feed conversion to meat.

Start a journal here on the subject and keep us apprised of your progress, if you would...this forum needs more info on these lesser known/practiced subjects! Could be your journal could start others on the same quest when they see how easy it is to keep rabbits.

 

[dtinnan]

You are going to find a lot more info on BYH, next door. You certainly can raise rabbits for food and profit and I find them to be the most profitable small livestock one can raise besides honeybees. They don't take up much space, they require little maintenance and they are so productive that you can breed yourself right out of a market if you aren't careful. They do well stacked onto chickens and vermiculture, they provide healthy and lean meat~more so than any other small livestock when you consider feed conversion to meat.

Start a journal here on the subject and keep us apprised of your progress, if you would...this forum needs more info on these lesser known/practiced subjects! Could be your journal could start others on the same quest when they see how easy it is to keep rabbits.

thanks for the encouraging words! I'm cleaning out a small barn that was on the property when we bought it. It's about 12 by 15. I've got to seal it up and get some cages built, and then it'll be bunny-buying time.

the journal is a great idea, let me collect my thoughts and i'll start soon.

I'm also interested in getting some laying hens, and possibly bees, but one thing at a time. i'm sure the rabbits are gonna keep me busy for a while