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Some of the rabbits at Sunguraville farm in Mua, Machakos county. Collins Kweyu, Standard
Rabbit farming is a growing business venture that is becoming popular due to increased demands of rabbit meat. The business is even more affordable to start as you will require very little investment. The rabbits and pigs give higher returns.
Rabbits are mainly kept due to their tasty and nutritious meat they produce, their maturity is quite fast and they are ready for slaughter within four months underpinning their role as a great source of income for farmers.
Here are some key factors you need to consider for a successful rabbit farming business.
Breeding
According to roysfarm.com choosing a suitable breed is very important. The site recommends that the best breeds for commercial rabbit farming are California White, Flemish Giant and New Zealand White. You need to choose your breed according to the desired production. You should note that they can give birth to about two to ten young ones depending on different breeds. A farmer should be keen during this process.
They mature very fast. A rabbit is suitable for breeding at the age of six months. This can lead to inbreeding hence the male and females should be separated.
Housing
Ensure that the house is neat and clean with good ventilation. While constructing a house for the rabbits ensure there are several cages as the female and males need to be separated.
This is because rabbits reproduce at a fast rate and this will help you control their reproduction rate.
The rabbit house should be a place where the rabbits can eat, sleep, hide, hop, run, play, jump and dig. To ensure you provide them with adequate space, make sure the cage is 12 square feet with an additional larger area 32 square feet for exercise.
For proper ventilation, cover the walls, doors, roofs with chicken wire nets or bamboo wood places 20mm apart.
Feeding
Nutritious and balanced diet food is needed to boost their health and productivity rate. Feeding cost for commercial rabbit farming is low as you can feed them supplementary feeds together with kitchen waste materials, grasses and plant leaves. They should be provided with a sufficient amount of clean and fresh water with proper nutritious rabbit feed.
Management
Vaccinate them timely to keep them free from diseases that can cause death. Avoid feeding them polluted and expired foods. Monitoring their activities can help you identify the signs and symptoms of diseases. This will help you escape losses that can be incurred after.
Rabbit meat is highly consumed in China and farmers should find a way to export their produce to foreign countries.
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The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization
with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations,
television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group
is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in
matters of national and international interest.
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