ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFORMATION

RABBIT

General Information

Rabbits are basically reared for meat, fur and wool. They have great potential to convert the absolute feed into quality products for human beings. Advantages of rabbit for farming are:

• Rabbits can be fed with high forage, low grain diet that is largely non-competitive with human food.

• Rabbits have high feed conversion efficiency with feed/grain rations (2.5-3.0 on high grain diet and 3.5-4.0 on high forage, grain free diet).

• They have a high growth rate attaining market weight of about 2 kg at 12 weeks of age.

• Rabbits have the potential of being in a constant state of reproduction. They can be crossed within 24 hours of kindling, during post-partum heat.

• Rabbit meat is a high quality, nutritious product.

• Rabbits are suited to both small scale (backyard) and large-scale commercial production.