Integrated Rabbit Farming and Aquaponics

[GaryD]

Hi,

I happened to be watching Landline on ABC at lunchtime today, and they featured a segment on farming rabbits.......and (lo and behold) they went on to show a rabbit farmer who has partnered with an aquaponics operator who grows greens for the rabbits.

I found this of particular interest because, for some time now, I've believed that the most likely way to succeed with commercial aquaponics is to partner it with other small 'niche' ventures......like rabbits, snails, quail, muscovies, worms and/or free-range meat chickens. This sort of expanded integration is one of the key elements of my Microponics concept

This type of enterprise lends itself to marketing using a community supported agriculture (CSA) model and/or a value-adding chain where the fish, rabbit and chicken could be cooked in various ways.....or smoked...to extend the range of products that might be offered.

Farm tourism (where the customers get to take a tour of the various production units taking in the story of integrated food production) could also be part of the whole deal.

You can catch the video segment.......here.

[bigdog]

Gday Gary,
Wow, thanks for that, I am especialy interested as that is exactly (smaller scale) what we intend to do.
We live in Queensland so rabbits are out.....So, sell up and move.
Yep, we have put our place on the market (Barramundi and mudcrabs off the back deck if your interested) and will be looking for a couple of acres on NSW nth coast.
It all started because I want a couple of Boerboels (Sth African Guardian dog)
These dogs can grow to 200lb so I was looking at alternate ways of feeding them....
That bought me to Rabbits, Chickens (have already built the chook plucker) and ducks...
That bought me to growing greens/veges to feed to the above....that in turn bought me to aquaponics which in turn bought me to soldier flies and worms.

Gosh, It just keeps building eh

Cheers........Lindsay

[GaryD]

Hi,

I have to say that my chief complaint with living in Queensland is the totally illogical approach of the authorities to rabbit farming. I suppose little peculiarities like that divert attention from some of the real issues like hospitals, schools, roads and water.

At the price of farmed rabbit meat, I'd be surprised if you'd want to feed too many of them to your dogs. That's what their wild cousins are good for.

You're right......it does keep building......but the bigger and more diversified a food production system gets, the more cost effective and resilient it becomes.

Gary

[bunya boy]

Hi Guys,
If you wish to have rabbits for food legalised in QLD,
Look at this Petition for e-signing..
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/vie...px?PetNum=1271
Cheers IanK :mrgreen:

[GaryD]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for pointing us to this petition.

While it relates the keeping of domesticated rabbits for pets, it's a short jump to having the pets appear on the plate.

I urge anyone in Queensland who has an interest in backyard food production to sign this petition.

Gary

[gundoc75]

Reading a news article a while back, which i will try to find, i stumbled upon another great use for integrating rabbits into a greenhouse system. Heat, they run pretty darn hot compared to humans, and have those giant ears to get rid of the heat. Will not do the whole job but might cut down on your bills in the winter specially if you can do some kind of composting with their waste. I imagine that the plants would not mind the carbon dioxide they make ither.

[GaryD]

Hi GunDoc,

The New Alchemists did a lot of work on the integration of fish, plants, animals and birds back in the late 1960's and beyond. Their work underpins my Microponics concept.

Rabbits were part of their integrated system for (as you've mentioned) their body heat and their manure.

And farmed rabbits produce meat that is (in my mind) without equal.

Gary

[gundoc75]

And farmed rabbits produce meat that is (in my mind) without equal.

I with you on that one, raised a few giant new zealand lops last year, taaaasty!

[dunbyu]

Rabbit farming E petition in Qld is now closed. Just tried to sign on and it was no longer registered.

Great for eating, setting up over a worm bed just a couple of useful ways to use them.

[Bubbles]

How about using crocs as a meat and leather crop! Feed waste meat - chicken heads and bits etc, keep aquaponically with Tilapia, be careful at harvesting time, but they are hardy and can draw the tourists too! Is it legal?