COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



hours by the study average of 6.4 

 hours oi labor per doe gives a total 

 of 325 does required to use the 

 hours of labor available. This is 

 77.5 more than the management 

 study average. 



Certainly, a progressive indus- 

 try will keep in tune with the in- 

 novations continuously appearing 

 on the market. These available 

 engineering ingenuities can be used 

 to advantage by the rabbit indus- 

 try. "Where needed, modifications 

 can be made for their adoption. 

 Self-feeders, automatic watering 

 devices, built-in sunken nest boxes, 

 and electric carts for feeding and 

 carrying fryers or breeding stock 

 are but examples. Constant striv- 

 ing for improved feeds and feeding 

 techniques, building designs, and 

 materials and for stock improve- 

 ment through breeding provides 

 the progressive rabbitry operator 

 with the means to reduce the hours 

 of labor per animal. 



Naturally, these innovations will 

 tend to increase investment costs 

 of the rabbitry. However, if these 

 innovations reduce the marginal 

 cost of production, there will be 

 justification for their use. 



Investment 



The rabbit management studies 

 conducted in San Bernardino 

 County, Calif., during the years 

 1962 and 1963 showed the follow- 

 ing investment costs per doe: * 



2-year 

 Investment 1962 1963 average 



Land $12.80 $10.07 $11.48 



Building and 

 equip- 

 ment 17.09 18.06 17.57 



Miscella- 

 neous 

 supplies. _ .01 .03 .02 



Feed. .61 .48 .55 



Stock 5.48 5.87 5.67 



Total 36.07 34.51 35.29 



67 



The reduction in land investment 

 from 1962 to 1963 does not indicate 

 lowering land values, but rather 

 that rabbitries participating in the 

 study in 1963 were located on lower 

 valued land than those participat- 

 ing in 1962. 



Costs for housing and equipment 

 vary considerably, but the 1962- 

 63 quotation for an all-wire hutch 

 indicated the retail charge was 

 $5.07 per hole or per doe. Acces- 

 sory equipment, such as nest boxes, 

 feeders, medication tank, feed 

 tank, etc., cost $4.11, for a total cost 

 of $9.18 per doe. Deducting this 

 amount from the 2-year average 

 building and equipment charge of 

 $17.57, as shown in the tabulation, 

 leaves a cost of $8.39 per doe for 

 the building and its related electri- 

 cal and watering equipment. The 

 above costs reflect commercial re- 

 tail prices for new equipment. Re- 

 ductions can be made by canvassing 

 the market for used material avail- 

 able. The use of either semirigid 

 or flexible plastic pipe in lieu of 

 galvanized pipe for water lines 

 should be explored. Frequently, 

 when salvage material is adequate, 

 it can substantially reduce build- 

 ing costs. Bargaining ability can 

 further reduce costs, but reductions 

 should not be made at the expense 

 of reliable, sound, and safe con- 

 struction. 



Returns and Expenses 



The rabbit industry represents 

 a relatively stable market. In the 

 management studies conducted in 

 1962 and 1963, the price received 

 per pound of fryer for the 2-year 

 period ranged only 4 cents, and 

 that received per pound of mature 

 rabbits ranged only 2 cents. In 

 each case, the changes were ^adual 

 and infrequent. Total receipts re- 

 ported for the participating rab- 

 bitries averaged $29.59 per doe per 

 year. On the average, sale of 



" Although these figures are for 1962 

 and 1963, they can be converted to present 

 costs. 



