Start a Rabbit Farm

Start a Rabbit Farm

Rabbit Farming Essentials

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.

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