Can You Make Money Raising Rabbits in Rural Areas? A Small-Scale Operation Holds Big Profits

        In a flat field, rows of green vegetables and grass are planted neatly in order. At one end of the field stands a plain little single-story house. What exactly is such a house used for? Step inside and take a look - wow, it turns out to be used for raising rabbits. Rabbits of all sizes greedily fight over the grain in the feed trough, and all you can hear is the "gugu" sound of them eating…… On March 6, this writer followed Liu Jinlan into this rabbit house, and Liu Jinlan is the owner of this little single-story house. At this time, their family was bustling with activity, with the whole family, young and old, joining in - feeding the rabbits, cleaning the rabbit cages, and caring for the young rabbits.
Sticking to His Dream of Raising Rabbits
Speaking of raising breeding rabbits, two years ago Liu Jinlan was still a layman, but now he has become a professional rabbit farmer with a small-scale operation. Before starting the farm, he learned that the market for raising Sima rabbits was good, so the idea of getting rich by raising rabbits was born in his mind. He sought advice on rabbit-raising experience and techniques from Sisi Breeding Farm, and repeatedly went deep into the market to inquire about the sales situation of Sima rabbits. After repeated consideration, he decided to raise Sima rabbits together with his wife.
"Money put in the bank becomes less and less valuable the longer it sits there. At first, my wife and I did the accounts and felt there was something to be gained, and with the support and help of friends, I began to walk the path of raising rabbits." Liu Jinlan, who was cleaning the rabbit pens, told the reporter. Liu Jinlan has quite a few friends doing business in the city. When his friends learned that he was going to develop a rabbit-raising business, they helped him contact several specialized breeding households in Chengdu, took him to visit and learn, and helped him with sales contacts. With a clear path for development, Liu Jinlan became even more confident about raising rabbits.
In 2014, Liu Jinlan took out more than 100,000 yuan in cash that he had saved up, built rabbit sheds, and bought breeding rabbits. "At the beginning, I spent more than 70,000 yuan to build this rabbit farm of more than 200 sq m, rented the surrounding fields, mainly to grow some green feed for the rabbits, spent more than 10,000 yuan to equip some breeding facilities, and more than 20,000 yuan to buy 40 groups of breeding rabbits. I put a lot of effort into it. To be honest, the pressure was quite heavy too. In the breeding industry, there are risks. If you don't try, how would you know whether you can succeed?" When mentioning the early days of starting the business, Liu Jinlan smiled, stroking the gray Sima rabbit in his hands as if caressing a precious treasure.
  High-Quality Meat Rabbits Are in Short Supply
"Rabbits are very clean-loving animals. An unsanitary environment will affect the growth and quality of the rabbits." When talking about his insights on raising rabbits, Liu Jinlan spoke fluently and systematically. Indeed, the rabbits he raised were not only large and plump, but also had a special fragrance after being cooked, and his rabbits were already in short supply locally. Today, this rabbit farm of more than 200 sq m has an annual total output value of more than 200,000 yuan.
"These 10-plus rabbits are for the Zhao family in the neighboring village for a banquet. We have to get them slaughtered and delivered before 3 p.m." Liu Jinlan's wife skillfully peeled off the rabbit skin. According to her, nowadays when rural areas hold banquets, most banquet tables include "stewed whole rabbit," a main dish that is both nutritious and delicious. The rabbits they raise not only "attend" local farmhouse banquets, but also appear at banquets in several nearby townships.
It is understood that most of his family's rabbits are ordered by hot pot restaurants and eateries. At present, he has signed order contracts with two rabbit meat hot pot restaurants and several eateries, and sells more than 100 meat rabbits every month.
"I came here specially to buy meat rabbits for my grandson. Nowadays, pregnant women and children in the city do well eating this kind of rural green meat. Sima rabbits grow up eating the five grains and miscellaneous cereals, and they are hard to buy in farmers' markets. I heard from friends that there are many rabbits here and that many people come here to buy them, so I also came to join in the fun." Li Weifu, 60 years old, often comes here to buy meat rabbits. Although the Sima rabbit is small, Liu Jinlan's family earns quite a lot from meat rabbits. One commercial meat rabbit sells for more than 100 to 200 yuan, and sales still fall short of demand. The annual income from meat rabbits is more than 100,000 yuan.