The Basics You Need to Know to Raise Rabbits for Meat

So, you are interested in raising rabbits for meat? Learn the basics of what you need to know to raise rabbits for meat before you dive in. Or maybe you already have those rabbits at home and need some info pronto. You are at the right place to get the basics you need.

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Raising rabbits is a great way to start taking some responsibility for producing some of your own protein. It can be a big step to take on that kind of commitment, but rabbits are a great starting place.

It is especially nice to start with rabbits since you can raise rabbits in a relatively small space compared to any other livestock. Even if you are still in a suburban neighborhood, you should be able to have a small amount of rabbits to raise for meat.

Why Meat Rabbits?

Before you dive in, it is wise to think about why you might want to raise meat rabbits. Is it because you want to be able to raise your own meat? Is it more of a hobby or project for you? Be clear why you want to do this. Because, as with raising any livestock, there will be some bad days. And you will want to have that why out in front to help you keep going when it seems you might not want to.

To Start – What Types of Rabbits to Get

When starting out with meat rabbits, there are a lot of choices for the type of rabbit you should purchase to grow out. There are types of rabbits that are better than others when raising for meat. You do not want to just get any old rabbit. Some are too small and others are really too large.

Hop on over here for a full brief on what types of rabbits are best for raising meat. Know what types are best, what to look for, and also make sure you get them from others who are raising rabbits for meat. It is nice to have someone with the same goals when buying rabbits.

How Many Rabbits to Purchase

The number of rabbits you purchase will depend on how much space you have and how many rabbits you feel you can handle.

I would suggest that you start with a breeding duo or trio. Purchase at least one doe (female) and one buck (male) that are from different genetic lines. If you choose to purchase two females, they can be from the same genetics. But if they are not, you will have more options down the road. You will not need more than one buck to start with.

Basics for Housing

Rabbits are fairly easy for what they need for housing, but there are a couple of different options or directions you can go. We have used both cages and hutches for our rabbits and like both for different reasons. You will need one cage or hutch for each breeding rabbit. It is also nice to have one or two extra for the babies to grow out in as they get older.

Cages

If you choose cages for your rabbits, you will need to have a larger structure to house the cages in. A lean-to, barn, garage, or other type of building that will protect them from the weather. This building will need to keep them from wind, rain, and snow in the winter. The building will also need to be able to keep the rabbits cool on hot days by having adequate ventilation.

I like having the rabbits inside the barn here at the farm, but when we lived in the neighborhood, I did not enjoy having them in the garage. We only brought the mommas and babies in during the winter, but they can make a mess of things. The rabbit hair goes everywhere and we had to use tarps behind the cages to keep things from being a total mess with the urine. I would not suggest bringing them inside a pristine garage or where you have cars or other items you want to stay clean.

You also will want to think through the rabbit waste with the style of cage you choose. We have cages with removable trays in the bottom. It works pretty well to pull out the trays and empty them into a wheelbarrow to take outside to dump. Make sure you think through where you will dump the bunny berries. In the compost, in the garden, or somewhere else?

Another thing to think about with cages and the building that you put them in is the light source. Rabbits want to have light and will not breed if they are in the dark. So either having natural light or a light you can turn on for part of the day is essential.

We have bought a couple different brands of cages from a local feed store and also direct from the manufacturer. This cage is similar to what we have. We have stacked them three high with additional pieces and castors so we can move them around as needed.

Hutches

Instead of cages that need to go inside another building, you might choose to house your rabbits in hutches. Hutches are made with roofs that can withstand the weather outdoors and protect your rabbits from wind and rain and heat. They also have two or three solid sides to protect from the weather.

With hutches, the rabbit poo and urine go strait down onto the ground and you will need to shovel it up from there. But you will not have to mess with emptying trays. Rabbits tend to relieve themselves in the same area, so some people put a bucket under the spot they go. This saves a bit of time with shoveling it up.

If you are going to go with hutches, it is very important that you have a place to put them in your yard or against your house that is shaded. If you have trees with ample shade, that is a great place. Maybe you have an elevated deck that you can put them under. But before you get that hutch set up, it is very important to make sure your rabbits will have shade. They need to stay warm in winter, but are much more sensitive to the heat of the summer and will not survive being in the direct sun in the heat of the day.

At first we put our hutch next to our fence and out of the way of most of the yard. We put it up in February when the hot summer sun was not an issue. But then in June we had temperatures over 100 degrees and it was too much for the rabbits. We had to quickly get the hutch moved across the yard and under a nice shade tree.

Colony

When raising rabbits for meat, the last option for setting up your rabbits is having them live in colony style. I have not done this with my rabbits, nor have I researched it. Here is a great book if you are interested in learning more.

Feeding Basics to Buy for your Rabbits

What Do They Eat?

The rabbits you are raising will most likely eat a pellet that is sold at a feed store. They can have a bit of sensitive stomachs to the switching of feed, so be careful if you are making a switch that you do it slowly if you can by mixing part of the old feed and the new feed together for a few days. It will depend on what you have locally for a feed store for the brand and type you choose. They are all quite similar.

The other food rabbits will need is hay or fresh grass.

When you go to the feed store, you will find that they have small bags of very expensive hay for pet rabbits. You will most likely want to find a source of larger bales of hay. There are several types of hay that are best for rabbits.

There are a lot of options you have for purchasing hay at a feed store or from local farmers. Rabbits will eat most any of it, but most rabbits will prefer certain types more than others. I have had my rabbits barely touch a bale of hay from the feed store, but go crazy over ones purchased later on from the same store. Here is a great article with in-depth information on what types of hay and grass are best for your rabbits.

Feeders

There are a couple options for feeders for your rabbits.

Depending on if you use a cage or hutch, you will need to decide on which types of feeders or waters you will want to use.

For cages, you will most likely use the feeders that hook right onto the sides so you can put a scoop of food in without opening the cage. We use ones like this one. It is metal and the rabbits won’t chew on it. We have also used plastic dishes or cups that attach to the side of the cage, but most of our rabbits have been chewers and those did not last.

For the hutch, those metal feeders did not stay on the side well. So we ended up using small dog bowls for food and water. I keep an eye out for used ones at garage sales or the thrift store since they can get expensive. Metal or ceramic is best since they will tend to chew up anything else.

Waterers

For water, we do a couple different things. I like having the water bottles that attach to the cage best. They stay cleaner and I do not have to fill them as much. The ones with the lids that lift off the top for refilling are the best and so much easier to use. But at first I used whatever I came across for a good price. If you start out with something cheap, you can always upgrade later like we did.

The problem with the style of water bottle that hang on the outside of the cage is they will freeze. If you live where you get freezing temperatures, you will need to do something different in the winter. Even if they barely freeze, the tips of the water bottles will be ruined by the freeze and then drip constantly when it isn’t freezing anymore.

The first two winters we switched out our water bottles for crocks or small bowls. They would freeze up before the day was up, so we ended up switching out the water or crock a couple times a day as they froze. It was SO MUCH WORK and really made me loath winter with my rabbits. With how cold our temperatures are, I needed to tend to the rabbits at least two or three times a day.

This year my husband invested in these heated water bottles for me and I am so grateful he did! They make life so much easier, but are a bit pricy and do need electricity. Maybe try out a few and see how you like them before you switch everything over. You won’t need them if you only have a few days of freezing or do not dip that low in temps.

Nesting Boxes

The last thing you will need to buy or make real easily is nesting boxes. You will only need these if you plan to breed your rabbits and have litters of babies. However, if you are raising rabbits for meat, I am sure that you plan to breed and have babies.

The moms will need the nesting boxes put into their cages a few days before they are due to give birth. They will take hay you give them and arrange it into a nest with hair they pull to make a warm place for their babies.

Click here for some free and easy plans to build your own rabbit nesting boxes from Teal Stone Homestead.

Beyond the Basics

After you bring home your rabbits you plan to raise for meat, you should have everything you need to get them fed, watered, and comfortable.

The next steps you will need to know if how to breed them, care for the babies, and then how to humanly butcher them. I am working on getting my experience on both of these written up.

Meanwhile, I have some great sources for you to look up. Here is where I would go next for information on raising rabbits for meat.

Keep Reading

You will want to make sure you keep reading up on what you need for raising rabbits for meat. This is just the very basic of what you will need to know and think about. I am listing some of my favorite sources for where I have learned about raising rabbits for meat. I have also learned a lot from locals raising meat the same way.

Websites for More Info – Raising Rabbits for Meat

Teal Stone Homestead website and Youtube channel is such great information

Living Traditions Homestead Youtube Channel has info on raising rabbits and recipes

Books for Raising Rabbits for Meat

If you aren’t the book type and would rather use the web, I would suggest you start investing in some books anyway. In an emergency, it is usually going to be easier to look up a section in a book on your shelf that turn to Google and have to wade through the information there.

Raising Rabbits for Meat by Eric and Collene Rapp.
They have been raising rabbits for a long time and have a lot of knowledge. I would highly suggest buying this book to have on hand when you have questions or issues may arise.

Meat Rabbits: No More Pellets, a Beginner’s Guide to Raising Rabbits with Natural Feeds at Little to No Cost by John Max

Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat: An All-Natural, Humane, and Profitable Approach to Production on a Small Scale by Nichkio Carangel

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