Is it profitable to raise rabbits in 2017? Farming prospect analysis

Rabbits can be divided into three major categories according to their economic use: meat-type, fur-type and wool-type. In recent years, meat rabbit breeding has developed very quickly in some northern provinces and cities as well as in southern provinces such as Guangdong and Sichuan, and has become a pillar industry in some areas. So is it profitable to raise rabbits? In fact, compared with raising other animals, rabbit raising is still very promising in terms of returns. Meat rabbit farming requires relatively little investment and has a high input-output ratio, making it a fairly profitable breeding project.

Input costs

1. Breeding stock cost: Purchasing 2.5 kg improved-breed rabbits costs 100 yuan each, so 12 rabbits cost 1200 yuan. The average service period of breeding rabbits is 2.5 years, with an average annual amortization of 480 yuan.

2. Feed cost: Each breeding rabbit consumes an average of 125 grams of mixed feed per day (with green grass and crop straw supplementing other nutritional deficiencies), consuming 45.6 kg of feed per year, and 12 rabbits consume 547 kg in total. Calculating feed cost at 0.9 yuan per kg, the feed cost is 492.3 yuan; for young rabbits, counting from weaning at 1 month of age to marketing at 90 days of age, a total of 60 days, each consumes about 5 kg of feed. Calculating that each female rabbit provides an average of 35 commercial rabbits per year, 10 female rabbits provide 350 commercial rabbits per year, consuming 1750 kg of feed in total, with a feed cost of 1575 yuan.

3. Disease prevention cost: The disease prevention cost is 2 yuan per breeding rabbit per year and 0.5 yuan per commercial rabbit, totaling 199 yuan.

4. Cage and housing cost: Old bricks and tiles, stones, adobe, cement and lime from the household can be used to build cages and housing, or an iron rod frame can be welded and wire mesh used to weave the cages. Calculating the investment per cage at 30 yuan, 12 breeding rabbit cages plus 20 fattening cages require 960 yuan. Calculating the service life of the cages at 8 years, the annual depreciation cost is 120 yuan.

5. Total input: 480 yuan + 492.3 yuan + 1575 yuan + 199 yuan + 120 yuan = 2866.3 yuan.

Income calculation

1. Selling commercial rabbits: 350 commercial rabbits are marketed per year, with an average weight of 2.5 kg each, totaling 875 kg. Calculated at the national average purchase price of 12 yuan/kg in a normal year, the total income is 10500 yuan. 

2. Breeding rabbit disposal fee: After the service period, breeding rabbits need to be culled as commercial rabbits. Each averages 4.5 kg, and calculated at 12 yuan/kg, each is 54 yuan, and 12 are 648 yuan. Amortized over 2.5 years, this is an average of 259.2 yuan per year.

3. Rabbit manure: 12 breeding rabbits and 350 commercial rabbits can produce more than 2.5 tons of rabbit manure per year. Calculated at 50 yuan per ton, this can bring in 125 yuan.

4. Total income: 10500 yuan + 259.2 yuan + 125 yuan = 10884.2 yuan. 

Summary: Gross profit is 10884.2 yuan - 2886.3 yuan = 7997.9 yuan. Raising 10 foundation female rabbits can yield a profit of nearly more than 8000 yuan per year, and each female rabbit can yield a gross profit of nearly 800 yuan per year. The input-output ratio is 1:3.75, which is difficult for other breeding industries and even other industries to compare with. For a family of three, raising 30 female rabbits in spare time after work can yield a gross profit of nearly 24000 yuan per year, and this alone can lift them out of poverty and toward moderate prosperity in that same year.