Hi folks


I grew up way back rearing rabbits as pets for a while well..we also had them as meat.

School, work and other things took me away from that but I am ready to start again to be self sufficient and this time for all the personal and commercial reasons.



I will be documenting my progress and of course comments ,suggestions and critiques are very welcome.


Will be starting with 4 males and 6 to 8 females.


Was with a friend and mentor to see his small scale rabbit farm@ Abeokuta and would be using his ideas for mine. He has a very unique cage system I have never seen ( at least from what i have read and seen physically ) . I intend utilising all products from the rabbits from skin to urine and faeces.

Would be including my progress pics as well.

In the meantime enjoy some pics from his farm.

fellow country men......sorry, fellow nairalanders



food don ready o!

make una come buy

I like that,
I am interested in starting a mini Rabbit farm too.
Thank God av found you here.
I need to learn a lot about rearing it, selling,etc

Good

Pls can we see a pic of this "unique" cage system

nice

oblo:
Hi folks



In the meantime enjoy some pics from his farm.

I will be interested in a rabbit farming whatsapp group

So.. like I said his cage system is quite unique like I said as I have not seen it anywhere. Its built on a stilt like structure and there is a sloping aluminum v-shaped gutter meant to catch the feaes and urine. Its almost self cleaning as the urine flows away from underneath the cages while for any pellets of feases left is washed or rather flushed from the top or beginning of the slope with just a bowl of water. It flows to the end and for him channelled to a gutter as waste. (I don't intend wasting mine o...with all the knowledge about rabbit urine and faeces as very good fertiliser...composting is the way to go here..dry season no far again and sack farming beckons )


I would rely heavily on information from the web and other experienced individuals.

No man is an island of information and as usual..two or more heads are better than one.

Cc pavore9, Graceglory and co..

Its very easy and not stressful as you don't have to be sweeping and cleaning all the time and less time consuming.

Some pics attached

Nice one there. Nothing is a waste in rabbit rearing even the furs fetch good money,

Pavore9:
Nice one there. Nothing is a waste in rabbit rearing even the furs fetch good money,

av been reading how Kenyans sell the urine but I doubt if we av buying companies here

miqos02:
av been reading how Kenyans sell the urine but I doubt if we av buying companies here

One has to go round introducing it to our local farmers, starting out with free samples and once they see the positive impact they will be willing to buy.

Pavore9:


One has to go round introducing it to our local farmers, starting out with free samples and once they see the positive impact they will be willing to buy.

good tips there sir

Although this hutch is innovatively built, one has to consider the space management and financial requirements of putting up such. For example, this spacing can alternatively be used for 2 decking (3 rows) of hutches comfortably.

REUBEN010:
Although this hutch is innovatively built, one has to consider the space management and financial requirements of putting up such. For example, this spacing can alternatively be used for 2 decking (3 rows) of hutches comfortably.

Well said but he is comfortable with this design and he has the space (his own property) ,finance and it works for him.

As for me..mine would be based on this but I would have to stretch the use of space and resources to get same results.

Note that rabbit urine is highly acidic so for the gutter - plastic and receiving pan - aluminium.

I would be using knowledge gotten from the web and from individuals.

Hi folks.was able to get some work done as regards my small backyard project..


I sketched the design and got a carpenter to assist in construction..

Work still in. progress. I would construct the piping my self tomorrow.

I got my design off the net from different designs o saw although I made some modification so it was not by the book strictly .

So I was able to put it all together and looking good. Am sure the next one I would construct would be far better and more refined (experience is the best teacher abi)

I had initially built one similar to the sample I saw.. above..

For me..I think I prefer mine...like someone said..space would be better utilised.

Have a look.

I had gotten 8 females and 2 males. Would be geting another 4females and 2 males later. Lets see how I all pans out. Wish me well!

Nice one OP, may God almighty bless your work. Interesting, with your type of hutch, space aint really a problem and collecting poo made easy already. Pls share with us the dimensions used especially for the space utilized hutch.

Thanks bro.

For the dimensions there is really no specific way or method I just used dimensions I felt would fit in to my draft.

Height of the whole setup was 70 inches. Width 42 inches and depth 22 inches.


For the hutches 20inches each for height and we have 3 hutches. So the extra 10 inches were for the stands making 70 inches total.in height.

For width 20 inches each hutch. 2 inches extra for contingencies ..total 42 inches.


I used aluminium sheet for the urine and faeces receptor underneath. ( aluminium are better as noted earlier) the sheets also served as the roof of the hutch above it apart from the top most hutch that had net.


I used 3 inches pvc pipes for the gutter channel.

I fit the aluminium sheets and pvc pipes myself so as to really get what I wanted as drafted.( when i went to buy the net, the carpenter had already modified or made a. mistake with the dimensions hence the top segment of the cage has a smaller size. ..nothing spoil sha.I just converted that part for the young growing bunnies that would come up soon so I did not demarcate it.

Apart from the wood ,nails and piping that I bought just what would serve me for now..I got the nets in bulk(complete rolls) so now I have some leftover for use later as the setup expands.

I have started storing the urine in kegs already . Getting ready to treat and store for use as organic fertiliser....I still need to do some more research on that.

The faeces I am just pouring at a point pending when I would use that area for a small garden much later.

For now I feed my rabbits more greens and less feed since its all in abundance now due to rains and also to reduce cost as well.

I feed and change their water every morning and evening.

Love the way the urine is to be collected. A youth group somewhere near Nairobi have theirs stored in 5 litre cans and selling for 750 Kenya shillings($7.50)

They use the urine to organically grow their strawberries, herbs and spices. The U.S Embassy in Nairobi in association with an organic certification body has certified their farm organic thus they are allowed to bring their farm produce to sell at a market operating near the U.S Embassy.

Ok thanks for the info OP.

This is beautiful.
Would you mind sharing the cost of the cage?
Looks like you used a 2 x 2 wood for your structure.
Will like to know what the roll of net cost
I am at the stage of putting my costs together for grass cutter and rabbit cage.
I just got newly inspired by your sharing.....
Looking forward to joining you soonest!
Good evening.

Tatia:
This is beautiful.
Would you mind sharing the cost of the cage?
Looks like you used a 2 x 2 wood for your structure.
Will like to know what the roll of net cost
I am at the stage of putting my costs together for grass cutter and rabbit cage.
I just got newly inspired by your sharing.....
Looking forward to joining you soonest!
Good evening.

No worries bro..see you at the other side!

Wood 2x2 - 20 lengths @ 250 per length. #5,000

10 lengths Batton/tierods@ 150 - #1,500

3 pound weight cooper nails@ 170 per pound . #510

2 pound weight 3" nails@ 180 per pound - #360

Roll of thick net for cage base - #7,000

Roll of side net - #4,000

3 lengths 3 " pvc pipe @ 800 each - #2,400

2 pcs 3" t joints@ 200each - #400

Binding wire @ #100

Hutch door catcher locks @ 100 each - #600

12pcs 2inch hinges@ 50 each -#600

Wire cutter fake #600

Wire cutter original # 1,100

Carpenter fees: #6,000

Subject to individual locations these prices are not static. This is what it cost me at Enugu where I am based.

@Pavore, i search on goggle and read few things about this "helitec organisation". Nice organisation really, strickly organic.

BeMerciful:
@Pavore, i search on goggle and read few things about this "helitec organisation". Nice organisation really, strickly organic.

Those guys are really doing well and their farm trainings are really well attended because they are very practical. They have an eye for high value crops. Visited their stand at a fair and they were selling a kilo of their organic flax seeds for $30 and so huge on value addition as they have yoghurt sweetened naturally with stevia, some flavoured with herbs....Helitech makes sense.

oblo:



No worries bro..see you at the other side!

Wood 2x2 - 20 lengths @ 250 per length. #5,000

15 lengths Batton/tierods@ 150 - #1,500

3 pound weight cooper nails@ 170 per pound . #510

2 pound weight 3" nails@ 180 per pound - #360

Roll of thick net for cage base - #7,000

Roll of side net - #4,000

3 lengths 3 " pvc pipe @ 800 each - #2,400

2 pcs 3" t joints@ 200each - #400

Binding wire @ #100

Hutch door catcher locks @ 100 each - #600

12pcs 2inch hinges@ 50 each -#600

Wire cutter fake #600

Wire cutter original # 1,100

Carpenter fees: #6,000

Subject to individual locations these prices are not static. This is what it cost me at Enugu where I am based.

So you be 042 boy, seems like umu Kenyatta don chop you for that wire cutter.. Ndo.. Your cage is well thought out, and i like the research bit you undertook prior to construction.. Am interested in setting up a grass cutter farm for my younger bro, so i will be watching your threads..well done.

Baroba:

So you be 042 boy, seems like umu Kenyatta don chop you for that wire cutter.. Ndo.. Your cage is well thought out, and i like the research bit you undertook prior to construction.. Am interested in setting up a grass cutter farm for my younger bro, so i will be watching your threads..well done.

,thanks a whole bunch


Cleaning and feeding time...

In my compound...we have quite some space with which grows plenty of the plant called aspilia africana. Dont know the local name but I had known this for over 20 years then when we kept rabbits.

So right in my backyard and within reach I have fresh greens for them 24/7. >

oblo:


,thanks a whole bunch


Cleaning and feeding time...

In my compound...we have quite some space with which grows plenty of the plant called aspilia africana. Dont know the local name but I had known this for over 20 years then when we kept rabbits.

So right in my backyard and within reach I have fresh greens for them 24/7. >

Bumped into the plant somewhere in Okigwe where a trado-medicine practitioner was using it for a herbal preparation. I think it is called orangila

@ oblo I'm impressed with what you have done so far. Keep it up!

Kindly indulge me for a minute, pls. I keep getting this impression that rearing grass cutters would be a more productive venture, especially in the SE, where such creatures are well known and regarded as a delicacy, than rabbit. Am I off the mark here?

Secondly, from the list of materials you bought, Roll of thick net for cage base - #7,000 What is the size of a roll of this net?

Mucho gracias!

whirlwind7:
@ oblo I'm impressed with what you have done so far. Keep it up!

Secondly, from the list of materials you bought, Roll of thick net for cage base - #7,000 What is the size of a roll of this net?
Mucho gracias!

Thanks a whole lot. I wouldn't know what size of net that was . I would find out definitely.
But what I know is that it had a length of about 36 feet or thereabouts.


Kindly indulge me for a minute, pls. I keep getting this impression that rearing grass cutters would be a more productive venture, especially in the SE, where such creatures are well known and regarded as a delicacy, than rabbit. Am I off the mark here?


You are quite correct. Grasscutter meat has more appeal down this way and I knew that, but nevertheless I intend creating or driving demand for rabbit meat. My day job is being a sales man..