Raising rabbits

While raising rabbits is a labor-intensive endeavor, there are many reasons to consider doing so on a small farm: rabbits are quiet and small, their meat is nutritious, litters (number of children born) are large with short generation intervals (meaning a quick economic return), rabbits can eat waste materials, and they are efficient at extracting protein from forage. Furthermore, organic rabbit production is a relatively untapped market. Rabbit meat has great potential to feed economically disadvantaged people and could be promoted in Nigeria as a healthful, natural meat and a small farm asset.

Rabbit Uses:

Rabbit meat is fine-grained, lean, and mild and it can be cooked much like poultry. Rabbit meat has low fat, cholesterol, and calories compared to other meat eaten in Nigeria; beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and turkey, while being comparable in protein.

In addition, rabbit manure can be a great garden fertilizer and compost ingredient, since it can be a relatively high source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as a source of secondary nutrients

Breeds:

Two medium-size breeds, the New Zealand White (NZW) and the Californian, are the most important for meat production. The NZW is considered the best breed overall, considering mothering ability and carcass (meat) characteristics. Other meat breeds include Californian, Champagne d’ Argent, English Spot, and Flemish Giant, but these may not receive a top price because of their colored fur. Breeds developed for fur include American Chinchilla, Checkered Giant, Silver Marten, and Rex. The Angora was developed for wool and meat. Laboratory breeds include Dutch, English Spot, Himalayan, and Polish. Pet breeds include Holland Lop, Polish, Dutch, and Mini Lop. There are many other breeds of domestic rabbit that are raised for meat, show, laboratory use, fur and for wool production.

Housing:

The easiest way to keep rabbits is to let them run around, find their own feed, mate as they want and when you are hungry, you just try to catch one. Catching a loose (domestic!) rabbit might not be so difficult; it will however prove far more difficult to catch a good number of good and healthy animals if you keep them that way. You will not know who is the father of who, you will not know which does have turned infertile, rats might get the best part of your rabbit crop, diseases can go unobserved or in any case untreated. To prevent diseases, inbreeding, too early mating or to be able to slaughter the right animal at the right time etc., we make stables and hutches (cages). In this way, we can manage our rabbits and get some profit from them.

rabbits raised outside in a pasture

Rabbit housing will largely depend on the scale and purpose of the operation. Basic requirements: comfort for rabbits, protect rabbits from predators and prevent them from escaping, protect rabbits from extreme weather, allow easy access to the rabbits, be easy to clean or “self-cleaning,” and, lastly, affordable to build and maintain.

In areas with mild climates (moderate temperature), housing can be open-walled (for example, a long, narrow A-frame with a walkway down the middle and a row of cages on either side with roll-down plastic curtains or hinged boards for cold weather).

cage housing rabbits

 

rabbit housing

In cold regions where there are prolonged periods below freezing point, buildings need to be enclosed to prevent drafts and conserve body heat. Heating is usually not necessary since rabbits have thick fur coats. However, drafts in cold weather can be a problem, particularly for newborn kits in the nest box.

In any type of building, ventilation is very important in reducing ammonia buildup and helping the animals stay cool during hot periods.

Commercial rabbitries normally house animals in all-wire cages suspended above the ground. The cages are hung at a height convenient for the producer, usually at waist level. Manure pellets fall through the wire bottom to the ground instead of remaining in the cage, preventing coccidiosis - a parasitic infection spread by contact with the manure. The manure accumulates on the ground or in specially dug pits, often sand-lined, until the manure is removed by wheelbarrow, tractor, or, in some cases, an automatic scraper. It is important to ensure rabbits have sufficient space. While building or designing rabbit housing, remember that rabbits tend to gnaw, especially on wood. Open-walled buildings can be ventilated by natural airflow. An enclosed building will require fan-assisted ventilation, and in hot areas, cool cells or foggers can help cool the building.

commercial rabbitry housing system

Single levels of cages are easier to ventilate and cool than stacked rows of cages.

It is important to ensure rabbits have enough space. While building or designing rabbit housing, remember that rabbits tend to chew, especially on wood. If plastic water line are used to deliver water, attach them to the outside of the cage so the rabbits cannot chew them.

Keep the following points in mind when constructing hutches for breeding purpose:

• Each hutch should have the following dimensions – 90cm long x 60cm wide x 45cm high. If you are thinking of starting big the hutches should be arranged in rows on wooden or metal stands of three feet (3ft) above the ground with passage between rows for the attendant

• The hutches can be arranged in single, double or triple tiers. The best is usually the single tire because it saves time in the cleaning and feeding of the rabbits.

• Hutches can be made of wood or metal surrounded by wire netting.

• Metal hutches are usually recommended for its ease of cleaning. Equip the hutches with feed hopper, watering system, and nest box.

• For medium or large-scale rabbitry, old poultry house or a similar one can be used. However, sometimes hutches are placed in a well-ventilated building.

• The material for the roof: a grass/leaf roof is cool, well known, cheap and easy to produce locally but it will need regular maintenance; a corrugated iron roof is hotter, more expensive, badly ventilated but it is longer lasting and definitely cleaner (no rats or birds).

• The floor of the stable can be a dirt floor or concrete depending on which enhances easy cleaning

• If wood is used for the stand on which the hutches sit, their feet should be placed in disinfectant bowls in order to keep off pest attack e.g. termites 

Feeding:

Proper feeding will influence the rabbit’s growth, fertility and health. Some foodstuffs contain a lot of protein (especially fresh greens); some are sources of energy (like rice bran, tubers, etc.). Both protein and energy, as well as minerals are of importance.

White Newzis on grass

 

To start with, a rabbit will benefit from greens. These are grass, leaves, vegetables, etc. Watch out for possible poisoning like from cassava leaves or other plants. Usually the local population is aware of which plants are poisonous. However, leaves or grasses are not all the same. Young (4 weeks old) grass is easier to digest and contains almost twice as much protein as 8 weeks old grass. Leaves are much more nutritious than stems. Try to find grass with many leaves therefore. However succulent the stem may seem, feeding value is low generally. Rabbits recycle feed by re-ingesting the cecotropes. Cecotropes are small particles of digested food that collect in the cecum (hindgut), which the rabbit excretes once a day and then consumes. Cecotropes are sometimes called “night feces” and they look softer than the round, hard pellets usually seen.

Just like humans, rabbits also need variety in their diet. This is sufficiently taken care of by adding commercial pelleted diet that is balanced in the necessary nutrients (protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals). These diets contain alfalfa, grain (barley, wheat mill byproducts), protein supplements (soybean meal), vitamins, and mineral supplements.

The amount of feed to give a rabbit depends very much on the state of production. A lactating mother needs a lot of concentrate feed (grain, tubers) besides greens, to maintain her bodyweight and produce milk for her young. Young rabbits also need some concentrated feed for growing, as we have seen recently in a simple experiment. We had four groups of six animals each that were just weaned. One group received grass only (of doubtful quality) and all the rabbits died. The other three groups received supplements and none died.  If you feed meal it is better to moisten this a little bit, otherwise the rabbit will not eat it.

With a small operation, it may be economical to reduce the amount of pellets by feeding rabbits available greens. Greens and succulents include fresh legumes (alfalfa, clover), grasses, vegetables (lettuce, celery), roots and tubers (carrots, potatoes), weeds (dandelions), and comfrey. Clean table scraps that fit into these categories are also acceptable. If greens complement a pelleted diet, the amount of pellets can be reduced by 50% without lowering rabbit production. However, since fresh greens are about 80% to 90% water, it is difficult to raise rabbits solely on these materials because they are not nutrient-dense. Over-feeding of fresh greens may also cause indigestion.

Selecting your animals (breeding stock):

When you cannot buy animals from a reliable source and you have to buy from an unknown person or market there are some things to keep in mind. 

Health:

The animals have to be healthy. The main signs are a smooth skin, standing ears, clear eyes, quiet breathing, and no mange (scabies) forming crusts around the nose, eyes, at the edges of the ears or inside the ears as a dirty mass. Put them on the ground and let them jump to watch for irregular legs, inspect the anus to see whether it is dirty from diarrhea (should not be!) which is often the case in young rabbits. Check the stomach (abdomen) of the animal. It should feel soft but smooth; a spongy feeling may indicate some intestinal troubles Watch for sneezing rabbits. Dirty front legs and/or dirty nose may indicate a coughing disease (pasteurellose), because the animals wash their nose with their front legs. 

Gender:

The sexing of very young animals is not so easy. The older males have two big testes. If only one testis shows, do not use him for breeding even though he is fertile, because it is a hereditary defect. If you are still not sure, which is often the case with young rabbits, hold the rabbit on its back, put one finger on the tail side of the genital apparatus and one on the abdominal side. Press down gently and stretch the organ; if it is a doe, a long slit will appear. If it is a buck, a small curved penis will show (figure 2). Do not confuse two small glands about the size of a pinhead on either side of the sexual organ with the testes.

Buying rabbits, sexing and judging their quality can only be learned by making mistakes first and thereby gathering experience. However, it is by no means an impossible or difficult task.

Risks:

Buying at a market implies risks and no guarantee can be given. A market is gathering and meeting place for diseases and in general, farmers are unlikely to take their best animals to the market to sell there. The salesperson often does not keep rabbits himself so he is also a poor adviser, moreover he will not know anything of the history of the rabbit, or he will only pretend to know. For example if you buy a reasonable looking rabbit, who will tell you whether she is pregnant (if you cannot feel it yourself), whether she is infertile or should be bred, or whether she is actually still too young to be mated?

Mating:

Mating should be carried out during the cooler times of the day, early morning or late afternoon. Always bring the doe to the buck and not the other way round. If you put the buck in the hutch of the doe, she is liable to defend her territory and fighting can start. On the contrary, by bringing her to him she will smell the male and will not defend the territory. She may do some initial running around but will eventually accept the buck.

If she accepts the buck, she will sit down in his hutch and raise her rear end. Mating has taken place when the male falls aside or backwards after mounting the doe. Often he (and not she) utters a characteristic cry of pain or pleasure (difficult to make out which!). He may mount again immediately and mate again as before or he will run around, stamp his feet, and after some time do it again! If the doe is willing to be mated, effective mating takes place twice within the first 5-15 minutes. After a successful first mating, a second is not necessary. The second mating can even be used for another doe if the buck is very busy. If the buck does not have too busy a schedule there is of course nothing against a second time. If the mating was successful, put the doe back in her hutch. If the female starts to run or fight it is better to try it again after a few hours, the next morning or evening. Do not leave the doe with the buck overnight or for a few days. You will not know then whether mating actually took place, fighting might injure either the doe or the buck and stress will be the result. Instead, keep watching the mating without disturbing it.  If a buck shows no interest within the first few minutes, it is virtually no use leaving them together. In this case, also try again later.

What do you do if she does not accept the buck? In the first place, she might be pregnant (see pregnancy control). She will almost certainly refuse the buck then, and every time she is bothered, it will reduce the chances of a good litter. In the second place, there might be dislike between the buck and the doe. In this case, try another buck.

Sometimes it may help to hold the doe while she is in the buck’s hutch. One hand to hold her head and body from running away, the other hand under her body, raising her hind a little bit, thus initiating a posture, she should naturally or automatically take. Mating can be successful this way but probably not as good as spontaneous mating. If none of these suggestions works, you may want to use her for meat.

Management:

With rabbit keeping, many things need to be taken into account: expenses for stable building, feed prices, purchase price of animals, etc. However, let us not talk about bookkeeping although important! Most important from the management point of view is the registration of your animals: when they mate, when they kindle, who is their father or their mother, do they show disease, how fast do they grow, and so on and so on. In other words, keeping production records helps you know when to carry out crucial activities such as putting in the nest box, and to aid in choosing the best replacement stock. Ear tags or tattoos are necessary with large numbers of rabbits.

Sanitation is very important. When fur and dust accumulate on cages, they can be removed by using broom. Nest boxes should be cleaned and disinfected after use (one ounce of bleach to one gallon water is a good cleaning solution).

Processing:

Rabbits that receive good nutrition reach a market weight of four to five pounds live weight within 10 to 12 weeks and are marketed as fryers. It may take longer to reach market weight with poorer nutrition. Older rabbits (usually above six pounds) culled from the herd are less valuable due to tough meat and are marketed as stewers. Rabbit processing generally (butchering a rabbit) consists of stunning or killing the animal, hanging it to bleed, removing the head, removing feet and tails, removing skins, eviscerating, washing the carcass, chilling the carcass in a water tank or refrigerated room, aging the carcass under refrigeration, and packaging.

Some difficulties in keeping rabbits:

• Most important in a situation where one is the first to start with rabbits is that often people are reluctant to accept something new. Whereas in Europe, Kenya and the U.S. there is a well-established market for rabbit meat, in the tropics the market becomes more and more organized for chickens; there are few countries with a ready market for rabbit meat. This reduces potential money income, but it should be no problem where the intention is to raise rabbits as a family enterprise, mainly to provide meat for the family where the diet may be lacking in protein.

• Diseases are common and unlike chickens, specific rabbit medicines are not easily available. Moreover, veterinarians (even in Europe and the U.S.) do not usually have much experience in the diagnosis and treatment of rabbit diseases. Most animals get sick occasionally. Actually, a dead rabbit is less of a worry than a dead goat or cow.

• Keeping rabbits will certainly take up some of your time. In general, it is hard to say how much. It depends on the number of animals you keep, the housing system and the way you are able to obtain feed. For example, keeping 5 to 10 rabbits will take you about 1 to 2 hours a day for cleaning, managing and feeding.

Conclusion:

In many ways, rabbits are more suited for small-scale production than large-scale, industrial production. However, qualities that make rabbits less suitable for industrial production make them more suitable for small-scale production. They can eat forages, hay, garden waste and high-fiber milling by-products like wheat bran, and they can be an important part of a diversified farm.