This is the advice from Judy Stuart of Future Farmers, who is also a member of the Natal and Cape rabbit clubs. 

See PODCAST below

Stuart explains that starting small will eliminate the risk of losing a lot of money when the business does not succeed and it will not amount to high start-up costs. She explains that starting small will enable the interested farmer to know within a short timeframe whether rabbit farming is something they like and whether there is a market for the produce. Thus, she advises people to learn with a few rabbits and grow their operation as needed.

“I feel very strongly that people should start with a small amount of rabbits – if it works well, go from there,” says Stuart.

She says there are various commercial breeds that one can consider. They include New Zeeland whites, Cinnamons, American Sables, Californian whites, and Chinchilla rabbits.

The next step according to Stuart is to get cages for the rabbits. She adds that breeding female rabbits require big enough individual cages.

Furthermore, one would need to set up a feeding and water system as well as a well-ventilated shelter that would keep the rabbits safe and protected from the wind.

“Anyone who goes into rabbits should learn how to handle them correctly for the safety of the rabbit and also for the safety of the handler. I think from a rabbit farming point of view, hygiene is very important.

“Routines are very, very important. If you feed them at 6 am then you need to feed them at 6 am every morning because changes in routine tend to be stressful for the animals. Changing diet is not a good idea because that can result in stomach problems. If you’re going to change the diet, you need to implement the diet change over a period of five or six days,” advises Stuart.

READ: Part 1: Rabbits, a versatile animal to farm with

OFM News previously reported that Stuart describes rabbit farming as being similar to other types of farming and encourages those that have an interest in this type of farming to think carefully about it. This, as there are no get-rich-quick systems in farming.

“The sad thing about rabbits is that there is a lot of misinformation out there. It is not always easy to get the right kind of advice and mentorship. But, I think most importantly be careful of where you get your stock from, make sure that you’re setting up something that is going to be functional – it does not need to be expensive, and make sure that the rabbits are treated in a respectful way,” adds Stuart.

In terms of profitability, Stuart says that rabbit farming can indeed be profitable. However, this all depends on factors such as the choice of rabbits, if good protocols are in place and whether rabbits are well taken care of.

Individuals who are interested in rabbit farming or to learn more about rabbits can contact The Rabbit Workshop SA at therabbitworkshop2020@gmail.com. The workshop offers training as well as help people to find rabbits and cages. Individuals can also contact Stuart at 083 555 0082 for more details on the workshop.

OFM News