Hello all. I live in SE Wisconsin and am interested in raising rabbits for my dogs raw diet. I would be raising just enough for myself. My fiance and I have a 3 acre farm with a HUGE barn.

Any good books or links on getting started, what you need, how to house them, feed them, keep them healthy and process them?

Thanks!

Lauri

-- Lauri C. (lacgsd@onebox.com), April 22, 2002

Answers

#1 Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett #2 The American Rabbit Breeders Association "Official Guide to Raising better Rabbits and Cavies. ET

-- Ed Thomas (wilded@austin.rr.com), April 22, 2002.

If you only want them to feed your dogs. It might make more sense to purchase rabbits from a producer/hobbiest. If you figure in the equipment, cages, stock, etc. I freqently have sold rabbit for the BARF diet the amount most people buy costs less then if they tried to raise it, just for that purpose. If you are interested in producing enough for your use as well as the dog food that could make the difference and then would be economical for you. Just some thoughts. Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), April 22, 2002.

Denise,

Thanks for the food-for-thought. My 6 dogs go through roughly 51 pounds of raw food per week (at a cost of roughly $22 per week). I would guess that would translate to approx. 10 - 12 rabbits per week? There are people in my area that would be interested in purchasing rabbits from me for their dogs but I wanted to make sure I could do it before I committed to them.

Is maintaining a supply of 10 or so rabbits per week a cost effective or cost prohibitive undertaking? I am currently paying about $.30 / lb for chicken necks and about twice that for the meat and organs. Most rabbit I’ve seen offered for the raw diets has been around $1 / lb. and that’s a lot more than I pay now.

Lauri

-- Lauri C. (lacgsd@onebox.com), April 23, 2002.

Laura, If you are getting rabbit meat for $1.00 a lb that is an exellent price. You really cant compare rabbit pricing to chicken, etc. It takes aprox 4 lbs of feed to get a 1 lb weight gain in a rabbit. That is not counting the feed to maintain your breeding does and bucks. My feed cost me .18 lb so to reach a 5 lb rabbit, cost $3.60. Now if you are planning on skinning and gutting you will lose 1-2 lbs for a finished product of 3-4 lbs. Again this is not counting the additional feed for your herd. If you can get a 4 lb rabbit for $4.00 you are doing good.

-- tracy (murfete@stargate.net), April 23, 2002.