Rabbits

Overview

Rabbits are a minor livestock species on Hawaiʻi Island, raised on a small scale for meat, fiber, and as breeding stock for pets or show. While rabbits are not traditionally part of Hawaiian diets, there have been periodic attempts to promote rabbit meat as a locally produced protein (sometimes dubbed “Hawaiian mountain pig” humorously). A few homesteaders and small farmers keep meat rabbit colonies, and there is a niche market for live rabbits as pets or 4-H projects. Rabbits also contribute to value-added agriculture by providing pelts and manure (rabbit manure is an excellent garden fertilizer). Overall, the rabbit sector is very small and largely informal, with no major commercial rabbitries on the Hawaiʻi Island.

Production and Operations

Those who raise rabbits for meat on Hawaiʻi Island typically use medium to large meat breeds such as New Zealand Whites, Californians, or mixes thereof. Operations might consist of a series of hutches in a shaded area or a colony setup in a secure pen. A “backyard” meat rabbit operation might have a handful of breeding does and one or two bucks, producing several litters a year. Each litter can be 6-10 kits, which reach processing weight (~5 pounds live) in about 10-12 weeks. Because feed is mostly imported pellets (and some local forage), and climate can be hot for rabbits, farmers must ensure cool, dry conditions and supplement feed with greens to reduce pellet use. Some producers grow things like moringa, mulberry, or alfalfa locally to feed rabbits.

Rabbits for fiber (Angora rabbits) are even fewer; one or two fiber enthusiasts on-island keep Angoras and harvest their long wool to spin into yarn or make accessories. For example, an Upcountry Maui farm (as noted on social media) has Angora rabbits and alpacas for fiber, and it’s plausible a couple of Hawaiʻi Island folks do similarly. Rabbit manure, often called “cold manure” because it doesn’t burn plants, is bagged and sold by some gardeners or simply used to boost vegetable production on the farm.

Market and Usage

Rabbit meat is lean, high-protein, and has been promoted as a sustainable meat, but it’s not widely consumed in Hawaiʻi. There is a small community of locavore eaters who will buy dressed rabbit from farmers when available. Pricing tends to be high (comparable to premium chicken or even lamb) since production is small. However, due to regulatory constraints – rabbit processing is not clearly streamlined under Hawaiʻi’s slaughter laws – most rabbit meat is sold informally, directly from farm to consumer under the radar. There have been past workshops by CTAHR on rabbit husbandry and usage, indicating some interest. In the late 2000s, a CTAHR extension agent even published guidelines for raising rabbits in Hawaiʻi’s climate, citing it as an opportunity for small farmers. But adoption has been limited.

Rabbits as pets or show animals represent another facet. Local 4-H clubs occasionally include rabbit projects, and kids raise rabbits to show at county fairs. Those animals and their offspring sometimes enter the pet trade. Pet rabbits in Hawaiʻi must be neutered/spayed if sold by pet stores (to prevent overpopulation and because feral rabbits could be an invasive threat). Some rabbit breeders provide to pet stores or through classifieds. This is more of a hobbyist economy than a formal industry.

Value-Added Products

There is modest potential for value-add. For instance, rabbit pelts can be tanned to make fur hats or trim (though Hawaiʻi’s climate doesn’t call for fur clothing much). Also, rabbit jerky or smoked rabbit are niche products that a few people have tried. Rabbit manure fertilizer is a more straightforward value-add that some advertise (e.g., bags of dried pellets marketed as “Bunny Honey” fertilizer). These remain very small cottage endeavors.

Challenges

Rabbits, though easier on feed than larger livestock, still face the fundamental challenge of feed import costs if doing any scale. They also need protection from heat (which can cause infertility in bucks and stress in does) – a serious issue in low elevations of Hawaiʻi. Disease-wise, Hawaiʻi doesn’t have some of the deadly rabbit diseases present elsewhere (like RHD/VHD), but there have been occasional pasteurella or coccidiosis issues in crowded rabbitries. Keeping things clean and cool is key. Another challenge is simply cultural acceptance: marketing rabbit meat in a place where it’s not traditionally eaten requires effort in recipe development and tasting events to overcome the “pet versus livestock” perception.

Outlook

Rabbit farming on Hawaiʻi Island is likely to remain a tiny, opportunistic venture pursued by enthusiasts. It offers a way to produce protein in a small footprint, which aligns with backyard and homestead farming trends. Should there be any push for greater food self-sufficiency at the family level, rabbits could gain popularity as they convert feed to meat efficiently and breed quickly. But at a commercial scale, it’s hard to see expansion without a stable market and processing pathway. If, for instance, a local charcuterie business decided to feature Hawaiʻi-grown rabbit sausage or terrine regularly, that could incentivize a farmer to produce more. Absent that, rabbits will continue to hop along quietly as one of the many minor threads in Hawaiʻi Island’s agricultural tapestry.

• Sources:

  • CTAHR Circular (circa 1970s & 2000s) – “Rabbit Raising in Hawaiʻi” (provided historical context and recent renewed interest)

  • Hawaiʻi 4-H archives – small animal project reports (rabbit project participation)

  • Local farm websites/social media – e.g., references to selling rabbit manure or rabbit meat in community boards (anecdotal)

  • Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council – notes on feral rabbit prevention (pet industry rules)

  • Hawaiʻi Island Ag Observation – presence of rabbits at county fair livestock exhibits