Rabbit breeding farms. For females and males during the breeding period

– a business that has only recently begun to actively gain momentum in our country. Between 2006 and 2012, domestic production increased almost 4 times. The interest of entrepreneurs in this industry is determined by the increased demand for rabbit meat. And this is quite logical, since it has a number of advantages over beef and pork. Rabbit meat contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals and is a dietary product. Rabbit meat dishes are also indispensable for people with intestinal diseases.

A person who wants to connect his life with agricultural activities, in particular with breeding rabbits, has a question: is it worth investing in this business? Is it profitable? Of course, it is impossible to give an answer right away, so first you need to make some calculations to determine the profitability of rabbit farming.

Profitability calculation

One of the advantages of breeding rabbits is that this animal is distinguished by its fertility. Theoretically, one female rabbit can produce up to 10 litters in a year, but this is subject to compacted littering, that is, mating with a male almost immediately after giving birth. Compacted litters greatly weaken the females and cannot be carried out constantly, so semi-compacted litters are also carried out. Thus, from one female rabbit we get approximately 60 rabbits per year. Accordingly, having 120 female rabbits on the farm, in a year you can get 120x60 = 7200 rabbits from them, which is 14,400 kg of meat. The cost of one kilogram of meat is about 200 rubles, when calculating we get the following figures: 14400 kg x 200 rubles. = 2,880,000 rubles per year, that is, 240 tr. per month.

Impressive enough, but in reality this is far from pure profit, because there are certain costs associated with keeping the animals, maintaining the cages in good condition, and organizing the work. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Costs of rabbit farming

Costs include:

• Feed costs;
• Vaccination and veterinary care;
• Salaries of hired workers;
• Periodic cell repair;
• Electricity costs;
• Fare.

All this amounts to up to 50% of the total proceeds, but this does not mean that some expense items cannot be reduced or completely eliminated. For example, you can significantly save money on feed by making hay yourself and growing succulent and green food. The cost of a rabbit, in this case, becomes several times less.

If you vaccinate yourself, the costs of this procedure will only include the cost of syringes and the vaccine itself. In addition, with proper care and nutrition, rabbits rarely get sick; veterinary care is sometimes not required at all during the rabbit’s life cycle.

You can also significantly reduce costs by carrying out all the work yourself, without resorting to the help of hired workers. But this is only possible with an amateur hobby of rabbit breeding and small sales; otherwise, it will be very problematic to manage without the help of hired workers.

Waste-free production

In addition to meat, rabbit skins are also valued, which are used for sewing clothes, fur coats and making various accessories. Rabbit farming can rightfully be called a waste-free branch of animal husbandry, since in this case it is used for all parts of the body. Ears, offal and paws are readily eaten by dogs. The wool collected during shedding is used for the knitting industry. Manure is used as organic fertilizer, and nails are used for cosmetic purposes.

Do you want to start some interesting business that does not require large investments? Do you live in a small town or village where there are no well-paid jobs and prospects? Consider raising rabbits as a business. This is quite a promising business, since rabbit meat is tasty and dietary, and the animals’ fertility is very high. By devoting enough time to this matter, you can achieve a good regular income with very little investment.

Advantages of rabbit farming

Like any other livestock farming, this business has its advantages and disadvantages.

Rabbit farming as a business is profitable without major investments

Let's list the main advantages:

1. High fertility of animals.
2. Minimum initial investment.
3. Ease of documentation.
4. Low feed and maintenance costs.
5. Constantly high demand for meat and skins.
6. Quite a high price for meat.
7. Virtually complete absence of competitors.

One of the main disadvantages of breeding rabbits is the high mortality rate. It is necessary to monitor them and regularly vaccinate them to prevent the spread of the epidemic among the population.

How to register a business?

If you are going to breed rabbits “for yourself,” then you do not need any registration. But if you plan to reach serious sales volumes, then it is best to register and pay taxes to the state. Here you can go in three ways:

1. Personal subsidiary farming.
2. Individual entrepreneurship.
3. Peasant farming.

What exactly to choose depends on sales and production volumes. If you keep up to a hundred rabbits, then you don’t have to register anything at all.

A standard rabbit cage can be assembled from scrap boards

Personal subsidiary plot

This is the most suitable option for a beginner rabbit breeder. You will not have to pay taxes - you just need to present a certificate stating that your property (rental) has an area suitable for breeding animals. The main drawback is that it will be possible to sell meat only in markets, without access to supermarkets and serious stores.

Individual entrepreneurship

This form of activity is suitable for those who have already established the process and are ready to engage in regular deliveries to stores or open their own retail outlets. You will need to go through a full registration cycle and regularly pay taxes. However, this is not a problem - the tax on agricultural activities does not exceed 6% of the profit received.

Note:Before opening an individual entrepreneur, contact your local branch of Rosselkhoznadzor and clarify various nuances, since legislation changes quite often.

In addition to obtaining a patent, you will need to obtain a certificate for the farm, a phytosanitary certificate and a GOST-R declaration. You will likely also need an accountant. Therefore, you should register an individual entrepreneur only when you can already afford additional expenses or want to immediately reach a serious level.

Peasant farming

Is rabbit breeding profitable or not as a business? It all depends on how you go about it. In order to receive a permanent serious income, you need land and a down payment. Or time - first you will purchase a small batch of rabbits, and then you will constantly increase the number. When you reach the level where it will no longer be possible to manage the livestock without auxiliary workers, we recommend that you register a peasant farm. In essence, this is a small collective farm that can engage in agricultural activities, having two or more managers. The main advantage of such work is the opportunity to receive subsidies and benefits from the state.

What you need to get started

Let's look at what is generally necessary to start rabbit farming. It all depends on the size of your enterprise. If you are at the initial stage and are not ready to invest a lot of money in the business, then an ordinary dacha will be enough for you. A mini-farm can be set up on 50-60 square meters. If you decide to do this seriously, you will need at least 800-1000 square meters of land.

Correct sheds on concrete slabs

The farming area must be level, dry and clean. Ideally, it should be concreted, but in the initial stages this is too much of an expense. Study the experience of other rabbit breeders - a storm drain or crushed stone drainage should be installed on the site to prevent the area from becoming waterlogged during cage washing. Also think about where you will store manure and feed.

Housing for rabbits

There are four types of housing arrangement for rabbits:

1. Cellular.
2. Yamny.
3. Shadowy.
4. Mikhailov system.

Cells

Cages are the most popular way to keep rabbits on a personal plot. In order to purchase cells, you will need some starting capital. You can save money and assemble the cells yourself - there is nothing complicated about it. To make it you will need a board, metal mesh and self-tapping screws.

There should be several cages - one contains adult males, another contains females, and the third contains pregnant or already given birth queens with offspring. It is not recommended to leave a male and mother with offspring in the same cage - it can crush the babies.

Pits

This method will not require you to make major investments. Instead of cages, several holes are dug in the area so deep that the rabbits cannot escape from them. In them they live and reproduce quite fully, while at the same time digging small holes for themselves in the ground. This method is ideal for starting - no extra investment. Just give your pets food and remove the manure a couple of times a week to avoid stench and dirt. The pit method is suitable for those who raise rabbits for meat - the skin usually does not tolerate such a maintenance regime.

Shed

Shed is a full-fledged complex consisting of several cells located one above the other. The width of the shad is about three meters, but the length can be anything. The cages in it are located with their backs to each other - so it is convenient to clean them and take care of the charges. This method is suitable for real farms - the shads are compact, comfortable and roomy. For example, in a standard three-meter shed of two floors, 10 meters long, there are about 80 cells. In one year, they can raise about 500 units of rabbits.

Mikhailov's scheme

This scheme was developed by a Russian scientist who came up with a way to automate the process of caring for animals. The farm consists of 4 large cages, which have feeders, drinking bowls, ventilation and special places for collecting manure. The main advantage of the scheme is that rabbits gain weight as quickly as possible. In just 120 days, you can ensure that an individual gains about 5 kilograms. In other housing options, it will take about 7 months to gain the same weight. Having entered Mikhailov's scheme into rabbit breeding business plan , you will significantly increase profitability. But this requires serious investment. The recommended area for a farm is about 2,000 square meters, which will accommodate at least 300 complexes for 600-700 rabbits.

Good cages are the key to healthy and rapid growth of rabbits

How to start?

Let's look at the least expensive way to start your business. The easiest way is to start at your dacha by setting up a dozen or two cells. In fact, they can be assembled from old boards and scraps of metal mesh. But it’s better to spend money on a normal tree, treating it with environmentally friendly antiseptics that are safe for animals. In total, you are unlikely to spend more than 3 thousand rubles on cells.

At the same time, think about the issue of feed. Buying one bucket of grain on the market will definitely not be profitable. You need to look for friends who receive grain for shares or work on farms - you can buy it there at serious discounts.

Be sure to study several books on rabbit science. The animal's food must be balanced. It eats a variety of greens, vegetables, roots, hay, branches, silage, grains and bran. The guide says that for a rabbit to gain 4 kilograms of weight, he needs to eat approximately 10 kg of hay and 15 kg of feed. The animals are also given seasonal food: freshly cut grass, apples, beets.

Choosing rabbits

So, all the pros and cons of the rabbit breeding business studied, you have a plot, cages and food. The time has come to purchase wards. We recommend that you decide in advance what exactly you want to receive. The most common breeds of meat rabbits raised are:

• white giant;
• Belgian giant;
• gray giant;
• Belgian ram;
• Soviet chinchilla.

It is profitable to grow them because at 4 months they already gain 4 kilograms of live weight and are ready for sale.

Note:Rabbits should only be purchased from breeders. Do not rush to “good deals” in newspapers and markets, choose pure breed breeding animals.

When buying adult animals, keep in mind that for a dozen females, one male is enough. But there should be two males in total to be on the safe side.

Choose only purebred rabbits - they grow quickly and produce a lot of meat

Diseases

Rabbits are quite resistant to most diseases, but they suffer greatly from infections. If vaccination is not carried out on time, the entire population may die. VGBV, eimeriosis and myxomatosis viruses are considered fatal to animals. Also make sure that animal cages are protected from drafts and wind. Rabbits should have special boxes in which they will hide in winter. Additionally, the cages are covered with old rags in severe frosts.

Sample business plan

You have already learned the basic information about Rabbit farming as a business: where to start, how to succeed. Now let's look at the prospects of this whole event. Let's calculate a rough farm plan for 60 rabbits, 50 of which are females and 10 males. They will live in sheds. This is the minimum number of heads that can be considered a business.

On average, 1 female produces 20 young per year. This means that in a year 50 females will produce 1,000 rabbits. You will spend about 30 thousand on the purchase of shads, another 50 thousand on purebred individuals. To treat this “herd” it will be necessary to purchase medicines worth 20-30 thousand, feed – 100,000 (excluding seasonal green fodder). These are all possible expenses. In total, for a successful start you will need to spend about 200 thousand rubles.

Now let's calculate the income. One rabbit yields about 2 kilograms of meat, its price is 250-300 rubles. Additionally, you can sell skins for 50 rubles (you will need to learn how to remove them). In total, when selling 1000 carcasses, you will receive 550 thousand rubles. That is, net profit for the year will be about 300 thousand minus all expenses, or 25,000 rubles per month. This is a fairly good salary for the region.

Rabbits reproduce and grow quickly - this is a great way to make money

The second cycle will cost much less - you won’t have to spend money on purchasing rabbits and shad, which will increase profitability. However, you will quickly realize that you need to expand. By investing money in the purchase of new shads after selling your first rabbits, you will immediately increase your profit at least twice. Practice shows that with proper planning, business profitability is 90% per year, which is an excellent indicator.

In contact with

If you have a personal subsidiary plot or free space on a farm, then a business raising and breeding giant rabbits may be suitable for you. Giant rabbits are very highly valued, which is why they are not cheap. Thus, a Belgian giant (Flanders) at the age of only 2.5 months costs up to 3,000 rubles, and at the age of 3.5 months – already 4,000 rubles. Like their smaller brothers, giant rabbits have high fertility, unpretentiousness and good taste...

All breeds that are known today were bred in foreign countries. The most popular breeds of giant rabbits are: Flanders, Belgian, German Riesen, Vienna Sero, New Zealand, Californian rabbit. Most adult giant rabbits weigh between 8 and 14 kg.

Options for running an agricultural business using giant rabbits:

• breeding and raising rabbits for meat;
• breeding rabbits and subsequent sale of rabbits;
• combination of two methods.

Raising rabbits - how much can you earn?

The business of raising giant rabbits is profitable because this breed quickly gains weight. With proper care and nutrition, by 5 months the rabbit will gain 6 kg! A kilogram of rabbit meat costs about 250 rubles, and by Moscow standards it costs 350 rubles/kg:

Income from the sale of one rabbit is at least 2,000 rubles, and from the sale of 100 heads - 200,000 rubles.

At the same time, there are no problems with the reproduction of the herd. A female rabbit brings on average 7-8 young rabbits, and in one year there can be up to three litters. Therefore, only one female can produce up to 25 rabbits a year, and 50 females can produce 1,250 rabbits.

By raising 1000 rabbits and selling the meat, you can earn at least 2 million rubles. Of this amount, 30% is the cost of feed, 15% is wages, 5% is vitamins and veterinary food. medications, 10% - other expenses. The farmer's profit will be at least 800 thousand rubles per year or 66 thousand rubles per month.

The hassle of the matter

Planning is always easy, but in practice it is not so simple. The business of breeding giant rabbits promises the same troubles as keeping other types of farm animals.

The first problem for a rabbit farmer will be to create an optimal housing system at the lowest cost. The most effective is the shed system for keeping rabbits. It involves the construction of cages in two tiers under a canopy, which significantly saves space and facilitates such labor-intensive processes as feeding and watering rabbits and cleaning cages from droppings. With this system, just one worker can care for up to 1,200 rabbits. This results in significant savings on wages.

But raising rabbits is half the battle; we still need to find a buyer for our products. How can you sell a rabbit? Here are just a few possible options:

• sale of meat to catering establishments (cafes, restaurants);
• supply of products to meat markets;
• active advertising on the Internet: on bulletin boards, on specialized forums, on social networks;
• One hundred percent, but expensive option is to open your own page on the Internet. In this case, wholesale buyers and private farmers will find you themselves.

Another problem that farmers often encounter is disease and death of the herd. To prevent this from happening, baby rabbits must be shown to a veterinarian and vaccinated against VGBV, myxomatosis and pasteurliosis. The service is not cheap, but this is the only way to protect the livestock from unexpected deaths.

Raising rabbits at home is not a difficult and very inexpensive task, but when the hobby is ready to move to the business stage, it is necessary to think through the main issues related to keeping, raising rabbits and methods of selling meat. There are several main points that you should pay close attention to when drawing up a business plan for breeding rabbits.

A mini farm using the Mikhailov method requires only a few hours a week of care

Drawing up a business plan

A business plan for breeding rabbits consists of several items:

• initial costs;
• fixed costs;
• permanent income;
• additional income;
• profit calculation.

Initial Investment

The initial investment includes:

• purchase of a plot for construction (if you do not have your own plot);
• expenses for paperwork;
• costs of building a farm (materials, wages to workers, communications);
• arrangement of an existing site (if necessary);
• materials for shads with cages;
• necessary equipment (refrigerator, mini-tractor), feeders and drinkers or material for their manufacture;
• buying rabbits,
• feed (compound feed, vegetables).

The costs of this item largely depend on the availability of land, premises and materials. When buying/renting a plot, you need to choose a location in a suburban area, but not near residential buildings.

The minimum desired area of ​​the future farm should be fifteen acres.

Fixed expenses

This article includes fees for veterinary support, food and wages for employees, if any. When calculating feed, a female rabbit and her offspring are taken as one production unit. During the year, one female brings 24-25 rabbits. Rabbits are slaughtered at three to four months, while their meat is tender and free of foreign odors. To obtain large, excellent skins with lush, thick fur, the animals are slaughtered after their autumn moults in November-December. However, it is not profitable to keep rabbits born in the first months of the year, so they are slaughtered at the age of four months, seven to ten after the end of the first molt.

One female with offspring needs approximately three hundred and forty kilograms of feed per year, since the feed is purchased, its cost is included in expenses.

Farmers themselves prepare green fodder, branches, and hay, reducing costs. Some farmers reduce this cost by producing their own feed, purchasing the necessary equipment and buying raw materials (grain waste) in large quantities from local flour mills.

This same item includes all expenses for gasoline, electricity, and water. The annual cost of veterinary support per production unit is more than three hundred rubles.

On Mikhailov mini-farms, rabbits are kept outdoors year-round

Fixed expenses must include the organization of a slaughterhouse, that is, the purchase of knives, cutting tables, a container for waste, a constant source of water to ensure the cleanliness of the premises, and a blood supply.

Don’t forget to periodically disinfect the room and have good ventilation.

Income

The main type includes income from the sale of meat and skins. It’s easy to count them: the average carcass weighs more than two kilograms. Experienced farmers annually receive eight hundred to a thousand carcasses from three shad. Thus, the annual output will be at least two tons of meat; it remains to multiply this figure by the selling price of meat to obtain the amount of income.

Animal skins can be an additional source of income, or the main source if the goal is to obtain high-quality fur. There are many experienced rabbit breeders who professionally prepare skins and make hats, short fur coats, and decorative items from them, having their own market. The skins of meat breeds can be preserved and sold to fur studios. Their cost is relatively low. If high-quality dressing is not possible, the skins must be given to professionals, and only then sold in an atelier, then their price increases five to six times. Experienced breeders claim that in this case they have a net profit of one hundred rubles per head. You can go a little further and not sell the tanned skins in the studio, but give them for sewing fashionable, popular products, and sell them yourself, which will bring almost fifty percent profit.

The third source of income is breeding rabbits. Once you have invested money in the purchase of purebred animals, you can easily make up for the costs by selling purebred young animals.

General questions when creating a business plan

Before you start preparing a business plan, you need to familiarize yourself with and consider the legal side of the issue, methods of keeping animals, types of feed, and breeding features.

The premises where animals will be kept must be protected from drafts. In addition to proper nutrition, rabbits need proper care, namely:

• daily cleaning of feeders and drinkers, bedding,
• regular vaccinations,
• Fresh air,
• periodic disinfection of premises,
• timely isolation of sick animals.

When starting a business, you need to decide on the goals of breeding - obtaining meat and/or skins and select the appropriate breed.

Meat breeds include rabbits "gray giant", "white", for fur - Rex, butterfly, white downy.

To open your own farm, you need to have premises, a food supply (close proximity to meadows, forests), and start-up capital for the purchase of breeding rabbits and the manufacture of cages. And the main thing is to study the sales market in order to know how much meat can be quickly sold and at what price. To do this, it is better to visit local shops and markets, cafes, restaurants, hotels and motels.

For information: from a five-kilogram rabbit you get about two to three kilograms of meat with bones.

Legal side of the issue

If you want to not just engage in rabbit breeding, but make it your own business and earn money, you need to start with organizational and legal issues.

Personal subsidiary plot

Breeding rabbits as a business requires having your own or rented plot of land in a holiday village. You will need an appropriate certificate of personal subsidiary plot (LPH). The main advantage of private household plots is complete tax exemption. The main disadvantage of this form of activity is that there are restrictions on the circle of potential buyers. These include shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, which have increased demands on product quality.

To sell meat in markets and stores you will need:

• a certificate from a veterinarian or a veterinary laboratory stating that the rabbits are healthy and have
• all necessary vaccinations;
• they are packed in compliance with all rules;
• a health certificate for a vehicle used to transport meat;
• certificate from the veterinary laboratory with blood and carcass tests (meat safety).

Here we must take into account the fact that the form and number of the listed certificates are determined by the regulations of local authorities, so at the first stage it is good to go to the local veterinary station and find out the list of documents required for selling meat.

Individual entrepreneur

This is a more prestigious status than private household plots, but more expensive due to taxes.

You can minimize taxes by choosing a form of taxation in the form of a single agricultural tax on income in the amount of six percent.

The second way to pay this tax is on the difference between income and expenses; its value ranges from five to fifteen percent, depending on the rate adopted in a given region. An individual entrepreneur must have a certificate for a rabbit farm, a declaration of compliance with GOST of the Russian Federation and a phytosanitary certificate. Controls the activities of IP Rosselkhoznadzor.

Shed system for raising rabbits

Rabbits are bred in a variety of conditions and farms, but the shad system is more suitable for home-based businesses. Shed is a mini-farm where you can raise rabbits. It allows you to optimize production processes and facilitates calculations of feed requirements. The disadvantages of the shed system are the time required for entry and a certain inconvenience of maintenance, but this method is distinguished by the simplicity of construction and minimal monetary costs.

In essence, a shed is two batteries of cells under one roof. The length of the battery depends on the area of ​​the room; the accepted width is standard - three meters. It is important to note that this means that the cages are lined up in three rows/tiers on either side of a one and a half meter wide aisle. Before installing the cages, the entire floor in the room must be covered with boards or filled with cement, and a drain must be installed.

You can make cages in two sections, then two neighbors will have one manger for hay and branches, one nest. These cells have the following dimensions:

• length - one meter,
• width - half a meter,
• nest size - thirty by fifty centimeters,
• walking compartment - fifty by seventy centimeters.

You can make cages, shelves and feeders yourself - this will significantly reduce costs. Cages are made of wood, plywood, metal, metal profiles and other materials. A metal mesh is used for the front wall, but it is not recommended to use a mesh on the floor. If the cage is made entirely of wood, a window is made on the back wall for light and fresh air, which is covered with a mesh. Each cage must be locked to prevent the animals from running away.

Rabbit breeding

When breeding rabbits, one of the most popular options for housing animals is the option with eighteen female rabbits and two rabbits. A shad ten meters long will accommodate sixty cages, in which four hundred individuals can be obtained per year. Each row will house nine females and one male, the remaining forty are intended for growing young animals.

If you cover a female for the first time in February - March, then in a year she will bring at least twenty - twenty-five rabbits from three births. Please note that to obtain healthy offspring, it is important that the suckling period lasts two months. This will avoid exhaustion of the female rabbit with three litters per year - out of six possible. It should also be taken into account that experienced specialists do not cover the bulk of the female rabbits in winter, so that the females retain the necessary fatness until the next breeding period.

One female rabbit brings 30-40 little rabbits a year

If space allows, there are markets and cheap high-quality food, you can cover the rabbit in the winter, but then you will have to insulate the nests. For this purpose, a piece of foam/polystyrene is placed under the bottom of the nest, and the nest is filled with hay.

Feeding rabbits

Drawing up a business plan is impossible without calculating feed and having a good feed supply. Domestic rabbits eat succulent, green, roughage and concentrated food, and their diet depends on the time of year.

So, adult rabbits weighing four kilograms in summer require 20-25 grams of mixed feed, about 500-800 grams of greens/grass, in winter 35 grams of concentrate, 200 grams of hay and succulent feed.

For pregnant females, the amount of food is increased to 700 grams, and 70 grams of compound feed, in winter - 170 grams of hay, 85 grams of concentrates (including 10 grams of cake), 200 grams of succulent feed. During pregnancy, females need additional minerals and vitamins, for which they are given 11 grams of honey, 12 grams of salt, 60 grams of meat and bone meal, one gram of fish oil and vitamins. This is just one of many options for necessary supplements.

It is necessary to include in the plan the purchase of a sufficient number of automatic drinkers.

By following these simple recommendations and thinking through all the main points, you can create a productive and stable rabbit farm. The main thing is to pay enough attention to the preparation process and study of the sales market. More than half of the success of the enterprise depends on this.

Rabbit breeding is a promising and very profitable area of ​​livestock farming in Russia, characterized by high resource and labor intensity. A business plan will allow you to understand whether rabbit breeding as a business is profitable or not.

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Business Description

The rabbit business in Russia is a poorly developed niche and is in its infancy. A small number of market participants and the high demand for fresh rabbit meat allow entrepreneurs to start their own business and achieve significant results.

You can make money selling rabbits:

• fresh meat;
• rabbit skins;
• droppings and vermicompost (this is a natural organic fertilizer);
• equipment (for example, feeders, cages, animal watering systems);
• baby rabbits

A rabbit mini-farm will provide the farmer with a year-round source of income.

To organize a mini-farm, it is not necessary to look for multimillion-dollar investments; the business can be developed gradually. To begin with, it is enough to install several cages and buy young rabbits of the desired breed.

This business is ideal for those who have:

• free land plot;
• personal subsidiary plot;
• access to food supply.

Relevance

It is worth doing rabbit breeding business in Russia for the following reasons:

• the demand for rabbit meat on the market is only 50 percent satisfied;
• the product has high taste and dietary characteristics that are superior to pork, beef or, for example, turkey;
• state support for Russian farming (including tax holidays, preferential loans, subsidies and grants for start-up entrepreneurs);
• low cost of meat compared to the production costs of most other types of meat;
• high price for rabbit meat, this situation is due to the fact that demand is higher than supply;
• profitable type of activity;
• a wide range of sales of rabbit farm products, including restaurants, private individuals, production of sausages, canned food and semi-finished products, hospitals (patient nutrition);
• the rapid rate of increase in the number of rabbit herds, due to the peculiarities of the breeding process of pets (one female rabbit is capable of bearing offspring six times a year);
• rapid growth rates of rabbits (at four months the rabbit is ready for slaughter, at this age it weighs four to five kilograms);
• if the farmer does not have a large starting capital, then you can start a business by purchasing several pets;
• the bulk of the feed can be prepared independently (hay, straw, grass);
• Breeding rabbits does not have a negative impact on the environment.

Which breeds to choose for breeding

At the business design stage, it is important to decide on a suitable breed of rabbits that will be profitable to breed in a particular region. Since the main product of a rabbit farm is meat, when choosing a breed, preference should be given to those that grow faster and gain weight.

Rabbits are:

• meat;
• downy;
• meat skins;
• decorative.

Breeds of meat rabbits:

1. New Zealand - red. Such animals grow very quickly and reach a weight of 4.5–5 kilograms.
2. New Zealand - white. These pets are also precocious, grow vigorously and are fleshy. At three months they reach a weight of 2.7–3.5 kilograms.
3. Californian. A young rabbit of this breed gains up to 45 grams per day, and by five months reaches a weight of 4.5 kilograms.
4. French ram. Usually they are slaughtered when the individual reaches three to four months. This breed is also highly valued for its luxurious fur.

The best places to purchase breeding young rabbits in Russia are agricultural exhibitions and large farms.

Breeds of meat-hide rabbits:

• gray giant (bred in Ukraine);
• white giant;
• German giant (Riesen);
• Soviet chinchilla;
• European and Poltava silver;
• Vienna blue.

Breeds for industrial breeding:

• Russian ermine;
• Angora English rabbit;
• Angora French rabbit;
• rex;
• blue;
• white;
• Russian;
• black;
• fiery.

The following video describes the breeds of rabbits that are best kept at home in Russia. Filmed by the channel: “Smart City”.

Types of rabbit business

Rabbit farms are divided by size:

• mini-farms (up to 100 individuals);
• medium (from 100 to 500 individuals);
• industrial (more than 500 individuals).

Rabbit business can be classified according to breeding method:

1. Keeping animals in closed rooms with a controlled microclimate. Such a farm usually consists of several hangars (or one hangar), in which a heating, artificial lighting and ventilation system is equipped. A novice farmer can equip a garage, barn or other outbuilding.
2. Creation of a mini-farm using the technology proposed by Mikhailov. It involves complete automation of the process of keeping animals. In this case, the entrepreneur will need to fill the feeders personally or for hired personnel once a week. It is also necessary to fill the drinking bowls with water and empty the bin with accumulated waste. The cages in which the rabbits are kept are equipped with heating.
3. Creation of a mini-farm using multi-tiered cages developed by Zolotukhin. Enclosures should be built in several tiers (two or three) in buildings with a canopy, called sheds. This design significantly simplifies the processes of caring for animals and feeding them. The classic industrial-scale shed building is three meters wide and 60 meters long. Up to 500 mature rabbits can be kept here, but for a mini-farm it is permissible to design smaller sheds.
4. Keeping rabbits in a pit. In this case, ground buildings for breeding rabbits will not be needed. To properly arrange a pet’s home, you will need a dry place, on a hill, where a hole (1.5-2 meters) is dug and lined with bricks. However, this method is not the most successful, since animals come into close contact and diseases spread very quickly. Also, in such conditions it is impossible to raise rabbits to obtain high-quality fluff and skins.

The most convenient and cheapest option for organizing a rabbit farm in Russia is the construction of enclosures under a canopy. Animals develop and grow well outside. It is better to obtain food and water through long trays and sippy cups, which should be placed along the walls.

Market analysis and target audience

Trends in the Russian rabbit meat market:

• The market capacity in 2015 was 17.5 thousand tons of products;
• a larger volume of production is observed in households (13.5 thousand tons or 82.8 percent);
• share of agricultural organizations – 11.3 percent;
• the share of individual entrepreneurs and peasant farms is 5.79 percent of the total livestock;
• There is an increase in sales volumes from year to year;
• the number of rabbits is growing; according to data for 2015, it exceeded 3,700 thousand;
• demand exceeds supply, there is a shortage (unsatisfied demand is about 320 thousand tons);
• according to experts, the domestic market is at the stage of formation, demand growth is predicted;
• the main importer is China;
• the highest production of rabbit meat is observed in the Volga Federal District;
• the highest consumption of rabbit meat is observed in the Volga Federal District;
• the payback period for investments in this area of ​​business is shorter than in poultry farming;
• low barriers to entry into the industry;
• low competition.

Dynamics and structure of the rabbit meat market and forecast until 2025 Structure of rabbit meat production by federal districts Number of rabbits in Russia (thousand heads) Number of rabbits in Russia by type of farm (thousand heads)

The rabbit farm has the following target audience:

• agricultural market visitors;
• meat processing plants;
• supermarkets;
• butcher shops;
• restaurants and other catering establishments;
• hospitals;
• sanatoriums.

Most often, people with middle and high incomes will buy rabbit meat due to its significant price (500 rubles per kilogram).

Step-by-step instruction

In order to understand where to start a rabbit farming business, you should read the step-by-step instructions:

1. The method of raising livestock is determined.
2. The territory for the farm is selected.
3. A suitable breed of rabbit is determined.
4. A business plan is being calculated.
5. The farm is registered.
6. Aviaries, pens, cages, sheds and other structures are built/purchased.
7. The farm area is being improved.
8. A place is being prepared for the rabbits to move in.
9. Personnel are selected.
10. Young animals are purchased and distributed among cages.
11. A place for storing feed is thought out and prepared.
12. A workplace for slaughtering and storage of products is thought out and prepared.
13. Feed is purchased.
14. The farm is starting up.

Business registration

To conduct business, a farmer has the right to choose one of the two most acceptable forms of legal registration:

• peasant farming (peasant farm);
• individual entrepreneur (IP).

A peasant farm is similar to an individual entrepreneur, but differs in that it can include several citizens who jointly own farm property. Having registered a peasant farm only in his own name, the farmer, in essence, becomes an ordinary individual entrepreneur. The indisputable advantage of peasant farms is that they can qualify for government support (subsidies, tax breaks). On the other hand, the legal field of peasant farms is somewhat blurred, in contrast to individual entrepreneurs. Peasant farms do not have statutory documents and a constituent agreement, which are created when registering an LLC or OJSC.

Farmers can choose one of two taxation methods:

• simplified taxation system (according to the income “minus” expenses scheme);
• unified agricultural tax.

When registering, the following types of activities are indicated according to the current classifier:

• 01.49.2 “Raising rabbits and other fur-bearing animals on farms”;
• 01.49.21 “Rabbit breeding, production of fine rabbit hair on farms.”

Breeding rabbits at home can be done without registration. In this case, you do not need to pay taxes, but the products can only be sold among acquaintances, relatives, friends and visitors to collective farm markets.

Both a personal subsidiary plot and a full-fledged farm must register:

• sanitary records for personnel;
• veterinary certificates about the health of rabbits and their vaccinations;
• conclusions on laboratory analysis of meat with permission to sell it;
• sanitary passport of a vehicle used for transporting meat.

Premises and location

Farm placement requirements:

• no more than 20 individuals are allowed to be kept within 20 meters from the house;
• to locate a large rabbit farm, you need a site 1000 meters away from the nearest houses, as well as landfills, industries, swamps, etc.;
• distance from roads and railways of the first and second categories – 300 meters;
• to place a farm for 1000 rabbits, you will need a plot with a minimum area of ​​ten to twelve acres;
• the presence of free space will allow you to grow feed crops on it (for example, corn, alfalfa, beets, barley, clover);
• the land plot must be protected from the wind, located on a hill or on an area with a slope;
• An area in a lowland or place with high humidity will not be suitable;
• it is better to cover the area enclosed for enclosures with gravel, asphalt or concrete, and build a storm drain with a water drainage system;
• availability of good access roads;
• living nearby people who will work on the farm;
• availability of communications: water, electricity;
• absence of large rabbit farms in the region.

A farm with an annual production of 1,500 rabbit carcasses will require:

• area - about five to six acres;
• shads – 2 pieces, with a total area of ​​180 square meters;
• feed shop (for storing feed, grain, hay, etc.) – 200 square meters;
• utility room (for storing inventory, building materials, equipment) – 50 square meters;
• slaughterhouse area – 20 square meters;
• premises for storing finished products, with refrigeration equipment - 20 square meters;
• area for storing manure - 20 square meters;
• warm room for staff.

Necessary equipment

Equipping a rabbit farm for the simultaneous maintenance of 500 animals.

To independently prepare feed from grain, an entrepreneur can purchase a crusher and granulator.

Cremator – 120,000 rubles Grain crusher – 20,000 rubles Granulator – 65,000 rubles Chest freezer – 35,000 rubles

Staff

To organize stable operation of the farm, the entrepreneur needs to form a permanent production team.

For a large farm it should consist of:

• farm manager;
• worker-operators for servicing the main herd of rabbits (at the rate of 1 specialist per 250 individuals);
• worker-operators for servicing young pets for fattening (at the rate of 1 specialist per 3000 animals);
• zootechnics;
• veterinarian;
• engineer;
• worker.

The farm manager performs the following functions:

• controls and organizes the production process;
• maintains time sheets for farm staff going to work;
• Accounting;
• manages feed procurement processes;
• manages product sales processes, etc.

The livestock specialist performs the following functions:

• maintains zootechnical records;
• controls the implementation of the animal mating plan and adjusts it;
• degrades rabbits;
• forms the breeding core and determines replacement young stock;
• establishes standards for animal feed requirements;
• controls the process of using feed;
• controls the implementation of the mating plan, repair of females;
• organizes the supply of breeding animals;
• Conducts briefings for working operators.

The veterinarian carries out sanitary and veterinary procedures and also provides instructions to operators on veterinary issues.

The engineer is responsible for the timely implementation of major repairs, preventive and forced repair work on equipment.

The worker-operator involved in the basic care of the herd performs the following functions:

• examines rabbits;
• removes dead individuals;
• supplies feed;
• cleans cages, feeders and drinkers;
• cleans work and office premises;
• organizes and controls the mating process;
• monitors the offspring and transfers it to fattening;
• selects rabbits for sale;
• participates in carrying out veterinary procedures on the farm (for example, veterinary treatment);
• maintains primary zootechnical records.

A worker-operator servicing young pets for fattening performs the following functions:

• examines young animals;
• supplies feed;
• removes dead individuals;
• selects young animals for sale;
• Participates in loading goods onto a vehicle.

The worker performs the following functions:

• slaughters animals;
• delivery of rabbit meat to the meat processing plant and to customers/partners;
• feed delivery;
• feed preparation;
• loading and unloading operations (raw materials and finished product);
• processes empty cells, etc.

Promotion and advertising

• posting advertisements on online electronic trading platforms;
• banners on popular forums and social networks in the region;
• creating your own website with information for partners and ordinary buyers about the farm and its products;
• participation of the farm in agricultural fairs and exhibitions;
• organizing farm tours;
• offering farm products to potential partners by telephone and in person.

Financial plan

Whether rabbit breeding as a business is profitable or not will become clear after a thorough calculation of all costs.

Financial planning was carried out on the basis of opening a rabbit farm in the central region of Russia on its own land plot of 100 acres.

Starting investments

The initial capital for implementing a farm business idea from scratch will be used to cover the following cost items.

Regular expenses

Calculation of monthly investments in the farm.

Income

Initial data:

• breeding herd size – 100 individuals (including 80 females);
• the average number of rabbits in one litter is 6;
• the number of litters in the first year is 2, the second and further – 3-4;
• the average weight of a rabbit is 4-5 kilograms;
• the yield of the finished product from one carcass is 60 percent (2.4-3 kilograms);
• price per kilogram of rabbit meat – 500 rubles;
• price for one skin – 200 rubles;
• the price per ton of manure is 1000 rubles.

In total, in the first year of operation of the farm, about 950 carcasses can be sold, weighing 2,850 kilograms in total.

Earnings work out like this:

• annual income from the sale of this volume of meat will be 1,425,000 rubles;
• from the sale of skins - 190,000 rubles;
• manure - 30,000 rubles;
• other income (from the sale of equipment and rabbits) – 100,000 rubles.

Total earnings at the end of the first year will be 1,745 thousand rubles.

During the second and subsequent years, about 1,500 carcasses can be sold, for 4,500 kilograms of meat. In this case, annual revenue will increase to 2,750,000 rubles. The monthly profit will be about 100 thousand rubles.

Risks and payback

Experienced rabbit breeders testify that the greatest business risks are veterinary and zootechnical ones.

Breeding rabbits as a business has the following risks:

1. The wrong breed of rabbit has been selected for breeding. It is important to carefully study all the information available about the species of animals that interest the entrepreneur and make the right choice. The main selection criteria: large mass, rapid weight gain, fertility, disease resistance.
2. High pet mortality rate. It is necessary to vaccinate the entire livestock on time.
3. Animal diseases. The most common diseases are fascileosis, scabies, cysticercosis, pasteurellosis, listeriosis, worms, tularemia, etc. To prevent this risk, vaccination is required, as well as proper maintenance, feeding and care of rabbits. It is advisable to keep animals in separate cages.
4. Reduced solvency of potential buyers. Since rabbit meat is quite expensive, with a decrease in the level of income of the population, demand will shift towards cheaper products.

The payback for the described business (including the purchase of land) will be 36-40 months. How much you can earn depends largely on the size of the farm.

Advantages and disadvantages

Strengths of the idea:

• low costs of keeping rabbits;
• you can start a business at home by purchasing several rabbits;
• high fertility of rabbits and their rapid growth;
• profitability and profitability;
• high demand;
• you can sell not only meat, but also skins, manure, offal, and baby rabbits;
• very low competition;
• low taxes;
• it is possible to receive government assistance;
• the business can be developed towards creating your own processing production (for example, manufacturing semi-finished products or sewing fur products).

Weaknesses of a business based on rabbit breeding:

• to organize a large farm you will need significant start-up capital;
• the animals are demanding in terms of living conditions, there must be free cages, no high humidity and drafts;
• high mortality of young rabbits;
• high sanitary requirements for keeping animals (vaccinations must be done on time and regular examinations of rabbits by a veterinarian must be organized);
• You must have all the required documents for meat to sell it.

This business has its pros and cons, but reviews from experienced farmers indicate that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.