One of the challenges facing rabbit farmers is feeding them to achieve the right weight at the right age.
Rabbits grow to 3kg in six months if they are well fed.
According to Muawiya Mukasa from Kappeka Livestock Farm that keeps thousands of rabbits, commercial feeds for rabbits including pellets that contain carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and proteins.
These should be supplemented with constant supply of clean drinking water and nutritious grass including hay, greens like black jacker and pellets.
“We process our feeds at the farm. We have also started selling these feeds to other farmers,” Mukasa says.
Each mature Doe consumes 100 to 150grams while a lactating Doe consumes 150 to 200grams of pellets. A buck consumes 80 to 100grams per day.
If you have 600 Does, it means that the farm spends 90kgs on feeds for them daily. At sh1,500 per kilogram, this is sh135,000 per day.
However, there are hundreds of weaners that feed between 30-80grams per day.
The grass acts as roughage in the rabbit’s stomach, that prevents constipation which usually occurs, when left to feed on pellets alone.
Tips
-change the water daily
-scrub watering and pellet pot daily
-Remove previous days hay
-Sweep the drainage sheet daily and disinfect it weekly
-Foot bath is a must before anybody enters the rabbit houses
-Empty and clean urine collection centres daily.
