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of information so they have seen my information on opportunities,
challenges, and other issues relevant to rabbit production and have become
well informed producers.
Yet,
I continue to receive phone calls and e-mails inquiring about general
information on rabbit production. I am more than happy to provide
information to those inquiring minds, after all that is my job. Then
again, my job also requires my ability to research and identify resources
of information on various opportunities in agriculture, and share that
information with existing and potential farmers; so I am able to set aside
time to perform those duties.
My
primary access to information comes via the Internet. Maybe it is the lazy
student inside of me; or I am the type of student who would rather sit at
home in front of a computer for hours rather than taking the time to visit
the local library and doing the same thing, but I choose the Internet. For
those of you out there who are more adventurous than me and don’t mind
getting out, there are several other easily accessed resources for
information on rabbit production.
(1) Alabama Cooperative Extension System
(ACES) has offices located in almost every county within the state; and if
they don’t have the information you need, they can access it from the
ACES website. Just to make sure, I have already called the Madison County
Cooperative Extension Office and verified they have information on rabbit
production.
(2) Visit your local library; and if you don’t know how to
access the information you need on your own, they have assistants that are
more than glad to teach you. Granted, much of their resources are accessed
using computers, but people are there to help you.
(3) Contact a farm
specialist from one of three Land Grant Universities located in Alabama.
All three (Alabama A & M, Auburn, and Tuskegee University) have
specialists such as myself who are there to help you.
(4) Find several
local farmers who are already raising rabbits. Visit with them, ask
questions, and learn from their experiences. Don’t limit yourself to one
farm, what works for one may not work for the next farm.
(5) Join an
association that specializes in rabbit production. There is the American
Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) that operates nationwide. Or, there is
the Tri-State Rabbit Growers that focus on rabbit production in the
Southeast.
(6) Subscribe to magazines that specialize in rabbit
production. ARBA offers a monthly magazine to all members. Visit your
local bookstore to check out their magazine section and while you are
there see what books they have on rabbit production.
For
those of you who are like me and prefer to ask where information can be
found than go and see what is there, I have listed numerous websites that
I easily found within several hours of sitting in front of a computer and
doing a search using two key words, rabbit production and meat rabbits.
There was no secret method used in finding this information, all it took
was time, patience, and sorting through the "litter" one tends
to run across when doing Internet searches. I’m sure there are many
other informative sites out there but I chose to limit the time I spent
with my search for information. Some of the informational sites available
include: |
