Popularity of rabbit meat and fertilizer has seen an increase in the number of farmers taking into this less exploited venture.
This was the case with Mercy Munene who after conducting market research, decided to rear rabbits, a decision that has enabled her to reap handsomely from her Utawala home.
Here is the success story of the founder and CEO of Shamba connect as told by WoK.
Keeping rabbits
Mercy started her rabbit business in 2020. Initially, she wanted to keep them as pets because they are furry and friendly. This changed when she saw the business side of the rabbits.
Challenges and taking care of rabbits
The CEO pointed out in an interview with the Standard that this is not a quick money kind of venture. Before one begins to see profits, it requires a lot of investment in terms of capital and time.
The person taking care of the rabbits also needs to be very keen and trained. Meticulous records keeping to ensure they are healthy and to avoid inbreeding is very vital. They need to know which rabbits are related to prevent them from breeding.
The businesswoman explained that they also face challenges in terms of identifying good mothers. She said some mothers are not good as they eat their babies or eat some parts and leave the rest of the body.
Good mothers build a nest for their babies even before they are born. The mothers put their shedded furs together in order to create a soft space for their younger ones to land once they are born.
The bad ones would not bother to do this, and they won’t bother to feed their younger ones afterwards. Therefore, once the bad mothers give birth, the babies are fostered.
Selling the rabbit produce
At the farm, they slaughter between 15 to 20 rabbits per week. She sells to businesspeople with restaurants and supermarkets as well as directly to customers. Most clients prefer to get a rabbit that has already been slaughtered.
The entrepreneur keeps six breeds of rabbits:
- New Zealand white
- Dutch
- Checkered giant
- California white
- Havanna
- Flemish giant
The Shamba connect CEO told the daily that they mix the giant breeds with the smaller ones when buying. Most rabbits give birth to 6-12 rabbits with the males determining the size and quality of the rabbits.
The giant rabbit breeds give birth to less offsprings compared to the small ones. She said they prefer the males to be larger than females. This is due to the fact that in some instances giant females refuse to mate with smaller males.
Rabbit wastes
On a single day, she is able to collect between 3 to 5 litres of rabbit urine per day. This urine is then fermented as she says the more it ferments, the better it becomes.
According to the CEO, she receives visits from various farmers who are just interested in the urine. The droppings are also liked since they improve soil structure and the cycle of microorganisms in the soil.
Her farm also tans rabbit since they produce good quality leather. The process is done manually as she doesn’t have the necessary machines to do it. They are open to partners who will help them make better use of the skin.
