Henry Mwandawiro - Golden Guide to Successful Commercial Rabbit Production

INTRODUCING RABBIT PRODUCTION

Rabbit Production

Apparently, the rearing of rabbits as upgrading the family diet has also mushroomed to be a very lucrative source of income to small scale farmers as well. Most small scale rabbit breeders raise them mainly for personal consumption as a choice of meat. The rabbit production and its meat consumption rate are growing every now and then. This domesticated species has privileged both small scale farmers with land and even landless ones can start with backyard rabbitry. There are three rabbitries systems. The Backyard rabbitries are the small unit(s) (3 - 99 does), Semi-Intensive rabbitries unit(s) is or are (100 - 450 does) while an Intensive rabbitries units are (over 451 does). Rabbit farming or rearing is easy to integrate. Its both local and global business.

Unique Digestive system

Rabbits are non-ruminant herbivores animals cannot digest plants matter (cellulose) like a cow or other ruminants. Actually, the rabbit has bacteria in its caecum (like the one in yogurt) which breaks down plant matter. These bacteria are made up of protein and vitamins. This is mutually beneficial as the bacteria get the energy to grow and reproduce at the same time. When the bacteria die is passed out in the form of soft faeces called caecalpellets. Now the caecotrophy is the act of rabbits eating its own caecal pellets that provide protein and vitamins it could not get from the previous digested plants. This is necessary for the health of the animal. Caecal pellets are passed out in the early morning and hard faeces are passed during the day.

International Trades

For international trade, only two major countries producing/consuming thousands of tonnes are mentioned here as examples but not limiting other known rabbit rearing countries as well as developing countries. China and Hungary are major exporters; Italy and the United Kingdom are leading importers, while countries like Italy and Switzerland are prime consumers. Some countries do import rabbits to export them to other hard-currency countries at a profit of course. Its all business... which is always cemented by demand and supply curves. Some countries encourage its citizen through programs to start commercial rabbit rearing at least the backyard rabbitry; (about 5-20 does). With the global rabbit meat (which is also known as the fryer) consumption rate growing annually. The espionage shows that the estimated rabbit production and consumption is not less than 1,600,000 tonnes (in KG carcass weight) every year. Constantly the demand rate has been higher than the supply. The supplementary advantage is the open ready market; fryer can be sold to friends, local hotels, big tourist motels, or sell as livestock to other farmers.

Local Trade

A novice breeder in my country Kenya can start this commercial rabbit production with only two rabbits and get up to 85 at the end of the year. In Kenya, a kilo of rabbit meat ranges from Ksh.500 to Ksh.800. One mature rabbit can be sold from Ksh.2, 000 to Ksh.3, 500. When the meat or fryer is sold as samosa bite one can earn up to Ksh. 8,000 or even more.

Commercial Rabbit Production

The global rabbit meat market has risen up to total the amounted revenue of over 6 billion in the year 2017.

Highlighted below are some just to mention but a few complex reasons or pros making rabbit production the easiest to get into started all the time as a commercial business.

One female rabbit also known as a doe can produce 6-8 kits per litter and can have 5-8 litters per year.

High productive rate, in which mating of the buck and does, ovulation and gestation periods are but short ones.

Adapt easily to various local food feeds and environment conditions.

Low cost of both labor and investment.

Feeding the rabbits can be done by family members.

A breeder can do most of the construction work and small space is needed.

Rabbit has a high 72% meat to 8% bone ratio.

High protein, low- fat, low-cholesterol meat

The research demonstrated rabbit meat composition compared with beef, mutton, pork, and chicken in given 100g per meat. Its proved rabbit meat has;

Highest crude protein-21(g),

Highest mineral phosphorus