Rabbit farmers learn how to multiply profits

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 21

Rabbit farmers learn how to multiply profits

By

HUGH STRINGLEMAN

A field day in Christchurch last week-end organised by the South Island Fur Marketing Association, breeders and promoters of the Rex rabbit, highlighted the paradox that is New Zealand's latest alternative livestock industry. While the carrot for industry hopefuls is substantial profits of two or three times production costs, aided obviously by the animal’s . procreative ability, the present reality is how to make a rabbit feeder for 20 cents.

But drawing attention to this paradox is in no way meant as a criticism of the organiser of the field day, and the leading light of the association, Mr Ken Plumstead.

In his irrepressible fashion he is, in fact, almost giving away advice on how to get into a potentially very lucrative livestock venture on a shoestring.

“The market overseas for Rex rabbit fur is so huge that it will absorb any good quality pelts which New Zealand can produce,” he said. But as everyone in New Zealand agriculture knows, the rabbit has attracted superlatives throughout its association with this country. “Two rabbits, two years, two million rabbits” is the old saying.

Perhaps some people in Wellington better get working on a N.Z. ■ Fur Board, with, of course, a price-sup-port scheme. Rabbit fecundity and feed-

ers for 20c sounds like a fastacting mixture! ■ Jokes aside, Mr Plumstead and his association are to be congratulated for their concern for other breeders and for their attention to ensuring that Rex production and pelt treatment is done properly.

Some 60 or 70 people, most would-be farmers rather than owners of agricultural land, listened last Saturday to a comprehensive coverage of how to. house, raise, vet, kill, skin and tan the Rex rabbit.

Unlike deer, salmon, trout, opossum and other less traditional livestock types which are receiving attention around the country the rabbit can be bought and its needs accommodated cheaply. Although rabbits have been sold for as high as $4OO a breeding pair in recent years, Mr Plumstead said his association has adopted a policy of selling a Rex rabbit to an association member for a maximum of $25. The association does not want to see purchase prices get wildly out of line with realisable returns.

This might be considered generous because the present facts of the industry are as follows.

• Upon reaching five and a half months a $25 doe will

then produce an average of one baby a week for two years.

• Each “pelting” animal can be in turn raised to five and a half months, when it is killed, for around $lO in feed.

• Good pelts average $2O and can reach $6O. • Total annual costs: (Doe. $25, cage $5, doe’s feed $3O, progeny feed $5OO, cages $4O) $6OO.

• Total annual return; ($2O times 50) $lOOO. Substantial demand has been identified overseas, particularly in the U.S., for good quality, well prepared pelts. At the field day breeders and Intending breeders were told that the most acceptable pelts were taken off in a tube, de-membraned, and pulled over a smooth length of timber 150 mm by 25.4 mm. This prevents pinning damage along the belly line which occurs when skins are dried in the normal spreadout pattern. Mr Plumstead explained that by tapering the plank at the top end and pulling the neck of the skin over this taper, the bottom of the skin can be stretched 80 tc 100 mm to give a pelt acceptable to a furrier for a coat sleeve.

Traditionally furriers trimmed off the lighter belly fur and used only the back fur but this had changed, Mr Plumstead said, and now all the pelt was used.

There are 26 different colours of- Rex rabbit, from black to pale sables and

blues. Some of the top-selling colours are black, chinchilla, seal, castor and Siamese sable, which Mr Plumstead describes as his Rolls Royce. The South Island Fuq Marketing Association markets the pelts of its members, ol which there are at present about 100 active breeders. These members have at the moment 2500 breeding does.

“Another 4000 will be coming on shortly,” said Mr Plumstead. ■ That is how it is in the rabbit business — growth is only round the corner. All members are only part-time growers at present, most working out of their backyards, and Mr Plumstead is no exception. “It is a fascinating business and the whole family gets involved,” he said. But he does have plans to be fulltime on rabbits within a couple of years. “It beats sheepfarming,” he said. “One breeding doe produces 75kg of meat and three fur coats.”

With jokes like that, Mr Plumstead better not show up at a pest destruction board meeting.