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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Raise Meat Rabbits For Fun & Profit

Raising meat rabbits can be a very rewarding experience for the novice or veteran rabbit breeder. Breeding rabbits for meat and raising them properly can be a profitable hobby or business.

If you do not currently have any meat rabbits. Or if you are thinking of purchasing additional ones consider the following when selecting meat rabbits to raise:

1. Meat rabbits need to have ample milk for large numbers of kits.
2. Any rabbits raised for meat should mate as frequently as is safe.
3. When dealing with meat rabbits litter size should be large.

The top two breeds raised for rabbit meat are the New Zealand White rabbit and the Californian for their size. Both of these breeds have all the qualities needed for needed for successful meat production. These qualities to look for are: good traits such as larger litters, good eyes, good feet, good health, and good meat per portions. There are many other possible breeds to choose from also.

The health of the rabbits raised for meat is essential to the success of any rabbit farm. This is true whether you are raising rabbits for show, pets or for meat. To help insure your rabbits are healthy, buy healthy breeding stock to begin with.

Before buying breeding stock look at the conditions of the rabbit farm selling the rabbits. Ask the following questions to yourself while you tour the rabbit farm:

* Are the cages and rabbits clean?
* Do they have the fly population under control?
* Is there plenty of food and water available for the rabbits?
* Do the rabbits have healthy fur? Look for signs of scaly skin, bald patches and other signs of disease.

If you answered no to any of these, you should think carefully before purchasing from this rabbit farm.

When you are starting out with a new rabbit farm, consider starting small at first. It is usually a good idea to start with as few as one buck and three does. You can always add more as you go along.

Try to find rabbit breeders close to your geographic location. Rabbits find it very difficult to adjust to climate changes. Taking healthy rabbits from the north west and moving them to the south east could destroy your chances of rabbit farm success.

If you are having a hard time finding breeding stock near you, try the internet free classifieds sites. They often offer a great starting point in finding rabbits for sale. The county extension office can refer you to local breeders as well.

Before you bring the new herd home try to have everything ready for them. They will need housing, water, food and daily attention. Try getting the whole family excited about this fun new rabbit farm you are starting. Kids often take to raising rabbits right away and can be very helpful in ensuring proper care for your rabbits.

Also read, read and read some more on the topics of rabbit farms for meat. The more you know the better prepared you will be to handle any crisis that might occur. Typical crisis that might occur is such as disease, sterility, market loss and other such related problems.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit http://7fbc79pmndjk-wawwbkz6gyi30.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BUNNIES
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Equipments You Need for Rabbit Breeding

Breeding rabbits is a great hobby that can also become a very profitable small business. The first step to successfully breed rabbits starts with stocking the right equipments. Having the right equipment will help your rabbits not only be more willing, not usually a problem, but healthier and better suited for sell.

The goal of rabbit breeding should not be just producing numerous little bunnies, but growing healthy rabbits that your prospective customers would seek for. These simple to follow tips will help anyone whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned rabbit breeder.

Let’s start with the rabbit house or cage. Rabbit cages should be on average of two to three feet off the ground. This will help with keeping the rabbit house clean. It will also reduce labor time by reducing the need to bend over too much. Keeping the rabbit house clean is essential to your success in breeding rabbits. Meat rabbits must be healthy before processors will buy them. People looking for rabbits as pets would turn away immediately when they see filthy or diseased rabbits. Show rabbits must be exceptionally healthy and clean before any show.

To save money when you are first starting out, many people elect to buy cages, or rabbit hutches that need assembly. This is a great way to save some money. If you select to assemble your own rabbit house be sure to follow all instructions carefully. Loose wires are sharp and can kill the rabbits before you know there is a problem. While self cleaning metal cages are beneficial, keep in mind that rabbits are not birds and need some space with a solid bottom.

When selecting the water system many breeders just starting out use the manual waterers. These are typically similar to the ones seen in pet stores for gerbils and other small animals. As the number of rabbits increase, switching to a self-watering system can be a great time saver. It’s essential that the rabbits have twenty four hour access to clean water and food. Pregnant does especially need ample amount of fresh water.

The nest box is of obvious importance when breeding rabbits. Many new rabbit breeders have been known to lose several litters of kits because of the nest box. The nest box should be six to eight inches high on three sides and four inches on the front side. The lower side allows the pregnant doe easier access into and out of the nest box.

Ample clean and dry hay in and around the nest box is essential for the doe and kits comfort. The doe will arrange and rearrange the nest box until she is happy with it. Do not be alarmed if she also pulls some of her own fur out as well. She will use this to help line the nest for the kits.

Remember grooming supplies are also essential when breeding rabbits. You should also have the following items handy when breeding rabbits:

* A brush to care for the rabbit’s fur.
* A toe nail clipper to keep the nails trimmed.
* Disinfectant for cleaning the rabbit houses.

Remember proper equipment can help you be a successful rabbit breeder. Keep these things on hand before and after you begin raising rabbits.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

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Feeding Rabbits Right

Rabbits are very sensitive creatures in many ways. They can literally die from fright and suffer from many nervous health problems and overheat easily. Also since they are small in size they can easily break bones or otherwise injure themselves if handled improperly. But one way that can really affect your rabbit’s well-being and even shorten its life span is improper feeding. This is not only feeding it the wrong foods, but also the wrong amounts or allowing the food to become moldy or otherwise spoiled.

Knowing what not to feed your rabbit can be as important as knowing what to feed him or her. Some foods that may seem natural to you or even be thought of worldwide as a great choice, can turn out to be bad for your bunny rabbit. Make sure to get plenty of books on rabbits and do your research before obtaining one. A very, very common food that people feed rabbits is lettuce. This is almost universally known as a favorite for rabbits, but lettuce actually contains lactucarium which can make your rabbit very sick or even kill it in large amounts. This happens because the lactucarium gives your bunny very bad diarrhea and works almost as a poison.

Other foods that you should avoid are cabbage for the same reason as lettuce, potatoes, and tomato leaves. Timothy hay is great to feed your bunny and a small selection of pellets as part of their everyday diet can be added as well. Never overfeed your rabbits and use the pellets as only a small part of their regular diet. Provide fresh hay, but only feed pellets once per day. Rabbits can also be fed treats such as carrots, apples and bananas semi-regularly but again only in small amounts. These treats can also be used to help train your rabbit to do tricks!

Overfeeding rabbits is a big problem and giving a rabbit too much food can not only lead to a rabbit becoming overweight but also usually makes rabbits sick and leads to vet bills as you wonder why your beloved bunny acts lethargic and keeps vomiting. Only pregnant does and very young rabbits need pellets down constantly and even hay should be kept up if you have a rabid over-eating bunny on your hands.

A big problem with feeding is that a rabbit may spill his water on his food and cause it to become moldy. So as soon as you notice soggy food, throw it away because it can make the bunnies very sick. You may also see your rabbit try to eat his or her own droppings. As disgusting as this sounds, it is done commonly in the wild. Also it does not mean there is anything wrong with your rabbit or its diet. However, keeping the rabbit's pen very clean will help to eliminate this behavior.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit http://7fbc79pmndjk-wawwbkz6gyi30.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BUNNIES
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How to Buy a Dwarf Rabbit

If you have your heart set on a beautiful little dwarf rabbit, there are many ways to go about obtaining one. You may wish to buy one from a breeder or even adopt one from a local shelter. With the recent boom in pet rabbits, often times many people with no knowledge on how to properly care for them, will simply give a rabbit away to a shelter. You will not only be getting a new companion for you and/or your child you will be saving a life too. Either way, before you go about how to buy a dwarf rabbit you need to think about the right breed for you.

There is the unique and tiny Hotot Dwarf rabbit, known for its sweet, good nature and fondness for play and curiosity. Also there is the oldest species of dwarf rabbit, called the Netherland Dwarf. They are known for the babyish appearance but tend to do better with adults or older children as they can be skittish and timid. There is also the hugely popular Mini Rex, though not a true dwarf breed, they are small and known for their very friendly personality, just like their bigger cousins.

Another breed is the Mini Lop, these adorable bunnies are a cross breed of the French Lop, the original lop eared bunny, and the Mini Rex. They have a personality somewhere in between the two breeds, making them a great and laid back pet for both old and young. Though as with all dwarfs, being even more fragile than their larger relatives you need to make sure young children play gently and do not treat them as a toy.

Never breed dwarf rabbits unless you know what you are doing, the very genetic reason they dwarf rabbits can cause a number of baby bunnies to be born only to suffer and die. A better idea if you really feel you have to breed the type, is to go with a Mini breed versus a dwarf or breed your dwarf with a larger rabbit, which will give you only some dwarf rabbits but all will be healthy. Who wants to see little helpless baby rabbits die? This could be very detrimental especially for children.

Most species of rabbits whether full sized or dwarfs can be house trained to use a litter box or go outside and make great indoor pets. In fact they tend to bond easily with their people and can be taught to peacefully co-exist with gentle cats, dogs and other animals though in particular with larger dogs, they should never left unsupervised to wander around with them.

After you have chosen your perfect breed all that is left is to find that perfect breeder or call around to shelters to find ones. Ask friends or search online for local breeders that can provide you with information on taking care of this breed and allow you to visit their rabbit breeding haven. Try to avoid those that do not want to let you meet the mom as they may have sick and poorly bred dwarf rabbits.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit http://7fbc79pmndjk-wawwbkz6gyi30.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BUNNIES
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Tips on Breeding Rabbits

Rabbit breeding can be a great endeavor but it can also be a relaxing hobby as many lay rabbit breeders found out themselves. However, not many people know that it be a great way to make money as well. Here are some tips you should remember whether you are breeding rabbits for hobby or for profit.

Spayed or neutered rabbits tend to live longer and suffer from less disease, so if you have rabbits mainly as pets you may think about getting them fixed. Maybe after one or two litters you may wish to stop breeding your rabbit. In any case, if you do choose to breed rabbits, there are some things to think about beforehand.

Rabbits have been found in certain areas to be domesticated as early as the 1500's. Even earlier domestication can be credited to French Catholic Monks. They needed a meat during Lent that was permissible. Early rabbit breeders had to deal with a lot of issues that modern ones do not. One such issue as the wildness was not yet bred out of their rabbits. Through breeding selection and natural processes, we now have hundreds of coat colors and dozens of breeds of domesticated rabbits to choose from. What type of rabbit is right for you to breed is based on many things. For example location, especially if you choose to keep your rabbits outside. Also your personal preferences can influence which rabbit to breed is right for you.

Some people prefer more aloof breeds that may sell well but really need little affection to flourish, and others want the big snuggly bunnies to sit on their lap and only sell maybe one litter per year to only the best rabbit parents. Some basic things to consider regardless of your chosen breed of rabbit include choosing a breeding pair. That is a buck or male rabbit and a doe or female rabbit. They must be healthy of course and free of genetic mutations or diseases. This means purchasing your rabbits from a great breeder that will give you the family history of the rabbit.

Neither sex of rabbit should be either too nervous or too aggressive as these traits will be passed down to their offspring. Some breeds naturally display more of these characteristics than others and that should be taken into account when deciding between a feisty or just plain mean rabbit. Some rabbits were just not meant for breeding even if they are from a high quality stock and have good genes. A good breeder will not sell you these types of unsuitable animals but there may be signs you can look for yourself to determine this as well.

Ask the breeder questions such as how the doe or buck's mother did with her young. Were there any accounts of cannibalism or the mother abandoning the young? This trait can be genetic and may ruin your chances of successfully breeding and selling your kits. Other things to look for are a bad coat and malocclusion, or an improper alignment of the teeth as these will often also be passed down the genetic lines.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit http://7fbc79pmndjk-wawwbkz6gyi30.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BUNNIES
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Raising Rabbits for a Profit

There are many ways that you can raise rabbits for profit without having them killed for meat or fur if you don’t like the idea. Many breeds of rabbits do very well in rabbit shows and competition. Most rabbits can be taught to do tricks and provide hours of entertainment for others while providing you with some extra cash. You may also wish to breed pet rabbits for money, such breeds like the Rex and Himalayan are hugely popular for pets and properly bred rabbits can get you close to $100 dollars per kit (baby rabbit).

If you are serious about making real money by selling rabbits for pets, you need to first attain a show quality rabbit. One doe is okay to start with as you can always work out a deal with another breeder that has a show quality male to breed with. Some deals such as pick of the litter will ensure you no up front cost and let you easily start your own rabbit breeding business.

Rabbits are good breeders and simply keeping one female from your first few litters will have you a large breeding stock in no time.

To gain attention and have people want to buy your rabbits, try taking one of them to a rabbit show. Not only can this earn you some money it will also show off your beautiful rabbit and allow to meet with other breeders and get tips on showing, breeding and raising them. Find a local place to show rabbits, maybe take this into consideration before you select your desired breed. Attending a show once month will get your name out there and increase interest substantially.

Creating a web page for your bunny rabbits with a cool name and layout will also get you a lot of interest. In this day and age, people are always looking on the net for everything. Show your pet rabbits and some cute pictures of baby rabbits along with some information and guarantees on health and temperament can be irresistible for those passers-by of your web page. Submit your page to several search engines for free and also join discussion groups, forums and lists on your rabbit's breed to get both more information and to market your rabbits for sale.

Easter is, understandably a huge time for the sale of cute little bunnies and many parents will be contacting you looking for a gift for their child. Make sure they understand baby rabbits are not toys and no domestic rabbits can simply be 'let go' once the child loses interest. A return policy may be necessary to ensure your kits are not abandoned when the other people have lost interest in their baby rabbits they bought from you.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit http://www.BreedingBunnies.com.
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Why Is Rabbit Breeding So Popular Today

There are many different reasons people get into rabbit breeding. Many people have begun raising meat rabbits in the last few years to supplement both their income and their meat locker.

With the cost of meat going up every day and job security going downhill faster than Scotty could beam up Kirk, meat rabbits have regained strong popularity recently. Add in the fact that commercially raised meat whether it is chicken, beef or pork is loaded with chemicals that have been proven harmful to our heath. A home organic meat source is just what the doctor and accountant ordered.

Rabbit breeding takes less room than almost any other livestock breeds. This allows people with small lots to be able to raise and breed rabbits. Then there is the fact that shows rabbits are still very popular in 4-H clubs and other livestock shows. While the number of people that make a living off of showing and breeding show rabbits is relatively small. The number of people that breed and show rabbits for the pure pleasure of it is growing every day.

Rabbits are also bred as house pets. While the number of rabbits that find permanent homes as pets is miniscule, rabbits make cute furry cuddly pets that many adults and all children love.

Rabbit breeding can be a very rewarding experience if you are prepared for everything that goes with rabbit breeding. These are things to consider before beginning breeding rabbits:

1. Rabbits need care on a daily basis.

2. Rabbits require feed and fresh water every day. Pregnant does will especially need this. Be prepared to buy feed for a few months before you start seeing a return on your investment.

3. Cleaning rabbit cages is a must if you are going to breed rabbits.

You will need to also have a rabbit house, water and feed dishes ready for your new rabbits when you bring them home. Before you begin breeding you will need a nest box for the doe and the kits. All of this can be purchased online or at your local farm supply store.

Rabbits have personalities and can be entertaining to watch for hours. If you decide to breed rabbits, take the time to be a responsible rabbit breeder. This will only help you be more successful in the long run.

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This article is brought to you by BreedingBunnies.com.

To learn more about how to breed rabbits for fun and profit, please visit
BreedingBunnies.com
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