Pit breeding of rabbits profitability. Rabbit breeding as a business: planning and calculations. Financial investments and expenses

– a business that has only recently begun to actively gain momentum in our country. Between 2006 and 2012, domestic production increased almost 4 times. The interest of entrepreneurs in this industry is determined by the increased demand for rabbit meat. And this is quite logical, since it has a number of advantages over beef and pork. Rabbit meat contains a large number of vitamins and minerals, is a dietary product. Rabbit meat dishes are also indispensable for people with intestinal diseases.

A person who wants to connect his life with agricultural activities, in particular with breeding rabbits, has a question: is it worth investing in this business? Is it profitable? Of course, it is impossible to give an answer right away, so first you need to make some calculations to determine the profitability of rabbit breeding.

Profitability calculation

One of the advantages of breeding rabbits is that this animal is distinguished by its fertility. Theoretically, one female rabbit can produce up to 10 litters in a year, but this is subject to compacted littering, that is, mating with a male almost immediately after giving birth. Compacted litters greatly weaken the females and cannot be carried out constantly, so semi-compacted litters are also carried out. Thus, from one female rabbit we get approximately 60 rabbits per year. Accordingly, having 120 female rabbits on the farm, in a year you can get 120x60 = 7200 rabbits from them, which is 14,400 kg of meat. The cost of one kilogram of meat is about 200 rubles, when calculating we get the following figures: 14400 kg x 200 rubles. = 2,880,000 rubles per year, that is, 240 tr. per month.

Impressive enough, but in reality this is far from pure profit, because there are certain costs associated with keeping the animals, maintaining the cages in good condition, and organizing the work. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Costs of rabbit farming

Costs include:

• Feed costs;
• Vaccination and veterinary care;
• Salaries of hired workers;
• Periodic cell repair;
• Electricity costs;
• Fare.

All this amounts to up to 50% of the total proceeds, but this does not mean that some expense items cannot be reduced or completely eliminated. For example, you can significantly save money on feed by making hay yourself and growing succulent and green food. The cost of a rabbit, in this case, becomes several times less.

If you vaccinate yourself, the costs of this procedure will only include the cost of syringes and the vaccine itself. In addition, with proper care and nutrition, rabbits rarely get sick; veterinary care is available life cycle Sometimes a rabbit is not needed at all.

You can also significantly reduce costs by carrying out all the work yourself, without resorting to help. hired workers. But this is only possible with an amateur hobby of rabbit breeding and small sales; otherwise, it will be very problematic to manage without the help of hired workers.

Waste-free production

In addition to meat, rabbit skins are also valued, which are used for sewing clothes, fur coats and making various accessories. Rabbit farming can rightfully be called a waste-free branch of animal husbandry, since in this case it is used for all parts of the body. Ears, offal and paws are readily eaten by dogs. The wool collected during shedding is used for the knitting industry. Manure is used as organic fertilizer, and nails are used for cosmetic purposes.

The amazing fertility of rabbits and their enviable ability to give birth to their own kind have long been noticed by people and even immortalized in oral traditions. folk art. If you think about this physiological feature of long-eared animals, you can easily come to an inspiring conclusion: breeding rabbits as a business can bring huge profits, because, in fact, the product for subsequent sale - the rabbits themselves - appears on its own! And the speed of such improvised “deliveries” amazes the imagination, instilling hope in the soul for future enrichment.

Well, seriously, raising rabbits for sale can be an excellent activity that generates a permanent income for those who live in rural areas. The main thing is not to forget anything at the start stage and organize things correctly.

Point one. Calculating profitability

So, it's decided. We raise rabbits and sell their meat. We use the proceeds to purchase even more rabbits; they multiply exponentially, automatically enriching their owner. But is such a business plan for raising rabbits really flawless, or are there many nuances, neglecting which will ruin our entrepreneurial initiative? It's worth looking into.

For preliminary calculations, let’s imagine that we are purchasing 60 rabbits (of which 40 are females). This will cost us approximately 30 thousand rubles. The rabbits will need cages (50 thousand rubles) and food (100 thousand rubles per year, if you count them together with the purchase of vitamins and medicines). A total of 180 thousand rubles are our costs at the initial stage.

Now let's move on to calculating income. On average across the country, a kilogram of rabbit meat can be sold for 250-300 rubles. From the 60 rabbits we bought, you can get about one and a half tons of meat, or, if you convert this into money, 300-380 thousand rubles. Thus, even by simply raising and fattening the purchased rabbits, we recoup the costs and remain “in the black.”

However, the rabbit breeding business would not be called a business if it could stop there. Not at all! Rabbits must breed. As a rule, 20 rabbits can be born from one rabbit per year. The weight of each young rabbit is up to two kilograms. In total, through the sale of offspring, you can receive revenue in the amount of 375 thousand rubles. In addition, if we sell the skins at a price of 20 rubles per piece, then we can receive additional revenue in the amount of 160 thousand rubles. Total - half a million per year with costs of 180 thousand. Not bad, isn't it?

Point two. Let's start the business

Unfortunately, all the above calculations, which clearly demonstrate how profitable the business of raising rabbits is, are very conditional. They do not take into account the most important components of the expenditure part - overhead costs. If you really want to start breeding rabbits, you should not make such mistakes.

What is really possible and necessary is to register as a subject entrepreneurial activity. At the initial stage, the ideal option would be to register with a choice of tax regime. As an alternative, you can consider the possibility of registering a peasant farm (peasant farm) farming). In essence, this form is no different from the usual individual entrepreneurship, however, the owner of a peasant farm has the right to accept shareholders into it. One way or another, after an entry appears in the Unified State Register of Entrepreneurs that you are now – no less than – an entrepreneur, you can start breeding rabbits.

Point three. Starting preparations

However, no. Before breeding rabbits directly, much still needs to be done so that long-eared rabbits have the physical opportunity to reproduce. In particular, it is necessary to find a suitable plot of land and equip it properly. On average, renting a plot of sufficient size to accommodate a rabbit farm costs 70-100 thousand rubles per year (a plot of 6-7 acres). You do not need to obtain a special permit to raise rabbits, however, the legislation stipulates certain standards according to which the distance limit from the farm to residential buildings must be observed. The specific parameters of this limit are set by municipal authorities, and therefore it is advisable to obtain advice on this matter in advance.

Once a suitable site has been found, it must be equipped. The best option creating a mini-farm, if you start raising rabbits as a business from scratch, you will use the so-called shed system. A shed is a regular shed with a wooden or metal frame. It contains cages with rabbits - all under one roof. It is best to build such a barn on a hill, since high air humidity can form in the lowlands, which is harmful for long-eared animals.

The floor in the shed is best concreted. It is optimal to build the cells themselves in two tiers. They are made from galvanized mesh. Each cage must be made “two-room”: with a feeding and nesting compartment. In addition to the shad with cages, there should be a warehouse with mixed feed on the site. There is no need to spare space for it: rabbits are distinguished not only by their fertility, but also by their enviable appetite.

In order for your mini rabbit breeding farm to function successfully, it is necessary to install utility rooms on your site (for building materials and equipment), as well as a building with refrigeration equipment. A slaughterhouse is attached to this building, equipped with an incinerator and blood flow. This will ensure continuous manufacturing process: after slaughter, the rabbit carcass is immediately cut up and frozen.

The last thing you need to equip your farm with is a manure collector. It is a very ordinary pit, the walls of which are concreted. Of course, such a pit should be located as far as possible from the main farm, in a remote part of the farm. By the way, if you find distribution channels, you can sell rabbit excrement as fertilizer and thus receive additional income.

Point four. Sales market

Finding places where you will subsequently sell the meat of the rabbits you raise is perhaps the most main part business plan. Even some unique technology for raising rabbits does not play as important a role as having wide marketing opportunities. That is why you need to take care of who will buy your rabbit meat long before even registering as an individual entrepreneur. In principle, there are three main options for distribution: meat processing plants, restaurants and supermarkets. You can, of course, sell meat to private individuals, but searching for them is a rather labor-intensive and lengthy process, the profitability of which, alas, is usually low.

Because in our country, unlike the enlightened Western Europe, rabbit meat is not very popular, then it is very likely that at the starting stage you may incur some losses. You need to be prepared for this: there will certainly be illiquid assets, at least at the beginning of the journey. There is only one way out: look - and look again! You should constantly be on the lookout for new opportunities for selling products, even consider non-standard options, for example, export to other regions. Ultimately, profits will follow.

Point five. Let's sum it up

So, raising rabbits on a rented plot of land can really become good business, bringing a good income. However, this type of activity cannot be called easy. In addition to hard work and the notorious entrepreneurial acumen, the owner of the farm must have a noticeable thirst for learning. In particular, it is very useful not only to know how to breed rabbits, but also to constantly improve in this direction. Otherwise, long-eared animals may become victims of a general epidemic, and their owner will receive not only moral trauma caused by the loss of a source of income, but also a lot of problems associated with disposal.

It is reasonable to assume that running such a household alone is at least irrational. A farmer definitely needs helpers. Animals must be under constant supervision and receive proper care. Accordingly, you will have to hire at least two assistants (if your family members are not suitable for such a role, of course) and pay them wages. This expense item must also be taken into account when calculating future profits from rabbit breeding.

And finally one more important point– certification. It's easy to imagine that your future customers will want to have a guarantee of the quality of your products. It is very likely that in some cases (for example, when selling meat to private individuals) they may take your word for it, but this is the exception rather than the rule. One way or another, it is unprofitable to completely certify all manufactured products, as well as production itself, especially at the stage of entering the market. It’s easier to talk to buyers privately: get acquainted with the requirements they put forward and get only those certificates that a specific buyer needs.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 7 minutes

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Rabbit farming as a business is both simple and complex at the same time. Its profitability depends on the volume of the sales market in your region. There is no rush demand for rabbit meat in our country, since the population is not sufficiently aware of the valuable qualities of this meat.

The success of this enterprise will depend on how carefully and competently you approach the search for buyers. According to statistics, the payback period for such a business is from two to four years.

The prospects of rabbit farming as a business

Abroad, rabbit meat is a very popular product, which is explained by its nutritional value. For example, in America there is a large-scale scientific work on breeding new rabbit breeds and increasing the nutritional value of this type of meat. During the era of the Soviet Union, especially in the 70s of the last century, there were large fur farms that specialized exclusively in breeding rabbits. New breeds were imported and active breeding work was carried out. However, in the 90s of the twentieth century, all the efforts of domestic rabbit breeders were reduced to nothing.

At the moment, rabbit meat is poorly represented in the meat balance of our country, which is why the demand for it has fallen.

However, given the dietary properties of rabbit meat, this situation tends to improve. Currently, the shortage of domestic rabbit meat is compensated by foreign supplies, which means that, given the policy of import substitution, there is still a prospect.

If you engage in rabbit farming wisely, its profitability can be very decent. The main thing is to take into account the main risks, which include:

• low level of labor productivity;
• sharp temperature fluctuations in the Russian climate;
• risk of mass mortality of animals from infectious diseases.

The prospects of rabbit breeding as a business are supported by the fact that within one year one individual is capable of reproducing a mass that is 50 times its own weight.

Advantages and disadvantages of rabbit farming as a private business

In this business, as in any other, there are both certain advantages and disadvantages.

Experts include the following advantages:

• fairly fast payback period;
• good profitability of rabbit farming;
• beneficial properties of the resulting products;
• mating can be carried out all year round;
• versatility of this business.

The disadvantages include the following:

№	Helpful information
1	The cleanliness of rabbits requires constant and regular cleaning of the places where they are kept, otherwise the risk of animal disease increases
2	these animals quickly get used to their owners, but not to strangers; they are very timid, afraid not only of strangers, but also of unfamiliar smells and sharp sounds, and this negatively affects their physiological state; known cases of rabbits dying from fright
3	caring for rabbits requires constant attention; for example, many novice farmers complain that a mother rabbit eats her babies, but in fact it turns out that immediately after giving birth they forgot to pour water into her drinking bowl

Legal registration of business on rabbits

It’s worth noting right away that this business does not require significant initial investments. For example, a farm for 1000 heads can be organized on a standard dacha of six acres. Additional savings will come from making cages, feeders and drinkers yourself. But before you start work, you need to choose the organizational and legal form of your future enterprise.

Typically, a beginning rabbit breeder chooses between the form of “personal subsidiary plot” (abbreviated as private household plot) and “individual entrepreneur” (abbreviated as individual entrepreneur).

You need to choose based on who and how you plan to sell future products. If the circle of yours potential clients limited to relatives and friends, as well as buyers of agricultural markets, then best choice will become a form of private household plots, since it is not subject to taxes. However, if you subsequently decide to expand your business and, as a result, enter new markets, you will need the legal status of an individual entrepreneur. This is a more expensive form in terms of organization, taxation and reporting, which requires obtaining appropriate permits to engage in private entrepreneurship in the field of your choice. The regulatory authorities monitoring the work of private household plots are city or rural administrations, and the individual entrepreneur already controls such government agency, as Rosselkhoznadzor.

Rabbit breeding for beginners. Where to begin?

The answer to this question is quite simple - you should start by obtaining the necessary knowledge.

Before you start breeding these animals, you should learn more about their lifestyle, diet, the living conditions they need, how they reproduce, what diseases they suffer from, and so on, and so on... These, albeit purely theoretical, fundamentals of rabbit breeding are very will help you in further practical work.

And remember - breeding and keeping rabbits, like any other pets, is not entertainment, but daily painstaking work.

When starting your farming journey, you should be patient. Beginners tend to make mistakes, but in rabbit farming, as in any other business, experience comes as a result of real work.

You can start breeding rabbits at any time of the year, since these eared fidgets are ready to mate all year round.

It also doesn’t hurt to get acquainted with the main characteristics of the most popular and productive rabbit breeds.

After you decide on the breed, equip places for keeping the animals and purchase the necessary food. It is better to house rabbits in cages specially adapted for this purpose, which can be placed outdoors. It is best to buy young animals from experienced rabbit breeders with a good reputation, who, in addition to selling you high-quality and healthy rabbits, can also help you with advice at first.

A successful rabbit breeding business begins with choosing a breed, in which you should pay special attention to:

• quality characteristics of the resulting meat,
• growth rate (live weight gain);
• feed conversion indicator, the essence of which is the following: how much feed an animal eats for one kilogram of weight.

Most often they start with hybrid breeds, which are cheaper than purebred animals. Particular attention is paid to the breeding stock, the main characteristic of which is how many rabbits one rabbit can give birth to and feed.

There are no rabbit breeding centers in Russia, so you should focus on foreign breeding farms, which, as a rule, have their distributors in our country. In addition to the animals themselves, such enterprises usually offer quality equipment for this business, and also provide training services for novice rabbit breeders.

Equipment for rabbit breeding

Currently, there are the following systems for keeping rabbits:

• aviary;
• semi-aviary;
• cellular.

Reviews from practicing rabbit breeders indicate that the first two systems are quite rare, so attention should be paid to the cage system for keeping these animals. It allows you to organize competent mating and proper feeding of rabbits, and also makes it possible to organize timely matings.

In addition, such a system allows rabbits to be kept outdoors all year round, which can significantly increase the body’s resistance to various diseases and improve the breeding and productive qualities of rabbits. The disadvantages of cellular housing include, perhaps, only the fact that in such conditions it is difficult to obtain offspring winter period problematic.

Single-tier cages should be placed on wooden posts. The height from the floor of the cage to the ground should be 80 centimeters. It is best to use double cages. Hay mangers made of metal mesh usually act as partitions between cages. The floor and walls of the nesting compartment should be made of simple planks, and the aft compartment should be made of metal mesh. The roofs of the cages must be made of well-fitted boards. Which should provide a slope of 15 degrees. It is also necessary to provide 20 cm visors. The top of the roof is covered with roofing felt. When installing floors, you also need to provide a slope of 5 degrees. This will ensure natural drainage of animal urine. Young rabbits can be placed in one cage of three or four individuals. One paddock, which is a wooden frame covered with a metal mesh, should accommodate 10 young rabbits.

This system greatly facilitates animal care and makes it possible to mechanize the processes of watering and feed distribution, which allows doubling labor productivity. With this kind of housing, the rabbit breeder is able to simultaneously serve up to 130 females and up to 1,200 rabbits that have not yet been placed.

The size of shads can be up to 120 centimeters and up to 270 cells. The floor in the passages is usually concreted with a slope on both sides. The width of the intercellular passage is 130 centimeters.

The length of the cages in the sheds is 140 centimeters, the depth is 70 centimeters, and the height of the rear wall is 36 centimeters, the front wall is up to 55. The cells are arranged in two rows in two tiers. The bottom row is for animals of the main row, the top row is for separated young animals.

To fatten young animals for meat, double-sided shads are used, with mechanized distribution of feed and water. Feces collection is also being mechanized. Such shads can accommodate up to 600 young individuals. The cage itself is a wooden frame covered with a metal mesh. For mechanical watering, automated float-type drinkers are used.
On meat and skin farms, with a minimum number of breeding stock of 1200 individuals, two-tiered one-sided shads are used.

Where to start organizing your mini-farm?

Before starting construction of a rabbitry, you need to coordinate its location with the local administration, since there are standards for its distance from residential sectors. Violation of these norms entails administrative liability.

To begin with, you can take ready plan rabbit farm and adapt it to your needs. It is best to place the rabbitry on a hill so that water does not accumulate around it during rain or when snow melts. The optimal solution is to concrete the ground under these structures. This will prevent water from stagnating.

Feed is stored in a separate room, which should also not be forgotten.

It is better to buy concentrated feed in bulk. This results in significant savings.

In the feed storage itself, it is necessary to provide the possibility of complying with temperature regime and a certain level of humidity, in order to prevent mold from appearing on the feed.

The place for slaughtering animals must be equipped with a blood drain and an oven for the destruction of slaughter waste in it. It is advisable to locate refrigeration chambers near this place for storing the resulting products.

To store rabbit manure, you should equip a cesspool with a depth of at least three meters.

The walls of this pit need to be concreted, and to protect it from snow and rain, a canopy must be built over it.

To avoid gross mistakes when choosing an animal to buy, experienced rabbit breeders give the following advice:

Difficulties encountered when breeding and keeping rabbits

The main problems that beginning rabbit breeders face are:

1. nutrition problems. Rabbits are extremely sensitive to rotten and moldy food, which often makes them sick. On the other hand, they choke on very dry food. You should also add the necessary vitamins. A well-chosen and balanced diet is the key to health and productivity in rabbit breeding;
2. vaccination. These animals need to be vaccinated periodically. If the conditions of detention meet all the necessary requirements, then the animals should not get sick. But it’s still better to be safe. The main vaccination is against myxomatosis, pasteurellosis and VGBV;
3. problems with cellular contents. These animals love to chew on everything, so the material for the cages should be High Quality;
4. temperature regime. The optimal temperature range is considered to be from +2 to +30 degrees. For reproduction and rapid fattening, the temperature should be between +13 and +26 degrees Celsius.

Where to sell the products?

Typically, the formation of a customer base begins with a close circle of relatives and friends, and then “word of mouth” attracts their acquaintances, acquaintances of their acquaintances, and so on into the circle of your customers.

You shouldn't skimp on advertising. Pay attention especially in promotional materials beneficial properties dietary rabbit meat. It's fashionable now. Don't overprice! In conditions of low purchasing power of the population, the price should be affordable, which will allow you to expand the circle of your customers.

Veterinary documents are not required to sell meat through friends.

They willingly buy rabbit meat in restaurants, but they always require a veterinary certificate for the product (form No. 2).

Selling rabbit meat through stores with small volumes of products is unprofitable. Lots of expenses for annual permits and quality certificates. In addition, large retail chains usually give a very low purchase price.

In addition to meat, you can also sell rabbit skins. They are purchased by manufacturing companies fur products. To be fair, it should be said that their prices are not very attractive.

Rabbit droppings can also be sold as organic fertilizer.

The main source of income is the fertility of rabbits. With the proper level of maintenance, feeding and care, one female is capable of bearing offspring up to 10 times a year, which allows you to get up to 60 rabbits from one queen.

For example, let's take a farm with 120 females. We receive 7,200 cubs per year. This is an average of up to 14 tons of 400 kilograms of rabbit meat.

At a selling price of 200 rubles per kilogram, average annual revenue could be 2 million 880 thousand. Costs account for approximately half of total revenue, or 1 million 440 thousand rubles. These funds go to:

• purchase of feed;
• fare;
• payment for electricity;
• wages for hired workers (if any);
• purchase and repair of cages;
• payment for veterinarian services and vaccinations.

Some costly items can be eliminated if, for example, you do not hire outside staff and vaccinate the rabbits yourself.

Based on the above figures, we find that profitability can reach up to 100 percent (but this is ideal).

When starting rabbit farming from scratch, you need to draw up a competent business plan. Rabbit farming, like any other business, requires taking into account expected expenses and income.

This business plan, on the one hand, must include all initial material investments, one-time and regular expenses. On the other hand, planned income from primary and secondary products is taken into account. In this second part, you should definitely take into account the specifics of your region, since prices in different regions of our country vary significantly.

TO initial costs relate:

• purchasing or renting a plot of land for a rabbit farm (you can start with a plot you already have);
• expenses for legal registration and preparation of the necessary documentation;
• costs for landscaping;
• expenses for the purchase of materials for the construction of a rabbitry, feed storage and the purchase of cages;
• purchase of necessary inventory and equipment;
• costs of purchasing animals (you can start with 50 pieces).

Of course, starting your own rabbit farm does not require any crazy expenses. You can get by with small investments, gradually increasing the scale of your activities. Plan your work so that you can spend at least three to four hours a day caring for your animals. Over time, this can become the main source of income.

A small business raising rabbits is a very interesting topic that requires painstaking calculations. After all, the majority raise small livestock near their place of residence, and it is rare that, for example, individual entrepreneurs dare to place bulky cages in the area of ​​industrial zones. But if there is demand, then why not?

Location is a secondary matter. More important is the rabbit itself, its breed, fertility and disease resistance.

Business plan

There are not many business ideas or plans for raising rabbits in cages, pits or sheds. After all, for rural areas (and rabbits have always been bred on private farms) it is difficult to officially obtain a loan or credit for development. This often happens in practice.

But in legislative order There are only two options. Let's present it in the form of a table:

Rabbits as a business: pros and cons

Let's put it in order. Pros:

• Meat of any breed is dietary (no fat in the carcass). For a similar food product demand all year round;
• Now It is possible to obtain consumer loans working citizens to start a business for breeding and selling rabbits;
• If you work hard, then selling rabbit skins will also bring profit. Well, downy breeds pay for themselves in a season. The approximate price of processed rabbit fluff (grade 1) starts from 100 rubles;
• You can sell some individuals alive(if there is demand);
• The fastest payback with minimal investment.

Of the minuses:

• The small living organism of a rabbit is very sensitive, needs a balanced diet. This is especially true for pregnant females and young animals (up to 2 months inclusive);
• Can't do without vaccines, although there is a lot of resentment about this. But veterinarian visits to rabbit farms are routine;
• No points or depots for receiving meat among the population. This practice took root well in the USSR, where any skins, furs and, of course, down were accepted. Some regions are trying to catch up, but most mini-farms sell slaughter by appointment, selling meat in small quantities to city residents and rarely to retail.
• Earning money from a breed can lead to serious expenses. The fact is that an adult rabbit (six months old) must be sold as soon as possible, otherwise it will have to be fed in vain every day. Such cultivation is unprofitable.

Rabbit business – myth and reality?

Animal business without investment is definitely a myth. It is not difficult to organize a small income comparable to a regional salary.

But the desire for profit has a detrimental effect on living organisms. Rabbits as a financial instrument are extremely unstable.

Let's assume that an average businessman received a contract for the supply of 200-250 kg. rabbit meat per month. This is cool. However, now precautions are needed so as not to miscalculate, and the entire livestock is consistently pierced with antibiotics. This is how everything works, otherwise you won’t survive under the contract. This is the real reality about business on rabbits and other animals.

Therefore, the purchase of natural and dietary meat should not be made from large trading network, where the carcass harmoniously flaunts on the substrate, and ideally a meter from the place of slaughter. Where the farm is visible, and it’s clear what they feed and how they care for it.

What do people with experience write?

There are general final reviews among former and current rabbit breeders:

1. Forget about stability. Exactly there can be no guaranteed income. It also happens that the entire month's litter dies in a few days from poor-quality food, infection or an ordinary fly. All this takes a toll on your nerves and your pocket!
2. Business is not for everyone. Rabbits even with automation (water supply, heating) time consuming. A simple example: there is a sale, and you need to score some 5 units. Treat one rabbit for at least 40 minutes. And here are five pieces! What if the volume is good and you need to score 20-30 per day?
3. The most important thing in such a business is the equipment! We are talking about the quality of the cells and premises. Whether it is profitable or not to spend money on them is not important. Everything that is created for comfortable conditions, always pays off, certainly with rabbits. Therefore, you should not skimp even when choosing wire for the cage. And, of course, test all feed purchased from new suppliers.
4. Routine activity. The first year, maybe two years, is interesting. But experience makes itself felt, and even with a population of 200-300 rabbits, you constantly need to carry heavy bags of feed, supply water and do cleaning. Is it worth it? And all processes are on schedule, otherwise there will be illnesses.
5. Can be kept for yourself, relatives and regular good customers. If there is a profitable outlet for food, that’s another matter! You can organize space and purchase equipment.
6. Increasingly, rabbit breeding has become an outlet for housewives. A few dozen, maximum 50 heads at home are enough trouble. And the whole point is that they are increasingly trying to extract benefits through speculative means: they buy the breed at exhibitions for brood, and then sell it as an elite species for many times more expensive. Also a business, but not on a product.
7. In rural areas, where there are their own small customs, rabbit breeders try to cross blood, inviting a female to mate in a hunt, for example, with a neighbor. And you have to pay for this, give food or help with housework.
8. Owners who have kept rabbits for decades will tell you whether it is profitable to keep them only for themselves. Rather yes than no. A real, high-quality product for home consumption.
9. Can only be bred for the warm season. As a type of business it’s very good. Minimum feed costs. Abundant nutrition with hay or pasture. But here you need a guaranteed seller of teenagers every spring, otherwise nothing will work out. Regions with problematic climates often practice such breeding.

Is it profitable? conclusions

There is always a benefit. The first is experience. Breeding can cost several thousand or millions. But the essence is the same: organize the fertilization process in time, save young animals and preserve the breed. And with responsible care there will be offspring every season. If you run a small business without selling live weight, there are more prospects. And live rabbits from private household plots are rarely sold alive, due to great connections. This is a risk for the owner.

What’s great about the rabbit is its unpretentiousness to the weather. This animal can get along well in a wide enclosure (shed), in a hole (breeding rabbits in pits) or in a classic cage. Nowadays there are many breeds of rabbit that require special care (warm room, vitamins from pet stores, etc.). TO meat business It’s better not to take such ones.

Our outstanding rabbit breeder Alexey Alekseevich Tsvetkov learned from his own experience all the intricacies of working with rabbits. From the choice of breed to the slaughter system - he personally tested all this. And this man runs his unique farm himself, not allowing outsiders. Maybe this is the secret of success?

According to Alexey himself, pigs, for example, are more difficult to keep. They are noisy. The rabbit is calm, quiet until a certain time. Of course, cleaning cages with rabbits is a daily routine, but even here you can think about how to make your farm even more autonomous, since there are a lot of materials for imagination on the markets.

Tsvetkov mini-farm design

The experience of one of the most experienced rabbit breeders in the country.

Experience of Tsvetkov A. A.

According to approximate calculations for the volume and technology developed by Alexey Alekseevich, you need to follow the following rules so that the rabbit farm is in the black:

• 2-3 employees on a permanent basis. People are needed to carry feed, unload and load. Otherwise, your back won’t hold up for long;
• Custom designed cells(project by A. A. Tsvetkov);
• For a livestock of up to 2 thousand, you need at least 40 acres of land to install everything subsidiary farming . According to Alexey Alekseevich, even the light cycle can affect the growth and development of the immune system of a rabbit. Light should penetrate into designated areas from dawn to dusk;
• Only local breeds can be hired. It is not advisable to cross with European species. “Soviet chinchilla” is an ideal option for breeding. Has good performance in terms of weight gain and resistance to climate change;
• The sales market in the central region of the country is developed, demand is high. But the cost of meat in winter may be more expensive, since in summer more hay is used as feed. It's cheaper;
• Waste removal. Such a mini-farm produces exactly the same amount of waste as the amount of feed that is imported. Therefore, it is better to either remove animal waste products immediately or organize a special area for compost. Interesting fact, rabbit droppings are equal to horse droppings, which means they are the best natural fertilizer for the garden.
• You cannot start a cycle with cell cleaning or vaccination of young animals.. Young animals need to be fed with natural supplements (like calves on a farm). Even flour will do;
• Food and drink are plentiful all year round. It is necessary to balance the amount of hay with feed so as not to cause upset in the rabbit’s food system;
• It is better not to invest heavily in breeding rabbits, but to start gradually. Haste does not solve financial problems, and even more so, without experience, rush into medium business risky.

Whether it is beneficial to keep it during daily worries is up to those who have set a specific goal to decide!

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Rabbit breeding has been known to mankind since ancient times. Its relevance is not lost in the modern world: products obtained from this industry National economy, is extremely in demand in the market. Beginning rabbit breeders will benefit from learning the basics on which successful rabbit breeding is based and what to do to rabbit farm brought in income.

The goal of any livestock farming is to obtain the required products in the maximum possible quantities. Rabbit breeding has proven itself exclusively with the best side. The following reasons contributed to this:

• unpretentiousness. Rabbit breeding does not require large economic costs;
• productivity. The livestock is increasing at a rapid pace;
• demand. Demand for rabbit meat and fur is stable and reliable.

Rabbit products:

• meat. It is the main type of income. Experienced livestock breeders specialize in producing meat. Sold wholesale or retail. Especially popular in restaurants. The share of meat from the total weight of the animal is approximately 50%;
• fur. Used in light industry as a material for elegant and warm clothing;
• directly rabbits. Purebred individuals are valued as pets;
• Rabbit excrement is considered an excellent fertilizer for many crops.

The profitability of rabbit farming is approximately 70%. This is a large indicator indicating a high probability of success for the enterprise. Many people know about the fertility of rabbits: a sexually mature female can give birth to up to 30 rabbits in a year, which guarantees quick payback business. Animals grow quickly: in 1 month the mass of an individual increases approximately 10 times. After just three months, the average rabbit weighs about 2.5 kilograms.

The choice of breed directly depends on the goals. However, most experienced farmers prefer universal breeds. Example: accelerated rabbits, gaining weight in just a couple of months.

How to start?

Before you start, you should take care of the legal and economic aspects of the enterprise. A business from scratch will require the following resources:

• growing space. You will need a plot of land, the desired size of which is at least 15 acres. It is legally prohibited to grow near residential buildings;
• electricity, water, heat. Like any other living species, rabbits require basic conditions to survive;
• equipment: drinking places, food, cages, tools;
• carnage. Necessary for direct production of products;
• feed.

The listed resources are required for both a large enterprise and a mini-farm. Optionally, staff may be required if the novice rabbit breeder is not going to work alone.

The lion's share of expenses will be taken up by feed. It is recommended to acquire special warehouse with supplies for several months in advance. It is easier to purchase food in bulk: large quantities at a cheap price. Animals' favorite food is hay and grains. The experience of professionals has shown that rabbits do not like crushed cereals. It is best to make mixtures from different crops.

A small enterprise should start with 2-3 mini-farms, which will include 3 females and 1 male. If we take into account equipment and feed, then the final size starting capital will be approximately 120,000 rubles. Small business has low risks and requires modest investments.

Advice: 16 females is the ideal number for productive and profitable activities. As the event grows, you should reach this figure.

Thus, sample business plan will look like this.

Legal side of the issue

A rabbit farm can be opened in two organizational and legal forms: individual entrepreneur and private household plot. The comparison is given in the table below.

Which one to choose? Personal farming is suitable for small farms, since there is no tax burden. On the other hand, market agents and state enterprises are more willing to cooperate with individual entrepreneurs. In addition to individual entrepreneurs and private household plots, you can also create peasant farms. By the nature of its activities, a farm is no different from an individual entrepreneur. Two nuances of peasant farms as an organizational and legal form: legal uncertainty (vague rules of law) and the opportunity to receive support from the state. Bottom line: to participate in the market the best solution will be an individual entrepreneur, for a modest enterprise “for oneself” - a subsidiary plot.

How to buy?

A start-up business needs to take care of the sex ratio of individuals. In practice, the most common ratio is 1 male per 10 females. The sex is determined simply: put the rabbit on its back and pull the tail up. The presence of a tube-shaped process indicates a male; its absence indicates a female.

Where to buy animals? Private organizations are selling them. There is little point in going to a pet store - there is a high probability that they will not be there. General advice: look for suggestions from professional farmers. The Internet, newspaper advertisements and information from friends will help. There are dozens of rabbit farms in each region.

When purchasing, you should be guided by the following rules:

The correct choice of the initial stock has a decisive influence on future breeding. The next important point is the breed of the animal.

Choosing a breed

It all depends on the goals set by the beginning rabbit breeder. If the goal is meat production, then preference should be given to meat breeds, if fur, then to skin breeds.

Large quantities of meat are guaranteed from the following breeds:

The preferred method is cellular. If you have a large population, you can use shads, which are essentially a type of cage. Advantages of the cellular system:

• feeding regulation;
• planned matings;
• light breeding work;
• isolation of a sick animal.

It is the cellular method that provides maximum productivity. The meat and skins are of high quality and are valued on the market. In the CIS countries, professional rabbit breeders mainly use cages.

Rabbit farm: structure and features

A mini-farm is a system of cells that are combined into one structure. The net takes up little space and can accommodate a large number of animals. The approximate area of ​​the mini-farm is 2 m², which can accommodate up to 40 individuals.

Types of mini-farms:

• decorative;
• mini-dachas;
• homestead;
• industrial.

The most acceptable option for breeding is home gardens. Decorative ones are not used throughout the year, but large ones require considerable investment. Homestead mini-farms are economical and spacious. Depending on the number of tiers, single-tier and multi-tier farms are distinguished. The choice is based on the size of the enterprise.

The design of any mini-farm should include:

The construction of a rabbitry needs to be given close attention - the health of the rabbits and even the farmer’s maintenance costs depend on this. What types of rabbit hutches are there? In our article you will find drawings, tools and materials, photos + videos.

To increase efficiency, a hopper feeder will also be required. Its presence contributes to compliance with sanitary standards: feed is safely loaded once a week. A characteristic feature of rabbit mini-farms is good functionality and increased autonomy. Such qualities ensure a constant flow of products and minimal costs.

Despite the abundance of structures, the so-called Mikhailov farm has gained the greatest popularity. And not without reason. By now it is considered a classic. It is worth examining it in more detail.

Making a Mikhailov farm

The following components will be required for construction:

• lumber. The wood is pre-treated with antifungal agents. The timber is purchased in regular sizes (20-40 mm);
• plywood;
• iron;
• tools: hacksaw, jigsaw, drill, hammer, scissors, pliers;
• nails;
• net. Previously, metal mesh was used, now soft materials are popular, since rabbits can get hurt;
• roof.

The Mikhailov farm is a structure consisting of 3 interconnected elements: upper and lower tiers and a stand. The upper section has a walking section, the lower section has a feeding trough and water. The upper tier is jigging and mother. In the uterine tier, the queen is crossed with a breeding male. Young animals are raised in the jigging chamber.

The cells have an area of ​​about 1.5 m². Each can accommodate up to 20 individuals. Mikhailov's farm is essentially multi-tiered shads. Most often, two-tier structures are used.

Characteristic features of Mikhailov's design:

• autonomous cleaning. All animal waste goes directly into the garbage compartment without human intervention;
• unlimited water and food. The system uses simple laws nature: food is supplied as it decreases due to gravity, and water is supplied due to the law of connected vessels;
• heating system providing a constant and favorable temperature environment in winter;
• complete satisfaction of animal instincts. The design resembles natural rabbit holes and holes;
• functionality. Young animals can be moved to another compartment without harm to them.

The lifespan of the Mikhailov farm is approximately 20 years. This is almost twice as much as using traditional models.

Making a Mikhailov farm:

The finished mini-farm can be placed anywhere. It doesn't take up much space. Experienced rabbit breeders advise stirring the structure in the open air - this promotes the healthy development of the offspring. With this placement, you will have to take care of insulation - rabbits do not tolerate drafts well.

What can and cannot be fed to rabbits?

Without understanding the basics of feeding, healthy rabbits cannot be raised. From here you will learn what kinds of food there are for rabbits and how to feed long-eared rabbits correctly, you will find the norms and feeding regimes. And in you will learn what to feed rabbits is strictly prohibited.

Features of Mikhailov's technique

Igor Nikolaevich Mikhailov is a Russian rabbit breeder, whose rabbit breeding technique has become a standard and a textbook example. As a result of long experiments, Mikhailov managed to develop an acceleration technique that ensures maximum productivity. It has been proven in practice that the Mikhailovsky method significantly reduces the cost of caring for pets.

Legend of rabbit breeding - Igor Mikhailov

Characteristic features of the technique:

• the need for a mini-farm. Without it, proper and successful breeding of animals is impossible;
• ensuring communication between the young and the mother. The offspring are fed by the female for the first 3 months (traditionally it was only 3 weeks), after which they switch to regular food. Such long feeding from the mother ensures rapid growth and increased immunity;
• waste products should not get into the feed. This is guaranteed by the design feature of the truss;
• micraxel. The fur obtained as a result of using Mikhailov’s technique is highly valued in light industry.

As a result of using Mikhailov’s method, each rabbit breeder receives about 100 kilograms of meat and approximately 40 skins per year. Stable profits and a constant influx of clients are guaranteed.

Farm structure is the most important technological process, as a result of which the rabbit breeding business will pay off in the first year of operation. When choosing between different designs, a novice rabbit breeder should pay special attention to Mikhailov’s technique as a time-tested practice.

Video - Breeding rabbits on a farm

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