by Rebecca Mikulin

Created on: January 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Rabbits? You can make money with those? As a matter of fact, you can, it's just a matter of knowing what you're getting into and knowing how to maximize the potential and tap into the market. I spent approximately eight years raising rabbits and saw my rabbitry go from a couple of breeding trios thrown together for 4-H to a full-scale commercial rabbitry with 153 breeding animals. However, because of the rate at which rabbits reproduce and grow past their useful age, there has to be careful planning to keep your overhead low and your stock moving.

The first thing to think about when designing a rabbitry is, what are my long-term plans for this? How many animals do I want to end up with? Paramount in this consideration is the local demand; namely, are there contracts available with pet stores, meat buyers or research facilities? If you don't have any possibility of contracting any of your animals, approach with extreme caution because you have no certainty of being able to sell a single animal. Every non-breeding animal in your rabbitry after it has reached sale age is just eating profits. If you even have contracts for half of the animals your rabbitry can produce, you have some windfall. Ideally, you will contract for at least enough to cover your operating expenses so you are sure not to go into the red as long as you hold up your end of the deal.

Next, what is the purpose for your animals and what is in demand in your area? Most rabbits are raised for show, meat or pets with some being raised for research. Look into the laws in your area - where I live, rabbits are not allowed as pets within city limits and the commercial sale of rabbit meat is prohibited - as these laws may limit your options or throw in additional considerations. Talk to all the people you possibly can who are tied to the field in some way. Ask pet store owners how rabbits sell in their shops. If there is a rabbitry in your area, ask the proprietors what kind of market they cater to and what kind of suggestions they'd have for people just starting in the business. Nothing replaces experience in a field and experienced people may offer advice and insight you'd have had to learn through trial and error otherwise. Generally, whatever you choose, it's a good idea to diversify. Keep some rabbits on the side for show, sell for meat contracts, sell a few locally as pets - as with most fields, diversity decreases risk and increases your potential for success.

No matter what area you're looking

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