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10 reasons to start raising rabbits-Farm4Trade|10 reasons to start raising rabbits - Farm4Trade

RabbitsOryctolagus cuniculusare small sized animals (Micro-Livestock), with long legs that they use to hop around. Rabbits are referred to as pseudo-ruminant, because they eat a lot of plant stuff and roughage but do not regurgitate like ruminants. They are often used in laboratories for research purposes; testing new medical products, nutritional studies and etc. They are mostly preferred due to the fact they are small and do not require a large space. When rabbits are well fed, they mature early and become ready for production by the age of 6-7 months. Rabbit manure can also be used as fertilizer for flowering plants and trees, as they are rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. In addition, the manure is dry and does not give off any unpleasant smell (odorless). However, this only depends on how they were cared for and managed.

What is the proper way to handle a rabbit?

Rabbits are very sensitive micro-livestock and should be carefully handled according to their sizes. That is why it is important to follow a standard procedure on how to catch/handle them. This is done to ensure that you do not cause any injury to the small vessels or cartilage in the ear nor by the nape of the neck. Therefore, to ensure that none of those areas are damaged, slowly walk towards the rabbit while talking to it, this avoids the rabbit from being frightened. Reach out one your hand and place it under the belly and chest. Place the second hand behind the rabbit and lift it up.

Different breeds of rabbits

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Advantages of raising rabbits

Prolific business.
They are quite.
They produce great compost.
Have rapid growth rate.
They are cheap to farm.
They eat a wide variety of plants.
Less labour required and cost involved.
No religious taboos about consuming rabbit meat.
Highly reproductive: litters are large and with a short gestation period.
Produces highly nutritious meat with low fat and cholesterol and its very digestible to all age type.

Rabbits have the potential to be one of the more profitable species to raise.They do not require large amounts of space compared with most other livestock species, and they are generally nondemanding animals even if they are very susceptible to disease.