# Cost to raise a litter



## P.O. in MO (Jul 3, 2013)

I said in a previous post that I was keeping track of the cost to raise a litter and would post the results.  Here they are. These were NZW.

It was a litter of 10 and I butchered at 10 weeks.  1 was over 6 lbs. , 3 were over 5 1/2 lbs., 4 were between 5 and 5 1/2 pounds, and 2 were just under 5 lbs.

This is all the feed for the doe and the kits and includes half the feed for the buck.  I started keeping track when the doe kindled and rebred her at 6 weeks and included her feed until she kindled again.  So these costs cover the whole cycle.

176# feed at .31/#           54.50
Hay                                     1.50
Electricity for fan and AC      2.00
Total                                  58.00

So each kit cost 5.80 cents to raise.   The total litter dressed out right at 30#.  So that figures out to 1.93/# for the meat.  
I thought about waiting another week to butcher but they were eating almost 4# a day at this point.  Sawfish99 did a cost analysis in a previous post sighting the amount gained by waiting from 11.5 wks. to 14 wks.  Their  average wt. at 11.5 wks. was 5 lbs. and I was in that range now so I decided to go ahead and butcher.

Really no way to factor in the value of the manure but it definitely improves the output of the garden!!!


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## nawma (Jul 3, 2013)

Very interesting info. I was told just this week that rabbit meat is selling for up to $16.95# Quite a profit. But of course I noticed you didnt include anything for your labor or equipment. Still seems like you have made quite a profit.


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## nawma (Jul 4, 2013)

I did a little bit of research online and was amazed at the disparity of prices for rabbit meat. Anywhere from about $4.00 # to $15.00 #  So I guess it all depends on market and availability in the area.


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## animalmom (Jul 5, 2013)

nawma said:
			
		

> I did a little bit of research online and was amazed at the disparity of prices for rabbit meat. Anywhere from about $4.00 # to $15.00 #  So I guess it all depends on market and availability in the area.


Last time I looked on Amazon, for giggles and grins, they wanted close to $50 for ONE frozen rabbit.  There's gold in them thar cages!


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## VickieB (Jul 5, 2013)

Yeah, well my babies are too small still to dispatch, but making lots of poo so I'm having to clean cages at this point 2X a day. Gold never smelt so bad...


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## P.O. in MO (Jul 5, 2013)

It sounds good but you have to find someone willing to pay that much for it.  I am eating pretty much all I produce at this point.  I am giving a couple of this litter to a buddy who has supplied me with deer meat in the past.  And selling a couple to a friend of my sisters(too cheap).  I did look on Craigslist in my area before posting this and 10 to 12 dollars for one of butcher age was the cheapest I found.   I would sell 10 week old rabbits for $12.  I just don't know how many people would want to buy and butcher them themselves.  I know it took me about 4 hours to butcher 10 including the time to clean up my mess.  That was not cutting them up.   I cut them up today and it took me about 2 hrs. including cleaning up the mess.  I would definitely want 5 or 6 dollars to butcher one and another 2 to cut one up.  So I can see where people say 5 dollars a pound for rabbit meat.  Still gotta find someone willing to pay that much for it.  I know I wouldn't, I won't pay that much for meat that's why I started raising rabbits.  I got 2 breeders coming of age in another month so might reach a point where I can throw an ad up on Craigslist and see if any takers.


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## twg.jenn (Jul 8, 2013)

P.O. in MO said:
			
		

> So I can see where people say 5 dollars a pound for rabbit meat.  Still gotta find someone willing to pay that much for it.  I know I wouldn't, I won't pay that much for meat that's why I started raising rabbits.


That is what I have heard for the average that rabbit meat sells for. I know a local family owned grocery store has agreed to buy the meat for that price once I start to harvest. Have you tried to get a contract with a small store?? 

This is a great post btw, thank you very much for your info


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## sawfish99 (Jul 8, 2013)

Thanks for the info.  I was thinking about running another round of records with mine, but we are at 10 does and 2 bucks, so the effort to keep feed separate on some probably isn't worth it.  We sell meat for $5.50/lb packaged.  I have a butcher shop nearby that sells for $7.25/lb packaged.  

FYI - you will get faster with practice.  It takes me 6-8 minutes per rabbit and then my wife packages all at ones when I am done, which takes her about 10 minutes for 5-10 rabbits.


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## sawfish99 (Jul 8, 2013)

BTW - we figured out how to maximize the profit margin on our rabbits.  Sell a lot of breeding stock.  Since we shifted to American Chinchillas, we have had a much higher demand for breeding stock (and trios in particular).  We didn't even have unrelated trios, but people we still happy to purchase pedigreed, tattooed 7 week old rabbits for $30 each.  Now that we bought out a portion of another Am Chin rabbitry nearby (who was selling stock for $65 each), we will likely raise our breeding trio price slightly.  When you can sell 75% of a litter the day they are weaned, profit margin improves.
NOTE - the feedback from our customers has been they buy from us because of the quality of the breeders and we have enough rabbits to prove the quality.  It took a little time and learning to get to this point.


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## shan777 (Jul 30, 2013)

sawfish99 said:
			
		

> BTW - we figured out how to maximize the profit margin on our rabbits.  Sell a lot of breeding stock.  Since we shifted to American Chinchillas, we have had a much higher demand for breeding stock (and trios in particular).  We didn't even have unrelated trios, but people we still happy to purchase pedigreed, tattooed 7 week old rabbits for $30 each.  Now that we bought out a portion of another Am Chin rabbitry nearby (who was selling stock for $65 each), we will likely raise our breeding trio price slightly.  When you can sell 75% of a litter the day they are weaned, profit margin improves.
> NOTE - the feedback from our customers has been they buy from us because of the quality of the breeders and we have enough rabbits to prove the quality.  It took a little time and learning to get to this point.


Yes here in Australia I have used this niche. I sell my quality NZW's and Californian X NZW's for $50. The left overs from litters which is usually 20-40% of the litters gets sold as meat or to our freezer ( struggle to get them into our freezer these days... good problem to have)
The key I have found is like you said quality of the breeders, and promoting the lifestyle of backyard food supply.


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## Andrei (Nov 21, 2013)

ZERO cost for me.
My rabbits eat only "trash" and do great on it.
Never purchased food for them.


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## VickieB (Nov 23, 2013)

What do you mean by "trash"?


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## Andrei (Nov 23, 2013)

Well, kitchen vegetable leftovers like potatoes peals or apples or pumpkin or watermelon peal or letuce.
Cut grass and tree branches.
Dry bread for the ones that need fatening or a mother with a large litter.
Today I gave them celery and they go nuts for it.


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## VickieB (Nov 24, 2013)

Okay. Kitchen scraps...


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## Andrei (Nov 24, 2013)

And mostly yard scraps.
And neighborhood scraps.
Over 1000 rabbits mark.


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## VickieB (Nov 24, 2013)

Wow... lots of kitchen scraps.


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## Andrei (Nov 24, 2013)

Today I picked few leaves of english walnut tree for the rabbits. They are powerful medication containing iodine.
Gave each a leaf and they ate it but not enjoy it.


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