AGRICULTURAL NEWS - While it requires plenty of dedication and hard work, rabbit farming has the potential to generate good primary and additional income streams, as well as uplift rural communities.
There is, however, no blanket recipe for success, as production protocols differ according to the breed of rabbit chosen, the type of housing used, the production aim, and the climatic conditions.
Nonetheless, according to Karoline, the following principles are non-negotiable:
- 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 Karoline. 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 andsnakes, as well as pests such as mites (which can cause mange) and fleas. Rabbits are surprisingly territorial, explains Karoline.
“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.”
