Scientists encourage Rabbit Farmers across the country to breed in organised way

Over the years the overall focus of agricultural scientists at the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre (NAGRIC) & Data Bank has been an increasing utilization of improved germplasm.

This is in a bid to sustain efforts in that direction so that farmers can access superior breeds of animals as income earning initiative including Rabbits.

Background

Rabbits reproduce and grow fast, making them one of the best choices for the fur trade and meat production.

There is massive advantage of rabbit rearing because a farmer can even start with 10 rabbits as starter which can be kept in 2 cages.

Other advantages according to the experts is that a farmer can sell its urine or use it as fertilizer mixer.

The demand for its meat is growing and is served in several hotels and restaurants.

Experts say it takes rabbits 70 days from birth to reach market weight and it doesn’t need a lot of land to rear them.

As such Seeds of Gold interacted with scientists from NAGRIC and DB about the need for rabbit farmers across the country to get organised and embark on rearing them as commercial initiative. Below are the details.

Rabbit breeding process

Arthur Emmanuel Tumwine the in charge of rabbit breeding at NAGRIC and DB explaining the breeding process notes that his team is now organizing farmers in Western and Central Uganda as a starting point on how to breed rabbits.

Once this model succeeds, it will be expanded to the rest of regions in Eastern and Northern Uganda where rabbit breeding is picking up.

The team has built capacity for farmers to become breeders and each group ranges between 30- 50 members depending on how they organise themselves into various groups.

The farmers belong to members of the Uganda Cuniculture Association which was formed in 2020 and the membership is open to all farmers already rearing rabbits who are expected to pay Shs50, 000 membership fee as well as subscription whose rate will be determined by the farmers themselves.

The scientists are in the process of acquiring breeder stock where each group will be given 50 female rabbits and 10 males.

Once they multiply, then each farmer will be expected to ensure 1 male rabbit is rationed to 10 females with each female in its cage and once the male has met it, then it should be taken away because rabbits produce at a rapid speed.

When the farmer multiplier rations the female and male rabbits, they are expected to produce 6 off springs.

“Once the rabbit cross breeds which will be imported from rabbit breeding countries, They will be supplied to NAGRIC and DB, these will be given to the farmer groups and eventually to breeder multipliers who will be expected to multipliy300 rabbits from the 50 parent stock,”

Rabbit breeds

There are both local, cross and hybrids but the scientists are concentrating mainly on hybrids which are good for meat quality and fur.

Polish rabbit breeds

These breeds include Polish rabbit breeds which once grown can weigh 4-5 kg and is good for meat production.

White New Zealand

The white New Zealand rabbit breed is popular and highly productive commercial breed. It has a great demand around the world. Once grown it can weigh 9-12kg and it is good for fur production

Californian

Californian rabbit breed is another highly productive and widely famous commercial rabbit. This breed is also an American creation arising from crossbreeds which was done way back in 1923.

Californian rabbit breed is very popular for their meat production. Their body is white colored. Nose, ears, tail and feet are dark grey or black coloured.

When the bucks gain maturity they weights 3.5 and the does 4.5kg depending on how a farmer feeds them.

American Chinchila

Chinchilla rabbits are generally quite docile, good natured and very gentle. They are intelligent, curious and playful rabbits and enjoy company and attention.

They are usually good to their young ones and are also well-suited as house rabbits. They weigh between 4.5kg and 5kg ad are good for meat and fur.

The local breeds

Usually farmers name them according the regions were they are being bred. Those from Western are named Ankole breeds but the scientists are discouraging farmers from rearing the local breeds unless for home consumption because they do not produce much meat and fur for commercialisation.

Diseases and epidemiology diagnostics

There are number of diseases that may affect rabbits including bacterial infections and Tumwine and his team have sensitized the farmers how to go about handling such diseases.

Farmers are expected to take blood samples which is taken to the Epidemiology centre in Entebbe for diagnostic analysis and possible treatment

These diseases include Listeria which is a bacterial infection which lead to lead swellings on the head. It usually arises from contamination of food or water given to the rabbit and thus can be treated by a recommended antibiotics

Others are Pasteurellosis which is common in domestic rabbits. It occurs tthrough direct contact with nasal secretions, including transmission through the air when the infected rabbit sneezes. It can be treated using recommended antibiotics.

It is also important for farmers to avoid unhygienic practices that may lead to pests such as rodents from attacking rabbits in the cages.

The recommended rearing practices

Tumwine explained that it is important for the farmer to start with good construction units where the cages must be raised with a provision to collect the droppings and piping to enable urine collection.

One box unit will cost between Shs30, 000 and 50,000 depending on the material used

It is important to purchase breeding stock from a recommended source where there is no inbreeding

Usually the females reach their puberty at five months and if not separated from the male, it may conceive there and then even its young one are two to three days old. It is important to ensure the female ones conceive after one month.

Feed them with clean water which can be punched in bottles and add mineral leaks to the water to provide good minerals for their body.

They can be fed with grass such as Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), bracharia grass, pellets made from soybean mixture with silver fish.

Usually a pair of breeder stock can cost between Shs50, 000 to Shs150, 000 depending on the region where it is sold from.

Farmers are encouraged to collect rabbit urine as income earning initiative as fertilizer mixture. 5 litre jerrican costs shs20, 000 but may vary depending on the area where it is sold.

Health benefits and marketing

Rabbits have a light impact on the earth, and they are healthy with white meat, rich in highly-quality proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and minerals like calcium and potassium

The meat is also lean and low in cholesterol it is not fatty meaning one needs to take caution when preparing it.

Most farmers sell the meat in common supper markets between sh28, 000 - shs35, 000, so to satisfy the Ugandan market, a ton of rabbit meat should be produced each day

The production on average are 1, 000 rabbits if the whole common weight is considered or about 500 if improved breeds are used