Pastured Rabbit for Profit

The goal of this project was to fine-tune our pastured rabbit operation and use it as the basis for a glass-walls model for other farms. Emphasis was on executing high animal welfare standards, promoting good quality of life standards for the farmers and demonstrating real economic viability for the enterprise.

Our research tells us that a pasture-based rabbity offers good economic opportunity for the small scale farmer, given the following criteria are being met or will be met in the near future.

• Other, larger enterprises exist to help carry overhead costs. In order to carry all of its own overhead costs a rabbitry would have to scale up considerably. However, for farms that are already producing a variety of products and serving a range of outlets, rabbits can be easy to integrate. Likewise, they’re an asset for existing markets and enterprises because they increase product diversity and produce free fertility.
• The farm is operating year round. An economically sound rabbitry requires efficient production. The numbers in our guide are based on each doe producing 6 litters per year. Therefor, farms with year round staff and sales teams will fare better than those without. However, developing markets for frozen product eliminates the need for year round sales (although it still requires four-season production).
• You can find good feed at an affordable price. There are a lot of options out there, from conventional to organic, to growing your own. Farmers need to just be sure they are doing the math and adjusting their number accordingly.
• You have consistent access to a legal processor. This is the true wild card, since it may be totally out of a producer’s control. Farmers who live in states that allow on-farm processing are all set. Others will need to find a quality licensed slaughterhouse near them before opening their rabbitry.
• Regional markets support appropriate pricing and purchase in high enough volume. Consistent sales at a fair price are at the crux of a successful enterprise.

However, producers who aren’t quite there in these regards should not rule out rabbits all together. Starting a small rabbitry is a great way for a new farmer to get some skin in the game while they build the rest of their business. Low start-up costs along with minimal space requirements and light, portable infrastructure make rabbits an ideal starter enterprise, especially for part time farmers without permanent land tenure.

The project culminated with the production of an easily digestible, practical resource for farmers intended to guide them through the start-up phase of their own pastured-rabbit operation. This resource includes a full enterprise budget and rabbit husbandry guidelines.
The guide has been made available for free download through Northeast SARE (here: PasturedRabbitGuide), the Letterbox Farm website and has been shared with The Greenhorns and the Stonebarns Virtual Grange for them to post at their discretion. The lead project coordinator has also presented this research in person at the NOFA NY and Stonebarns Young Farmer conferences.

Introduction:

In a 2010 article published by Salon Magazine, locavore kingpin Michael Pollan made the following claim:

Rabbits make more sense than chicken.

In a country with a $41 billion broiler chicken industry, Pollan is making a pretty bold statement, but it’s not unsubstantiated. Time Magazine agreed in their piece, “How Rabbits Can Save the World” and The New York Times has been quick to jump on the bandwagon with catchy headlines like, “Hip-Hop Cuisine.” The world is all abuzz about the supposed super-protein, and yet very few farmers are stepping up to meet the rapidly increasing interest in sustainably-raised rabbit meat. We believe this is directly linked to the lack of comprehensive resources available to young farmers would otherwise consider starting their own rabbitry.

At the commencement of this project, there did not exist a single fully developed resource on pasture-based rabbit production that was at once available, comprehensive, and accurate. The lack of this resource forced farmers interested in rabbit production to piece together bits of information from many publications that were difficult to find, too narrow in scope, and often, inaccurate.

We saw an opportunity to create a resource that would close these gaps in information and accessibility while equipping farmers with the information necessary to create a pastured rabbit operation from the ground up. At the culmination of our research, we developed a comprehensive guide that can be utilized by both professional rabbitry operators looking to switch to pastured production and by farmers new to raising rabbits who wish to tap into this growing market.

Our Research Partners

Our advisor on this project of Steven Haddcock, of Cornell Cooperative Extension. He was instrumental in linking us to other rabbit producers in the area.

As part of our research, we conducted site visits to three different farms where we interviewed those closest to each one’s rabbit operation. These farmers/farms included:

Daniel Salatin, Polyface Farm: Polyface Farm is famous pasture-based livestock farm in Swoope, VA. They produce approximately 700 rabbits for sale annually in addition to a wide variety of meats and eggs.

Carrie Edsall, Black Willow Pond Farm: Carrie teaches animal science at SUNY Cobbleskill and raises rabbits, laying hens, turkeys, meatbirds, sheep and hogs on her commercial farm.

Ellen Fagan, Deep Spring Farm: Deep Spring Farm is a small, diversified farm in Earlville, NY. Pastured rabbit production is at the heart of their operation.

Our Farm

The bulk of our research utilized our own production and sale records. In 2016, during the height of our research, our farm was run by three full-time, year-round managers and three full-time, season crew members. Our annual enterprises included:

• 3 acres of intensively managed greens, herbs and vegetables
• 2800 pasture-raised meat birds
• 300 laying hens
• 24 pastured hogs
• 24 doe rabbitry

Our markets during this season included:

• A 30 member full-diet CSA
• 3 high traffic farmers markets
• 10 local restaurant accounts
• 3 wholesale accounts
• 1 humble, onsite farm store

Letterbox is a for-profit commercial farm that prioritizes:

• Land stewardship & animal welfare
• The production of highest quality products sold at appropriate prices
• The health and well-being of its farmers

In regards to this last point, our target goals for our farmers include:

• 40 hour work weeks
• Paid time off & sick leave
• A teacher’s salary
• Work that is meaningful, engaging and reasonable

Every potential new enterprise is vetted for its ability to contribute to these goals, and part of this research was putting our rabbitry to the test. We are pleased to report that pastured rabbit has passed the test.