There are many other benefits from raising rabbits.
Fertilizer
Rabbit manure is considered one of the best available. It contains more nitrogen and phosphorus than many other manures and more potash than most. Even when applied fresh, it will not burn plants.
Gardens with rabbit fertilizer consistently applied most often yield much better results than without. It is also a great component for your compost. Some nurseries may even offer to purchase your rabbit manure.
And if the fertilizer is broken down using the worm method below, you can turn the already amazing fertilizer into gardener's black gold!
Raising Worms
Because of the complimentary nature, many rabbit raisers also raise earthworms (or Red Wigglers). The worms will break down and clean the bed just under the rabbit cages, turning the manure into black potting soil. Or a worm box can be built in another location and rabbit waste can be cleaned out of the rabbitry and put in the worm box for the magic to take place. A small profit can even be made from selling the worms to local tackle and bait shops or other rabbit breeders. Remember, raising worms is also time consuming and doing so may take time away from your rabbitry. Be wise in making the decision to take on another component like raising worms.
Rabbit Pelts
Rabbit pelts can also be sold for a small profit or used to make clothes, toys and other items. It is recommended that if you are planning on selling the pelts that you raise white rabbits because the white pelts can be died to any color desired. Tanning them is not always an easy process, but an exchange may be made with a local tanner in which they get to keep a percentage of the tanned hides in exchange for tanning a percentage for you.
AZ Rabbits is always willing to take free hides from local breeders and put them to good use. Just put them in a plastic ziplock bag, stick them in the freezer and give us a call. We'll come and get them from you (within reasonable distance). It's not profitable on a small scale, but it does bring the satisfaction of utilizing all parts of the rabbit and minimizing waste.
Education
Raising rabbits can be extremely beneficial for the whole family, particularly children. When you are caring for, feeding, breeding and finally culling your own meat, greater appreciation and thankfulness for the sacrifice involved in meat production is a guarantee. Instead of going to the grocery store and buying lifeless meat off the shelf, an education of where meat comes from, the efforts involved in producing that meat and the sacrifice of the animal is obtained. This process increases the value and appreciation of our food. And as a result, less waste and better food management follows. Use this as a valuable education for your whole family.