Page 5 - Hazels Rabbit Farm CS

Moreover, she recognised her knowledge weakness and
sought out and was lucky enough to find one of the most

knowledgeable men in the industry, Speedwell Campion,
who acted as her mentor pointing her in the direction of a

good source of breeder stock.

The Business Idea

Hazel had decided that where traditionally rabbits were

bred for their meat with the by-product being the fur she

would reverse this as the basis for her business model and

produce first for the fur and then the meat. Moreover, in

the UK rabbit farms are typically very small-scale, with

roughly 10 to 200 breeding does (female rabbits) on an

average-sized farm.

Rabbit Varieties

There are two main breeds in the commercial rabbit

farming industry: Rex and White rabbits. The Rex is bred

specifically for the fur and is a more velvety fur with

shorter, thicker hair than the White. White rabbits have
traditionally been bred primarily for the meat, and the fur

was not always used.

The price of rabbit meat varies from country to country

averaging between €4-8 (price paid per rabbit). However,

the price of rabbit meat had not risen substantially in the

last five years but the costs associated with producing the

meat had.