Keep Rabbits for Extra Income

Rabbits are small animals but what people do not know is that they are the only best source of proteins than any other meat. This is because meat from rabbits contain more proteins than fat making it the best delicacy for most people.

In Kenya, most people have not taken rabbit farming as a serious business. In most cultures in Kenya, rabbit farming is left for young adolescent boys and it is seen as a taboo for an adult to be seen rearing rabbits.

Rabbit rearing, however, is one of the best form of earning a living. The few farmers in Kenya who have discovered this are making millions of shillings without sweating much.

Philip Nyukuri is a rabbit farmers from Tongaren Constituency, Bungoma County. He has been rearing rabbits for the past 20 years and what people don’t know is they are his only source of income and the whole of his family depends on it.

“I started rearing rabbits when I was in form two. By then, rabbit farming was seen as a childish game and nobody took it seriously. When I completed my high school, I decided to be a rabbit farmer. Many people including my parents though it was part of my funny jokes but I was serious,” he said.

He bought young rabbits at the price of 100 shillings each. That means he only spent 2000 shillings. He tells me that after two months, he sold all the rabbits at the price of between 250 and 300 shillings.

“I made 12,000 shillings. That was when I discovered that rabbit rearing was a golden opportunity to make money. I now make between 15000 and 20000 per month. I have been able to take my kids to school and one is now a teacher and I usually tell them that their future has been built by rabbits,” he said, smiling.

Rabbits grow fast. They take between 4-6 months to mature and ready for consumption. They also consume natural vegetation like sukuma wiki, cabbages fodder and they rarely get sick. Their gestation according to Mr. Mandila, a teacher of Science at Namunyiri Primary School, is between 28-31 days and they give birth a much as after every two months. Rabbit farming does not require a huge space to set up. A small well-ventilated structure is enough.

Thinking of making some extra money? Think about starting rabbit farming. It is the easiest, the cheapest and with high returns.