After resigning from my job 2 years ago, I decided to earn my living through farming. I chose to plant some veggies and engage in livestock raising, Rabbit and goats in particular.
During my early days in raising rabbits, I tried learning everything about rabbits, their habits, their diets, the DO's and DON'Ts in Rabbit raising, etc.
I found a lot of HOAX that was posted throughout the internet about rabbits specially in their diets. At first, I believed those hoaxes, limiting my choices of food for my babies. I interviewed many Rabbit raisers throughout our province, and some gave me relevant informations, while others still believe in Hoaxes.
To help beginner rabbit raisers, I list some of the information I've learned from my expiriences.
1. Kang kong (Water Spinach) - Many said we cannot feed Kang Kong or Water Spinach to Rabbits because it can give rabbits Gastro Intestinal Stasis and Diarrhea. The truth is, I fed Kang Kong to my Rabbits since the beginning. Kang kong is abundant in my place and is very nutritious, and is rich in Dietary Fibers needed by Rabbits' Gut to stay healthy.
Many of my colleagues told me that their rabbits got diarrhea when they fed Kang Kong to them, but to me, not a single rabbit suffers from Diarrhea. I noticed that their source of Kang kong is from a polluted canals, ponds with stagnant water, etc, while mine comes from a clean running water.
My conclusion is, take a look at the source of your kang kong before feeding it to your rabbit. Make sure it is from clean running water.
2. Hay vs. Fresh Grass - Most posts from the internet says 80% of the Rabbit's diet should be hay, 5% pellets, and 10-15% Fresh Grass and fruits. I don't agree with this. Rabbits are originally wild animals, prey animals, and they are grazing animals, which means, they fed mainly on fresh grass. If you see who posted those informations, they are mainly pet owners, and vets who live in an urban areas on which fresh grass is scarce if not unavailable. While some hay are preferred to fed to your rabbits, fresh grass are more nutritious. Many nutrients were lost during the drying process of hay, so if Fresh grass is available, fed them fresh grass instead.
3. Sexual Maturity - Most posts says medium size breed rabbits are sexually matured in 5-6 months but do not let them mate until the doe is at least 7 months old. Again, I dis agree with this. Some pet owners are very much concern about the health of their pets, that they don't allow their pets to be mated until 7 months or over. Farmers who raise rabbits for meat however, may benefit more if they mate their rabbits at three to four months old. If your rabbit gets pregnant at three months old, she could have given birth three times before she get 7 months old. More birth, more rabbits, more meat.
4. New Born Rabbits - Many say do not touch the nest, let it be until the kittens have opened their eyes. Well, new born kittens are fragile, but you chould check once a day for dead babies and also to see if the mother doe is taking care of their youngs. Just avoid picking up the babies as much as possible because you can easily injure them.
5. Weaning - Most pet owners say you should wean baby rabbits at 6-8 weeks. In my experience, at two to three weeks, baby rabbits start nibbling on hay and grass, drink at their mother's drinking bottle and is ready to be weaned at 4 weeks. In most of my rabbits, I weaned them at 26-28 days just a couple of days before their mother give birth again. Yes, I am a rabbit farmer, for meat, so, I prefer quantities...
I started my rabbitry business with just 2 bucks, and 2 does, and after 3 months, I already have 4 adults, and 46 kittens. My does get pregnant again a day or two after giving birth....
If this helps you, please share.
