How to Raise Rabbits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Profitable and Ethical Farming

We usually keep rabbits as fancy animals.However, just as we can meet the demand for animal meat by raising rabbits commercially,

we can also generate additional income by creating employment opportunities.Rabbit meat is very tasty and nutritious.

Rabbits are herbivores of calm and innocent nature.So this animal can be kept very easily.

Rabbit farms can be set up in abandoned places of the house.

Why keep rabbits: –

 1. Rabbits are herbivores so it is possible to meet their needs with small amount and low quality food.

 2.Rabbit is a highly productive and fast growing animal.

 3.Rabbits give birth 6 to 10 times a year and give birth to 2 to 6 babies each time.

 4.Rabbit skins are more valuable than the ones used to make clothing.

 5.Rabbit meat is low in fat and cholesterol and the meat is very tasty to eat.

 Rabbit breeds:

 Different species of rabbits are found in Bangladesh.Such as: Dark Gray (native), Fox, Dutch, Belgian white,

New Zealand red, New Zealand white, New Zealand black, and snatched.

Method of rearing:

 Rabbits can be reared by making small sheds by investing a small space on the roof of the house or

in the yard or veranda of the house.

 Rabbits are reared in two ways.

1) Litter method: This method is suitable for keeping a small number of rabbits.The floor should be made of

concrete for keeping rabbits as rabbits dig holes in the ground which is very annoying.

Litter method should be spread 4-5 inches thick on the floor with husk, wood chips or rice straw etc.

If you want to raise rabbits in this way, it is not right to raise more than 30 rabbits at a time.

In that case, male rabbits must be kept in a separate room, otherwise rabbits can be easily infected.

Moreover, it is very difficult to handle rabbits.

 In our country rabbits are usually reared using portable net cages or wooden boxes which farmers can

bring outdoors during the day and indoors at night.In some areas, male and female rabbits are kept together,

but after giving birth, the female rabbit with the baby is separated again.Only male rabbits and female

rabbits are left for 10-15 minutes for breeding.

2) Cage method: Cage method is especially popular for commercial rabbit rearing.In that case a cage

with 3-4 shelves made of iron sheet is more suitable for the cage.It should be noted that each of

the rabbits has to make a nest by keeping the required space.

Necessary place for rabbits in cages:

 A) 4 square feet for an adult male rabbit.

 B) 6 square feet (including maternity ward) for adult mother rabbits.

 C) and 1.5 square feet for baby rabbits.

 To make an adult rabbit cage, the cage should be 1.5 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 1.5 feet high.In such

a cage two growing rabbits can be reared.

 For large rabbits, the cage is 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide and 1.5 feet high.Note that about 150-200 rabbits can

be reared in cages in bamboo or pucca houses of 20 feet long, 13 feet wide and 10 feet high.

Rabbit food:

 Rabbits are herbivores of calm and innocent nature.Daily food of rabbits like young grass, herbs, carrots, radishes,

grains, sweet potato, cucumber, straw, discarded part of vegetables, wheat, husk, kura, khail, soybean, milk, bread, gram etc.

The rabbit should be given grass, vegetables etc. in dry or shiny condition at all times.

It is better to boil soaked wheat or gram and mix husk with it.

 Note that the diet and nutritional requirements of rabbits vary depending on the age and species.

The diet of an adult rabbit should contain the following nutrients.Such as:

• Crude protein 16-17%
• Fiber 14%,
• Minerals 7%
• And metabolic energy needs to be 2600 kcal / kg.
• And 130-145 grams daily for adult rabbits, 250-300 grams for lactating rabbits and 90 grams daily for growing rabbits.