Rabbit farming has been very profitable for those involved in it in Nigeria. Although this is not very common, you can get into without investing a lot of capital one business. Rabbit is seen as one of those animals that are dynamic and can be used for a lot of things, thereby increasing its market value.

Rabbits are available in different breeds and while there are no big differences between these breeds, they vary in prices and market values. In this post, we will take a look at how much various breeds of rabbits go for in Nigeria today.

Costs of Rabbits in Nigeria

While it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact amount rabbits go for, it wouldn’t be really challenging to estimate how much they go for. Rabbits are available in different breeds and they vary in commercial uses and value, making them also vary in how much they go for in the market.

Here are some of the common breeds of rabbit common in Nigeria today and how much they go for.

• Weaner Rabbit (English Spot): N1, 800 – N2, 800
• Weaner Rabbit (Chinchilla): N2, 000 – N3, 000
• Weaner Rabbit (Dutch): N2, 500 – N3, 500
• Weaner Rabbit (Harlequin): N2, 000 – N3, 000
• Weaner Rabbit (New Zealand): N2, 000 – N3, 500
• Grower Rabbit (English Spot): N3, 500 – N5, 000
• Grower Rabbit (Chinchilla): N3, 000 – N4, 500
• Grower Rabbit (Dutch): N4, 000 – N5, 000
• Grower Rabbit (Harlequin): N3, 500 – N5, 000
• Grower Rabbit (New Zealand): N3, 000 – N5, 000
• Matured Rabbit (English Spot): N5,000 – N6, 000
• Matured Rabbit (Chinchilla): N5, 000 – N6, 000
• Matured Rabbit (Dutch): N5,000 – N6, 500
• Matured Rabbit (Harlequin): N6, 000 – N7, 000
• Matured Rabbit (New Zealand): N6, 000 – N7, 000

Why People Keep Rabbits in Nigeria

Consumption

This is one of the most obvious reasons people rear rabbit. While there are other reasons, meat production is one of the core. Many people see rabbit as a very good source of protein and according to researches, has lots of benefits.

Rabbits is a great source of white meat and offers high quantity of digestible protein. Rabbit meat has low-fat content, serving as a plus for aging people and patients advised to abstain from high-fat meals. It also serves as a substitute that can be recommended when on diet as it offers low calories. Rabbit meats do not have cholesterol and also has a low sodium content.

Fur Production

This is another common reason people keep rabbits. There are some breeds of rabbit – Rex and Angora rabbits – that are used for fur production. Furs are generally used to make hats, toys and in some cases, coats.

On the commercial scale, these breeds of rabbits are a little more expensive than most other breeds. They are also not so common in most parts of the country. The rabbit under goes some processes including skinning, moulting and curing before this can be achieved.

Usually, the rabbits used for this process are usually left to mature before they are slaughtered. This is to allow the skin grow well and become suitable for making high-quality products. Rabbit hair is divided into three main sectors and each sector are useful for the production of various materials.

Pets

This might sound strange but some people prefer to have rabbits as pets. The animals are seen as social and active domestic animals.

Manure

The excreta of rabbits are rich in core soil nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. They can be used in numerous ways as manure and can even directly add them to plants.

Research

Rabbits serve as a great animal for experimental researches. Like white rats, they can be easily used for several experiments as reports claim they have similar physiology when compared with humans. They can also be more easily handled compared to bigger animals. Also, because rabbits have similar placenta setup, they are used to test new drugs in some cases.

Common Breeds of Rabbit

White New Zealand

The white New Zealand rabbit breed is one of the most popular and high productive marketable rabbit breeds. It has a great demand all over the world and is seen as the most appreciated and dynamic. White New Zealand rabbit breed are mainly used for Fur.

Californian

Californian rabbit breed is another highly industrious and widely eminent commercial rabbit. This breed was made in 1923 after long experiment and crossing. Californian rabbit breed is very well known for their meat production. They are usually white in colour and spread across the world. However, the nose, ears, tail and feet are usually dark grey or black coloured.

Satin

Satin rabbit breed is not the most common rabbit breed in this part of the world. While they are extremely meat and fur productive and are even suitable for commercial farming, they are very rare and not as easily seen as most other breeds. They are one of the most beautiful breeds and are very active, one reason they are perfect for rabbit shows.

It should be noted that medium and large breeds, like the popular New Zealand, California, Dutch Gray, English Spot, Chinchilla, and Flemish Giant, have the most appropriate size and conformation for the production of meat and fur. White breeds of rabbits like the New Zealand White and Californian are the most productive and also the most looked-for for commercial and fur manufacture because these breeds are usually more expensive.