Your farm brute are more than beloved pets . In the serial “ Working Animals on the Farm , ” we ’ll explore the various way stock can pull in their keep on your land . Today , it ’s rabbits .
One of the easiest creature to incorporate into a small farm is therabbit . Their cuteness broker notwithstanding , rabbits are among the clean and easygoing - to - care - for livestock and can extend a quick return on your investment . They can be put to “ work ” in a variety of means , from offering your family a stable food supply to offering non - eatable products for market place .
cony breeder can harvest wool , meat , fertiliser and pelt all from the same animal if desired . Even if you are n’t personally concerned in eating gist or slaughter animals yourself , rabbits can hold up long , productive lives on your farm .
Fiber
For those not interested in lift brute for kernel , hare pelt — especially that fromAngora breeds — is highly desirable . Different breeds have different fur eccentric , and some moulting naturally while others do not . There are four or five recognized Angora breeds , depending on if the breeding organization you adjust with recognizes the German Angora : English , French , Satin , Giant and German Angoras . Other breeds can be raised for their fibre , as well , but Angora fiber is the most valuable .
Harvesting the fibercan be done by collecting the fur that has naturally been sloughed off by the animal . It can also be collected by daily grooming of the animal or by occasional shearing of the pelt at appropriate times . It should be noted that if rabbits are being raised in colder climates , they will involve their wintertime coats to pull through and harvest their fiber should not be done this time of twelvemonth . Plucking is another method , though controversial , as the roughage is extract directly from the animal ’s skin .
Pelts can be put in this category , though these , of course , are harvest from the beast after it has been killed .
Meat
The majority of individuals who produce rabbits do so for themeat . Meat rabbit are cheap , as breed type is not important , though be previse that they do reproduce prolifically . One manful rabbit ( vaulting horse ) and two females ( does ) can produce 40 to 50 rabbits per year . Each doe will usually have three to four litters per year . The gestation period is about one calendar month , and the young animals need their mother for their first five to six weeks . After seven to 12 weeks , they can be pluck from the herd and massacre .
Common breeds raised just for meat include the New Zealand Whites , Californians and Flemish Giants . Any variety of hare can however be conjure and slaughter for meat .
Grazing
Rabbits will never compete with sheep or stooge when it come to loudness of grazing , but they can be put to put to work in an enclosure where they are innocent to consume weeds and grass . This is probable only useful to lowly urban homesteader , but it is a viable option for small areas of turf to avoid having to cut down and to provide a barren root to supplement your animate being ’s dieting . verify that the enclosing has shelter from the sunshine and from predators . It should be fairly lightweight , nomadic and easy to move — like to achicken tractor — so that you may transport it frequently for a constant seed of vegetation .
Fertilizer
Rabbit droppings make an fantabulous garden fertilizer . Their business - closing “ offer ” do n’t need to be maturate before use like poultry manure , and it ’s a heyday for raising earthworm or incorporating into avermiculture system . Some individuals keep their rabbits as pets just for the supply bonus of this liberal soil amendment .
Other Rabbit Jobs
Rabbits can also be raise strictly to spawn and sell their issue . These youngsters can be sold immediately to other farmers , consumers or ducky shop . Breeders may also parent coney purely for showing purposes or to supply animals for educational purposes , such as 4 - atomic number 1 or FFA .
Before You Get Rabbits
rabbit are by nature very skittish fauna and do not often interact well with young children . Likespring chicks , they are often an impulse buy due to their flossy adorability but are often either overfed by well - meaning but unknowing pet owners or ignore when it is realise that they require casual interaction , a clean living environs , and plenty of fresh food and water every day . Committing to conjure rabbits is not an expensive endeavor , but it should be done with the full commitment to the animal and its need .
