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Successful Rabbit Raising Tricks and Ideas
Each family or individual considering raising rabbits does so for different reasons, but no backyard meat rabbit breeder should start rabbits raising with the idea of getting rich quickly. However, rabbits raising is a very rewarding business if practiced correctly. If you are unsure of what type of meat you want to raise, rabbits have one distinct advantage over chickens; they can be raised in confinement, in small rabbits hutches, whereas chickens need much more space. Rabbits raising can be fun, easy, cheap, and profitable if it's done correctly.
Rabbits raising is much cheaper, more efficient, and more productive than raising chickens. The does take care of the young themselves, so no hand-raising or special equipment such as an incubator or brooder is needed. Rabbits can even be raised in garage or living room if they are kept on concrete or linoleum floors.
A backyard meat rabbit operation can be a great idea for someone interested in raising healthful drug-free meat. Rabbit meat is pearly white, fine-grained, palatable, and nutritious. It is extremely low in cholesterol and has an exceptionally high percentage of digestible protein which is one reason why it has been recommended for years by some physicians to their patients with coronary heart conditions. Rabbits raising can provide you with this high quality meat.
Providing good feed is an integral part of rabbits raising. Successfully raising rabbits is impossible if you do not give enough attention to diets and provide wholesome feeds in adequate quantity each day. Rabbits can consume many different types of feedstuff, but the best way is to feed commercial pellets and good quality timothy or alfalfa hay. Feeding should be done at the same time each day. Feeding time gives the rabbit raiser an excellent opportunity to perform a visual health inspection of the individual members of the herd each day.
Rabbits eat more at night than during the day, especially during warm weather. Rabbits can live on a diet of inedible greens such as carrot tops, alfalfa, leftover salad lettuce, and vegetable roots. However, if they are used for breeding they must be given a high protein commercial feed. This is why feed is one of the biggest items of expense in raising rabbits.
Rabbits that have access to good- quality hay and are regularly receiving some fresh green feed or root crops are less likely to gnaw on their hutches. Rabbits fed insufficient bulk have soft droppings that mash on the hutch floor and cause increased labor in keeping the hutch clean. Providing clean wire cages, feed, and water at all times goes a long way to prevent disease.
Rabbits in high production need the energy provided by the 18% protein feed. If high production is not a goal, they can be fed kitchen scraps and forage food. Rabbits produce high quality manure. In these days of greater environmental awareness, one of the first considerations when setting up a rabbits raising project should be finding a use for the manure, whether added to your garden or sold.
No rabbit younger than six months of age should be used for breeding. If a doe is in good condition and comes from a line accustomed to frequent production breeding, she may be re-bred when the litter is four to five weeks of age. Each breeding buck and doe should have its own cage. The buck and doe should be monitored during breeding so that they can be quickly separated if a fight begins.
The main breeds of meat rabbits have all descended from the wild European rabbit. New Zealand and Californian rabbits are the most common breeds when raising meat rabbits. They can weigh up to 13 pounds at full maturity, but are usually slaughtered as fryers at about 8 weeks of age in the 4 to 5 pound range.
Californians are another good meat breed. This breed is a little smaller than the New Zealand, weighing up to 10 pounds at maturity. Breeders will often cross breed the New Zealand and Californian because they produce vigorous offspring. Rabbits raising is a wonderful hobby and can be enjoyed by just about everyone.
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