Farmer earns a fortune from raising New Zealand rabbits

Breeding rabbits requires patience

Khanh said he started to raise New Zealand rabbits in 2012 following a friend’s suggestion.

“I used to be a low-income worker. After hearing a friend say that breeding New Zealand rabbits requires little capital and is suitable for my family’s finances, I decided to give it a try,” Khanh said while taking us to visit his farm.

“At first, we experimented raising three mother rabbits and some baby ones. In less than a year, the number of rabbits grew to nearly 100 mother rabbits and thousands of baby rabbits, as they belong to a fast-breeding kind. Seeing the effectiveness of the model, we decided to pursue it until now,” he recalled.

He learned that New Zealand rabbits have good meat quality, low protein, fat and mineral content. Besides, their meat is delicious and nutritious and has a positive medical effect on cardiovascular patients, the elderly, the obese. Rabbit manure can be used as a very good fertilizer for flowers and ornamental plants, while its fur and skin are used as raw materials for the tanning industry.

Realizing the development potential of the market, Khanh has boldly expanded the model, investing in renting land to build livestock farms. Currently, his rabbit farm covers an area of 1,000m2 and produces stable output, bringing in an income of more than VND100 million per year.

With 10 years of experience in the profession, the effectiveness of raising rabbits depends on breeds with guaranteed origin. Meanwhile, breeders need to patiently pay attention to each stage of development of rabbits to have a suitable care regimen.

At the breeding stage, Khanh suggested choosing rabbits that are 45-50 days old, weighing from 1.5-1.7kg each, being active and having no injuries or deformities.

“Their gender could be identified by lifting the skin of the rabbit's nape with one hand, and holding the tail of the rabbit with the other hand on the index and middle fingers. Using one thumb gently presses the genital hole. If the hole is round, cylindrical, and far from the anus, it is a male rabbit. If the hole extends into the fissure near the anus, it is a female one,” he said

Sharing his experience in recognizing rabbits at the stage of reproduction, Khanh said: "Usually, the female rabbits are 4-5 months old when they are in the reproductive period, and the male rabbits are 8 months old. When you see the female rabbit showing strange symptoms such as scratching the nest or the cage, lift it up to check the anus and see if it's pink, then the rabbit has reached reproductive age."

He recommended marking breeding male and female rabbits to avoid inbreeding, affecting the development of rabbits. It is best after a period of time to change male rabbits to other farms, which will help rabbits develop well.

When the rabbit gives birth and produces milk, they must be fed with a lot of fresh water. At this time, the mother rabbit should drink more sugar water or eat sugar cane to recover health quickly, produce more milk, helping the cubs develop well.

“In the beginning, I had no experience in raising rabbits, so a lot of rabbits died. There were days when rabbits died massively in the cages, and we didn't want to work anymore. However, as the baby rabbits were still aplenty, they continued to multiply. Since then, the family has persevered in the profession, gradually drawing our own experience on how to take care of rabbits", Khanh said.

Secrets for a living environment of rabbits

“Compared to other livestock breeds, rabbits are very susceptible to diseases and die very quickly. Therefore, in addition to vaccination against diseases and vitamin supplements, breeders should grow herbal plants both as food and medicines to prevent diarrhea and supplement protein for rabbits," advised Khanh.

According to his experience, rabbits are particularly susceptible to skin and intestinal diseases, so the barn must be kept clean, dry, and have separate cages. The cage is placed on posts 70cm above the ground and is equipped with an automatic drinking system. After 30 days of age, it is transferred to the commercial breeding stage.

In particular, as the resistance of rabbits is poor, breeders should disinfect the barn once a week to help ensure a clean living environment for rabbits.

He also noted that rabbits are very susceptible to digestive and intestinal disorders so breeders should give them a time-conditioned reflex to eat. At his farm, rabbits are fed with forage in the morning and specialized bran in the evening.

Nguyen Thu Ha, Khanh's wife, said that they went to cut grass and vegetables every morning to ensure the proper diet for the rabbits.

“This work alone takes much time and effort,” she added.

“Growing your own vegetables helps ensure a source of forage for rabbits. If you buy it from outside, people will not be able to control whether the vegetables are sprayed with chemicals or not. If the rabbits unfortunately eat vegetables containing chemicals, they will die easily, which will reduce the number of rabbits in the herds,” Ha said.

Currently, Khanh's rabbit farm is reared on a closed and modern scale, equipped with a cooling fan system, automatic drinking water, fine food troughs and a fan to adjust the temperature...