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.
James Kibuku proprietor Kibuku Rabbit Farm in Nakuru.
Years ago James Kibuku decided to try his hands on chicken farming with hopes that he could make more returns from it. But after several months, he realised that he was only running into losses trying to maintain the few ‘kienyeji’ chicken he had.
“From my experience, I found the venture not manageable. They would feed heavily and at the end of the day I was left counting empty bags of feeds with no returns,” says Kibuku.
It is this frustration that compelled Kibuku to change direction and venture into something else; rabbit farming.
Rabbit farming is a lucrative and growing business venture that is becoming popular due to increased demands of rabbit meat.
There are many breeds of rabbits reared for various reasons, like the skin, urine, research purposes or as a pet.
“The idea of keeping rabbits struck me in 2015, but it was not until November 2018 that I practically decided to start doing it. I went ahead and bought five indigenous bunnies from someone I met along the streets hawking rabbits at Sh1,000. By that time I had started a small farm in Donduri, Nyandarua County, where the worker I had employed to look after the farm would take care of them,” Kibuku explains.
As time went by, Kibuku decided to add some mature breeders and within a short duration he had 80 rabbits.
“I realised that my farm worker was not taking care of my rabbits well. I decided to embark on another rabbit keeping project where I reside with my family in Nakuru so that I would manage them well,” he says.
Kibuku looked for high breed rabbits and bought his first Dutch Doe rabbit and a Flemish Giant rabbit.
“The journey started well and progressed smoothly. Kibuku Rabbit Farm is located in Nakuru on the Nyahururu road, which is about 10 minutes' drive from the Central Business District. We don’t maintain a constant number of rabbits since I sell them now and then, but currently we have approximately 300 rabbits at the farm."
Apart from the Dutch Doe and Flemish Giant breeds, Kibuku also has other varieties of rabbits, such as New Zealand, California, Checkered Giant, Angola, Chinchila and the Earlop.
“Each rabbit is unique and has its own advantages. Compared to kienyeji chicken, I find rabbits easy to maintain, with minimal cost. It is one creature which you can keep even if you don’t have a single coin in your pocket, since you can feed them with weeds from the garden,” says Kibuku.
“In addition to that, rabbits are friendly and quiet animals. You can have a thousand rabbits and even your next door neighbour won’t know you are keeping them.”
Withered greens
Kibuku says he feeds his rabbits on withered greens from his farm, kale and plenty of hay, which is kept in their cages throughout the day and night. He also ensures they have clean drinking water. By doing this, one ensures that bloating does not occur in the rabbits, which is usually a challenge.
“However, the bunnies are normally fed on pellets hay and water until they are three months old, then we gradually start introducing withered greens.”
He also has to constantly check the weight of the rabbits, and act in case of weight loss, which is always an indication that something is wrong.
Kibuku says he not only keeps the rabbits for meat but mainly for commercial purposes. He also sells rabbit urine, which is used in organic crop production, both as fertiliser and pesticide.
“This not only helps to reduce the high cost of organic farming, but also increases the quantity and quality of the crop produced. Rabbit urine is cheaply sourced and is also environmental friendly and non-toxic,” explains Kibuku.
Value addition
If you rear rabbits, you can also try to add the urine as a source of income.
Prices of rabbits at Kibuku Rabbit Farm vary with age.
According to Kibuku, anyone who visits his farm with the intention of purchasing rabbits is normally advised to first construct cages.
“I normally advise upcoming rabbit farmers to construct cages that are easy to clean and well ventilated so as to keep the rabbits healthy. One thing that makes the rabbits uncomfortable is the smell of urine, which is normally eradicated by proper cleaning,” he explains.
Rabbits mature at the age of six months for the doe and eight months and above for the buck.
Kibuku hopes to keep more rabbits at his farm and empower the community.
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.
Kenyan agricultural traders eye market opportunities through CIIE
Ditching maize for bananas
Role of water in animal health and productivity
In Kenya, livestock farming stands as a testament to tradition and resilience
Causes and solutions of pecking in flock of birds
Vihiga farmers minting money from African leafy vegetables
How Maiyanat community is restoring their land from invasive cactus species
join 