Raising rabbits at home for beginners
For the normal functioning of the body, a person needs protein. The most common way to get it is by breeding rabbits for dietary meat.
Raising rabbits at home
Growing decorative rabbits at home for beginners can be an excellent option for developing your own business. All that is needed for this is a show of initiative and start-up capital. Raising rabbits at home is becoming more and more popular every day.
To grow pets in the country or at home without loss, you need to thoroughly prepare for this business and know all the secrets of production. For novice farmers, it is possible to raise rabbits correctly only if a competent and approximate business plan is drawn up for the development of this project. You also need to love animals and treat them with attention and care.
Business
Despite the fact that rabbit meat is in little demand, it is quite possible to build a business on this business. This method is not new, but there are not as many competitors in the market as among cattle breeders. This is the main distinguishing feature: rabbit breeders will always find consumers for their product.
Growing decorative rabbits at home should be carried out in accordance with all the necessary requirements.
At the initial stage, certain cash investments will be required, therefore, before grabbing this idea, you need to carefully calculate whether you have enough funds not only to purchase, but also to further maintain the rabbits, because you will not be able to get profit immediately.
Raising rabbits as a business
In addition to basic costs, which include food and maintenance, there may be unplanned costs, such as equipment repairs or veterinarian services. Young animals need constant monitoring. All the costs incurred will ultimately pay for themselves in full and bring income, because there will not be as many competitors in the meat market as other sellers.
Benefit
This business is quite profitable, which is primarily due to the fact that rabbit meat is not yet so widespread, you cannot find it on the counter next to pork or beef. It is not publicly available and is often purchased directly from breeders.
Despite the small popularity of rabbit meat, it is considered very healthy and dietary. There will always be buyers for the product because this type of meat is not only perfectly absorbed by the body, but is also an excellent substitute for the usual pork or beef. Nowadays "proper nutrition" is very popular, and not only among those who go on a diet, therefore rabbit meat is very popular among the adherents of the PP.
In addition to this, a huge number of various recipes are known, which are based on rabbit meat, which cannot be replaced, since the dish will instantly lose its special taste. In some cases, when manufacturers do not want to sell themselves, it is possible to conclude contracts for the supply of goods either to points of sale, or to a cafe or restaurant, whose menu contains dishes from rabbit. This option may be more profitable than direct selling.
Pros and cons of growing
The advantages of doing business on rabbits include the following:
- low competition among sellers;
- constant and increasing demand for products;
- the possibility of self-setting prices;
- return on investment.
The disadvantages of rabbit breeding include high costs at the initial stage. In addition, it is necessary to independently find consumers and adapt to the market pricing policy.
If you plan to keep pets and breed them only for yourself and your loved ones, you can start with several paired individuals and see how things go. With positive dynamics, you can buy several females and males.
Breeding rabbits at a professional level
In our country, the rabbit breeding industry is not paid enough attention, therefore, it is not considered developed. Often, rabbits are kept by those who live in their own houses outside the city. The number of eared heads in this case rarely exceeds 50. Farmers raise rabbits mainly for themselves, and not for mass sale. There are times when the investment does not pay off at all, but this does not mean that rabbit farming is an unprofitable business.
The main reason for the failure is that the breeders were simply not sufficiently aware of the correct conduct of rabbit breeding, because with proper care, rabbits can even be kept in their own apartment.
The best option for breeding is a mini-farm. This is very effective for expanding the business and also convenient for the breeder himself. A mini-farm is mainly made on the site, for this they build special houses, equip them with cages and everything necessary for keeping pets.
Purchase of rabbits
All rabbit breeders started their business from scratch, only a few acquired a ready-made established structure for breeding and marketing. How to grow decorative rabbits from scratch correctly? The very first point in building your own business is buying rabbits, so already at this stage you need to determine for yourself what direction rabbit breeding will have: selling meat or skins. In the first case, it is necessary to choose breeds that grow and develop quickly.
Purchase of rabbits
If the purchase of rabbits is for the further sale of skins, the focus should be on the color and density of the coat: these can be Thuringian or Fire-red rabbits, as well as Alaska rabbits.
To start breeding a rabbit tribe from something without loss, you need to familiarize yourself with the description of all breeds, read reviews, see photos and videos. Only in this case can you choose a suitable breed of rabbits.
Popular breeds
These can be Chinchilla, Giant or Silvery rabbits. The choice of these breeds is due to the fact that by 2 months the weight of these representatives can reach 2 kg. On the territory of Europe, the varieties of Giant rabbits are widespread, but at the same time in our country it will not be so easy to acquire them, therefore the cost of the finished product (rabbit skin) will be quite high. It is impractical to focus only on the production of skins, since the result will still be a skinned rabbit carcass.
Plus, the rabbits, whose skins will be sold in the future, require much more care (starting with individual cells so that the eared ones do not damage their fur in possible fights), i.e. additional costs.Yes, and these breeds grow much more slowly, respectively, and gain weight too. Based on this, we can say with confidence that such breeds as the Gray Giant, the Silver Rabbit, the Chinchilla or the Flanders absolutely pay off. In addition to the fact that these rabbits grow very quickly and gain weight, they reproduce just as quickly.
In addition, the quality of the fur remains at a decent level. It will be up to the farmer to decide which breed to buy. It is considered ideal to acquire not young rabbits, but adults. Best of all - 2 females and 1 male. On average, a female can give birth to up to 7 rabbits at a time. This process can be repeated up to 6 times per year. Accordingly, the increase in rabbits will be greater if you purchase a pair of females. This will be a great start.
How to choose rabbits
First of all, it is better to acquire pets at special breeding plants. If you buy rabbits from your hands, some unscrupulous sellers are able to sell the wrong breed. Females are valued higher, so their price will differ from that of males. Depending on how many individuals are planned to be purchased, the seller can make a discount for the wholesale.
Rabbit selection
Before buying, it is very important to inspect all the rabbits and discard those that remain under suspicion. If your pet is lethargic, drowsy, too thin or fat, this may be a sign of body problems or poor housing conditions. Individuals should be of medium build: such a female is better able to tolerate cubs. The breeder must be chosen by recommendation, you can also study the reviews. If this is a large farm for the sale of rabbits, breeders should not hide information about who the parents of the rabbits were, at what age the female gave birth to the cubs.
Choosing a place for breeding rabbits
At home, it is right to start your business by determining a place for breeding and raising pets. The best option is considered to be a quiet and peaceful place away from the city. For a small farm, an area of 5 acres may well be enough, but for a larger-scale breeding, a much larger area is required. It is best that the site be with a margin, because the rabbits grow pretty quickly. It is also necessary to allocate an area for a warehouse where food will be stored, and a corral for walking. It is much easier in this regard to be the owner of your own home.
Rabbits can be bred in a previously built barn. The main thing is that the room is warm, windproof and suitable for its inhabitants. If, while on the site or in a private house in the basement, rabbits are kept without a place or cage, this problem needs to be solved. You can consider the areas where, in addition to breeding rabbits, it is possible to engage in the cultivation of feed for them: oats, clover, alfalfa. This will help save money on rabbit feed.
Rabbit breeding methods
- in a cage;
- in the pit.
Each of the ways of keeping rabbits has its own characteristics. If you are going to breed rabbits in cages, you should take into account that you will have to clean them daily, as well as spend enough time pouring into each food and pouring it into the water. With a pit, the hassle will be much less. Cleaning takes place here once a week, and feed and water are served in one large common trough. Cleaning the rabbits takes a long time, so cleaning once a week with a shovel makes it much easier than cleaning the cage every day.
It should also be borne in mind that rabbits reproduce quickly, so here the content in the pits wins again. In the pit, it is easier to find out whether the female is empty or not. In the cage, the reproduction process in a female often does not exceed 4 times a year, in a hole this figure can double. Also, in the pit, the feed is not wasted, because it is in a common feeder, to which any rabbit can come. This fact significantly saves the breeder's finances.
It is believed that the large space gives rabbits freedom of movement, which means that they will gain less weight than if they were in a cage. This is mistake. In rabbits in the process of movement, the metabolism works much more efficiently, so they can not only have more than 20 grams of cell pets, but also the quality of meat will be much better.
Another undoubted advantage of keeping rabbits in a pit is that it has a large capacity. One pit can hold up to 200 individuals, but it is better not to let this number go beyond 100. Here again we can talk about saving not only labor time, but also financial resources. Rabbits in the pit are much more difficult to steal, because when the slightest danger appears, they hide in their dug holes.
Keeping eared in pits is more economical and efficient than in cages, but the decision remains with the breeder.
Purchasing rabbit feed
In order for decorative rabbits to be raised to all standards and the pets to be healthy and active, the animals should be properly fed. In order for the weight of rabbits to grow steadily, and they develop and reproduce properly, it is necessary to monitor their diet, which should be saturated with minerals and vitamins. The best feed for rabbits is considered to be compound feed, but, despite this, the diet should not be limited only to them.
Rabbits also need to eat vegetables and fruits, hay and grains, and in winter their food should be enriched with special supplements based on essential minerals. In winter, many pets have vitamin deficiency, so you need to give additional vitamins. For each pet, a certain food is sold, taking into account all the characteristics of the animal. For pregnant and lactating females, food should be more fortified and nutritious, therefore it is not necessary to feed all individuals with one type of food.
Rabbit food
For small rabbits, whose digestive system is just being adjusted, a special compound feed start has been developed. You need to learn the basics of a balanced and varied diet and adhere to such a diet for your pets. Growing decorative rabbits at home from scratch will be profitable if you take this activity responsibly and keep your pets correctly.
Approximate business plan
The business plan must be drawn up taking into account the prices in the region and the number of individuals. Perhaps the biggest part in terms of costs will be rent, which can reach 80 thousand rubles. in year. Those who have their own land will only have to pay land tax. Individual entrepreneurs will need to pay taxes monthly.
Next, you need to purchase cells, which will cost about 20 thousand rubles. (capacity will be about 20 rabbits). 1 cell will not be enough, i.e. the cost will increase depending on the number of cells. Breeding rabbits in pits will be significantly cheaper. The costs will be limited only by the materials necessary for arranging the pit.
Another item of expenses is the purchase of the animals themselves. The approximate cost of one individual varies from 500 rubles and more (for example, the Giant). This cost is multiplied by the required number of individuals: 500 * 60 = 30 thousand rubles. The cost of feed is also included in the cost estimate. As a rule, it takes up to 4 months to feed a rabbit, during which time rabbits can eat about 15 kg of feed. Taking into account that 1 kilogram costs about 12 rubles, the total costs are approximately 30 thousand rubles.
Let's summarize the costs incurred. According to rough estimates, the required capital for breeding rabbits can reach 170 and more thousand rubles.
Farm profitability
Let's start calculating the approximate income. From one female, up to 48 young rabbits can be expected. If each baby rabbit lives up to 4 months, it will weigh about 3 kg, i.e. you can get up to 114 kg of meat only from the offspring of one female.The average cost of rabbit meat ranges from 200 to 350 rubles. for 1 kg, by simple calculations we calculate the revenue, which is about 40 thousand rubles.
This also includes the cost of the processed skins, which are sold for sale. And this is a plus to the proceeds of another 10 thousand rubles. But more than one rabbit will be purchased. With large-scale rabbit breeding, the number of females can reach 40, that is, the total revenue can be about 2 million rubles. per year of breeding.
This business plan does not include the additional costs associated with veterinarian services and licenses, and does not take into account the possible reduction in offspring. These factors can account for up to 30% of the money. But even despite this figure, the final profit significantly exceeds the initial investment.
As already mentioned, breeding rabbits is a rather laborious business, but at the same time it is very profitable. Don't just cling to numbers. It should be borne in mind that this is not only money, but also time. The rabbit business, like any other, requires attention and concentration. If you nevertheless decide to do it, first of all, carefully calculate your financial capabilities, consult with experts, and then boldly start breeding rabbits.