Rabbit Farming
As a General rule Rabbit Farming take two directions 1) Raising rabbits for meat 2) Raising Rabbits for fur Commercial Rabbit farming is opening up new Sources of Meat Production Across the World. Stating 1.5 Billion Tons of Rabbit Meat in 2017. Advantages are 1) Rabbits are an excellent source of lean meat 2) Worldwide demand is rising every year 3) rabbits are docile creatures 4) lower space requirements than most livestock 4) Excellent source of fur.
Commercial Rabbit farming is opening up new Sources of Meat Production Across the World. Stating 1.5 Billion Tons of Rabbit Meat in 2017. The Advantages are Many and here is a Small List Below
- Small Amount of Capital to Begin 75% of all Cost is Feed
- Rabbits can produce an Average 7 Kits each Month – They can have up to 14 per litter
- 84 rabbits per Year equal 3 Lbs per Rabbit – See Table Below
- Small Space Requirements
- Labor Requirements are Reasonable
- Forecast of Markets 6 – 12 % per Year
Rabbit Meat Profitability Table
| Rabbits | Rabbits Born | Lbs Meat / Year | Average Price / LB | Total Revenue Possible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 84 | 252 | $ 8.00 | $ 2016 |
| 2 | 168 | 504 | $ 8.00 | $ 4032 |
| 5 | 420 | 1260 | $ 8.00 | $ 10,080 |
| 10 | 840 | 2520 | $ 8.00 | $ 20,162 |
| 20 | 1680 | 5040 | $ 8.00 | $ 40,320 |
| 30 | 2520 | 7560 | $ 8.00 | $ 60,480 |
| 40 | 3360 | 10,080 | $ 8.00 | $ 80,640 |
| 50 | 4200 | 12,600 | $ 8.00 | $ 100,800 |
| 100 | 8400 | 25,200 | $ 8.00 | $ 201.600 |
| 200 | 16,800 | 50,400 | $ 8.00 | $ 403,200 |
Rabbit Farming – I have Quickly Built a Profit profitability Table on Rabbit farming – Please Check My Numbers Formula is this
#Rabbits x Average 7 Per Litter x 12 Litters Per Year x Average 3lbs Dressed Rabbit x average $ 8.00 Price per Lb gives you Yearly Possibility. This is not figuring in any expenses, feed, capital, utilities, vet bill, etc – Just General Possibilities
Check Out Amazon for Resources about Breeding Rabbits
You can also Read our Guide –18 Ways to Make Money by Rabbit Farming—Extensive Guidelines for Rabbit Farmers
Rabbit Farming Advantages and Disadvantages
In looking Closely at Rabbit Farming we can examine the advantages that we can find in Comercial Rabbit farming – Here are 16 The Advantages are the Following
- Current World Market Demand is Rising Each Year
- Rabbits are Prolific Breeders / Possible 84 Young per year
- Rabbits are Docile Animals
- Excellent Source of Meat – Average Dressed Rabbit is 3+ lbs
- Excellent Source of Fur
- Excellent Source of Manure / Compost
- Rabbits can Live 7-10 Years
- Can be Trained
- Make Excellent Pets
- Rabbits Purr When Petted
- Rabbits can be Indoor Pets
- can be started as a Small Business even in Backyard
- Start rabbit Farm with Small Investment
- Rabbits are very Quiet
- rabbits do not Require Much care
- Rabbits can be fed assorted Vegetables/Grass/Hay
Now let’s Look at 9 Disadvantages of Rabbit Farming
- They Can Bite/Scratch
- Rabbit Diseases hard to Diagnose
- Must Be Protected from Predators
- Shed a lot of Hair
- Have an Odor
- Can be Aggressive when Breeding / Territorial
- Need to Protect them from Extreme Temperature
- Not Popular in some Markets / Grocery Stores etc
- Quality Standards – many are Raised on Small Farms
Rabbit Meat Advantages and Disadvantages
As Children, We raised Rabbits in Our Outside Barn. We lived in Ohio so weather was not Extreme – Snowed in the Winters – We ate Rabbit Meat all Year Long. We loved it. My mother fed it to anyone who was visiting with us. No One knew it was Rabbit unless we told them. Here are 11 Advantages of Rabbit meat
- Rabbits do not Have Strong Game Taste
- Fast Producers One Rabbit can Produce 252 lbs of Meat Per Year
- 4 rabbits can produce as much Meat as a Steer per Year
- Rabbit Meat is very Lean / White Meat
- Rabbit has Low-Calorie Content
- Very low in saturated Fat
- Higher than Many other Types of meat
- Considered one of the Healthy Meats you can eat
- Considered a Specialty Meat in the United States
- It was also Considered a WarTime food
- Domesticated Rabbit has a Larger Amount of Vitamins and Minerals
Here is a List of 18 Disadvantages of Rabbit Meat
- Not Accepted as a Stable Meat Yet – Like Beef / Pork / Chicken
- Very Hard to Locate a Supplier of rabbit meat
- People see Rabbits as Pets not Food / Hard to Overcome Thought of Eating a Pet
- Rabbit Meat is More Expensive Can Cost $ 8.00 – $9.00 per Lb
- Vets do not as often Specialize in Rabbit care
Is Rabbit Meat Healthier than Chicken
In comparing Rabbit Meat to Chicken. As a kid, my mom would Switch the two to see if we could tell. As kids, we could not Tell the Difference – They Both Tasted Delicious. Rabbit is lower in Calories than Chicken Rabbit has less fat than Chicken. See Table Below for a Nutritional Comparison
Rabbit Meat Compared to Chicken Meat
| Type of Meat | Chicken | Rabbit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 172 | 114 |
| Fat | 9.25 g | 2.32 g |
| Protein | 20.85 g | 21.79 g |
| Water | 69.46 g | 74.51 g |
| Protein Energy Content | 50% | 81% |
| Fat Energy Content | 50% | 19% |
| Vitamin B-1 | .063 mg | .03 mg |
| Vitamin B-2 | .085 mg | .06 mg |
| Vitamin B-3 | 9.908 mg | 6.5 mg |
| Calcium | 11 mg | 12 mg |
| Iron | .74 mg | 3.2 mg |
| Magnesium | 25 mg | 29 mg |
| Sodium | 63 mg | 50 mg |
| Cholesterol | 64 mg | 81 mg |
Dangers of Eating Rabbit Meat
We could only Fine one Danger for Eating Rabbit. It is Generally very Healthy for you. If Rabbit meat was all that you ate you could develop Protein Toxicity also Called Rabbit Starvation / Caribou Starvation.
This Comes from only eating only Rabbit meat for your Complete – for total nutrition does not have enough Vitamins and Minerals to make it your only Food Source. Too much can cause and a Buildup of Ammonia in the Blood.
Can you get Sick from Eating Wild Rabbit
The Dangers of Getting Sick is if you Eat Rabbits that are Infected with a Disease. Some of those Diseases are
- Rabbit Fever also called Tularemia
- It is Safest to Eat rabbits in the Colder Months – Because of Tularemia
- Tularemia can be passed through the blood, so contact in an open wound or scratch from an infected Rabbit it can be transmitted
- In the Wild an Infective Rabbit Usually Dies within a few months of being infected – usually from the bite of a Flea or Tick.
Can you get Sick eating Domestic Rabbit
Yes, If Rabbit Meat is Not Cooked Properly. Rabbit can carry many diseases that can make people sick. Rabbit Fever, Parasites that might be in the Meat. But again unless you are eating Raw Rabbit Meat – Consumption is very Safe
Why is Rabbit Meat bad for you
It Is not unless that is your whole diet. You would get Protein Toxicity – also called Rabbit Starvation and Caribou Starvation – referring to hunters that their whole diet would be only meat. So that you can eat the number of calories you need, but greatly lacking in all the other Nutrients.
Or Unless you don’t cook it
Eating Wild Rabbit with Myxomatosis
You can spot Myxomatosis in Rabbits by the Rabbit Having Lesion, or White Spots on Its Liver. When taken to a Vet they Usually put the Bunny to sleep.
Rabbit Symptons Include some of the Following
- Swelling
- Fever
- Swelling of Eyes – Facial area
- Nasal Discharge
- Eyelids crusted Close
Myxomatosis is not Passable to Humans. But it is always advisable to check Meat before you consume it. Food always needs to be cooked at 165 Degrees or above to kill anything Living in the meat.
Who Eats and Buys Rabbit Meat
The Last Rabbit Meat Consumption Usage Worldwide was in 2017 – The Dollar amount of that was $ 6.4 Billion in US dollars ( 1.5 Million Tons Of Rabbit Meat) the Article also stated that it was an 12% increase over the previous year. Forecast is that the market will continue to grow to 1.8 Million Tons by 2025. That will give you something to project with’
- China – 925,000 Tons
- Korea – 154,000 Tons
- Egypt – 57,000 Tons
Each Year about 1.2 Billion Rabbits are raised fro Meat Production Markets.
Following Research This will give you data as far as country Consumption it is Old Numbers 2012 but at least allows you to Prioritize which Countries Eat the Most Rabbit
| Country 2012 by Rabbit Meat Production | Tons / Year |
|---|---|
| North America | 887,481 |
| Central America | 339,334 |
| South America | 327,849 |
| North Africa | 89,012 |
| Western Europe | 64,338 |
| Eastern Europe | 5,573 |
| Central Asia | 4,360 |
| West Asia | 1,138 |
| East Asia | 318 |
Rabbit Farming Diseases
- Pasteurella multocida also is known as Snuffles
- Bordetella bronchiseptica – Respiratory Disease
- Staphylococcus aureus – Sore Feet
- Moraxella catarrhalis – Eye Infections
- Pnuemonia
- Coccidiosis
- More Rabbit Diseases – Purina
- Total List of Rabbit Diseases – PetMed
