Raising Rabbits, Part 1

03 Jun, 2020

Raising Rabbits…

In a time when food supply could be in question, raising rabbits for meat is a viable option. We have all heard “it tastes like chicken” before because some meats truly do. Processed and cooked right, rabbit could very well replace chicken. Rabbits could potentially reproduce almost every other month. Some rabbit producers even breed right back, but give a rabbit a break…

Rabbits are super cute and fun to raise. Pretty easy keepers, but extra care is needed when it is hot outside. Rabbits don't do well with prolonged heat. They should have shade, ventilated living space, clean water at all times, and nutritious food. When it is hot, prolonged temperatures over 85'F, we have bottles filled with frozen water that we place inside their enclosure so they can cool off. It is a good idea to have these ready because they take awhile to become frozen and wrapping them in a damp towel helps to keep them frozen longer.   We also place natural stone tiles (such as granite or quartz) which stay cooler even when hot as long as it is not in direct sunlight. Misters are also nice.  

They don’t take up a lot of space and are not too hard on the environment. Rabbits won’t break the bank, feeding is easy and cost effective. Butchering is easy and can be done inside or outside with minimal mess. Having a mating pair should be possible even if you don’t live in the country for those urban preppers.

STARTING OUT: I would recommend starting small. One male buck and one female doe. Rabbits are proliferative so unless you are the super ambitious type, having multiple breeding pairs will soon get out of control.  The buck should be separated from the doe once breeding is completed.   

Top 3 Breeds that we like that are suited for meat are:

• Californians can grow to be about 8-12 lbs.

• New Zealand Whites can grow to be about 9-12 lbs

• American Chinchilla can grow to be about 9 lbs

Choose a larger breed for more meat. Try to find a reputable breeder of the type you are looking for. Your local 4-H or FFA chapter may lead be able to lead you in the right direction. Look for clear and bright eyes and a clean nose. The rabbit should not be sneezing or have snot on his/her nose.

SUPPLIES: a rabbit hutch can be made out of sturdy wire and wood frame or you can buy one (click here for examples). Wire should be sturdy enough to support the rabbit’s weight as flooring and strong enough to keep predators out (click here for example). I like the wire floor because it is easier to keep clean. If you are keeping them indoors, you will want a pan that can catch their droppings. If you are going to make your own housing, consider an old dresser, an unused garden cart, or coffee table as your framework. Use metal wire fencing material. I made the mistake of using plastic fencing material and my one rabbit chewed a perfect hole in it and escaped on more than 1 occasion, good thing we were able to find her!

not the prettiest hutch, but it was functional, made this out of an old garden cart. best thing about this was it was mobile, and the poop came out of the bottom grate so I could move it around in my garden. Rabbit poop is one of the best fertilizers and can be used right away without harming plants!

A Water bowl is good, add ice if it is hot, but it quickly can get dirty if you are feeding hay. A water bottle hung outside the hutch works better to keep the water clean. Food – you may feed rabbits pellets, hay, or fresh greens.

Nesting box. Each doe will need her own box for her litter. You can make your own or buy one. Plastic cat litter boxes work very well. They are easy to clean and pretty cheap. You can also make a wood one or use a cardboard box, but if she doesn’t like it, she won’t use it. Try to keep it clean. When you clean it out, save as much of the mom’s fur as possible and return to the clean box.

BREEDING.  Sexual maturity at 3-6 months old.  A rabbit’s gestation period is 31 days and can have up to 14 kits per litter. You will notice her pulling out her own fur to make a fluffy “nest” when she is close to having her babies.  She can become pregnant again in less than 24 hours if exposed to a male. So hypothetically, if your doe is pregnant with back to back litters of average of 8 kits/litter, you could have 12 x 8 = 96 kits/year…that’s a lot of bunnies! …that’s a lot of meat for your freezer!

BABY BUNNIES. Are so dang cute! They are born hairless with eyes closed. Rabbit moms are very independent. They feed their babies about twice a day.  When she is not feeding her babies, you will find her outside of the nesting box. Does are not very affectionate towards their babies. Make sure that all the babies are in the nesting box.  Amazingly within a few days they have hair and their eyes open at around 10-12 days old. The bunnies may start hopping out of their nesting box around this time, which is when you should take the nesting box away. By 2 ½ weeks, the nesting box should be out. Bunnies at 5-6 weeks can be separated from their mother, no later than 8 weeks.

The next section, Raising Rabbits, Part 2 will include how to butcher for food so if that’s not your thing…Feel free to skip!

Links provided are examples and are not all inclusive. Shop around to find the best product and deal for you. I may earn from qualifying purchases with no cost to you through an affiliate sales program.