Topic: Why keep rabbits on a lottie?

[suzylou]

Hi all - a newbie question.  On my plot I am allowed to keep chickens, bees and rabbits.

Now, I know that bees are generally A Good Thing in gardening, and fresh eggs are great, but surely I would want to keep rabbits as far away as possible from my tender plants?

Do they actually have a practical allotment use?  (other than killing and eating them, which I couldn't do to a pet!)

Also...if keeping rabbits out on the allotment during the winter, can they survive the cold?

Thanks!

[Svea]

it's all for production, isnt it? bees make honey, hens lay eggs and are for eating, and rabbits are for eating too. my aunt used to keep rabbits and kill a couple each autumn.

if you are adverse to killing animals you know, or are against killing of animals, then no, rabbits wouldnt be of much use to you :)

svea

[suzylou]

Thanks ;)  That's what I suspected but I wondered if I might be missing something ;)

[ivanhoe]

 good grub if you like it.
some people keep them to breed
for the pet trade. helps with the cost and puts a few bob in your pocket

[growmore]

If you bed your rabbits on straw Its the best manure there is In my opinion .
It used to be the thing on lotties having a few rabbits for the pot ,A few hens for the eggs and the cockerels ,ducks and geese for Christmas. We also kept bred and fattened Pigs on our lotties..Today it seems lotties are more or less leisure gardens.
Jim.