adminTonderai Mandaza
I HAD a small talk with a friend about rabbit farming in Zimbabwe. I was shocked not by the information he knew about rabbit farming in Zimbabwe, but by the fact that from the time I knew him, he had never talked about farming.
After listening to his story, I saw no point of not endorsing him as Ziminvestors rabbit farming in Zimbabwe trainer. This is his story:
Some three or so years ago, when I was almost going broke, I went back to my old passion of animal farming, I figured I used to keep rabbits; guinea pigs growing up, at one point even had 13 dogs. I did my market research on commercial rabbit farming, I did all the studying I could do, went to every nearby farming college, saw all the big farmers in the industry, visited all the food suppliers I could get hold of, knocked doors on every hotel that matters, every restaurant I thought was inclined towards traditional dishes, I was astonished at the huge appetite that existed in the market.
Having done all that, I brought my rabbit farming enterprise to profitability within three months. If you have been looking for a lucrative income stream, then commercial rabbit farming might be an option you may want to seriously consider. Rabbit meat and other white meat products have become the most preferred nutritious meals not only locally but even around the world.
With careful attention, they are not difficult to raise, with an investment of as little as $600 you can run a commercial rabbit farming enterprise. The current demand for African dishes is high particularly in hotels and restaurants, an individual farmer can only do as much, it requires a robust community of farmers and entrepreneurs who can seize the unusual opportunity.
Since a rabbit farming enterprise requires a modest investment, which will mostly be channelled towards simple facilities, well ventilated, warm and free from other harmful domesticated animals like dogs.
A small rabbit farm could have 10 to 50 breeding rabbits requiring between $600-$1 500, in start-up capital.
In Zimbabwe, one kilogramme of meat sells for about between $8 and $10. The best breeds available in are California White, Chinchilla, New Zealand White, New Zealand Red and Zika.
Breeding stock for a rabbit farm may be bought from local breeders. Medium-sized rabbits breed at four to six months of age and give birth after a month of gestation. Female rabbits can produce up to 50 live rabbits annually, with births high during the summer.
They produce an average of eight kits per birth.
Feeding rabbits is also much cheaper as compared to other livestock species even though supplementation with concentrates or grain is sometimes necessary and definitely will increase the growth rates. Road side grass, kitchen waste without animal products and garden vegetable leaves provide the main feed at almost no cost to the farmer.
As for the rabbit market, rabbits are used for meat mostly. They have also been used traditionally as testing specimens by laboratories. Their breeds usually determine how they are used. And so, before starting a rabbit enterprise, it is important that a prospective rabbit breeder determines their passion for animals, establish which market to focus on.
Will it be to restaurants, meat braai venues, meat shops, individual purchasers or hotels or breeders? One can advertise his business in local exhibitions like the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, rabbit journals and rabbit association directories. In some areas, marketing rabbit products is not so easy. So it will be better if you determine your marketing plan before starting. You can try your local markets or nearest town.
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