Zambia Agribusiness Society

Rabbits are fast growing animals that take 4 to 5 months to mature for slaughter. They reproduce very fast, kindling (giving birth) four times a year to an average of 8 kits per kindle. There are different breeds of rabbits available, the California white, Chinchilla, Dutch, New Zealand white, Flemish giant, French lop and the Angora. A male rabbit is called a buck while a female rabbit is a doe and their young ones are called kits. 1. Rabbit Housing Managing rabbits starts with constructing a proper house. A rabbit house is called a hutch and may be constructed with wood, concrete or iron sheets depending on the materials available to you. Each adult rabbit should occupy its own hutch that measures 2.5ft long x 2.5ft wide x 2ft high. The weaned kits may be placed in hutches 4.5ft x 2.5ft x 2ft. Every doe’s hutch should have a nesting box, where she will give birth and care for her litter. The floor of the rabbit hutch should be made of chicken mesh reinforced with a wire m

Approximately 85% of a rabbit’s diet should be grass/good quality hay, 10% leafy green vegetables and only 5% pellets or nuggets. Feeding rabbits is actually simple and straightforward. The best diet for rabbits is one that mimics their natural grass-based diet in the wild as closely as possible. This means they should be fed unlimited good quality hay or grass, and some leafy green vegetables and herbs, which can be supplemented with a small measured amount of nuggeted or pelleted feed. Here is an overview of a good daily diet for healthy adult rabbits: 1. Fresh Clean Water 24/7 Ensure rabbits have constant access to fresh clean water. ·          Provide water the way they are used to; rabbits prefer water bowls. ·          Ensure water is algae-free in summer and doesn't freeze in winter. 2. Hay and Grass Daily Rabbits need at least one bundle of good quality hay that's as big as they are; every day! ·          Good quality, fresh hay should be available at al

Approximately 85% of a rabbit’s diet should be grass/good quality hay, 10% leafy green vegetables and only 5% pellets or nuggets. Feeding rabbits is actually simple and straightforward. The best diet for rabbits is one that mimics their natural grass-based diet in the wild as closely as possible. This means they should be fed unlimited good quality hay or grass, and some leafy green vegetables and herbs, which can be supplemented with a small measured amount of nuggeted or pelleted feed. Here is an overview of a good daily diet for healthy adult rabbits: 1. Fresh Clean Water 24/7 Ensure rabbits have constant access to fresh clean water. ·          Provide water the way they are used to; rabbits prefer water bowls. ·          Ensure water is algae-free in summer and doesn't freeze in winter. 2. Hay and Grass Daily Rabbits need at least one bundle of good quality hay that's as big as they are; every day! ·          Good quality, fresh hay should be available at

The real reason for engaging in the business of farming is to make profits. But profits don't just come. You have to work it out! One of the best ways to make better profits in livestock and poultry farming is to do away with unnecessary costs. A wise farmer will continually look for ways to cut costs without necessarily reducing the quality of his farm products. Profits boosting ideas in livestock farming Let us look at some ideas that will greatly boost your farm profits in both short and long runs. 1. Strict hygiene/ biosecurity : We cannot overemphasize the need for hygiene in the farming environment. There is no money spent on hygiene that will not turn to gains eventually. Do not give room to dirty attendants and practices; they are profits killers. 2. Preventive health mentality: Always aim to prevent disease outbreak in your farming operations. Strive at all cost to do all necessary preventive practices. It is always better and cheaper to prevent disease than

All you need to know about feeding, cages and care. Raising rabbits for meat and fur is a good way to make money but only if you do it on a large scale, and it should be done as supplementary income only. The initial costs in setting-up is small, rabbits breed quickly and frequently, they have large litters and grow to a good marketable size in a very short time. However, it is a full time job with daily rabbit care and good feeding needed. Rabbit Raising: Determining a Market Like any business, if you want to make a profit with rabbits you really need to assess the market. Do your homework first, before making an investment to see if there is a market and where the market is. Is there a market for rabbit meat, rabbit fur or both? Once you have established whether there is a market or not, find out where you will be able to slaughter the animals. Some slaughter houses will expect you to transport the live animals to them. And sometimes you can find a local butcher who will be