I will be writing about how to cut down rabbit farm expenses. Starting a rabbit farm can be interesting especially when they are increasing daily as they are very prolific animals and have a short gestation period but the challenge most brooding or upcoming rabbit farmers face later in the trade is the issue of feeding.
From personal experience, I realized that the cost of feeding an increasing number of rabbits is not something anyone without any form of income won’t feel in the long run.
How to cut down on rabbit farm expenses should be a priority for any farmer if he or she wants to maximize profit. Presently 15kg of pelletized rabbit feed costs between N3600 to N4,200, and this volume can only feed about 10 rabbits for an average of three weeks.
So imagine the cost of feeding more than 10 pieces of rabbit; the cost implication can be scary using pellet feed especially when expansion is on your mind. Now what is the solution to this issue?
In other to cut down on rabbit farm expenses you must improvise or seek another form of feeding methods for them and this must not interfere with their growth and development as well as health.
ALTERNATIVE TO PELLETS RABBIT FEEDS
Another alternative to pellet feeds is plants. Different online articles have written about the different things you can feed your rabbits on and some are correct, but when not given in the right proportion, many can lead to digestive complications.
Such complications can result in indigestion, bloating, and stooling, which can result in death. Below are some plants you can feed your rabbits on:
- Sunflower: This can be fed to your rabbits, but its advised by many other experienced rabbit farmers that this should be served only when there is absolutely no other alternative, as this can be poisonous to rabbits.
Also this plant should never be given to pregnant rabbits. About a year ago I ran low on feed on my farm and decided to feed all my rabbits, including the pregnant ones on the sunflower plant since that was in abundance in my vicinity.
One thing I did wrong was to feed my pregnant rabbits sunflowers. When it was labor time, I realized that the rabbit was in serious pain and struggled to birth her bunnies.
This kept me worried and I immediately reached out to my mentor, who pointed out to me my errors. Sunflower is bad for pregnant does as well as lactating mother rabbits, as it hinders smooth delivery and does not encourage milk production in them.
- Milky plant: I don’t really know the English or botanical name for this plant. This plant is another good source of food for rabbits; but the issue here is that it’s not in abundance in nature and can mostly be found in the bush.
- Tuber peels: different peels are an alternative source of food for rabbits, but its advice you don’t serve this raw as part of the cause of bloat is part excessive water intake in their food ration.
So the best thing to do is to serve it dried. Meaning if have peels from any form of tuber be it yam, potatoes, or cassava, first ensure it’s well dried before feeding them on it. But plantain peels can be served fresh but dried it if chanced upon.
- Fruits and fruit peels: this is more like a delicacy for rabbits. I use this in emergency situations especially when there is no other choice. Fruit peels are good for them and can serve as food but should never be served regularly.
Too much fruit and its peels can result to bloating in younger rabbits. Plantains and banana peels can be served in excess but watermelon should notd be serve in the same way due to its excessive content.
- Tridax plant: This is generally known to be one of the best meals for rabbits. Apart from them loving it, it’s also very good for their development. Also tridax is good for pregnant and lactating mothers as its healthy for delivery, their kits and also encourages breast milk development.
So, if there is any plant you should always look out to feed your rabbits with then tridax should be the first thing on your mind. I will be stopping right here.
If you have other alternatives or things you feed your rabbits with then drop them in the comment section so that I can add them to this list or people to benefit from.
Also we make standard galvanized rabbit cages with feeders, drinkers, waste collector for your rabbit’s farm. So reach us promptly for your order and give your rabbits a befitting housing they deserve. Call: 08032912347
I want to say BIG thank you for taking your time to run through the article to the end. I have one last favor to ask from you, I will be glad if you can help me share his on your Social Medias so that other people can benefit from this too.
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