Rabbits for Manure

[Amaggio]

Hi all, I'm working on an idea and was hoping to get some advice from others that have experience with rabbits. I have a small fruit tree forest and am putting in a market garden this year. I wanted to add a new farm animal to my homestead and was originally looking at goats. However, I don't feel like we are financially stable to take on two or three goats at this time. Maybe that's just the fear talking, but it would likely take several thousand dollars to get good local breed stock, a shed updated, and medical care not to mention a whole years worth feed before seeing one drop of milk. Rabbits, on the other hand, I can purchase from $25-$45 depending on the breed and they would give me cold manure for my market garden and fruit trees. It doesn't seem like people keep rabbits mainly for their cold manure but that's exactly what I want to do. I was looking at the mini rex or dwarf hotot breeds since there seems to be a market in my area for pets. Since I would not be eating the rabbits I originally was looking into Angoras but I'm not sure I can dedicate that amount of time into their grooming care as I work a full time job. I also don't think their offspring would have a market in my area (even though I could sell their fur and recoup some money that way). I'm trying to weigh my options here so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone have a breed suggestion? And how much manure can you expect from one rabbit? Does anyone think this is a viable idea?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

-Allison-

 

[promiseacres]

Lops generally sell well as pets, but mini rex or mini satins do well also. I would look at raising 4H or show rabbits if you want them to help pay for their feed. Bigger rabbits will equal more feed and more poop. Dwarf hotots can have an attitude in my experience.
Honestly I don't know how much fertilizer you'll need but you might talk to a local rabbit breeder and see about purchasing it. By the time you invest in cages, breeding stock, and all the supplies for a handful of rabbits you can easily have over $1000 invested.... and rabbits don't always breed like rabbits... see my kindling thread for some of our issues.

 

[Xerocles]

I probably don't have any business getting in here. I am barely a half-step beyond you. I can't give you any experience-level suggestions, but will share research that I have found. Now I have meat rabbits, because I do intend to eat them. But I want them equally, or more so for fertilizer. For starters, to make the cages, etc. I have invested $418 for supplies. That's 4 adult cages (approx 3' X 4') and 3 growout cages (3' X 10'), and an open sided shed. But LOTS of elbow grease to do all the work myself. You can look at my

 

[Amaggio]

I enjoy doing that type of work and have a lot of the hardwire cloth from building chicken chops. My job tends to let me take pieces of shelving for projects when they're done with them so i thought i could use these shelving steel racks and work around them. I'm still looking into everything, but i thought rabbits would be a good way for me to get my feet wet rather than goats.

 

[Xerocles]

I enjoy doing that type of work and have a lot of the hardwire cloth from building chicken chops. My job tends to let me take pieces of shelving for projects when they're done with them so i thought i could use these shelving steel racks and work around them. I'm still looking into everything, but i thought rabbits would be a good way for me to get my feet wet rather than goats.

I enjoy doing that type of work and have a lot of the hardwire cloth from building chicken chops. My job tends to let me take pieces of shelving for projects when they're done with them so i thought i could use these shelving steel racks and work around them. I'm still looking into everything, but i thought rabbits would be a good way for me to get my feet wet rather than goats.

??? Don't have any idea what happened. The site cut over half of my reply. Synosis: I found an internet site (but don't remember which) that quoted 1 1/2 lbs poop/day/10 lb rabbit. I doubt that, but my three adult 10lb bunnies produce nearly a 5 gal bucket/ wk.
There's a ton of info here, on goats AND on rabbits. Vastly more about goats. And most of it about problems. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm going to get goats in a couple of months. I want a couple. But you wont find many articles about rabbits escaping, destroying landscaping foliage, or annoying neighbors with their bleats. Their nails are much easier to snip than hooves are to trim. Rabbit illnesses are practically nonexistent WHEN COMPARED TO GOATS. Food. Rabbits-water, pellets andhay. Goats. Water, pellets, hay, minerals, supplements, repeated worm treatment, ad infinitum. And I only know one person on here who spends a sleepless night anticipating a kindling and associated dangers for rabbit births. Plus, their poop "piles" are much easier to harvest than goat pellets. Not experience speaking, but I believe, pound per pound, you will receive more rabbit poop than goat poop. 50 lb goat vs 5 10 lb rabbits. But would be an interesting experiment for someone to do.
But rabbits don't exhibit the cute antics of baby goats.

 

[Amaggio]

??? Don't have any idea what happened. The site cut over half of my reply.

Thank you for re- writing it. I appreciate you giving me lbs of manure, that helps a lot.

 

[Xerocles]

Thank you for re- writing it. I appreciate you giving me lbs of manure, that helps a lot.

That's ok. I love giving ppl lbs of manure. They say I do that all the time on here.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

I probably don't have any business getting in here. I am barely a half-step beyond you. I can't give you any experience-level suggestions, but will share research that I have found. Now I have meat rabbits, because I do intend to eat them. But I want them equally, or more so for fertilizer. For starters, to make the cages, etc. I have invested $418 for supplies. That's 4 adult cages (approx 3' X 4') and 3 growout cages (3' X 10'), and an open sided shed. But LOTS of elbow grease to do all the work myself. You can look at my

I was going to hope you two connectEd!!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

??? Don't have any idea what happened. The site cut over half of my reply. Synosis: I found an internet site (but don't remember which) that quoted 1 1/2 lbs poop/day/10 lb rabbit. I doubt that, but my three adult 10lb bunnies produce nearly a 5 gal bucket/ wk.
There's a ton of info here, on goats AND on rabbits. Vastly more about goats. And most of it about problems. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm going to get goats in a couple of months. I want a couple. But you wont find many articles about rabbits escaping, destroying landscaping foliage, or annoying neighbors with their bleats. Their nails are much easier to snip than hooves are to trim. Rabbit illnesses are practically nonexistent WHEN COMPARED TO GOATS. Food. Rabbits-water, pellets andhay. Goats. Water, pellets, hay, minerals, supplements, repeated worm treatment, ad infinitum. And I only know one person on here who spends a sleepless night anticipating a kindling and associated dangers for rabbit births. Plus, their poop "piles" are much easier to harvest than goat pellets. Not experience speaking, but I believe, pound per pound, you will receive more rabbit poop than goat poop. 50 lb goat vs 5 10 lb rabbits. But would be an interesting experiment for someone to do.
But rabbits don't exhibit the cute antics of baby goats.

I absolutely agree with your assessment. Goats should become pets for the true joy of it...because they require a lot of work...rabbits, on the other hand...not much work, and very cost effective, compared to goats. And yes, the poop does stack up...the 5 gallon bucket analysis is spot on!