Rabbit farming in Nigeria is one of the most popular ways to make money in the agricultural sector. We often hear success stories of people who make millions with farming rabbits, and here is everything you need to know about rabbit production in Nigeria.
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1. How to start rabbit farming
Commercial rabbit farming in Nigeria is a business that doesn’t require a huge startup capital and can be easily scaled from a tiny farm to a bigger enterprise. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to rear rabbits:
- Choose the rabbit breed you want to focus on. Rabbits for mass farming range from 2 to 5 kilos and have different requirements for breeding conditions and care; consult with a local rabbit farmer to find out which breeds are best for your area.
- Pick the best farming method for your situation. There are two methods to choose from: cage farming and deep litter farming. Both have their advantages and drawbacks, but deep litter is best suited for small farms.
- Establish your farm. Besides the cages, your rabbits will also need a water supply and accessible containers, grass feeding facilities, and adequate space between each rabbit. Your rabbits will need to eat at least twice a day with the biggest meal happening in the evening.
- From the time the female rabbit reaches the age of 6 months, she can start breeding. On average, a female rabbit can produce up to four litters per year. Please note that rabbits require a couple of special conditions for mating which you can find out about from literature.
- To make the breeding process easier for you, don’t schedule the mating more often than every three weeks. Mating every six weeks is better for the wellbeing of the rabbits and your own capabilities as a rabbit farmer.
2. How lucrative is rabbit farming?
If you look at any rabbit farming business plan online, you will see that it’s a highly profitable business. The biggest reason for that is the fact that rabbits can produce several litters of up to 8 kits (baby rabbits) a year while requiring very little initial investment and maintenance.
It is possible to start a small rabbit farm with just 3 female rabbits and 1 male one, although you will get a more sizable profit if you go for 3 male and 9 female rabbits.
If a female rabbit has 6 rabbits 4 times a year, then in a year 9 female rabbits will give you 216 rabbits. An adult rabbit can be sold for ₦10,000. If you decide to sell all the rabbits your farm produces, you can end up with ₦2,160,000 of revenue.
The yearly expenses for maintaining a rabbit farm can amount to ₦300,000, which means the rest is pure profit from your farm!
3. Problems of rabbit production in Nigeria
While there are many rabbit rearing tips and success stories from Nigerian farmers, this industry faces a number of issues. The biggest challenges of rabbit farming in Nigeria include:
- There are dozens of predators threatening the life and health of your rabbits, from snakes to ants. You should design the facilities for the rabbits well enough to protect them.
- Rabbits are prone to various infections that can spread very quickly between your livestock. As soon as you notice an infected animal, don’t hesitate to isolate it from the rest of the rabbits.
- Sometimes rabbits develop a bigger appetite, which may cause you to allocate a bigger budget for the feeding.
- Rabbits reproduce often and in large quantities, which means you need to design effective marketing techniques to sell your supply of rabbits quickly and efficiently.
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