BENEFITS OF RABBIT
PRODUCTION
1. Capital
requirement is minimal. With some scrap wood or bamboo, a hutch can be
constructed.
2. Spacing is
minimal. It can be set up at backyard.
3. A rabbit
is a convenient 'one meal size', thus avoiding the need for storage.
4. Rabbit keeping is not restricted by any
taboos or particular beliefs that prevent the eating of rabbit meat or its
promotion as food.
sometimes necessary and definitely
will increase growth rate, roadside grass, kitchen offal, garden
leaves, etc
(feed of no direct value to humans) can provide the main feed at almost no
cost.
6. Rabbits can be tended by women, children
or men unlike bigger animals for it needs no force to be restrained.
7. Because they produce offspring regularly
(gestation period of 28 – 32 days), they form a regular source of income
instead of a large amount at once.
8. It matures for table between 5 -6
months, breeding (5 – 7 months)
9. Rabbit is a prolific animal.
10. Meat from rabbit is an all white meat product
that is high in protein and low in fat, sodium and cholesterol as compared to
other common meats, such as beef, lamb, pork and poultry. Rabbit meat has been
recommended for years by some physicians to their patients with coronary heart
conditions.
11. It is not a smelly or noisy animal and can
easily be kept near to school buildings or people's houses.
12. It
produces rich manure for gardening or flower beds.
Dutch:
The dutch is a small breed with a
mature liveweight of 2.5-3.5kg. It has a wide white band of fur around its body
at the shoulders as well as a white stripe down the middle of its face.
New
Zealand White: This breed is used most widely
throughout the world for meat production. It is all white in colour and usually
weighs 3-5kg when mature.
New
Zealand Red: This is essentially red but has not
been intensively selected for growth rate. Mature live weight is 3-4.5kg.
Chinchilla:
This breed is blue-grey in colour
with a white belly. There is a thick fold of skin around the front of the chest
which is very obvious when the rabbit is in good condition and sitting in a
resting position. The weight range for the mature Chinchilla is 3-4.5kg
Californian:
This is the second most popular
breed for meat production. The colour is all white but with black tipping on
the nose, ears, feet and tail. The weight range for the mature Californian is
3-4.5kg.
HOUSING AND EQUIPMENT OF RABBIT PRODUCTION
1. Rabbit housing and equipment differ from country to country.
Factors that affect their design include;
2. Climate
3. Raw materials (Availability and cost)
4. Scale (large or medium) and system of production (Intensive,
Extensive or semi-intensive)
5. Expertise of the rabbit production
6. Housing requirement
7. Housing should be able to provide;
8. Adequate space:
Since rabbit spends its entire life in its hutch, it therefore needs sufficient
space to avoid the stress caused by restriction of movement. Space should be
able to provide good ventilation to prevent the animal from being choked up by
ammonia (NH3) from their urine.
9. Protection: Housing
should be able to prevent against injury within the hutch, rain, direct
sunlight, direct and indirect wind and predators such as dogs, cats, rats,
ants, man, etc.
TYPES OF CAGES/ HUTCHES OF RABBIT PRODUCTION
• Indoor hutches: These
are kept inside a house (stable). The stable is a place in which or under which
the hutches are placed.
Advantages:
• It provides good conditions for the rabbit and the rabbit keeper
• Easy access to animal (even when there is rain or high
sunlight)
• For animal adequate protection
• The individual hutch can be easily cleaned and disinfected
• It allows ease increase in production
Disadvantage:
• It is very expensive
Outdoor:
• The requirements of
space, protection and ease of management can be achieved through appropriate
design, construction and sitting.
Design:
A typical rabbit hutch dimensions
are follows;
• 1m above the ground
• Height of hutch: 60cm at the front, 50cm at the back for
easy drainage
• Width: 50-60cm
• Length: 90-120cm
Construction:
The materials used in construction would usually be locally available materials
such as interwoven branches, split bamboo, mud, tin, plastic. If possible, a
fence should be built around outdoor hutches and fitted with a padlock gate.
Sitting:
Common aspects of the sitting
include the following;
• a. It should be placed near a
house wall / fence to provide shade and protection (from sunlight, rain and
wind). Note that while too much sunlight may be stressful, too little is also
undesirable because the hutch may become damp, there will also be reduced
disinfection by the sun's ultraviolet rays, and Vitamin D synthesis by the
rabbit may be impaired if it does not experience some direct sunlight.
• b. It is important to site
hutches under trees in a very hot environment
• c. The site must ensure
security against predation. This is achieved when hutches are kept near
keeper's house.
Advantages:
• it requires low capital
• Materials are always available
• Appropriate when starting production
Disadvantages:
• No perfect protection against predator
• Difficult to clean
• Not easy to increase the number of hutches quickly (it
limits production)
Floor
Method: This involves keeping the rabbits
on the ground in a fenced area provided with simple boxes for shelter.
MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT OF RABBIT PRODUCTION
1. Water and feeding trough must be
washed regularly (daily)
2.
Use clean rag (cloth to dry the feeder)
3.
Disinfection of the water and feeding trough at least once in a week with EDTA
or Izal to remove feed adhered to feeder and prevent disease outbreak.
4.
Roughage rack and cage must be cleaned once in a week and disinfect when young
ones are not there.
5.
Checking for the development of sharp edges in hutches and on equipment which
may cause injury.
6.
Nest box must be removed after weaning (5-6 weeks), wash and disinfect in
preparation for next breeding season.
NUTRITION FOR RABBIT PRODUCTION
Protein
level
The protein level of the feed is
very important. For efficient rabbit feeding, you need four diets. Since most
rabbit producers cannot (or do not want to) handle more than one feed, a 16-17%
protein feed may be substituted.
·
Protein Requirements of Rabbits
·
Newly weaned
rabbits
>18% CP
·
12-24 weeks
old
16-18% CP
·
Breeder
15-17% CP
·
Other stocks (Normal
growth) 12-14% CP
Carbohydrates
and Fats
•
Carbohydrate and fats provide
energy. Rabbit needs energy for contraction of muscles which enable the rabbit
to move. It is also used to join substance together to build up the rabbit's
body and to make products such as hair and milk.
•
It worth known that rabbit adjusts
their food intake to try and satisfy their energy requirements. A general
recommendation of energy requirement for breeding rabbits is 2600-2700 Kcal
DE/KgDM or 2.0-3.0 MJME/KgDM.
Minerals
•
Most of the minerals in the rabbit's
body are in the bones and teeth which contain large amounts of the two
minerals; Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorus (P). These minerals help to give the
bones their hardness.
•
They are also involved in
maintaining the acid-alkaline balance in the blood. Phosphorus also involves in
energy transfer within the body cells. Ca, P and Vitamin D are often considered
together because they interact with each other. Other minerals are Mg, Na, K
and Cl (major minerals). Examples of trace minerals are Fe, Cu, S, Co, Zn, etc.
Vitamins
•
Vitamins are chemical that are
require in very small amount to speed up chemical reactions within the rabbit
body. The most important vitamins are vitamins A and D and the B vitamins
Choline and Thiamin
COPROPHAGY / CAECOTROPHY OF RABBIT
PRODUCTION
• This is the eating of faecal-like pellets produced in the
caecum. These caecal pellets are sometimes called soft faeces. To do this, the
rabbit sucks in the soft faeces as they emerge from the anus, then swallow
without chewing.
• Consumption of the soft faeces starts when the rabbit is
about 4 weeks old. Note that rabbit can survive without practicing caecotrophy
for many days but death is usual if they are prevented from eating their soft
faeces for several months.
• Soft faeces are higher in crude protein and lower in crude
fibre than hard faeces. Their higher protein level is due to their content of
bacteria.
• Caecotrophy is a very important part of the rabbit's
digestive processes. It recycles some unabsorbed nutrients as well as returning
protein and vitamin B rich bacteria for enzyme digestion in the small
intestine.
SEXING
OF RABBIT
• Determining the sex of rabbits is not difficult with a
little practice.
• It can be carried out shortly after weaning at six to eight
weeks. This is the time when the males and females should be separated,
• the rabbit should be held on its back, put one finger on the
tail side of the genital opening and on the abdominal side.
• Press down gently and stretch the organ with the finger and
thumb.
• If it is a doe, a long slit will appear, if it is a buck, a
small rounded tube-like structure will show.
REPRODUCTION
OF RABBIT - PRODUCTION
The male
• The proper age for the first mating depends on the breed and
individual development. For small breeds it is 4-5 months, for large breeds
9-12 months.
• One male can easily handle up to 8 - 10 does. It is good
practice to keep the male hutch at some distance from the females so they will
not get accustomed to each other's smell.
The female
• The does require more care and attention. Like the males,
the proper age of first mating depends on the breed and individual development.
• Mate does when they reach maturity (4-5 months for the
lighter breed, 7-9 months for the heavy breeds).
BUYING
BREEDER STOCK FOR RABBIT PRODUCTION
• Once buildings are built or renovated and equipment
purchased, you should purchase a good breeding stock. Remember -- Poor breeding
stock will produce poor offspring. It is important that you begin with good
stock.
• The price a breeder asks for stock does not reflect the
quality of the rabbits. Only time, records, and results can prove the worth of
breeding stock and the reputation of the breeder.
• Look at the records of the breeder's rabbitry to see the
quality of the stock. Here are a few things you should look for:
• Good health
• Average litter size (8 or more)
• Death rate (not over 5%)
• Percent conception (90% or better)
• Dressing percentage (55-60% including heart, liver and
kidneys)
• Select rabbit based on the feeding style/system.
All of this
information may not be available, but most of it should be. It pays to deal
with a breeder who keeps good, accurate, reliable records. A look around the
breeder's rabbitry can tell you much about the type of operation he has, but
his records tell the real story.
MATING
OF RABBIT - FOR PRODUCTION
• Experience suggests that early morning or evening mating is
best. It is certainly advisable to avoid the hottest periods of the day for
this important operation.
• For mating, always take the doe to the buck's cage. If they
fail to mate a few minutes, take her to a different buck.
• If this fails, try again the next day but do not leave
the doe with the buck all day or even an hour in an attempt to solve a mating
problem.
• If the does is ready to be mated she will stand still within
a few seconds, stretch out and slightly raise her hindquarter so as to allow
the buck to mount and mate.
• Successful mating is signaled by the buck thrusting forward
and literally falling off the doe. Often the buck makes a characteristics cry
of pain or joy. If the buck slides backwards off the doe and does not fall the
mating has not taken place.
• If mating was successful put the doe back in her hutch.
PREGNANCY
TEST OF RABBIT FOR PRODUCTION
Palpating
• Palpating is a method used for determining doe pregnancy at
14 days after mating. Non-pregnant does are re-bred immediately.
Late
pregnancy test
• Inexperience keepers should practice detecting pregnancy on
does that are 20 days pregnant at which stage the fetuses are easy to identify.
By around 28 days the mammary gland will have developed significantly and this
can be regarded as final confirmation of pregnancy. At around 29 days, the doe
will begin to remove fur from her abdomen to make a nest.
Pseudo-Pregnancy Test
• False pregnancy occurs as a result of sterile mating or more
commonly from stimulation of one doe riding another. It happens more frequently
with does that have not kindled their first litter. Always separate does at
least a month prior to breeding.
• Does must be separated at least 18-20 days before mating.
The doe may pull fur and attempt to make a nest but she will not keep it clean.
Kindling and Mother care
• When the doe is almost ready for kindling (about 4 weeks
after mating) you can put a nest box in the cage (hutch). Kindling can take
place in this nest box at any time of the day but morning early seems to be the
most popular time. All she needs now is rest and feed.
Cannibalism
or Abortion
• Cannibalism and abortion are common problems. The causes are
many and mostly undependable. These are some of the causes:
• 1. First-litter does are extremely
nervous. Give them one more chance and then cull if cannibalism recurs.
• 2. Unbalanced diet
• 3. Lack of water
• 4. Predators can cause the doe to
stamp her feet and mash the young
• 5. Unusual noise can cause the doe
to injure the young and can result in cannibalism.
•
• 6. Moving nest box after young are
kindled.
• 7. Shallow nest box makes the does
feel insecure and she is easily disturbed.
FOSTERING
OF RABBIT FOR PRODUCTION
• Fostering means getting a doe to accept a rabbit or rabbits
from another litter. Guidelines for carrying out fostering are as follows:
• Mate does on the same day
• The litters involved should be born within 3-4 days of each
other.
• Only foster rabbits that are less than five days old.
• Remove both the foster doe and the donor doe from their
hutches.
• Carefully remove the rabbits to be fostered from their nest
with the minimum of disturbance and without touching any of the rabbis that are
not being fostered; return the donor doe.
• Introduce the rabbits to be fostered, disturbing the foster
nest as little as possible.
• Leave the newly mixed rabbits for a few hours so that they
all take on the same smell
Return the recipient doe to the
hutch while at the same time giving her some food which you know she likes.
WEANING
OF RABBIT
• Weaning is the separation of the doe and the young.
• This is usually takes place between 5-6 weeks. After
weaning, the doe should be allowed to recover her body condition before
re-mating.
• Much will depend on the level of feeding but the doe should
normally have rest of at least four weeks.
RABBIT
DISEASES
• Ear Canker and Skin Mange:
External parasites such as mites can cause a variety of skin and ear
conditions. With ear canker the entire ear may become filled with crusty scabs.
Without attention the mange may spread onto and over the face. All rabbits and
particularly their ears should be regularly inspected foe mange and skin sores.
Rabbit with ear canker may shake their heads a great deal.
• Mange caused by mites can be easily controlled by acaricide
drops or solution (dipping)
• Coccidiosis: This
is the most common diseases in rabbits. It may be classified as a parasitic
disease since the causative organism is a microscopic animal (protozoa).
Symptoms in moderate or severe cases include a loss of appetite, "pot
belly", diarrhea and an inability to gain weight.
• Coccidiostats may be bought and added to their drinking
water to prevent Coccidiosis or to cure it as required.
• Mastitis:
This is a
bacterial disease is not common but is occasionally seen in rabbit. It occurs
when there is an infection and inflammation of the teats, which become hard and
sore.
• Antibiotic (75,000-100,000 units of penicillin) will clear
up the condition but as it has a tendency to recur; it may be unwise to
continue breeding from that doe.
Snuffles
(Chronic Rhinitis):
• It is a bacterial infection of the respiratory system
similar to cold in humans. The symptoms are sneezing, noisy breathing, a runny
nose and wet and matted fur on the face and inside of the front legs as a
result of the rabbit using its front legs to wipe its nose and face.
• Antibiotics may appear to be effective but mortality is
usually high and those rabbits that recover are often affected again if exposed
to some new stress.
RECORD
KEEPING OF RABBIT PRODUCTION
• The only way you can know how well you are doing in the
rabbit business is to keep good records. If you keep good records then you can
make sound management and business decisions. Good records let you know if you
are making a profit, and they are necessary for income tax purposes.
• Keep only necessary records. You can easily overburden
yourself with record keeping. Decide what records you need and then keep them
daily. Listed below are some basic records you need to keep:
• Breeding records - date bred and buck used
• Kindling dates and number born, dead and alive
• Number and weight of weaned rabbits
• Average weight at market time and age of fryers at that
weight
• Expenditures (including utilities)
• Sales