With rabbits being one of the most versatile, useful animals on the homestead, there is one small question that seems to go largely unanswered:
How much do rabbits poop in a day???
Rabbits are known for their incredibly rich manure, which can be used straight from the rabbits on the gardens.
This is one of the only cold manures on the homestead, and one of the best ways to transform poor dirt into rich, life-giving, fertile soil.
If you grow any of these crops…..
Tomatoes
Melons
Peppers
Squash
Okra
Corn
Onions
Carrots
Potatoes
Broccoli
Wheat
Strawberries
Oats
THEY ALL LOVE RABBIT POOP!
But, if you’re going to use rabbit manure on your organic homestead garden, it’s helpful to know how much poop you could expect to harvest from your new fluffy, hopping friends.
How Much Do Rabbits Poop a Day?
Averages for total rabbit manure can vary widely, as sizes of rabbits can vary widely. A small rabbit could weigh as little as 2 to 3 lb, while the largest breeds can tip the scales at 22 lb. This massive difference in size will directly affect how much the rabbit will eat. Since most rabbits are fed a diet of pellets and hay, you can expect the rabbit to put out nearly twice as much (in weight) in rabbit manure. The rabbit must ingest extra water when fed such a dry diet, in order to digest and utilize the dried feed. Manure has a far higher moisture content than the feed, leading to an increase in manure weight. Rabbits who are fed naturally may be harder to gauge, but the feed to manure ratio will probably be far more close in weight.
Therefore, if you have a meat breed rabbit who is eating 1/4 lb of pellets and free fed hay each day, you would expect a minimum of 1/2 lb of manure. However, it would not be shocking to find 1 lb of manure produced per standard sized meat breed rabbit.
If you have a smaller colony of 10 adult rabbits, excluding any bunnies or grow out rabbits, you can expect 45 to 70 lb of manure a week. This would include the hay that the rabbits eat along with their pellets. This figure could be much more, depending on just how large your rabbits are.
Selling Rabbit Manure as an Additional Homestead Income
If you have more rabbit manure than you know what to do with, there are probably hundreds of gardeners in your area that are dying to get their hands on your manure. With rabbit manure being one of the richest natural fertilizers for both flower and vegetable gardens, as well as safer than horse or cow manure, gardeners cannot get enough of it! You can load up feed sacks with your manure, and sell it by the sack. Or, if you have dozens of rabbits and a truck, you could even sell it by the truck load!
Livestock such as horses and cattle, as well as pigs, are unfortunately exposed to herbicides that are used on many common grain crops for continuous weed control. These very, very, potent herbicides can remain viable in the soil for over 2 years, with many people having issues for longer than 5 years. These herbicides affect hay, grass or grain crops, and even the straw that you might be using for bedding. Be mindful of these dangerous chemicals, as they can kill your garden plants for years to come.
