Rabbit Breeding: Essential Practices and Tips from Expo Prado
In Uruguay, rabbit breeding combines tradition, hobby, and productive opportunities. In the poultry and rabbit barn at Expo Prado 2025, exhibition breeds and meat lines were on display, demonstrating the diversity of the sector. Breeders and families today share similar questions: which breed to choose, how to feed, and how to care for the young rabbits. This article brings together practical recommendations and technical criteria for those considering keeping a rabbit as a pet or starting a small production business.
Expo Prado and its contribution to knowledge about rabbit breeding
The fair serves as a technical showcase: specialized judges evaluate coat quality, conformation, and muscle group, guiding breeders toward standards of excellence. The presence of international judges and the public turn the show into a space for exchange, where individuals can see ideal specimens for pets and meat production . In addition, the Expo raises awareness among families about responsible handling and the importance of health.
Rabbit Breeds: How to Choose by Purpose
There are two major families of interest: companion breeds, such as the Dutch Fancy or the Ren Lander, and meat breeds, such as the Neo Dutch and the Chinchilla. For a family pet, temperament, size, and manageability are prioritized; for production, animals with good conformation and meat yield are sought. Consulting the breeder and observing the conformation of the back and coat helps you make an informed decision .
Rabbit Feeding: ration and forage for each stage
The basis of their diet is a pelleted ration and alfalfa; these elements cover energy and protein needs at all stages. Young rabbits require a balance of mother's milk and solid food from the first few weeks; a gradual feeding plan prevents digestive problems. Monitoring water availability and feed quality is key to preventing disease and maintaining performance.
Responsible Breeding: Housing, Health and Welfare
Responsible breeding requires clean facilities, ventilation, and exercise spaces, as well as regular health checks. The rump or back, the appearance of the coat, and the overall condition are health indicators observed by the jury; for the breeder, they are the basis for selecting breeding stock. Maintaining a vaccination, deworming, and veterinary checkup schedule reduces risks and improves productivity.
Marketing and local opportunities
In Uruguay, demand for lean meat and pet animals grew; the fair demonstrated public interest and inquiries about consumption and marketing. Areas such as Carmelo, San Carlos, Canelones, and Montevideo are home to a large concentration of livestock and breeding farms, and commercial opportunities depend on local channels and consumer education. Diversification—exhibition, pet, and meat products—is a valid strategy for small producers.
Promising and young breeders: training and future
The emergence of "promising" young animals, young animals with potential, indicates a pool of new producers and competitors. Technical training, exchange sessions, and participation in juries strengthen national breeding. Sustaining this progress requires associations, technical transfer, and commercial channels that recognize quality.
Rabbit breeding can be a family-friendly, educational, and economically viable activity if proper care, genetic selection, and good health practices are applied. Expo Prado 2025 demonstrated the interest and available knowledge; now it remains to coordinate training and markets to consolidate the activity's place in the local production mix.
