While on leave few years ago, Japheth Atundo heard of a known agri-investor buying hundreds of rabbits at Bukura Market at an attractive offer. He got interested but just to pass time.
He visited the market and contracted ten boys to bring the man the rabbits, which he bought at Sh500 each. That was in 2012.
“On that day, one boy brought 20 rabbits and pocked Sh10,000 and another brought 10 getting Sh5,000. I realised there must be something special about rabbits for that man to buy so many of them,” he told Smart Harvest.
Again, the investor wanted more rabbits but no one could deliver. Atundo moved from homestead to homestead but it was like there were no more rabbits in Matioli village, Kakamega county.
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Potential in rabbits
From that shortage, Atundo, who was employed as an engineer then, saw the potential in rabbits. When he went back to his workplace in Uganda, he started researching on commercial rabbit keeping.
“l learned that rabbits have nutritious meat and if one gets a secure market, they can make good money. I also learnt that they are fast breeders which means quick money for the breeder.”
In 2016, his work permit expired and he returned to Nairobi with plans to venture into rabbit farming. To begin with, he approached his landlord to let him keep rabbits in the backyard. That is how Rabbit Empire Ltd started.
To stock up, he also attended Nairobi International Trade Fair where he bought 10 does and 2 bucks from exhibitors.
He was also trained on hutch construction, disease control, breeding, vaccination and proper care of rabbits. Within no time, all the does matured and gave birth after six months.
In total he got 80 young rabbits and taking care of them was challenging.
“The most critical time for rabbits is after birth. That time, they need tender care including keeping them warm and well breastfed. I used to change the sawdust flooring daily to ensure they are warm and dry,” he explains.
Rabbits, he says, are prone to pneumonia and thus must always be kept warm. They are also peculiar and sensitive animals. At some point, some of the does were not taking up their maternal responsibility well, which lead to death of five young rabbits. They were rejecting them.
“To avoid such rejection, as you handle the bunnies, make sure you do not have strong scents that may rub onto them making the mother resent them. The young rabbits should always have the natural mother’s smell.”
When they finally matured, he sold each at Sh900, pocketing a tidy sum.
Within no time, the rabbit numbers grew and the backyard of the rental house could not accommodate them forcing him to move the project to his rural home in Bukura, in Kakamega county, where there is more space. He also has another bigger farm in Ruai, along Nairobi-Kangundo where he resides and keeps more than 2,000 rabbits.
Atundo frequents his Bukura home to check on his rabbit farm.
“But since coronavirus hit, I have not managed to go there so I work closely with my farm hands and talk to them daily to give them instructions,” he explains.
For those interested, he has several pieces of advice.
He says rabbit feeds like pellets and hay, are readily available. Rabbits also need plenty of water.
“I feed them on dry feeds such as hay and pellets so that they get thirsty and drink a lot of water to hasten their growth rate and achieve market weight in record time,” he advises.
Atundo says coccidiosis is the main disease that affect rabbits. Others are pneumonia, pasteurellosis, conjunctivitis and ear canker.
The best breeds for meat include New Zealand white, California white, Flemish Giants, Dutch Chinchilla and Chequered Rex. Angora and Palomino are best kept as pets.
Rabbit’s gestation period is less than 31 days and the does can give birth after every two months,
Rabbit business is also very rewarding and sustainable.
“This is now my full time job. I pay my bills with the money I make from rabbits,” he says.
