Hobby Farms: Rabbits: Small-Scale Rabbit Keeping

161 Pages·2012·43.04 MB·English

by  Chris McLaughlin

Agriculture/Home Reference M
C
RABBITS L
A
U
G
H
L
Beautiful, friendly pets; handsome show animals; and an easy-to-breed, easy-to-care-for live- I
N
stock choice, rabbits off er hobby farmers so many possibilities—whether raising rabbits for
the show world, for meat or fi ber, or just for fun. Chris McLaughlin’s Rabbits has all of the
answers that a new or experienced rabbit-keeper will need, from selecting the right breed of
rabbit for your purposes to housing, caring for, breeding, and selling them. This gorgeously
illustrated edition serves as the perfect introduction to the rewarding hobby of raising rabbits.
Learn how to keep your rabbitry happy and hopping!
• Choose the best breeds of rabbit for your needs
• Raise sociable, well-adjusted animals
• Construct weather- and predator-proof housing
• Spot the symptoms of illness early
• Treat common health problems at home
• Give your rabbits the nutrition they need
• Breed your bunnies for extra income
• Spin your Angora’s fur into soft and silky yarn
R
• Show off at local competitions ranging from 4-H A
to rabbit agility B
B
Plus many other helpful tips!
I
T
S
“Raising domestic rabbits is an engaging and rewarding hobby regardless of their role as a pet,
show animal, or commercial commodity. This book is a perfect guide for fi rst time owners and an
excellent reference for seasoned veterans.”
—Jay E. Hreiz, VMD
“This book is a must read for anyone who has a rabbit or is interested in owning a rabbit! It provides
all the essential information, no matter what direction you wish to take your rabbit hobby. From
owning a pet to starting a full operation, this is one resource you want to have.”
—Keelyn Hanlon, ARBA Judge and breeder
About the Hobby Farms® series
Whether you’re a weekend gardener or a dedicated small farmer, you’ll gather a bushel of essential
information from the Hobby Farms® series. Hobby Farm and its companion editions will help both
experienced and novice hobby farmers realize their own dreams of life on the farm—for pleasure
and profi t.
Look for other essential Hobby Farms® series titles, including Chickens, Sheep, Goats, Beef Cattle,
Donkeys, Ducks, Pigs, and Llamas and Alpacas!
®
An Imprint of BowTie Press®
A Division of BowTie, Inc.
3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618
US $14.95 CAN $16.95
www.bowtiepress.com
®
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Rabbits
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Rabbits
Small-Scale Rabbit Keeping
by Chris McLaughlin
®
An Imprint of BowTie Press®
A Division of BowTie, Inc.
Irvine, California
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Lead Editor: Jennifer Calvert
Art Director: Cindy Kassebaum
Production Supervisor: Jessica Jaensch
Assistant Production Manager: Tracy Vogtman
Book Project Specialist: Karen Julian
Indexer: Melody Englund
Vice President, Chief Content Offi cer: June Kikuchi
Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco
BowTie Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato, Lindsay Hanks,
Karen Julian, Jarelle S. Stein
Text Copyright © 2011 by BowTie Press®
Front Cover Photography: (main) Fábio, do Blog Peladeiros (left inset) Rosalia
Wilhelm (right inset) Maja Dumat
Back Cover Photography: Kassia Halteman/Shutterstock
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of BowTie
Press®, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McLaughlin, Chris.
Rabbits : small-scale rabbit keeping / by Chris McLaughlin.
p. cm. -- (Hobby farms)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-933958-96-5
1. Rabbits--United States. I. Title. II. Title: Small-scale rabbit keeping. III. Series:
Hobby farms.
SF453.4.M35 2012
599.32--dc23
2011031192
BowTie Press®
A Division of BowTie, Inc.
3 Burroughs
Irvine, California 92618
Printed and bound in China
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This book is dedicated to Leo and Laughing Crow—
two special rabbits that just rocked our world.
And to all the animals who have crossed paths
with me and have been so patient while I learned:
you have been my greatest teachers.
________
Also to rabbit man extraordinaire Bob Whitman,
whose love of rabbits and dedication to the rabbit
world was an inspiration to all of us.
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CONTENTS
Introduction Why Rabbits? ................................................9
Chapter One Meet the Domestic Rabbit .........................11
Chapter Two The Versatile Rabbit....................................19
Chapter Three Housing and Feeding Rabbits ....................43
Chapter Four Rabbit Behavior and Handling ..................65
Chapter Five What’s Up, Doc? .........................................79
Chapter Six Breeding Like Rabbits .................................99
Chapter Seven Making Money with Rabbits ....................119
Acknowledgments ............................................................................131
Glossary ............................................................................................133
Resources ..........................................................................................137
Photo Credits ...................................................................................145
Index .................................................................................................147
About the Author .............................................................................160
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INTRODUCTION
Why Rabbits?
T
ime and time again, rabbits have proven themselves an ideal livestock
choice for small farms. In a world where farming is synonymous with land
and acreage, hobby farms create an opportunity to live your rural dream in
a smaller space. Rabbits are the perfect hobby-farm livestock, as they require very
little space. Even hobby farms located in suburban and urban neighborhoods will
fi nd small-scale rabbit keeping an easy endeavor.
Raising rabbits demands little in the way of fi nancial resources or specialized
equipment, and the rewards are considerable. These petite creatures can offer
companionship and the chance to participate in competitions. On a more practical
level, they can provide meat and fi ber (wool). Another valuable by-product of this
small livestock is top-of-the-line manure for your garden and compost piles. Rabbit
manure is widely recognized by gardeners as the most nutritionally balanced manure
of all the herbivores. (It’s also an excellent medium for raising fi shing worms!) And
you don’t have to choose just one reason to raise rabbits. For example, a rabbit raised
for fi ber can also be a beloved family pet.
We brought home our fi rst rabbit seventeen years ago, and we still consider
rabbits a perfect fi t for small-scale hobbyists. Rabbits are easy to house, handle, care
for, and transport. They’re also curious, affectionate creatures that are extremely
entertaining. Turn the page to see why so many small-scale farmers are touting
rabbits as one of the most popular little livestock choices around!
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