Bulletin #1117, Farmer Skill and Knowledge Checklist for Rabbits

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Bulletin #1117, Farmer Skill and Knowledge Checklist for Rabbits (PDF)

Developed by Richard Brzozowski, Food System Program Administrator, Gary Anderson, Animal & Bioscience Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Erin Percival-Carter, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Maine, and Carolyn Hurwitz, DVM Assistant Maine State Veterinarian

For information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit extension.umaine.edu.
Find more of our publications and books at extension.umaine.edu/publications/.

This checklist is a guide to the types of skills and knowledge useful to a rabbit producer in Maine. Increasing your levels of knowledge and skill can help you

  • improve your farm management skills,
  • increase your chances of having a profitable rabbit enterprise, or
  • gain employment in a successful rabbit

If you are just starting out, don’t be intimidated by this list; just use it to prioritize your learning. If you are experienced, remember that you can always improve and learn more, whatever your skill level.

Circle your current and desired (target) competence using this scale:

1=No knowledge/skill
2=Some knowledge/skill
3=Well-informed/experienced
Recommended knowledge
 My current level My target level
Breeding and Reproduction
Be able to identify common purebred rabbit breeds. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to select a replacement doe. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to select a buck for a certain trait. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of crossbreeding, line-breeding, and other forms of inbreeding. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand how to use the hereditability of various traits to improve your herd. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand hybrid vigor. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to evaluate individual animals through body condition scoring. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the implications of body condition for reproductive health. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to calculate the time of kindling from the breeding date. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the reproductive tract of a doe. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to keep production records. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Kindling
Know how to prepare a doe for kindling and what is necessary for nesting materials. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to recognize when a doe is about to give birth. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the stages of kindling and be able to recognize normal births. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to recognize and treat a retained placenta. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to recognize and treat pregnancy toxemia. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to develop and follow a newborn checklist/protocol for your farm. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to assemble materials for a kindling kit. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to safely handle a newborn kit. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to determine the difference between male and female rabbits (especially kits by 5 weeks of age). 1 2 3 1 2 3
Rabbit Health
Establish a working relationship with a veterinarian for conducting advanced diagnosis and consult on the proper use of antibiotics. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the importance of sanitation and biosecurity on your farm—and when visiting other farms and at rabbit shows. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to develop a biosecurity plan for everyday practices and for a biosecurity emergency. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the components of a rabbit health program. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with common rabbit diseases such as coccidiosis and pasteurella. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with common external parasites of rabbits such as fur/wool mites and ear mites. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to recognize a sick individual by signs and symptoms such as a runny nose, scabby ears, and weight loss. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know proper parasite treatment measures and dosages. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to manage a safe and proper storage facility for sharps (used needles) and medications. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Select the proper types and sizes of needles for use on kits and adults. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to properly draw injectables from a vial into a syringe. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to give an intramuscular (IM) injection. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to give a subcutaneous (sub-Q) injection. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to properly dispose of a used needle and syringe. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to recognize signs of internal parasites such as off feed, diarrhea, and poor body condition. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to take a fecal sample for the diagnosis of internal parasites. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to prevent, recognize, and treat sore hocks. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to properly trim rabbit nails. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Rabbit Nutrition
Be familiar with elements of feed management, such as sanitation, feed quantity, feeding frequency, and feeder structural materials. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to use Pearson’s square to balance a feed ration. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to properly feed the buck. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with elements of feed management, such as sanitation, feed quantity, feeding frequency, and feeder structural materials. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to balance a feed ration for a pregnant doe. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to balance a feed ration for a meat rabbit. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with types of rabbit feeds and their nutrient values. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to read and interpret a feed bag label. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to recognize common nutritional disorders. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to take a feed sample. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to calculate yearly or seasonal feed needs. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the importance of providing a constant source of clean water. 1 2 3 1 2 3
General Management
Be familiar with rabbit terms. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to identify and express the goals of your rabbit operation. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand how rabbits (both does and bucks) behave in different situations. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know and use the safety guidelines for handling rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to transport one or more rabbits safely & humanely. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to safely load rabbits into a crate. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to weigh a rabbit at any age. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to implement and maintain a rabbit ID (tattoo) system. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to track the performance of individual animals. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to set criteria for culling individual breeding stock from your herd. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to humanely euthanize or dispatch individual rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Develop an emergency plan for your rabbits should the need arise (loss of power, loss of water, manager incapacitated, etc.). 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to attract and keep effective farmworkers. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with agencies and resources (public and private) for rabbit producers in the U.S. and Maine.* 1 2 3 1 2 3
Facilities
Be able to calculate adequate space for rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand space requirements for rabbits at different ages/growth stages. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to fabricate/repair rabbit cages and hutches. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to select proper nesting materials for rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with ways to properly store feed. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to design a basic manure management system. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to effectively control flies. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the principles, design, and components of a rabbit handling unit for holding, quarantining, and treating individual animals. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the need for proper barn ventilation in different seasons and conditions. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the needs of animals for protection from the elements. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to select or build and use a windbreak. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Fencing, Forages, and Pastures
Understand the basics of pasturing rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to design a pasture for flexible usage. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Recognize common pasture forages. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Recognize plants poisonous to rabbits in Maine. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to evaluate a pasture for forage quantity and quality. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Identify forage stages of maturity and their implications for quality. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to take a soil sample (from a field or pasture), and be able to interpret the results. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be familiar with different watering systems for rabbits at pasture. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Selling Your Product
Be familiar with the U.S. rabbit industry infrastructure. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the food safety and food-related regulations in Maine and the U.S. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the grades of rabbits (both quality grades and yield grades). 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the cuts of meat and from what part of the rabbit carcass they come. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the value of an animal at different growth stages and conditions. Be familiar with and know how to find annual price cycles and trends for different ages of rabbits. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to determine when a meat rabbit is ready for market. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to develop a marketing plan for your own operation. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to identify marketing options (such as rabbit sales, private treaty, cooperative marketing, and direct marketing) and choose the right ones for your operation. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand preconditioning requirements for specific auctions and sales. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know the retail yield of a carcass. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Understand the importance of value-added rabbit products. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Economics
Be familiar with different rabbit enterprise types (such as laboratory, fiber, purebred, or meat). 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to determine herd size to produce to your targeted market. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to use rabbit-based enterprise budgets. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to determine the break-even point for your enterprise. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Know how to interpret market reports—and know when to sell. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to keep accurate financial records (on a computer or on paper). 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to analyze financial records to make wise decisions. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to identify and implement money-saving or labor-saving practices. 1 2 3 1 2 3
Be able to correctly complete income tax Schedule F, “Profit or Loss From Farming.” 1 2 3 1 2 3

Resources

Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

© 2020

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