Australia is a country with only 27 million people but it was once home to
over 400 million rabbits but people don't just automatically think of Australia when
talking about this animal you'll be surprised to learn that China consumes over 300 million
rabbits annually China's major rabbit farming regions which include breeding facilities and
vegetable fields for rabbit are concentrated in the provinces of fujan henan and Sichuan these
are the world's largest rabbit meat producing centers with an annual output of nearly 457,000
tons however rabbits are also raised in more rudimentary BNS constructed with soil floors
and sturdy brick walls to provide Shelter From the harsh winds in well established farming complexes
rabbits are often housed in cages like this a typical meat rabbit farm in China usually has
at least 100 rabbits because they breed pretty fast when pregnant rabbits are housed in isolated
enclosures crafted from either bamboo or metal wire mesh this is for easy monitoring during
pregnancy otherwise they would give birth in a burrow like this regardless of the type of
cage rabbit Farms need to ensure good ventilation cleanliness and temperatures that are not too hot
for optimal rabbit growth popular breeds for meat production in China today are the California White
and The New Zealand white most rabbits can become pregnant as early as four to 5 months of age Some
Farms conceive rabbits by artificial methods while the remaining Farms conceived naturally
the gestation period for rabbits is around 30 days on average each litter produces six to eight
rabbits and they can give birth to up to six lit per year for the first 30 days the baby rabbits
are fed on their mother's milk afterwards they are separated by sex and placed in individual cages
70% of the male rabbits are raised for meat while the females are raised for continued breeding in
the 30 to 90day age group Farmers start to teach the rabbits to eat vegetables after 70 days of
age the rabbits are supplemented with foods that are easy to accumulate fat the fattening phase
is from 90 to 120 days of age to Foster robust musle muscular development rabbits in this phase
are nourished with a diet rich in high starch components such as corn and rice combined with
fresh vegetables and pellets rabbits grow rapidly and reach ideal Slaughter age from 3 to 5 months
with a weight of 4.4 to 11 lb as a secondary Revenue stream Farmers also collect rabbit
manure through the rear in process and sell it as an organic fertilizer to nearby Vegetable [Music]
Farms nutritional analysis indicates the rabbit meat surpasses other livestock and poultry in
protein content while having the lowest fat percentage among all meat varieties consequently
rabbit meat has witnessed a surge in popularity Within the Chinese market with 62% of the global
rabbit meat consumption being China have you ever savored the delicate flavor of rabbit meat let's
see how whole rabbits are processed into The Delectable Cuts we enjoy after arriving at the
factory workers cut their throats and hang them up on a conve a belt subsequently the
rabbits will undergo a swift process of skinning and and evisceration this group of workers can
efficiently process 20,000 rabbits in a single day after that the rabbit meat is washed cut
into the required sizes and then finally packaged and transported for consumption on the streets
of China rabbit meat is processed into countless delicious dishes you can see how much they favor
and become creative with rabbit meat [Music] China produces 460,000 tons of rabbit meat annually but
consumes up to 925,000 tons a simple calculation shows that China is short of 468,000 tons of meat
equivalent to around 232 million rabbits each year many people think that this can be supplemented
by increasing production or import rabbits it's a fascinating contrast that while rabbits are a
delicious and nutritious food in China they are considered a plague in Australia currently 200
million wild rabbits are devouring pastures and crops reducing crop yields and competing with
Native Wildlife this invasive species threatens about 300 species of plants and animals causing
around 200 million in damage to agriculture each year despite numerous eradication efforts the
rabbits rapid reproduction rate and the lack of a strong predator in the population have made them a
persistent problem to this day if it were possible to transport these rabbits from Australia to China
perhaps the Australian government would no longer have to worry moreover the Chinese Australian
Community has experienced substantial growth with a population now compromising 5.5% of the
total Australian population or approximately 1.4 million individuals perhaps it's time for the wild
rabbit here to encounter their true enemies but rabbits are not just a delicious food rabbit fur
especially from the angora breed originating from Turkey is high quality commodity in France and
the United States China produces 5 to 6 million pounds of angor wool annually for the commercial
Market these adorable rabbits weigh around 4.4 to 72b with long silky fur covering their faces feet
and even the tops of their ears when raising this breed it's necessary to harvest their fur
regularly experience breeders monitor signs to harvest the old fur before it sheds some Angora
breeds shed less in these cases the rabbit's fur is carefully clipped angor rabbits can yield up
to 2.2 lb of fur each year with a lifespan of 11 years after being collected angor wool is sorted
to remove coarse poor quality fibers the wool can also be sorted based on softness then the wool is
pulled directly from the rabbit's raw fiber also known as spinning from the cloud and this is how
Modern Machinery does it the worker gently wraps the fiber around a knot to form a neat bundle
additionally Rex rabbits are widely raised in China for their fur they can be made into
unique wallets bags and clothing China's export volume of Rex rabbit fur reaches around 50 million
skins while rabbit farming has seen significant growth in China Turtle farming has witnessed rapid
growth as well with production increasing by over 20% annually in recent years Chinese turtle farms
primarily breed the soft shell turtle unlike rabbits which are primarily raised for their
meat Turtles hold value beyond their flesh their shells in particular have been prized
in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries consequently Turtle farming has developed into
a complex industry encompassing both food and pharmaceutical production eggs are collected
and incubated in sand like this once hatched the Young turtles or hatchlings are transferred
to rearing ponds while they are fed a rich diet based in protein and consisting of fish insects
and other specialized Turtle feed Farmers closely monitor the water quality maintaining a pH level
between 6.5 and 8.5 they also monitor the health of the turtles employing biocurity measures to
prevent disease outbreaks as the turtles mature they are moved into larger ponds to accommodate
their growth the entire rear ring process can take up to 2 years depending on the desired size and
market demand typically Turtles are harvested when they reach a weight of 1.5 to 3 kg or 3.3 to 6.6
a standard turtle farm can produce up to 10,000 Turtles per year making it a substantial economic
contribution to the local community the softshell turtle is the most famous Turtle dish in China
particularly popular in the jangu province they are believed to improve skin and overall [Music]
well-being zaka Village Zen Province China this tiny village with only 1,000 villagers may look
peaceful but it hides a nightmare for many people around the world over 3 million snakes of various
species are all living within an area of less than 1 square kilm snakes have been
considered medicinal gems for thousands of years in China China supplies 70% of the world's snake
production and this tiny village has accounted for 30% of that output since the 1980s but it's
not only a place in the country that Farms snakes Gung dang Province in China is the
largest snake export Center and [ __ ] province is its main supplier of snakes for domestic meat
and medicinal purposes the reason why my Chinese people favor and develop snake farming into a $12
million industry comes from many different factors snake farmers in China can bring in a lucrative
income of about 400,000 to 500,000 Yuan or 55,000 to 68,000 per year making it a highly sought-after
profession in rural areas while scientific evidence is lacking snake meat is valued for
its nutritional value it's low in fat and is rich in protein it is also believed to help with skin
conditions like eczema in certain countries in eastern Asia snake gallbladder and snake wine
have been popular remedies to strengthen kidneys and joint health thanks to these benefits China's
snake farming industry has become a multi-million dollar economic Powerhouse generating significant
Revenue a bottle of snake wine can be sold for 7,000 to 8,000 wne equivalent to around 980 to
[Music] $100 the Journey of a snake on a snake Farm starts with hatching eggs female snakes
need to be nine to 10 months old in order to start breeding have you ever seen snakes
mating they intertwine like this farmers Sue snake lips together to stop them from eating
their own eggs after lamee about 30 to 35 days after mating the female lays between 12 and 21
eggs per clutch the thread will be cut after the eggs are collected which happens every 2 hours
by hand if Farmers leave them in the cage for too long they will die then these eggs are put
into a box containing around 5 cm of soil and sand with 25 to 30% moisture content a thin
layer of sand is then spread over the eggs the incubation period lasts around 75 days
during which the eggs must be regularly checked to ensure sure they are uniformly large white and dry
any damaged eggs should be immediately removed these large scale operations regulate humidity
and temperature at around 80° fenit in order to mimic the natural habitat and to boost breeding
success snakes undergo shedding as part of their growing process signs of an impending shed includ
include a loss of appetite Lethy and increased aggression the snake's skin becomes cloudy and
its eyes turn opaque as it seeks a place to shed young snakes shed every 28 to 30 days while older
snakes especially 2 years or more shed every 35 to 45 days usually in Summer and Autumn during
this time Farmers need to clean the barn regular because snake skin is everywhere now we are back
with a newly hatched baby snakes Farmers need to check the incubation box thoroughly to make
sure none are left behind they are then placed in an enclosure this Farm put 80 cobras per cage
water is provided 7 days after shedding and they are often fed small animals like frog
and mice the feeding frequency is every 3 to 5 days Farmers give 50 baby snakes at 1 month old
about 0.5 kilos of froglets a day adult snakes are housed in cement enclosures approximately
1.2 M high in order to prevent escapes with side doors and mesh for ventilation they are fed live
clean prey such as mice chicks and other similar animals around two to three times a week food is
often left in the enclosure for snakes to eat at will to ensure that they eat some Farmers still
hand feed them like this snakes can be aggressive to strangers but they will be familiar with their
fetus and handlers over time therefore the workers who feed the snakes tend to be the the same that
have fed them since birth however these skilled workers still have to wear protective gear or
use safety tools when feeding them plus they must not get too close to them after wearing perfume or
drinking alcohol because this will change their body's smell and make snakes think that they are
strangers despite being wild animals with high disease resistance weekly hygiene is still a
ential in snake farming snakes need clean cool water for drinking and bathing the snake is a
relatively clean animal to farm because their excrement is dry and not too [Music] odorous
snakes are harvested for meat between 6 months to 1 year old at this time if they weigh 1.1 lb or
above they are considered the to top grade only male snakes are harvested because females are
kept to continue reproducing 8-month-old snakes weighing over 1.2 kilos are more prolific egg
layers this country harvests and processes around 14 to 188 million PB of snakes each
year and around 40% of them go to cooking snake soup is a traditional and meticulous prepared
dish famous in China it is believed to prevent colds is rejuvenating and increases longevity
snake wine is made from 67% of farm snakes using both venomous and non-venomous species with high
medicinal value the basic process involves killing and cleaning the snakes often leaving
the gallbladder and other medicinal Parts intact snakes are then specially placed standing in jars
after that the wine makers fill it with rice wine or glutenous rice wine with an alcohol content of
40 to 60% the wine is steeped for a minimum of 6 months although ideally over 3 years to fully
extract the purported medicinal properties of the snakes and herbs consumed in small
quantities typically 30 to 50 ml per day snake wine is believed to alleviate arthritis and
enhance Vitality despite all those good things snake wine poses significant dangers numerous
incidents of snake bites occurring when the snakes weren't killed before going into the jar and
revived after being dormant for over 3 years have been told this is because they can stay dormant
for a long time in harsh conditions like the cold and dark when they lack oxygen and food in
2023 China's most famous snake Village sold more than 3 million snakes to pharmaceutical companies
that use the reptiles Gore Bladers and skin to create nutritional supplements these products
are sought after in Japan South Korea America and Europe perhaps the most valuable product derived
from snakes is their venom a complex cocktail of enzymes and toxins referred to as liquid
gold in China dried snake venom can fetch up to 3,000 to 5,000 wine per gam about 450 to 750 us
depending on the species it's expensive because harvesting Venom requires a high level of skill
to handle the snake bites effectively and safely the worker has to wear protective gear and then
grab the tail of the snake like this after that they can use the stick to secure the reptile's
head onto the ground so that they can easily grab its head and milk the Venom into a cup
new handlers will often suffer by it several times before mastering the technique Thank you so much for subscribe my blog
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