Specialty Animal Production Project Overview
To begin this project you will need to carefully plan and think through what you will be doing.
You will need to carefully fill out an “SAE Planning Sheet” before you begin the project.
Facilities
You will be expected to house your rabbit(s) at your home. You will need an area that is free
from draft and provide adequate ventilation. The location of your cage must be covered or you
must devise a way to cover the cage to protect it from sun and rain.
Equipment
Adequately sized cage
Feeder
Water bottle
Brush or comb
Toenail clippers
Feed
Roughage (hay)
Carrying cage
Financing this SAE
Members are expected to finance the project themselves. Expect to invest at least $75.00 in the
rabbit, cage, feeder, water bottle, and carrying cage. This can be a relatively expensive project
depending on the quality and type of rabbit you buy and the kind of equipment you buy.
Steps in completing a Specialty Animal Production SAE
1. Select the breed of rabbit that you wish to raise. The breed of rabbit you choose will
determine the type of cage and equipment you will need.
2. Obtain cage, feeder, water bottle, and other equipment. You can obtain these items from
many pet stores, some feed and farm supply stores, or from dealers that attend various
rabbit shows. You may obtain phone numbers of rabbit equipment dealers from your
FFA Advisor.
3. Obtain feed and hay for the rabbit. You should use a commercially prepared rabbit feed
and avoid feeding table scraps, lettuce, carrots, and other foods. Feed can be purchased
locally at livestock feed dealers such as Circle E Feed and Farm Supply.
4. Obtain rabbit. Expect to pay $20.00 or more for a show quality rabbit. You can find
rabbit breeders over the internet, from other students, or your FFA Advisor can help you
contact individual breeders. Make sure that the rabbit you purchase is a purebred. If not
it will be disqualified at the show. Also, make sure your rabbit has a legible tattoo.
Rabbits must have a tattoo in their ear to be eligible to show. The breeder can and should
help you tattoo your animal.
We will invite one local breeder to an FFA meeting and you will have the opportunity to
purchase a rabbit from him on that day.
5. Maintain a regular feeding schedule so that you rabbit does not go “off feed”. Clean and
refill the water bottle each day.
6. Clean the cage and area under the cage as needed to maintain proper sanitation. This
should be done at least once per week so that the rabbit does not get sick as well as
keeping odors to a manageable level.
7. An evening instructional meeting on rabbit management/show preparations will be
conducted. Students and parent(s ) are expected to attend.
8. Prepare your rabbit for regional and state livestock shows. Instructions for preparation
(including grooming, toenail trimming, and other management tasks) will be covered in
the evening instructional meeting. At the local show your project will be evaluated on:
live rabbits, written test, and Record Book evaluation. Members and rabbits will be
dismissed after the awards for the rabbit competition have been presented.
9. You will also be required to attend one show sponsored by the American Rabbit Breeders
Association (ARBA). Many of our chapter members attend the shows in Monroe and
Perry, but you are not limited to these two shows. You will need to weigh your rabbit on
a regular basis to make sure it is not underweight or overweight. Breed standards are
covered in the ARBA Standards of Perfection book.
10. You will need to submit your completed Record Book at the end of the semester. You
will need to submit six photos of yourself completing work on this SAE. The
photographs are to be included in the Record Book. Failure to submit the completed
Record Book will result in a grade of zero.