Raising chickens for meat, eggs and manure, is very common with many homesteaders. However not very many people are into raising rabbits for meat at home. I am looking into adding a few rabbits, and I was surprised to find out that they are not difficult to take care of. Why would you consider raising rabbits? Well they do produce very healthy lean meat, manure and you can even use their fur.

You can expect your rabbits to  be most productive between 6 months and 3 years of age. They usually can continue breeding after that for a maximum of up to 5 years, however the litter sizes become smaller. Some high quality meat breeds to consider in the  are New Zealands, Florida Whites, Californians, American Chinchillas and Silver Foxs.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Metal Cages
• 2 Bucks (males) and 2 Does (females).
• Piece Of Wood or  Plastic Mat
• Rabbit Pellets (optional)
• Grass, Hay Or Garden Vegetables
• Fresh Water

When starting your rabbit production it is recommended you start with a minimum of 2 Bucks (males) and 2 Does (females). Keep your rabbits in the metal cages and feed them with either store bought pellets, grains, grass, or green vegetation from your garden. Don’t forget to give them enough water to drink too.

When your rabbits are at least 6 months old, they are ready to breed. The doe is placed in the bucks cage, mating should occur otherwise try again daily until it does. Takes about 30 days for the doe to have babies. Give the new babies at least 8 weeks before they are ready for meat production.

You can find more information on the Ready Nutrition blog, here…

How To Raise Rabbits For Meat

 

Here’s a video with more information on raising rabbits…

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