According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the rabbit’s “natural geographic range in the Western Hemisphere encompasses the middle latitudes.” In the East, rabbits are found in parts of Africa, India and Asia. Domesticated rabbits descend from the European rabbit.
Rabbits are a welcome addition to any farm or homestead – they are raised for meat and breeding stock (and sometimes for their wool). They make great pets and often they are used as project animals through youth programs such as 4-H.
It’s important if you are planning to raise rabbits – especially as pets – that you understand their needs and what it looks like to provide basic care. Rabbits are highly social animals and very intelligent – they need a clean environment and stimulation to keep them happy and engaged, as well as a healthy, well-rounded diet. UMass Amherst’s Cooperative Extension has a great article here about rabbit enclosures. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also has a great brochure on rabbit shelters, nutrition and general care – which you can access here.
Caring for and being responsible for a pet can be an enriching activity for a child or teenager. Maybe that’s through day-to-day life on the farm, or through a youth program like 4-H. The 4-H programs are structured under the belief that kids learn best through a hands-on approach – through their mentors’ guidance, they work through various projects in agriculture, science, health and more. Rabbits make a perfect project for your child. Visit 4-h.org for more information about how you and your child can start your 4-H journey.
Maybe you are starting to raise rabbits for meat. It is possible to butcher rabbits on your farm for at-home/personal consumption. This great article from Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension covers the process in detail. Any meat that will be processed for sale to the public needs to meet state or local health standards. However, in most of the contexts we’re talking about here, that won’t apply to raising a few animals on your farm or homestead for personal consumption. All that’s required is an ample workspace, the right knives and saws and a good chest freezer.
If you are not comfortable processing the meat yourself, you can typically work with a butcher or custom meat processor in your area.
No matter what your rabbit raising journey looks like, they are a unique addition to any farm or homestead and they will burrow your way right into your heart.
by Andrew Haman
