The importance of the
domestic rabbit as a supplier of meat for human consumption is widely recognized
throughout the world. In Nigeria the large scale commercial rabbit farming has
been practiced for many years and standards of husbandry raised. There are also
successful rabbit farms in the tropics and sub-tropics. The size of these
varies from the large commercial rabbitries to small backyard rabbitries. Apart
from being a good source of meat, rabbits provide useful skins, manure and,
with some breeds wool.
Advantages
of Rabbits Production
1. Capital
requirement is minimal. With some scrap wood or bamboo, net wire - a hutch can
be constructed.
2. Spacing
is minimal. It can be set up in backyard. A rabbit is a convenient ‘one meal size’, thus
avoiding the need for storage.
3. Rabbit
keeping is not restricted by any taboos or particular beliefs that prevent the
eating of rabbit meat or its promotion as food.
4. Feeding
rabbits is very cheap. Grain is sometimes necessary and definitely will
increase growth rate, but grass, kitchen peels, garden leaves, etc. can provide
the main feed at almost no cost.
5. Rabbits
can be tended by women, children or men - unlike bigger animals for it needs no
force to be restrained.
6. Because
they produce offspring regularly (gestation period of 28 – 32 days), they form
a regular source of income instead of a large amount at once.
7. A
rabbit is a prolific animal. It matures for table between 5 to 6 months, and
will breed in 5 to 7 Meat from rabbit is an all white meat product that is high
in protein and low in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Rabbit meat has been
recommended for years by some physicians to their patients with coronary heart
conditions.
8. It
is not a smelly or noisy animal and can easily be kept near to school buildings
or people’s houses.
9. It
produces rich manure for gardening or flower beds. Will not burn plants as does
chicken manure.
10. Rabbits are
easily transported and actually enjoy an outing from time to time.
Disadvantages
of Rabbit Production
There are very few disadvantages of
rabbit keeping.
1. The small size of rabbits means that they are more easily stolen or attacked by predators. They need to be protected from these by fences and other barriers.
1. The small size of rabbits means that they are more easily stolen or attacked by predators. They need to be protected from these by fences and other barriers.
2. Labour
Large numbers of rabbits require a lot of labour, particularly if they are kept
in individual hutches. Each hutch has to be cleaned out daily. Each rabbit
needs to be fed and watered two times daily.
3. Climate
Rabbits need protection against extremes of climate.
4. Vets don’t
usually know a lot about rabbits, so if a problem does arise, you may be on
your own.