TIPS FOR STARTING A RABBIT FARM

In a 2018 article, Karoline Steenekamp gave Farmer’s Weekly the following tips on establishing a rabbit farm. Despite having been obtained five years ago, her advice remains valid.

“Firstly, establish a ready market right at the start. This applies regardless of whether the end product is meat, wool, pelts or manure.

“Secondly, find a mentor. An aspiring rabbit farmer should learn the whys and wherefores from an experienced farmer before building cages or buying stock, so that you understand how to feed and care for the animals. Find a mentor you can turn to if you face a problem,” says Steenekamp.

An easy way to find a mentor is by joining a rabbit club. There are three recognised clubs in South Africa: the Cape Rabbit Club, the Natal Rabbit Club and the Gauteng Rabbit Breeders’ Association. “Most of the breeding stock in South Africa is produced from breeders who belong to these clubs. So join a club or employ someone to help you,” she says.

“Thirdly, forget about free-range production. Rabbits have to be kept in housing or cages, as they love to burrow. When kept outside, they are sure to escape before too long. They are also safer in cages, away from predators such as rats, birds of prey, dogs and snakes, as well as pests such as mites (which can cause mange) and fleas.”

Rabbits are surprisingly territorial, she explains. “Does search out their own space within a communal burrow, even though they might share communal feed and toilet areas, and they’re therefore quite content to live in single cages within sight and smell of other rabbits.

“Fourthly, choose the right-sized cages. Overcrowding causes stress and poses health risks as it drives up ammonia levels, which might cause respiratory and other problems. The actual stocking density depends on the type of housing and the breed produced, but a fair cage size for most breeds is about 600mm (L) x 500mm (W) x 450mm (H).

The last figure, the height, is important, as rabbits need to stretch after eating to get rid of pockets of sour air that form in their intestines during eating and resting.

Read the full article at bit.ly/3olNxM7.