Virtually everyone can raise rabbits for meat. In reality there is very little needed to set up as a breeder, certainly if you do it at home for your own consumption. If you plan to sell or barter your rabbits with others then a whole load of restrictions apply. As we are looking at a small scale set up we will assume that we are not going to go commercial although a lot of the following can be of use to those wishing to raise more rabbits than you need for yourself.

A lot of the information could be classed as a belt and braces approach but this site should only be part of your research into your intended keeping of livestock.

A lot of people are presently jumping on the bandwagon of “keeping a few chickens” in the back garden because they are buying into the tv program dreams of self sufficiency and “knowing where their food comes from “ etc.

I guess there is not a lot wrong with that but what a lot of people don’t realise is that, as a guide, raising rabbits are much, much cheaper, more efficient, and very much more productive than raising chickens in terms of cost, space needed, health and welfare and final product to eat.

1 doe can produce up to 10 times her body weight in food per year. A good starter set up is considered to be 2 does and 1 buck.

Rabbits can be raised in confinement, I.E. cages but in comparison chickens need much more space. Chicken reproduction responds to light unlike rabbits whose reproduction is err, more opportunistic shall we say.  

If you need to grow your own food to feed your livestock then it is far easier to grow rabbit food over chicken food. It is also far easier to forage food for rabbits over the food required for chickens.

A lot of precautions need to be taken when keeping livestock safe from predators and since rabbits are raised in confinement such as cages then it is far easier to remove or greatly reduce the threat to your stock from predators.  That’s not to say keeping rabbits in cages is free from predators as rats are well known to attack your rabbits and stoats can very easily chew through a cage of any description and attack rabbits with zeal. To be best prepared you need to use strong solid wood and 1/2" x 1" [13 x 25mm] stainless steel wire mesh. An example can be found here although I have never used this company so this link is not a recommendation as of yet.

The after effects are not nice to find either, in fact it is terribly sickening and makes one wonder if it’s worth keeping rabbits.
Once you are into keeping rabbits it becomes easier to skin and dress a rabbit over a chicken and with a little practice it is easy to skin and butcher around 5 rabbits to every chicken given the same amount of time. 

Another plus for keeping rabbits over or along side chickens is that rabbit fur can be a separate barter item and you get 4 lucky rabbits feet to boot... ( obviously not very lucky for the rabbit that is).

Rabbit meat tastes good too, personally I think it as a close comparison to that of chicken, if a bit tougher as all the carcass of a rabbit is working . A lot of people still only stew rabbits in a pot roast but it is a much maligned meat.

Rabbit meat is mild and the texture is that of a good plump chicken breast. If you rear rabbits on pellets and fresh greens then it will never have that "gamy" flavour that is often attributed to rabbits that have been caught in the wild.

Wild rabbit and hare are more gamey than farmed rabbits whilst both types of rabbit are extremely lean with virtually no fat and certainly no bad fats such as saturated fat so if you are trying to reduce or control your cholesterol levels by diet then again rabbits are a good source of meat.

A lot of people cook rabbits with liquids as this keeps rabbit dishes moist and tender. Occasionally why not try cooking rabbit with a good dollop of home made butter. If you need a reason then the fats in butter also keep the rabbit moist and juicy.

As this site grows we will be including a range of dishes to use rabbits but until then you can find many a recipe on the internet or in old fashioned cook books under game.

There is nowt wrong with quick browning a quartered rabbit with some butter, onions and a bit of garlic then bung it in an over proof dish with some mushrooms, chopped up carrots and soaked barley with a pastry crust. Bung this in the oven at around 200 deg c gas mark 7 for about 30 minutes.

Besides providing you with meat, rabbits produce dung, which makes a good fertilizer. You can make a good compost activator and liquid feed by using a couple of handfuls of dung mixed into a 3 gallon bucket of water left overnight.

Rabbit skins and fur have many uses including making blankets, shirts and a form of strong glue. Skins can range in price from £2 to £25 depending on size, sex and quality.

In desperate times a rabbit can be a source of instant cash although in desperate teotwawki times I’d rather have the rabbit over money.

Keeping rabbits as anything other than pets can impose restrictions on the stock and you should prevent an unacceptable degree of discomfort or distress to the rabbits.

Whilst they are being reared for food much attention should be paid to meeting the needs of the rabbits. Particular attention should be paid to the comfort and shelter of your rabbits. Also, rabbits need a readily accessible supply of fresh water and a diet to maintain the animals in full health and vigour.

Although rabbits are territorial animals they need the company of other rabbits where possible. You should give them the opportunity to exercise most normal patterns of behaviour letting them have light during the hours of daylight but also have power lighting available for inspection purposes if this is needed during the hours of darkness.

If you keep your rabbits in wire cages then you should make sure that the floors do not cause suffering or undue harm.

The more rabbits you keep the more attention you need to pay to the prevention of illness and if illness is noted then you need to have rapid treatment plans available. Rabbits can suffer from infection and disease caused by parasites and fur bound ticks.

If anything un toward is noticed then someone who has done their research will be able to quickly identify the problems and get appropriate treatment.

Like all animals they should be alert, have clear bright eyes, good posture, vigorous movements if unduly disturbed, be actively feeding and drinking.

When they pass waste it should be a firm dark-coloured pellet ed stools and although this sound gross you should examine the stools frequently because these are a constant source of information as to how your rabbits are living. They should have clean and healthy fur and skin and be seen to be grooming themselves Ear mite infestation is a common disfiguring disease of rabbits that can be quite debilitating. It is very important to inspect the external ear canals and the ears should be free of debris and scabs. Anything other than normal clean ears need urgent treatment.

With experience, and this comes very quickly you can see the signs of ill-health and these can include, but not exclusively include listlessness, dullness in the eyes, tucked-up posture and grinding teeth. If they are shaking their head they may have an ear infection or infestation.

If you notice they are off their food or have runny eyes and discharges from the nose, bloated stomachs, stained fur, the presence of wet droppings, sneezing and snuffles, scratch marks then you may need to look at solutions for parasites.

Swelling of the face, blindness, sore hocks and lameness can all mean myxomatosis.

As soon as a rabbit is seen to be poorly, ailing or injured it should be segregated and treated or, if necessary, be killed humanely without delay.

Where and how you house your rabbits also needs particular attention because you need to have good ventilation but at the same time you need to ensure that there is no drafts that will hurt and distress rabbits.

Internal surfaces of your rabbit housing, pens, hutches or cages should be of materials, which, can be effectively cleaned and disinfected, or easily replaced when necessary.

It seems common sense, but many people fail to think about the important aspects of ventilation, heating, lighting, feeding and watering equipment. Do you need to install lighting in your sheds where you plan to keep the rabbits and if so is it installed safely, not only for the sake of the rabbits but also for your own safety.

Do you know the current legislation pertaining to the treatments of wood that you will be using in your hutches etc. Rabbits are nosey blighters and investigate everything particularly with their teeth so no toxic materials should be used where the rabbits can touch them. If you recycle materials then pay attention to poisoning from old paintwork.

Hopefully your rabbits will be housed in their own area and away from the house but you should also make an emergency plan regarding to fire and flood for your rabbits (or any other livestock you have) just the same as you would for your personal escape from your home…. ( you do have a personal [day / night time] fire escape plan don’t you??)

Expert advice on all fire precautions is obtainable from fire prevention officers of local fire brigades if you require it.

In general, it’s common sense to think that what can hurt you can also hurt your rabbits. For example, if you are designing a new build shed to house your rabbits or altering an existing shed then you need to be able to get the rabbits out quickly if fire happens so make the doors on the hutches quick release. Also make the external doors to the shed larger than a single door so you have plenty of room to get out. Don’t store straw or hay etc in the building if possible as this will reduce the risks to your rabbits (or other livestock) from fire.

Again if you are providing heat in the shed then don’t use naked flames especially if the actual shed is of more flimsy construction.

Accommodation should be designed and maintained so as to avoid injury or distress to the rabbits. The type and arrangement of accommodation should allow for efficient working and for each rabbit to be properly inspected. Again if you are keeping only a couple of does and a buck then you can use a simple hutch in the bottom of the garden set up but any more then you need to pay particular attention to the housing, after all the rabbits will spend their life in their and in this day and age it’s not satisfactory to keep any livestock in poor conditions.