Is it profitable or not to breed rabbits as a home business
The profitability of rabbit breeding in our time is quite high. Many farmers know the secret of successful rabbit breeding, understand the specifics of the business, make a profit, and have been doing this for many years. The question of whether breeding rabbits as a business is profitable or not is relevant only for inexperienced farmers.
Breeding rabbits: positive and negative points
The next disadvantage is considered to be the search for a sales market for products. Rabbit meat is not so in demand, and the skin requires experience in dressing.
And the third scary thing about rabbit breeding as a business is the big start-up investment.
In fact, rabbit farming is a fairly quickly paying off enterprise that does not require any extra knowledge and effort to achieve stable profits. Many rabbit breeders easily cope with the task, and there are many more positive factors.
At the initial stage, it is important to choose a good breed of animals that give high growth, quickly gain weight, and are resistant to diseases.
Why you shouldn't be afraid of negative moments:
- timely vaccination of all livestock will exclude the death of animals;
- many butchers, shops, market stalls accept and place orders for dietary rabbit meat;
- neighbors and relatives are always provided with rabbit meat and are happy to purchase a useful product (proven by more than one rabbit breeder);
- rabbit fur is appreciated as a natural, warm and beautiful material, by placing an ad it is easy to find regular buyers for skins;
- the ability for frequent fertilization, year-round offspring (one female brings about 60 rabbits per year), allows you to expand production without the cost of purchasing individuals;
- Rapid growth of rabbits contributes to smooth production and stable income.
In addition, rabbits love green food, which is abundant in summer and autumn in every rural area, which also saves costs.
Secrets and Basics of Successful Rabbit Breeding
The positive aspects will be visible from the very beginning if you correctly draw up and apply a business plan for breeding rabbits. It will be necessary to start from the possible and conceived scale for which the enterprise is designed.
Where to begin:
- decide on the method of raising livestock;
- decide on the allocated area for corrals, sheds (special buildings), cages, aviaries;
- prepare the place of "residence" of rabbits;
- think over and prepare a workplace for slaughter, freezing and storage of the product;
- purchase specialized feed;
- choose a breed of rabbits;
- buy young growth.
You can start a business of your own mini-farm for rabbits with one pair of animals, choosing a purebred mating method or crossing.
It is best to purchase young stock from experienced farmers. Rabbits for sale are guaranteed vaccinated and adapted to similar conditions.
On the market, you can buy unhealthy and unvaccinated individuals. And also to be mistaken with the breed, especially if there are no skills. There are meat and fur breeds of rabbits.
Recommendations for the care and maintenance of rabbits are not that difficult.The main thing is to provide them with a comfortable place where there will be enough light and space. Observe the feeding regimen, monitor the cleanliness of the cells and a sufficient amount of clean water.
There are different ways of keeping animals, by studying which you can find out - breeding rabbits as a business is profitable or not.
Rabbit breeding techniques and principles for business
The main ways to successfully breed rabbits is to keep animals in cages, aviaries or pits. Each method has its own justified pros and cons.
Keeping rabbits in cells, especially portable ones, very convenient, but more costly (arrangement, materials). The big plus of this content is the minimal risk of spreading infections, since individuals of different offspring and breeds do not contact each other. And in which case, neighboring cells can be easily isolated from the general row.
This version of the rabbit farm is most suitable for crossing and breeding special breeds.
A more free keeping of rabbits, first of all, allows you to save space, equipment material.
The most affordable and easiest way is to breed rabbits in a hole. But it is necessary to choose the right place where groundwater will not reach. The floor is equipped with a fine metal mesh and covered with sawdust or sand for better drainage and easy manure removal.
Just in case, a good roof should always be prepared, which will be the main protection from bad weather.
The rabbits kept in the hole are happy to dig holes, where they later hide their offspring. They move freely, reproduce actively and do not require frequent feeding, since the area allows you to set food and drink for the whole day in sufficient quantities.
An aviary for rabbits is probably the most convenient option, both for the farmer and for the animals themselves. But first, enclosures must be equipped with protective fences from the weather and possible enemies. Aviaries can be located under awnings or attached to the utility room.
The rabbits in the enclosures receive food and water at the same time thanks to the long trays and drinkers along the walls. They feel great “free”, grow and develop better.
The enclosure or pit should contain rabbits of approximately the same age. Doing a new batch should be careful, as adult males tend to be aggressive towards strangers or younger individuals. By spreading (scattering) fresh, fragrant grass on the bottom or floor, you can kill the smell of the newly-made male tenants.
All ways breeding rabbits will be the successful start of a profitable business with proper hygiene and sanitation.
In addition, rabbits are afraid of drafts, frost and moisture. A dry, warm room in winter and clean, ventilated in summer is the main condition for keeping animals.
Having calculated the total cost of expenses for the future enterprise and calculating the approximate annual profit, it can be concluded whether breeding rabbits as a business is profitable or not.
Rabbits have practically no waste production: meat, fur, entrails, manure - all this makes a profit. Individuals quickly reach sexual age. In addition, live pedigree rabbits may be sold in the future.