What ideas of organizing your own business you will not find in our time in the press and on the Internet! Having at least a modest summer cottage (not to mention a spacious rural house with a private household), it is issued in the form of recommendations for a breakthrough of ideas - from growing oyster mushrooms in the basement to organizing an ostrich farm.
Among those who are considering starting their own business, the rabbit breeding business is becoming increasingly popular. But you should know: in order for your business to be truly profitable, a clear understanding of the specifics of such an industry is required. In this article, we will talk about what features the growing of these furry animals encompasses, is it profitable to breed rabbits, or not.
What is useful rabbit meat
On the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores there are mainly three varieties of meat. It's about pork, beef and lamb. Meanwhile, rabbit meat has a number of advantages regarding quality, taste and benefits for the human body. That is, this market niche so far can be considered relatively free.
The assimilation of rabbit meat by the human body is better and more productive than beef or pork. This indicator - the percentage of digestibility - reaches in this case 90% against the usual 60% in other types of meat. And due to the reduced fat content, rabbit meat is a wonderful dietary product.
Thus, if you have an excellent, tasty and healthy food product in combination with low competition in this segment, you can confidently predict the high profitability of the selected business. That is, the answer to the question of whether it is profitable to breed rabbits is definitely positive.
Characteristic features of the business
What features are inherent in domestic rabbit breeding? The main one is the high ability of these animals to reproduce. The bearing of the young by the female lasts 30 days, and re-fertilization is possible almost immediately after childbirth. The productivity of an adult rabbit during the year is about 200 cubs. In terms of a useful product, this is about 500 kilograms of rabbit meat.
Bred them for different purposes. Breeds of rabbits for breeding for meat - gray or white giant, as well as a ram. In order to obtain fluffy fur choose Rex, butterfly, white down. In addition, it is possible to breed decorative rabbits. There are universal options. For example, Soviet chinchillas or gray giants are breeds of rabbits for breeding for meat and obtaining skins at the same time.
In the process of breeding, good care and proper nutrition are very important. The more comfortable the living conditions will be, the more high-quality mating will be and, as a result, the health of little rabbits. You can increase the number of mating by minimizing the number of stress factors. And without a good balanced diet, talking about animal health is pointless.
Pros and Cons of a Rabbit Farm
What are the benefits of this business compared to other livestock options? Its main advantages are high profitability, short payback period, minimal competition and stable demand. The combination of these factors looks very attractive, but at the same time some negative aspects should be taken into account.
So, for the high-quality maintenance of these neat little animals in the cages, regular (i.e. daily) cleaning is required. Otherwise, the entire stock may be susceptible to disease. Shy animals grow well and breed only in a calm, favorable atmosphere without even minimal stress.
Rabbits are constantly monitored. In the absence of food and even water, the rabbit is able to eat its own offspring. Breeding rabbits at home for beginners may seem at first troublesome and difficult.
Getting down to business
Where to start breeding rabbits? In what form is a business in this area possible? There are two such varieties: either in the form of individual entrepreneurship, or with the organization of a peasant farm. The first option is especially popular among those who start from scratch. Its main advantage is a reduction in the tax base and a facilitated accounting scheme. Deciding to organize a farm, you can count on receiving subsidies from the state.
But with any form of activity, success depends in no small measure on a well-designed business plan.
Rabbit breeding as a business: where to start?
Before starting to create your own rabbit farm, as in any type of business, you should analyze the potential market, paying attention to a number of important characteristics. We are talking about market saturation, the availability in the vicinity of a potential buyer, the degree of intensity of competitive activity and the solution of transport issues.
Having clarified the situation for yourself, you can proceed to the next step - the choice of land. Its area should be at least 15 acres, and your future rabbit breeding farm must be located far from housing.
Having bought or rented a plot, you can begin to equip your business. Initial financial investments can be quite substantial, but due to the short payback period and high profitability of this type of activity, this is not a problem.
Is it profitable to breed rabbits compared to, say, chinchillas or nutria? The capacities of your business can be multiplied due to the high reproductive qualities of the animals, and this is a considerable additional advantage. In general, the breeding of any domestic animals, like other types of agricultural business, is very, very much in demand today.
What should be on your site
The next step of the rabbit breeder businessman will be to compile a list of buildings whose presence on the site is mandatory. Each of them should be placed on the plan of the site allocated for the future company. What applies to such buildings?
- Sheds. This is the name of those rooms where rabbits have to live and breed. Such "industrial" rabbit cages are made of wood with windows tightened by welded mesh. The more convenient the rabbits will be in Sheds, the better the breeding process will go, and the less fear the pet will have about the health of the owner. The minimum number of sheds is from 3 pieces.
- Workshop for feed. This is a kind of warehouse where rabbit food can be stored for the next few months. If you do not spare money and equip the feed mill with a granulator, as well as a grain mill, the expenses will pay off quickly enough.
- The slaughterhouse must have a fully equipped meat shop and a spacious refrigerator. Due to the high requirements of hygiene, materials for its construction are metal-plastic and tile.
- In a separate shed, keep the tool, equipment and necessary building materials.
Near the site, you should dig a spacious manure pit. With its regular replenishment, it is possible to sell manure as fertilizer to neighboring farmers.
Why do you need rabbits?
Starting to breed livestock, decide on the breeding tasks, from here already plan rabbit breeding methods. What is your goal - skins, meat, or both at once? Having understood this issue, select the desired breed. Let's say your choice is gray giant rabbits. Breeding, growing and caring for them requires certain knowledge.
For beginners, it would be most reasonable to acquire one of the purebred breeds belonging to the local ones. They usually have an affordable price, ease of purchase and the ability to consult with other rabbit breeders.
Then start preparing a business plan with the upcoming expenses and incomes written in it. In addition, you should take care of registering your own business.
What is better for the future rabbit breeder - to purchase a site or to rent? This depends not only on the size of the initial investment, but also on the long-term goals of the future businessman. If you decide to take up this profitable business seriously, it is better to purchase the property. When the lease is coming, the monthly expenses for its coverage must be provided for in the business plan.
About the rules and regulations
When breeding rabbits, a number of sanitary requirements exist for the prevention of diseases in the rabbit environment. In this regard, there are certain rules by which premises for a rabbit livestock are constructed up to the inclination of the roof and flooring.
Other requirements relate to the location of buildings within the site. The slaughterhouse must be protected from rabbit cages at a distance of at least 50-60 m. Ill rabbits should be quarantined 100 meters from the sheds. The manure storage also needs to be moved outside the farm - no closer than 100 meters. All distances are given in the directions of the prevailing winds.
What and how to feed rabbits
In nutrition, these animals are quite whimsical in comparison with other types of farm animals. Their daily diet requires a mandatory combination of different types of feed - green (grass, cereal, legume), succulent, such as vegetables or root crops, coarse and silage, as well as concentrated, consisting of bran, grain or compound feed.
To calculate the need for the amount of feed, we proceed from the fact that a set of one animal weighing 4 kilograms requires about a dozen kilos of hay and 15 kg of feed. Other elements serve as dietary supplements at different times of the year. In the warm season (spring and summer), it is imperative to feed the rabbits green and roughage, in the fall and winter do not neglect silage and juicy.
Breeding rabbits at home for beginners can be accompanied by a number of surprises. Controlling the freshness and balance of the feed is very important. It should not have the slightest trace of rot or mold. Too dry food is also not welcome - animals are able to choke on them.
About rabbit housing
Do not forget that these animals belong to rodents, that is, the cells must be constructed from high-quality and durable material.
Compared to poultry or nutria, rabbits are more prone to comfort. The temperature range suitable for their normal lives is from 2 to 30 degrees, but the quality conditions for growth and reproduction require maintaining them in the range from 13 to 26 degrees.
There are several well-known methods by which the habitats of these animals are arranged. Breeding rabbits in earthen pits with carefully reinforced floors and walls is the easiest of all. This method is one of the lowest cost, but it is used exclusively for meat breeds.
What are the cells
Most often, rabbit breeding in cages is chosen. The most popular methods for households include the so-called cellular. The material for the construction of cells is wooden boards in combination with a metal mesh. Bunnies and offspring are housed separately from male rabbits.
The already mentioned shedov method is a system of several tiers of cells. The main advantage of this option is compact placement, which is important in conditions of a small area of the site.
It is also possible maintenance according to the so-called Mikhailov system, which is a small farm of three to four cells. Each of the mini-farms is equipped with ventilation, a manure collector, and, of course, drinking bowls and feeders. This method is most effective for high-quality growth and reproduction. But it also requires the greatest financial costs.
Where to sell?
Let's talk about the implementation of the products received. It is necessary to consider its directions, starting from the volumes of the future economy. If they are small (about 500 rabbits annually), the meat can be handed over for sale or sold independently, subject to a sanitary-epidemiological check.
With large volumes of household you will need to get some additional documents. We are talking about a certificate for the farm, the same phytosanitary and GOST-R declarations. If you complete all of the above, at the same time as trading on the market, you will get the opportunity to sell meat to a chain of supermarkets and grocery stores.
Estimated rabbit breeding business plan
Let's draw up and analyze a sample business plan for arranging a small farm for one hundred livestock units. What are the costs?
The process of building rabbit cages will cost about 50,000 rubles., Add another 30,000 rubles to buy one hundred young animals. (the exact amount depends on the breed), from 70,000 to 150,000 rubles. to spend on the purchase of feed. Add about 20,000 rubles. for veterinarian services, utility bills and other little things. Total: the expenditure part of the business plan may contain a figure from 170,000 to 250,000 rubles.
Now about income
Meat from 100 rabbits will turn out about 200 kilograms. At the wholesale price of 200 rubles. per kilo and retail - 400 rubles. it is possible to realize all products for the amount of about 400,000 rubles. For the proceeds of the pelts - additionally from 250 to 300 thousand rubles, we take an average of 280,000. Total: the level of estimated income is about 600-800 thousand rubles.
It is easy to calculate the planned profit, which will be located in the range of 430000-510000 rubles. Such profitability is considered to be very high, that is, this business is among the very profitable.
Even within the framework of a small farm cited as an example, in the first year it is possible to receive about half a million rubles in profit. In the future, this figure will increase further, since it will not be necessary to spend more on building new cells. As a result, the profitability figure of such a business lies in the range from 60% to 80%.
Things to remember
Of course, the rabbit breeding business plan outlined above is very arbitrary. The numbers can vary significantly, which is associated with the breed and the number of purchased items, as well as the size of the initial investment. Much also depends on the region where the business is planned.
Among other things, in this plan there are no rental costs (if any). Such expenses can also vary greatly both in the region and in the area of the territory. Depreciation of equipment should also be considered. But in general, the above calculation gives a general idea of the profitability of the business in question.
Conclusion: a similar occupation in terms of money is quite profitable and attractive. And yet, despite the confident "yes!" In response to the question of whether it is profitable to breed rabbits, they should be dealt only with those who are not afraid of the specifics of this case and the difficulties associated with it in the form, for example, of the need to slaughter furry pets.