chicken co-op

[ChickenTender63]

when we raised rabbits growing up, we had a 16'x40' barn they we used wire rabbit cages that came 12' long and had 6 cages in each. we were then able to hang these from the ceiling and we had them 4 rows high on 1 side and 3 rows high on the other side of the isle. We then had our feeder cage at the end.

In this little building, we were able to raise and process 300 rabbits per week, which was 1200 per month. And they all did fine, not too crowded, and no sickness.

Rabbits don't take much room, and are fast growers which helps you get a higher number processed out.

Every weekend though was taken up with processing rabbits instead of being kids. I am going to do them again, but it just won't be on this scale, unless there is a very good market for them.

Good luck

 

[francisfarms]

that is a lot of rabbit, what did you guys do with all the pelts?
My problem is that I live in a flood plain, I can only take on a few projects at a time. I would have to have a place to put the rabbits if a flood comes. so I am kinda stuck on what to do there. I can probably have a buck and afew does but that is all.

 

[ChickenTender63]

we had two big chest freezers and we would bag the pelts and freeze them until we had both freezers full and then took and sold the entire load to a company that would tan them and end up doing whatever with them after that.

We raised New Zealand Whites which made a very nice pelt and meat.

 

[mrsengeseth]

wow, that sounds like a fantastic idea.

 

[francisfarms]

I heard it tastes like chicken

 

[greyfields]

The biggest thing is to find who you'll be selling them to before you get the rabbits. The goat breeder I go to hauls a hundred or two rabbits into Portland every other week. I imagine your hardest job will be finding whom to sell them to on a regular, consistent basis.

 

[skeeter]

yeah,my cousins and I did birds 100 in one day it wasnt that bad,but he had already had done over a thousand so was pretty good at it,he did all the scalding and plucking,all I did was the axe work,
the kids got them out of the pen,I choped,Gery plucked the kids would take them to the women,they would gut and bag,pretty easy

 

[francisfarms]

I know my friends would take some, and Russell said he would take some too, I probably figure maybe 12 or so a month would be adequate

 

[ChickenTender63]

good luck to you on your co-op. I hope it works out well for you!