Dec 11
20
A Quick Rabbit Production Guide
Although rabbit farming started very slowly, rabbit production is picking up pace all over the world. This is because rabbits are easy to keep as a livestock, they are cheap to produce, as compared to cattle and even poultry, and they are a well known source of meat protein. And although not all shops have started to keep rabbits in their meat section, it is becoming more popular and more readily available, as a lot of marketing is being done to promote rabbits as a meat protein.
There are many different breeds of rabbits, which are available to farm commercially, but two of the most popular rabbits remain the New Zealand and the Californian. These two breeds have a fast growth rate, and are ready for slaughter at 14 – 16 weeks. They are also popular, because of the lighter pink meat, and the more domesticated taste.
A kit or litter of rabbits is ready to be weaned from the mother at between 5 and 8 weeks old. The nest box should however be removed before this date, preferably between 2 and 3 weeks, to prevent health problems. Most kits will have jumped from the box by this age, without any prompting. Once they have left the nest box, they remain with the mother until weaning, when they are moved to their own cage. In the wild, rabbits will breed again within days of the first kit being born. This means that the kit would be weaned and removed from the burrow by 4 weeks of age. Many rabbit producers are following this “wild” connection, and allowing the doe to mate again immediately, as this heightens production. The danger lies in this however, as these does are spent too quickly, and their productive years are shortened. It is advisable to give the doe a rest period in-between kits, to ensure a healthy start and litter the next time round.
Weaning can be done in two stages. Firstly, the all the kits, but one are removed from the mother’s cage. They can continue to share a cage until they are nine weeks old, where after they can each be moved to their individual cages. The last kit (preferably the smallest) stays with the mother to continue suckling for another day or two. This helps the doe to transition her milk production without becoming engorged with the unused milk, and developing mastitis. Then the kit can be moved back to the siblings.
Feeding:
The adage goes: They are what they eat. This holds very true in rabbits as well. Once the doe’s milk is no longer available to the kits, they should already have learned to eat of the supply of food available to the doe. Most of the intake of the rabbits is hay, which is made into a commercially available pellet, along with other vital nutrients. A variety of grasses are used in the making of the pellets, to ensure a varied diet. Do not however change the diet rapidly, as this can be detrimental to the health of the rabbits. New feeds need to be introduced slowly over a period of a few days.
Although fresh grasses and greens are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the rabbits, care should be taken to not overfeed on these, as this can lead to diarrhoea, and this is detrimental to their health. It is advisable to always check the consistency and the color of their fecal pellets, in order to monitor their health.
With good planning, your rabbit production will run smoothly and profitably.
