Rabbit business is a low capital investment as it does not require too much money to start up. However, it requires in depth knowledge of the animals, how to raise them and which customers to market to.
Every part of the rabbit is useful; the skin for leather shoe and bag making factories, furs for manufacturing clothes, bone for the production of livestock feed , meat for consumption, live rabbits for testing specimens by laboratories. So it is in the hands of the potential rabbit breeder to determine to whom he should sell his rabbits. Hence the target market is high, Do you want to start rabbit farming business in Nigeria? Then, here are basic factors to consider if success is to be attained.
Rabbits are polygamous in nature and multiply rapidly. Rabbits start breeding at 4 to 5 months of age. The gestation period for the doe (female rabbit) is 31 days and they give birth to 6 to 10 kits (baby rabbit) at once. Rabbits are able to reproduce seven times a year. For reproduction to take place, the buck and doe be kept together to mate. After which they should be kept in separate cages of houses. One female rabbit can produce up to 50 baby rabbits in a year.
Rabbits can be kept in cages, hutches or in a house. Whatever is the case, their living quarters should be spacious so that there will be enough room for their feeders, drinkers, the kits and for the expansion of the business. Their housing should protect them from heat and humidity. It should not be too hot or too cold for them. Feeding – Rabbits eat processed feed or edible vegetable, leaves, shrubs, and herbs. They also grasses such as elephant grass, potato, etc. I recommend that you feed them 2 times every day.
If fedwith processed feed, then it is important that you find out the exact amount of feed they consume on a daily basis. This will help you avoid waste. Adequate supply of drinking water should be provided for them too.Expenses You can start your farm in your backyard, with 2 male rabbits and 6 female rabbits, a wire cage and information from out rabbit farming manual. You are good to go! Other factors you will need to put into consideration includes a production plan, competition and marketing strategies. Because there are not so many people involved in commercial rabbit production, it is almost impossible for the few rabbit farmers to satisfy market demand. Therefore, once you set up your own rabbit farming business in Nigeria, you are already a silent millionaire. Look at it like this; since reproduction will take place on a monthly basis, you always have rabbits to sell.
And because rabbits are scarce, they are expensive so an adult rabbit can be sold formN10,000.
Rabbitery is a highly lucrative business to venture into.
Thanks for reading.
