RABBIT AND ITS MANAGEMENT - A COMPLETE RABBITRY GUIDE - RABBITRY UNIT: Rabbit are small mammals in
the family Leporidae of the order lagomcrpha, found in several parts of the
world today and rabbit is a four-footed animal reared in either floor or cage
for the purpose of wool or meat production. Rabbit can also be feed with
domestic waste/ forages and little amount concentrate. Rabbit management are
not difficult/ Rabbit can be reared at backyard. The rabbit's long ears/ which
can be more than 10 cm (4 in) long, are probably an adaptation for detecting
predators.
They have large/ powerful hind legs. The two front paws have 5 toes/
the extra called the dewclaw. The hind feet have 4 toes/ fore limbs and hind
limbs. Rabbit is also classified as monogastric herbivious because of it's ability
to consume forages and diges fiber like ship, goat and cattle, although it does
n not posses four complex stomach (Rumen/ Reticulum, Omasum and Abomasum).
Rabbit fur colour varies from breed to breed and locations.' Rabbit is the only
domestic animal that practice coprophagy or night food which means consuming of
it's faeces directly from the anus and this is done only in the night.
BREEDS OF RABBIT
It has been recorded that
there are various breeds of rabbit all over the world today and their varies in
size, weight, colour, type of hair coat and eye colour.
Breeds of rabbit includes
·
Flemish Giant
·
Florida White
·
New Zealand
·
Tan
·
Chinchilla
·
French Angora
·
Florida White
·
Dutch etc.
In EBSU Teaching and
Research Farm, the breed of rabbit reared are New Zealand/ Chinchilla and Dutch
and it varies in colour and body size.
TYPE OF RABBIT
HOUSING AT EBSU TEACHING AND RESEARCH FARM
Cage system is used at Ebsu
Teaching and Research Farm and it is built with iron wire gauze which has its
door at the top.
RABBIT REPRODUCTION
METHOD
Rabbit reproduce through
sexual reproduction which involves mating of the male and female rabbit (Bulk
and Doe). The reproductive rate of rabbits is notorious because of it's
spontaneous ovulation. The common rabbit breeds from February to October; its
gestation period is 30 days and 32 at most and there are five to eight young in
a litter.
RABBIT SEXUAL
MATURITY
Depending on his/her genetic
makeup, a female rabbit (Doe) will reach it's sexual maturity age at 7-8months
and the male rabbit (Bulck) is between 8-9months of age.
CLEANING
Cleaning is done between 5-6weeks of age.
FACTORS AFFECTING
MATURITY OF RABBIT
·
Record keeping
·
Cutting of grasses from the farm.
·
Feeding and supply of
water
·
Sanitation
·
Inspection etc.
RABBIT RECORD KEEPING
It is very important to keep
records in your rabbitry, as without them you would not know what
rabbits are out of what, the date a doe is due, the age of the rabbit for entering shows,
procurement, stock identification, stop
performance transaction expenses and the financial involvements.
CUTTING OF GRASSES
FROM THE FARM
Grasses like centrocema and
northern gamba grass
are cut from
a designated
pasture land to feed the rabbit.
FEEDING AND SUPPLY OF
WATER
Proper nutrition is
essential for good health & longevity. Rabbits need hay, a good high fiber
pellet (free of nuts/seeds/dyed bits), fresh vegetables, and
clean water. If a rabbit is allowed to stay without
food for too long, a serious condition called
enteritis can occur. This is a shutdown of the intestinal tract caused by lack
of food to digest. A constant supply of good quality fresh grass and grass hay
(they should comprise about 80% of the overall diet)- e.g. Timothy, Oaten,
Wheaten, Pasture, Paddock, Meadow or Ryegrass hays. Rabbits should not be fed
Lucerne (alfalfa) or Clover hays as they are too high in protein and calcium.
Grass or grass hay is paramount in providing sufficient fibre for gastrointestinal
health and encouraging chewing for long periods of time for healthy teeth.
Basal diet for rabbit is forages and concentrates for supplement, which is
needed to improve the health condition of the rabbit. These supplements are
provided in the feeding trough.
Provide water the way they
are used to (e.g. heavy ceramic bowl/drip-feed bottle). Rabbits prefer water
bowls. Check daily that rabbits can access the water and the end isn't blocked.
Water intake in rabbit
varies to so many reasons, which are as follows.
1) Stage of production.
2) Health status
3) Type of feed you are
given
4) Season
5) Age of rabbit
Sanitation and
disease control
The rabbits' environment
must be kept clean and sanitary. This means" removing waste sand keeping
housing, feed, water and air relatively free of disease germs and parasites.
Sanitation and disease prevention are the keys-to a healthy rabbitry.
Quarantines
The best rule in disease
prevention is to start with healthy animals from a reliable breeder. The
history of disease in a colony of rabbits is as important as the health of
individual animals when they are bought. To avoid buying disease
"carriers'' that transmit diseases without showing symptoms, ask the
breeder whether his or her rabbits have had specific diseases. Quarantine all
new animals brought to an established colony (keep them at least 50 feet from
all other rabbits) for at least 2 weeks. Experienced rabbit raisers with
healthy colonies buy few rabbits, because each addition brings a risk of adding
new diseases to your farm.
INSPECTION
Rabbit inspection is carried
out in the rabbitry unit which includes taking a close lock on their mode of
eating, their faeces and their behavior. All these are enrrJed out in order to
know if there is a disease infestation.
DISEASE
MANAGEMENT
Diseases generally is known
as the state of unhealthiness of the body and it's management is essential to
keeping the rabbit in good health. Rabbit disease are characterized by
inactiveness or reduction in feed intake, loose of weight. This diseases could
be as result of pathogen or stress, which can be environmental.
DISEASE CAUSING
ORGANISM.
i. Bacterial
ii. Fungi
iii. Virus
iv. Nematode
v. Protozoa
COMMON DISEASE OF
RABBIT
Coccidiosis: There have been
twelve species of coccidia described in rabbits affecting the intestinal tract.
Usually to appear clinically unwell, the rabbit will have more than one species
infecting it at the time. There is only one specie of coccidia which affects
the liver of rabbits and this is called Eimeria
steidae.
Severity of the intestinal
form of the disease will depend on the specie of coccidia present in the animal
and the age of the rabbit - young rabbits are more susceptible to disease than
older rabbits, but if a concurrent illness is present, if antibiotics have-been
given for a long period of time, or when exposed to a large coccidia burden
then disease may also occur in adults. Hepatic disease can affect rabbits of
any age. Coccidiosis is primarily a disease of husbandry, with damp, crowded
and unhygienic conditions predisposing to it. Wild rabbits also carry the
disease, but can only spread it if a domestic rabbit is put out to graze on
grass that has been grazed by wild rabbits.
PREVENTION OF COCCIDIOSIS.
Anti-coccidial drugs such as
amprolium can be given in the drinking water, or alternatively coccidio-stats,
which do not kill but slow the growth of coccidia, can be used. An examples
is Sulfadimethoxine. Antibiotics are to be user! if a secondary bacterial
infection is suspected, but only broad spectrum anti-microbials are
recommended. A second faecal examination should be scheduled for two weeks post
commencement of treatment.
In Ebsu teaching and
research farm, coccidio-stats are used in everyday feed as a control mechanism,
coccifar and embazin forte is the common drug found in rabbit pellets used for
commercial rabbit farms. Preventative husbandry measures such as keeping the
rabbits on wire mesh and thorough disinfection of all cages are necessary to
avoid outbreaks. In the case of an outbreak treatment with sulphonamides should
be used a
COLD CONDITIONS: This is as result of exposure of rabbit to high
humidity or can also be caused by a viral infectious
disease that infects the upper respiratory system. It is also known as acute
viral rhinopharyngitis, or acute coryza. Being one of the common infectious
diseases in rabbit.
Prevention and Control
of coccidiosis:
Provision of a relatively warm environment by increasing the pen
temperature or given of antibiotic, like terramycin to the rabbit.
• Diarrhea: It is a disease condition that can be caused by
unhygienic environment/ water poisoning or feed contamination. It is
characterized with watery feaces and can lead to reduction in feed intake and
lost of weight
SKIN MANGE: Fur loss can be caused
by several different kinds of mites that can infest rabbits, including mange
mites (Sarcopies spp.), fur mites (Cheyletiella spp. and Leporacus
spp.), and mites causing ear canker (Psoroptes spp. or Chorioptes
spp.)
A severe flea infestation
also can cause such severe itching that the rabbit scratches off his own fur.
Fortunately, there are excellent, modern medications available that are safe
for rabbits, and will kill these parasites quickly.
·
Prevention and control: The affected animal has to be isolated
from the healthy once, then clean and disinfect the hutches. Ivomec injection
could be given to the animal.
NUTRITIONAL DISEASES OF RABBIT.
Although much of the
research on rabbit nutrition has been conducted with more of an emphasis on
productivity rather than longevity, even this research makes it clear that we
can do a great deal for our rabbits by making sure that what they eat is
affecting them positively, rather than contributing to the life-threatening
digestive disorders we all fear.
To begin with, it is
important to understand the way a rabbit's gut works. Because a rabbit's
digestive system is set up to ingest cellulose in the form of tough, woody
stems and fibrous vegetation, it functions best when it has something to work
with. However, large quantities of finely ground feed, sugars, and high levels
of carbohydrates can overwork the gut. Therefore, the key to keeping rabbits
alive and happy longer is to make sure their digestive tracts stay viable and
motile, while striking a balance between indigestible fiber and nutrition.
4- CONSTIPATION: This
is a condition caused by over feeding as to lack of exercise and insufficient
water intake. The symptoms are restriction to walking on foot and restlessness.
Prevention and Control:
Enough water should be given to the rabbit and also water should
be checked per/day.