RABBIT FARMING

to set up a rabbit multiplication, training and breeding Centre

Rabbit farming in Kenya can be a very profitable agribusiness for anyone knowledgeable in
animal husbandry.  Unlike other livestock farming, rabbit farming requires a low capital
investment to start up.

Indeed, every part of the rabbit is useful. Its skin, which can be converted into leather is much
sought by shoe and bag making factories. Its fur is used for manufacturing clothes while bones
go into the production of livestock feed. The rabbit’s meat of course, makes for a delicacy when
properly cooked. Live rabbits on the other hand are used as specimens for tests in laboratories.

Before venturing into the rabbit-breeding business, it is imperative to be well-grounded in the

knowledge of the animals, how to raise them and which customers to approach for marketing.

Therefore, as an aspiring rabbit farmer, you must know the following:

i. Constructing houses for rabbits

Rabbits are sensitive to space and when not granted enough to freely move about, often exhibit
abnormal behavior. This includes repetitive chewing of cage bars or over-grooming. The rabbitry
should be an enclosed construction with proper ventilation, lighting, heating, and cooling
systems. Heating and ventilation are crucial because rabbits do not tolerate extreme temperatures
very well. You should maintain the herd on a year-round schedule of 12 hours each of light and
darkness to keep them breeding throughout the year.

Rabbits can be kept in cages, hutches or in a house. Whichever the case is, their living quarters
should accommodate enough room for their feeders, drinkers, kits and expansion of their
quantity.
Rabbits reproduce at a first rate as their gestation period is just 30 days. This means that they can
give birth up to ten times in a year. However, caution should be taken to allow your rabbits a
period of rest in between giving birth. They can give birth to up to ten rabbits; therefore, a
serious rabbit farmer has to prepare housing beforehand. Do not start with a large number of
rabbits if you are new to the business. You can start with one male and one female and expand as
they grow.

Rabbit cages are simple since they are storied and occupy relatively small space. They should
however be built to certain specifications to allow maximum stretching and movement for the
adult rabbits and growing ones.

The normal regular cages measures:

 3 feet length, 2.5 feet width and 2.5 feet height; and
 a space measuring double size otherwise referred to as long rooms which are 6 feet
length, 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet height each.
The materials used for building depends on the farmer and location of farm. A farmer in
Mombasa County given the heat for instance, will ensure maximum open space when building
the cages while one in Limuru will ensure cold does not adversely affect her rabbits by using
materials that will keep them warm. Getting the housing right is so fundamental, any mistake at
this stage can result in deaths.

Always face the cages away from the direction of wind and rain and on flat surface. Building a
barn around the farm is advisable to avoid theft and adverse effects of wind and rain. Iron sheets
and makuti are locally available materials that farmers can use for building barns around
their rabbit farms.

Cement the floor of the barn to keep away fleas and other pests. This also makes cleaning the
cages easy. The farm also needs a quarantined cage to keep sick and injured rabbits, to minimize
spread of diseases. A pharmacy where to keep veterinary drugs and feed additives and
supplements is also crucial. Farmers reserve a cage or two for this purpose.

ii. Breeding rabbits

Commencing rabbit farming in Kenya demands that you have a good understanding of the
breeds. Some of these breeds are California White, Flemish Giant, New Zealand White and some
other local cross breeds.

For quality meat, the rabbit breed should have a nice meat to bone ratio so that it can
produce rabbits that have the desired meat volumes. Various breeds are available for this
purpose. They include:
  Canada Giant;
 ILRI Giant;
 Flemish Giant; and
 California White.

Rabbits multiply rapidly and they start breeding at 4 to 5 months of age. The gestation period for
the doe (female rabbit) is 31 days and she could give birth to between 6 and 10 kits (baby
rabbits) in one go. Rabbits are also able to reproduce seven times a year. The doe being capable
of producing up to 50 baby rabbits in a year translates into good income with successful
breeding.

For reproduction to take place, the buck and doe must be kept together to induce mating, after
which they should be kept in separate cages. Bucks should be used for reproduction at least once
in four days. The mating process could be scheduled for every three weeks or every six weeks
depending on your level of patience. 

iii. Feeding your rabbits

Rabbits should be fed at least twice a day and provided with plenty of water. Though the best
food for them is grass, they can also be fed cabbage and lettuce. Rabbits are naturally nocturnal
creatures, preferring to eat at night. Therefore, feeding them well in the evening is critical. If you
have an intention to introduce a new type of food, do it slowly for these creatures don’t adapt
swiftly.

But if opting for processed feed, it is important to find out the exact amount of what they
consume on a daily basis. This will help you avoid wastage.

Two types of nutrition programs are used for raising rabbits. They consist of the hay and grain
diets or commercial pre-balanced pellet rations. Pellet rations meet all of a rabbit’s nutritional
requirements and are more convenient than formulating hay and grain rations.

iv. Disease Control

The most important factors for maintaining a healthy rabbit herd are cleanliness, good
ventilation, close observation, and protection from sun and rain.

Rabbits are susceptible to several diseases that can reduce production to unprofitable levels. The
respiratory disease caused by Pasturellamultocida is responsible for decreased productivity and a
high mortality rate in does.

To help prevent diseases, do not permit casual visitors entry into the rabbitry. They may
introduce a disease or cause additional stress to the animals. Also, isolate any sick or injured
rabbit immediately. Disinfect both the isolation cage and the rabbit’s regular cage to avoid
further spread of the disease.

For a good health program, you should keep accurate records of each animal. Provide each rabbit
with a tattoo identification number or ear tag and attach an identification card with health and
breeding information to its hutch.

v. Keep accurate records

Ensure that you keep accurate records of the rabbits in your care. Keeping records will enable
you to notice any anomalies such as a rabbit that is not good at reproducing or a rabbit that has
developed carnivorous habits or rabbits that are dwarfs in size. It will also enable you choose
which rabbits should be kept to continue the line and which should be sold for meat. Keeping
accurate records is very useful when it comes to breeding as you should be able to prepare a litter
box for a rabbit that is about to give birth and you will also know when to do the breeding.

vi. Plan for expansion

This is a point that cannot be overemphasized. Rabbits breed at a fast rate. When you start with
two rabbits, you can get up to 80 rabbits by the end of the year. And the next year would lead to
more rabbits as the younger rabbits mature and give birth to their own rabbits. Many farmers
utilize space wisely by stacking up cages. This ensures they use only a small amount of space for
their rabbit farming business.

vii. Training
The second most important stage is acquiring rabbit farming training. Most local firms that offer
contract farming of rabbits serve the rabbit mothers before selling to farmers. You can also learn
to do this if you are not interested in contract farming.

After the females give birth, the basic care for the bunnies is keeping them warm and ensuring
the mother breast feeds them. This is what you learn at the training areas as a new farmer. This is
the most crucial stage of rabbit farming that determines success or failure.

Rabbit Breeders Association of Kenya (RABAK) is a company which provides a market for
rabbits.

Website: rabak.or.ke
E-mail: info@rabak.or.ke/ sungurarabak@gmail.com
Telephone: +254 722 661088
 Key financial data of the business
Start-up costs (Kshs.)
Funding scheme

Equity Kshs. 30%

Bank loan Kshs. 20%
Grant Kshs. 50%

Production costs






Total Kshs.

Key financial results

Gross income Kshs.

Net profit Kshs.
COSTS Phase 2 Investment
Activities Units Qty Unit cost Total cost
Constructin Costs
External Structure
Cages & Hutches
Feeding Posts and nesting boxes

SUBTOTAL -
Breeding stock ###
Breeding stock - 3,500.00 - ###
SUBTOTAL - ###
Miscellaneous
Housing for on-site employee
Training costs Daily - 1,500.00 - ###
Monthly salary for Farm Manager/Acc Monthly 30,000.00
Monthly salary for employee Monthly 10,000.00 - ###
SUBTOTAL - ###
TOTAL INVESTMENT REQUIREMENT - ###

REVENUES Return from additional 180 mothers from

Sale of Giant Offspring (100% Sale) at three months No of females

Females @ 2000 Males @1000 Amount ###
1 Sales of rabbits end of month 2 - - ###
2 Sales of rabbits end of month 4 - - - ###
3 Sales of rabbits end of month 6 - - - ###
4 Sales of rabbits end of month 8 - - - ###
5 Sales of rabbits end of month 10 - - - ###
6 Sales of rabbits end of month 12 - - - ###
Activities Date Unit No of Amount Actors
required cost Ksh units
Construction of Rabbit units:
1. Design preparation & approval Start up
2. Builders works 1 month
3. Construction of cages for first Week 3
lot
Introduction of breeder rabbits Month 2
Training Farm Manager & Support Month 1 2
Team Trainees
Labeling, filing and setting up Month 3 1week
information center
Site visits (2visits per month): Every 15 10days
treatment, immunization, treatment, days
weaning, mating, etc.