Diet and tender rabbit meat is in constant demand among Russians. This is due to the fact that neither chicken, nor pork, nor beef, nor mutton will not be able to compete with him.
Firstly, rabbit meat contains a whole gamut of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins. It has a little sodium salt and cholesterol, but a lot of lecithin, necessary for a person.
Secondly, ninety-six percent is absorbed by rabbit meat. Unlike beef, pork and lamb, which, in contrast, are quite heavy products and are digested only sixty percent.
Thirdly, rabbit meat significantly regulates the metabolism of human fats and proteins, and also favorably affects the functioning of the digestive tract and intestines.
Fourth, this product is ideal for allergy sufferers. In its composition, it contains a minimum amount of aggressive substances. Therefore, it is recommended to add it to the food of children up to a year.
Fifth, rabbit meat is very tasty and tender. It is easy and quick to prepare.
Sixth, meat contains very little fat, which is not very beneficial for the body. For people with obesity and diabetes, this product is an ideal food.
In this regard, the demand for rabbit meat is constantly growing. Therefore, many Russian entrepreneurs in recent years drew attention to the prospects for the development of this business.
A rabbit farm is a business that you can start from scratch, because it brings a stable and high income. The entrepreneur receives a steady income due to the fertility of animals and the high cost of meat.
But for the success of the enterprise requires a skillful approach to the organization of production and breeding of rabbits. Let us dwell on this in more detail.
What is the current distribution of business
In recent years rabbit farms began to open more and more often in the cities of Russia and the CIS countries. Let's look at a few examples.
Rabbit farms in Belarus. This business has been widespread in the country for a long time. Rabbits of Belarus are mostly hybrid species from wild hares. Several basic breeds have spread, but only one has unambiguous recognition. This is the famous gray giant.
Rabbit farms in Tatarstan are leaders in the production of this meat in Russia. The main emphasis during cultivation is on the California breed. The meat of rabbits, fur and breeding stock from Tatarstan is supplied to both external and domestic markets. Currently, it is planned to increase production volumes using new production facilities.
Rabbit farms in the suburbs in recent years grow like mushrooms after rain. Entrepreneurs are attracted by the quick return on investment, low costs and minimal effort in breeding animals. Despite the current competition, the cost of meat in Moscow and the Moscow region remains quite high.
The same applies to other regions of Russia. On the Internet you can find a large number of ads offering rabbit meat. But, as a rule, such proposals come from small farms with a small population.
However, it is necessary to state the following fact: in our country, farmers have just begun to develop this business. The market is practically not yet occupied, there is a shortage of rabbit meat with growing demand for this dietary product. Most of the rabbit meat sold is of foreign origin.
Therefore, it is worth trying to do this business. Especially when you consider that the advantages in this matter are much greater than the disadvantages. Select them.
Rabbit Farm as a Business: Key Benefits
Any type of entrepreneurial activity has its advantages. Rabbit farm is no exception.
The advantages of this business include the following:
- The presence of small costs at the initial stage is to prepare the territory, acquire or make cages, and take care of animal nutrition.
- Stable high fecundity of animals, so you do not need to constantly acquire young animals. Females are able to give six to eight rounds of six to ten rabbits per year. You can not make complicated mathematical calculations to calculate the main gain and, of course, profit.
- A minimum set of documents is required at the initial stage of organizing your own business. The main thing is to get permission from local authorities and not have the farm close to residential buildings.
- The presence of low costs for the maintenance of rabbits and a high market price for meat.
- Possible additional income from the sale of finished fur and skins.
But most importantly, there is demand, unlimited marketing opportunities and relatively little competition at present.
Naturally, at the initial stage, it is necessary to correctly draw up a rabbit farm business plan so as not to “burn out”, or use ready-made and tested options. There are a large number of such calculations.
Key Cons
The only drawback that can significantly affect the profitability of the business is the high mortality rate of young animals and adult animals. Rabbit farms in Russia and around the world are often ruined due to the spread of infectious diseases and improper keeping of animals. In some cases, all young animals or even the whole herd may die.
Recommended Business Forms
Currently, the most optimal are individual entrepreneurship and peasant farms. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
Peasant farms or peasant farming implies the incorporation of other citizens into its structure. All business participants have the right to own the property of the company jointly, carrying out any activity in it. To open a peasant farm no statutory documents, name and constituent agreement are needed. It is enough to arrange it for yourself and as a result become the head of the farm. New participants in the structure of a developed business are not recommended. Since, in the presence of a large income, conflicts between interest holders are possible. In this situation, the company is usually liquidated. Especially when you consider that according to the law of the Russian Federation, a farmer can single-handedly manage his farm, which consists of one shareholder.
The IP form according to the reviews of farmers is the most convenient form of conducting this business. In this case, all the nuances are more transparent and clear. Moreover, an individual entrepreneur will more easily and quickly receive good benefits from the state.
Minimum animal welfare requirements
According to current regulations, a rabbit farm must be located at a distance of at least 300 meters from any residential buildings. This item is regulated by local authorities and the sanitary and epidemiological station. Therefore, before erecting a building, it is necessary to obtain permission from them.
The farm complex should be located on level ground. Its surface must be paved, concreted or covered with gravel. In addition, even if a rabbit mini-farm is being built, it is recommended to make a drainage system or storm sewer. This will be of great help in the further cleaning of the cells.
An entrepreneur needs to think about how to timely export rabbit waste products. Since the heaps of manure and the accumulation of flies will be an additional reason for people living nearby to go to the sanitary and epidemiological station.
When organizing a rabbit farm, it is recommended to consider several factors:
- a method of breeding animals;
- how to choose good specimens;
- proper and proper nutrition.
Consider these points in more detail.
Basic animal breeding technologies
Consider the basic options.
The cheapest way is patched. It can be used at the initial stage to determine the profitability of the enterprise and find out whether you want to do this at all.
To do this, you just need to dig a few holes in the ground and run the animals there.
They will independently live in them, eat, dig burrows and breed. The farmer must supply them with green and grain feeds in time, remove manure. Such a rabbit farm with your own hands will not be able to bring a lot of capital, but it will do for the initial stage. Naturally, only meat breeds will be grown, since one can not even dream of any good fur in such conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that animal breeds be selected as appropriate.
A rabbit farm cell project will require a certain cost. They will be related to the fact that it is necessary to purchase either the containers themselves or building materials for them. Cells are traditionally made of wood and metal mesh. The farmer can plan the room, planting adult males, females and young animals where he needs to. DIY cell rabbit farm is the most popular way for non-commercial raising of animals in your own personal plot. With the right approach, meat can be enough even for sale.
Shedovoy method of breeding animals. Such a rabbit farm is a whole system that consists of several tiers of cell batteries. The standard shed is usually three meters wide, and the length is selected taking into account the number of animals, usable area and, of course, the wishes of the farmer. Cells are traditionally located on both sides. This construction of rabbit farms is as compact as possible. Usually they bring a good income, due to the optimal use of usable space.
The system of Professor I. Mikhailov. Such manufacture of a rabbit farm is currently the most effective method of breeding animals on an industrial scale. The fact is that it takes into account several factors. Special equipment for the rabbit farm is used, which allows you to water, feed and clean animals using a semi-automatic mode. It also has natural draft ventilation. Rabbit farm Mikhailov allows you to create very favorable conditions for the rapid rearing of animals. As a result, in four months a full-fledged individual reaches a weight of five kilograms. With the cellular method, this takes at least seven months.
Therefore, if there is a desire to seriously engage in this business and grow a large population, it is recommended to choose the last way of placing animals.
How to choose rabbits? Fundamental rules
If the room is prepared, the next problem is the optimal choice of rabbits. This procedure seems simple at first glance. Let us dwell on a few nuances.
The first rule is the choice of breed. Most farmers grow these animals for meat. Therefore, it is recommended to give preference to the Belgian, gray or white giant; German ram; chinchilla. These breeds usually weigh about four kilograms at 4 months. This is an excellent indicator of their growth.
The second rule - to purchase animals is necessary only from those farmers who are engaged in breeding. Naturally, on the market or by ad you can buy rabbits at a lower cost. But in the second scenario, no one will give a guarantee of quality.
The third rule - you must personally verify that the purchased copies are grown according to all the rules, and not "fed" with high-calorie chemistry. Unfortunately, with an increase in demand for young growth, unscrupulous suppliers also appeared.
The fourth rule is that in order to achieve an optimal result, the following proportion must be observed. Ten females should account for one male. In this case, the offspring can be expected quickly enough. But, if the farm is small, then you need to get all the same two males.
The fifth rule - when purchasing young animals, it is recommended to get all the recommendations for cultivation from the breeder. If the supplier is not able to provide the necessary information, then it would be better to choose another.
The sixth rule. When acquiring rabbits, attention must be paid to the state of the inner side of the ears. If there are peculiar scabs and wounds in this area, we can conclude that rabbits are infected with a dangerous disease - an ear tick. Usually such females do not feed their cubs. Naturally, you do not need to purchase such copies. They can infect others.
The seventh rule. In no case can you get a male and a female of one litter for breeding. Nothing good will come of this crossing.
The eighth rule. The main indicators of the animal’s disease are the following: the presence of tousled hair, a wet muzzle and cloudy eyes, as well as low activity. A healthy specimen always has smooth coat, without bald spots, clean shiny eyes. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine each rabbit. A sick animal can infect others. As a result, the farmer will suffer very serious losses.
The ninth rule. It is not recommended to purchase very large and fatty individuals. Especially if they are females. Because obese animals reproduce very poorly. It is also not recommended to buy an adult breeding male or a pregnant female. No one will sell good specimens if everything is in order. In the first case, the male is either old or proved to be poor breeding qualities, in the second - most likely the female is sick.
Therefore, it is recommended that the farmer acquire young growth, given the rules described above. Further, the development of the business will depend on how well organized the care and maintenance of rabbits.
Animal nutrition in winter and summer
Rabbit farm as a business will develop if the animals are fully and nutritiously fed. In this case, young growth is well developed, has excellent immunity, grows rapidly and multiplies well.
The following types of food are standard rabbit diets:
- green (bean or cereal plants, any dried herbs);
- juicy (root vegetables, vegetables);
- silage;
- rough (twigs, hay, grass flour);
- concentrated (bran, compound feed, legumes and cereal grains).
Necessarily in the daily diet of the average rabbit should be 50-100 grams of feed and a kilogram of hay. The rest is added additionally, given the time of year. In summer and spring, rough and green fodder is produced, and in winter and autumn, silage and succulent.
Naturally, the weight is approximate. The main indicator of whether rabbits have enough food is the following: if everything that is poured is quickly eaten, then more needs to be added. Pregnant and lactating females, as well as growing young animals need enhanced feeding. Fodder should be given with caution, as they cause indigestion in rabbits.
The most common diseases
As noted above, the most common problem due to which the farmer can suffer large losses is the high mortality rate of young animals.
The first reason for this phenomenon is infection. If you do not take the necessary measures, then the disease spreads very quickly throughout the tribe. The most dangerous infections:
- VGBK.
- eimeriosis;
- myxomatosis.
To treat these ailments is almost useless. Therefore, the most effective way is timely vaccination of animals. Naturally, this is a costly procedure. But massive infection of animals to the farmer will cost more.
The second reason is various digestive disorders.As soon as the rabbit eats something spoiled, grass with dew and so on, serious problems begin. Therefore, when rearing these animals, it is recommended that nutrition be given special attention.
The third reason is colds. Rabbits are very susceptible to drafts and cold. With hypothermia, the development of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system is possible. Therefore, it is recommended to insulate cells, especially in winter. Protect them from drafts.
Rabbit farms. Sale of finished products
Problems with the sale of meat usually does not arise. Since demand in this situation is greater than supply.
With a small amount of meat, you can sell in the market and for friends. Or simply submit it for sale, having received permits from the sanitary and epidemiological station.
If the volumes of production are large, then the situation will be a little different. The owner is advised to prepare a package of documents in advance. It includes a GOST-R declaration, phytosanitary certificate and a farm certificate. In this case, you can easily offer your products to shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, boarding houses, hotels, resorts, school canteens. The best way out is to conclude a long-term contract with some wholesale buyer. In this case, there will be no problems with the sale of rabbit meat.
An additional source of income is the sale of skins. Thanks to this, it will be possible to cover part of the costs included in the rabbit farm business plan. Therefore, the main thing is to correctly and thoroughly calculate everything in advance.
In general, it can be noted that rabbit breeding is a simple business even for a novice farmer. The main thing is to pay considerable attention to the design of the package of documents, the nutrition of animals, their proper maintenance and to find permanent points of sale of products. As practice shows, invested expenses can be returned as early as next year along with profit.
