A rabbit is a small mammal with long ears, short tail and long hind legs. It belongs to the family of leporidae . Rabbit farming is a sustainable and profitable venture for those who are interested in small-scale agriculture. Rabbits are produced for many different purposes; for meat, pet and show animals, breeding stock, medical and educational lab animal.
How To Start Rabbit Farming
1. Conduct market research.
To start rabbit farming, it's necessary to conduct market research before taking any step.This is to know the demand of rabbits in your neighborhood.
That's, demand for rabbits meats, fur and breeding. It's also very important to invest some time in attending seminars, reading books, and seek advice from experienced rabbits farmers. This will help you achieve your goals in raising rabbits.
2. Choose a location.
Choose an appropriate location for your rabbits. The temperature should be between 10-20 degrees for domestic rabbits.
Even though they can cope in lower temperatures but suffered in hot temperatures. So the ideal temperature for rabbits are moderate temperatures. Outdoor rabbits must be waterproof and should have a solid roof with a slight overhang to keep them from the reach of rain.
The location for rabbits farming should be accessible and have enough space for the rabbits to live comfortably .
The area should have access to clean water and it should be away from any disturbances. Construct an appropriate cage for the rabbits and ensure that, there should be enough ventilation and be protection from extreme weather conditions. Note that there are different methods in keeping rabbits;
- deep litter method. This method is good when you want to keep few rabbits . Make 4-5 inches depth litter husks, hag, straw. In this method you can only keep a maximum of 30 rabbits. The rate of disease is high in this method.
- cage method. Cage method is the best method for commercial purposes. In this method you can keep many rabbits. Keep the female and male rabbits separated .
- indoor method. This involves housing the rabbits usually in a barn. This method is sometimes preferable because it allows easy monitoring of rabbits. This method requires more resources and it's labor intensive for heating and ventilation,cleaning and maintenance respectively.
- colony method. In this method, rabbits are allowed to roam freely in a fenced area. This method is difficult to manage as it's required more space and it's hard to monitor rabbits. It's preferred by some farmers because it allows natural rabbits behavior and socialization .
3. Select breeds.
Choose rabbits breeds according to the climate you have, market demand and the intended goal. The most popular types include; Californian, New Zealand white and Flemish giant. When choosing, consider the size, growth rate and meat quality. Make sure you have male and female rabbits for easy breeding.
FOOD and WATER.
They're made mostly from timothy and alfalfa and are supposed to provide the rabbits with the most balanced diet. I didn't find the pellets to be the best. They are expensive and rabbits eat a lot of it. My four rabbits would eat through 100 pounds of food a month.
Each bag cost me 20 dollars. I don't follow a rigorous breeding schedule so feeding unproductive rabbits like that is expensive.
Once you tell someone you're raising rabbits, everyone will know someone who's done it before and
offer you stories or advice. One relative sent us a book on rabbit raising written in the 1960's. The approach was very different and advocated feeding rabbits table scraps of bacon, cheese, potato skins, as well as oats and varied vegetables.
Use a mixture. was able to get a bunch of refuse greens from a local shop for about a month. Perfectly edible lettuces, kales and other vegetables all went to the rabbits. Rabbits love carrots. They also love beets and parsley and kale and shredded wheat and hay.
Hay is important. Its fiber, its something crunchy or sweet to chew on and sometimes my rabbits play with it. Since the bales are very large will double up and use it as bedding if its going to get cold. Buying both straw and hay seems wasteful for this small operation
WATER
The rabbits press with their teeth or face and the water comes out. It stops when its not being pressed. They hook on the the metal cages and are easily removed. The lines are spread using t junctions that come with the chicken nipples. All in all a very cool and reliable setup. I highly recommend it.
How To Care For Rabbits
1. Feeding. Rabbits needs balance diet to grow and reproduce. Feed your rabbits with a balanced diet rich in hag, vegetables and pellets high in fiber and protein. Provide fresh water to the rabbits. Keep their water bottles clean and refilled them every day because rabbits need water constantly.
2. Regular monitoring. Monitor the health of rabbits regularly for any signs of illness. These signs can be; appetite loss, loss of weight,and abnormal behavior. Conduct veterinary checkups regularly to ensure the well being of your rabbits.
3. Grooming. Your rabbits may need regular grooming depending on the breed. Use a damp rag to slowly stroke the rabbit's fur. Do not stroke back and forth in both directions because it might cause fur breakage. Grooming prevent mating and hairballs. Stroke fur from head to tail to keep them clean.
4. Sanitation of cages. Clean and disinfect the cages. Remove all dropping from the cages to the bottom of the cages before sanitizing. Use a mild bleach solution, rinse it very well.
Diseases Affecting Rabbits 
1. Coccidia. It's caused by protozoan parasite which attacks the bile.
The symptoms of coccidia include; loss of appetite, loss of weight,potbelly and diarrhea. The best way to treat this parasite is regular veterinary checkup for easy diagnosis and treatment. Put sulfaquinoxyline in their water for 5days .
2. Pasteurella . Symptoms of this disease are sneezing and discharge from the nose and eyes. Thought not all sneezing are signs of pasteurella , some are allergies or dust. When it's a sign of infection, the rabbits sneeze continuously and the discharge from the nose has color while that of allergy is normal.
This disease has no cure. They are treated but rabbits remain contagious. This disease can be minimized with antibiotics.
The best way to treat this disease is prevention. It can be prevented by removing the urine and feces from the rabbit cage. This is because rabbits urine contains ammonia which is dangerous to the rabbits.
3. Ear mites. It's caused by parasite psoroptes cuniculi . They make the ears of rabbits their home. Symptoms include; shaking of head, scratching of ears and brown wax substance will later develop on their ears.
To manage this disease, drop any kind of oil in the ears and massage the ear gently for the oil to move in to the ear.
4. Fur mites. It's caused by chyletiella parasiticeorax and listrophorus. Symptom include; loss of fur around the face, neck and back.
To treat this disease, apply listerine mouthwash on the infected areas and good cat flea powder. Repeat treatment for 10 days. Do not use treated rabbits for meat for at least 30 days after treatment.
Breeding Management 
Rabbits are mature for breeding as from 5-6 months but the male rabbits are only mature for breeding when it's one year old. Use healthy rabbits with good genetics for breeding, this will give quality young rabbits for sell .
Do not breed when they are sick. They take 31 days to give birth and can produce 1-12 kids. Feed pregnant rabbits with nutritious feed.
Market Your Products
Develop market strategies to promote your rabbit farming. For example, use social media to reach your abroad audience while giving them the benefit of consuming rabbits meat.
Also target local markets in your neighborhood and restaurants. Monitor your business performance by tracking expenses related to feeding, veterinary care, equipment maintenance and marketing costs while adjusting strategies needed to promote your business.
Conclusion
Rabbits farming is a very profitable business which needs dedication and hard work to succeed. You must be dedicated and hard working to achieve this success. To achieve this, you must seek advice from experienced rabbits farmers on how to understand the market, choosing the right breed, the right location and on how to care for your rabbits.