rabbit ibs and projects
Jacky Foo
>……i intended to provide expert services to your youth rabbit
>if need be. Have worked with communities on rabbit projects
>for more than 3 years now and have useful insights on the
>technical (at the production level), organizational (concerning groups
>of individual working together) and commercialization of rabbit and
>rabbit products. Thus i thought it wise to remind you i might be
>useful if expert services are needed to ensure sustainable and
>profitable production.
Thank you very much Jackson for helping out.
Children's Garden (a Kenyan NGO) and I started the construction in April and on May 09 we brought in our first 2 bunnies by the end of the month we had 19 cages made and about 13 rabbits of difference ages. We have 36 now but lost 19, many over a week at the end of last month due to a unknown disease which probably came in via the 4 bunnies that we bought from a govt breeding centre.
All wastes are collected and composted for a sweet potato plot of about 200 m2.
Grass and crop residues (as feed) are collected by a farmer for us and we have a group of boys (10-14 years old) who take care of the rabbits and cleaning. The operation system works fine. I am now looking for a second person to bring in grass since the farmer sometimes does not bring in enough grass for the rabbits.
Because we are dealing with school boys, we need to pay someone to bring in the grass. Economically it is probably a breakeven system at the moment since we have limited space and cages. For our operation, we will need to have at least 10 does.
Can you tell us nore about your rabbit projects ?
Regards
Jacky
jackkson ntapi
Dear Jacky, Great reading from you, think your project is good. I will not spend time describing the rabbit projects i have been working with for many years but should instead get information on your project and provide some advice were necessary.
From the information you have provided i retained a mortality rate of more than 30% which should be of great concern. It is important to note this is a major problem with rabbit farming and the best solution is to revise the production system to know were the problem is coming from. Don't estimate here, it is possible it might be the newly included bunnies but how about the feeding package, were the rabbits dewormed or given anticox on time, is hygiene and sanitation appropraite............please look at all these issues to diagnose the problem. This will be fundamental in the future as high mortality may kill all production incentives.
You said the animals were of different ages, hope you did not go for very young animals as they are very fragile and may withstand the stress less.
Will need more information on the animal shelters (cages): What is the dimension of the cages and the stocking density? if the does are already producing, are we having maternity cages with kit boxes?
Also i will want to have more information about the feeding scheme: Are we serving only grass to the animals? what type of crop residues do you serve? What is the frequency of service? what quantity is consumed by animals? any specific diet for different ages of animals? how is the rabbit feed treated before service (sunning, chopping, pelleted, grounded, wet, dry.......), how is feed presented to the rabbits (in feeder, on the floor, tied on walls of cages....). This may help diagnose potential limits which may to themselves cause unexplained mortality and low production.
Will also like to know the approximate age of the death rabbits.
Keep up the great work, i think it is a vissionary project you are having there. Accept kind regards.
Jackson Ntapi Nk.
Heifer International Cameroon
PO BOX 467 Banemda Cameroon
Cellphone: +237 96 13 47 84
|
Jacky Foo
>Don't estimate here, it is possible it might be the newly included
>bunnies but how about the feeding package, were the rabbits
>dewormed or given anticox on time, is hygiene and sanitation
> appropraite...........
Disease came from the breeding centre since it also had an episode of deaths.
No problems at my site for 2+months and with the 3 litters of bunnies.
Q: Have you had experience on disease outbreak after introducing new bunnies or rabbits in a problem-free operation ?
Q: how many rabbiot farms or sites have you supervised ?
>Will also like to know the approximate age of the death rabbits.
They are 4 weeks to 9 weeks old bunnies
>is hygiene and sanitation appropraite..
Cleaning done once every 2-3 days
>were the rabbits dewormed or given anticox on time
No done
>Are we serving only grass to the animals?
>what type of crop residues do you serve?
Primarily crop residues (leaves of salad, cabbage, broccoli) and grass
Commercial feed not given since it is not economical.
>What is the frequency of service? what quantity is consumed by animals
Unlimited supply , i.e. there is always foliage … fed twice a day
>any specific diet for different ages of animals?
No
>how is the rabbit feed treated before service (sunning,
>chopping, pelleted, grounded, wet, dry.......),
No treatment ….. never wet but fresh
>how is feed presented to the rabbits
>(in feeder, on the floor, tied on walls of cages....).
From feed basket….
>Will need more information on the animal shelters (cages):
All adults kept in separate cages
When doe (female is about to have bunnies or with bunnies, wall between two cages is removed so that cage is twice the size (more than 1 meter long) so that adult pee at one corner away from bunnies. When bunnies are 4-5 weeks old, they are transferred with mother into a large cage so that first 2-cages can be cleaned up properly.
To Jackson:
Can you describe one of your successful operation and what management system have you used ?
Thanks
Jacky
richard
Let me just give my own insite after years of rabbit raising. if you are
not using rabbit feet, and even if you are, giving woody green branches
to the rabbits is quite important. Those teeth they have are not built
only for leafy plants!! they also get good minerals, and then the wood
drys much better for burning.
good luck on a great project. Rabbits are not easy in a hot climate.
Richard Wade
Jacky Foo escribió:
> On 07/08/2008, *jackkson ntapi* <jackso...@yahoo.com
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
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>
Jacky Foo
>......giving woody green branches
> to the rabbits is quite important. Those teeth they have are not built
> only for leafy plants!! they also get good minerals, and then the wood
> drys much better for burning.
this makes sense.......though I have not read this before.
Will try that.....THANKS
--
Kenya: +254- 725 077 012
+++
Jacky E.L. Foo
Program Officer, www.globetree.org
Environment & Sustainable Development
++
Jacky Foo
tried to work on rabbit's feet but difficult to get the bones out and
separet the skin.
is there any special way to do it or it is just meer force ?
P.S> my preservation method with alum works well but to make the skin
soft, I apply some perfumed vaseline. It works.
regards
jacky
Michael Theroux
Small animal museum-collection taxidermy methods may help here. First, don't
remove the foot bones, only down to the ankle bones; invert the skin over
the leg bones like peeling off a glove. Second, pack inside and cover
completely in cornmeal or other grain meal just until oils and moisture are
absorbed, not until completely dry. The vegetable oil from the grains will
replace animal fats as the skin dries, keeping the skin flexible; some
amount of salt can help for very wet /oily specimens. Vaseline is good if
edges get too dry and brittle, or work in a small amount of something like
hand lotion or chapstick. Third, stuff with any kind of dry packing, I've
used cotton mattress batting, but any fine absorbent fiber will work if
clean and dry. This may need to be replaced if it continues to pull moisture
and oils, so check in a week. This works for delicate bird skins as well,
but as you can tell it is as much by feel as by method. Hope that helps;
perhaps others in the museum specimen prep world can add to this.
Michael Theroux
Theroux Environmental
PO Box 7838
Auburn, CA 95604-7838
(530) 823-7300; fax: -7290; cell: (530) 613-1712
mthe...@jdmt.net
US Combined Heat & Power Association (www.uschpa.org)
jackkson ntapi
Hi jacky,
Sorry for the long silence was out of the office for an annual retreat to review our programs' work.
|
Disease came from the breeding centre since it also had an episode of deaths. |
No problems at my site for 2+months and with the 3 litters of bunnies. |
Ok, but will be more objective to always do post moterm with death rabbits in case of doubts to be sure of the cause of death in order to eliminate any chances of false speculation.
|
Q: Have you had experience on disease outbreak after introducing new bunnies or rabbits in a problem-free operation ? |
Not quite, the secret is to buy and place fryers of 8-10 months of age to be sure of an acceptabile resistance to stress linked to transportation, change of diet, change of housing conditions etc etc.
|
Q: how many rabbiot farms or sites have you supervised ? |
I have supervised 3 rabbit projects with 56 farm families each having a rabbitory. Project started with the placement of 4 does and 1 buck in each assisted farm.
Q Can you describe one of your successful operation and what management system have you used
The description of your project shows pretty good management which i really appreciate. Will give a brief description of a typical rabbit project i work with and hope you might find something useful in it.
I think your project is a good one, need to leave for a workshop and will to keep in torch for further information on my experiences in the rabbit project. Will like to talk about planning for growth etc etc
Jackson Ntapi Nk. Heifer International Cameroon PO Box 467 Bamenda Cameroon |
Cellphone: +237 96 13 47 84 |
|
From: Jacky Foo <jack...@gmail.com> |
Jacky Foo
>I saw your e-mail about tanning of the rabbit skins.
>When I was a boy on my dad's farm I used a mixture of
>Alum and KNO3 for the tanning of Cape Hyrax skins.
>It worked ok. The skin became soft very quickly.
Thanks for the info Attie. Do you have the amounts of alum and KNO3
needed for the tanning and how are they applied on the skin?
I use a mixed solution of alum and salt+sodium bicarbonate. Maize
flour paste (as a carrier for the chemicals) are pasted on the skin.
Preservation is good but skin is a little stiff, however application
of perfumed vaseline on finished product softens it.
Michael Theroux wrote:
>Small animal museum-collection taxidermy methods
>may help here.
Thanks for the info.
regards
jacky
Jacky Foo
JF>Disease came from the breeding centre since it also
>had an episode of deaths. No problems at my site for
>2+months and with the 3 litters of bunnies.
JN>Ok, but will be more objective to always do post
>moterm with death rabbits in case of doubts to be sure
>of the cause of death in order to eliminate any chances
>of false speculation.
I talked to the manager of the Breeding centre and he said the 4 newly purchased rabbits may die due to their reaction to the change of diet.
We lost 3 of them. However this does not explain the deaths of our bunnies over 2 weeks. I thought it could be pesticides but since bunnies did not die all at the same time, then I don't think it is due to pesticides (used on the crops).
What should I look for in the post-mortem?
I checked … livers were okay but bellies were bloated.
JF>Have you had experience on disease outbreak after
>introducing new bunnies or rabbits in a problem-free operation ?
JN>Not quite, the secret is to buy and place fryers of 8-10 months
>of age to be sure of an acceptabile resistance to stress linked to
>transportation, change of diet, change of housing conditions etc etc.
Ok……thanks for the info.
Breeding centre sells bunnies at are 2-month old pure-breeds for 250 KES each (~4 US$) (Californians, NZ Whites, Flemish and cross-breeds which can achieve 3-4 kg live weight in about 6-8 months) for slaughter.
We have reduced our stock to 9 does and 2 bucks and gone into a meat production routine with 12 single cages and 5 double cages. Single cages can be converted to double-size cages by removing the partition wall when does are about to have their litters. Bucks are kept in single cages.
The IBS used is sweet potatoes which is fertilized with compost from wastes from the rabbit house. Sweet potatoes (leaves and tubers) will go to the rabbits.
Regards
Jacky
Jacky Foo
>each having a rabbitory. Project started with the placement
>of 4 does and 1 buck in each assisted farm.
I have been sceptic about family rabbit projects because of the high
rate of failures due to irregular/insufficient feed supply and poor
re-stocking routines (often ending up with 1 or 2 does). With a
placement of 4 does, they should be able to provide a good supply of
meat for each family.
JF>Q: what are the things that we need to look for in the
>planning stage to ensure success in such family rabbitories ?
>Q Can you describe one of your successful operation
>and what management system have you used
JN>A good rabbit project entails good preparation forehand
>before rabbits are brought into the farm:
>One of the central issues apart from constructing cages with
>appropriate dimensions and choosing a good site (calm, dry, ....)
>is the puting in place of an adapted, cost effective feeding scheme.
>In our project we embarged on pasture (Brachiaria,
>Guatemala, Desmodium) and legume fodder (Calliandra,
>Leuceana....) cultivation in the first 6 months of the project.
I agree fully that the supply of feed/foliage to the rabbits is (for
me also) the most important pre-requisite.
Pasture land is often not available in the peri-urban areas of Nairobi
since ownership of land by poor families is often restricted. This is
our biggest problem for NGOs that manage children's homes. So feed
must come from outside and from neighbouring farms.
Q: of your 56 families, were there families that did not have pasture
land and how did they manage to collect feed for the rabbits ?
regards
jacky
Jacky Foo
>and soya beans on their farms to be used in combination with
>dry cassava peelings and other sources of roughage in
>compounding feed for young bunnies (as creep feed),
How do you use soya bean plants and the beans ?
>In your project, the direct benificiaries seem not to be very
>involved or responsible for the achievement of set goals
>as external help is frequently demanded.
The role of the boys are in the cleaning, care, mating, and feeding.
They are not involved in collecting foliage since the compound does
not have pasture land. The farms are 10 minutes walk from the home and
therefore not advisable for them to do the gathering of grass and crop
residues. There is a market also about 10 minutes from the home but
boys do not go to the market.
So feed is delivered. Eventhough the boys are not involved in
collecting and delivery of the feed, I think the dedication is there.
The rabbit house is like their second home and they boys spend most of
their free time there. One of the boys is the manager and has the key
to the rabbitory. I don't have the key. He has his own group of
friends who care for the rabbits.
>In our projects farmers own the process and are up large to make
>contributions (both financially, materially, labour etc) and oversee
>the realization of set goals with project supervisors only involved
>in providing capacities and support where the farmers are limited.
The project will finally belong to the Home. It is certainly possible
that if management of the rabbitory by the Home is poor or cause
conflict with the boys, the boys may loose interests. This is a risk.
>Major guarantee for continuity when groups are cut off
>assistance. So please think of how to get the children more
>involved and responsible for realization of set goals.
>Can they not organize themselves to provide the needed forage?
>i.e share the work among themselves, cut, carry and store
>forage in the evenings etc
the basic rule is that the boys are not allowed to be on their own
outside the Home. Also gathering 2 sacks of grass everyday is a 1-2
hrs job. A sack of grass will weight 20 or more kg.
regards
jacky
jackkson ntapi
Hi Jacky,
Really satisfied with the mechanisms put in place to ensure continuity despite the limited freedom of movement imposed on project partners (beneficiaries). Glad you considered this aspect. You asked: |
|
The beans are harvested,dried,grind and mix with sweat potato and dried crusched cassava peelings. The quantity of soya bean in the mix depends on the estimated need of the animal but as a general guide, this feed mix is served only to in-kit does at late gestation i.e >2 weeks, young kit, and fast growing fryers fatten for meat.
The soya bean harvest residues i.e. leaves and stems are either served fresh to the rabbits or dried and preserved for use in the dry season.
Keep the good work,might change the lives of someof the youths for ever. |
|
Jackson Ntapi Nk.
Heifer International Cameroon
|
PO BOX 467 BAmenda Cameroon
Cellphone: +237 96134784 |
From: Jacky Foo <jack...@gmail.com> |
jackkson ntapi
Hi Jacky,
Glad we are having a common understanding on how an ideal project should be planned and implemented. You asked: |
|
: of your 56 families, were there families that did not have pasture
land and how did they manage to collect feed for the rabbits ? |
Yes the issue of land availability was raised in some farms. The alternative system promoted was row cropping (Alley crooping) where grass, and legume trees were planted between beds on which food crops are planted. The grasses and fodder legumes are harvested fresh and served to animals while the crop harvest residues provide an alternative source of feed. Nevertheless,sourcing of fresh lushed pasture from neighbouring farms and fields was praticed by almost all the farmers irrespective of whether they have land or not. The availability of fresh grass and alternative feed sources was the major factor that influenced the growth of individual farms. Very successfull farmers who moved from a herd size of 5 producing rabbits (1buck and 4 does) to over 30 producing animals (3 bucks and 27 does), with an average of 40-50 fyers produced annually, invested a lot in pasture establishment and gathering of grass and
residues from surrounding fields. They equally planted many Fodder trees usually Calliandra calothyrsus. This successful projects are family managed projects thus if good management is ensured and there is a good market for rabbit meat, rabbit projects can be a viable source of protein and supplementary income to poor households. It is also good to highlight the low investment needed in seting up a rabbit project compared to other livestock. |
|
Jackson Ntapi Nk.
Heifer International Cameroon
PO BOX 467 BAmenda Cameroon
|
+237 96134784
|
From: Jacky Foo <jack...@gmail.com> |
Jacky Foo
From: jackkson ntapi <jackso...@yahoo.com>
Date: 9 Oct 2008 15:18
Subject: Re: [IOBB-IBS-FORUM] Re: rabbit ibs and projects
To: jack...@gmail.com
>......hope all is weel and your rabbit project is moving on fine.
>Any new lessons learnt that could be usefull to farmers i am working with?
> any new challenges?
Many Kenyans who come to know about my work have also expressed their
interest in rabbits.
Rabbit caring is not a new thing in Kenya and in fact some 50-30 % of
the student boys I have interviewed have cared for rabbits before.
However none of them have gone from "pet" status to a professional
business level of producing meat or rabbits for sale.
WHY
Any professional level operation needs discipline and routines.
From my observation, this is or has been lacking in all the "pet" or
"household" operations.
The ability to develop into an "excellence" status is also lacking.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN ?
Jackson:
are there any professional rabbit raisers in Cameroon ?
If not..... WHY ?
If yes......what made that person different ??
regards
jacky
Michael Theroux
coffee purveyor, has been working with the non-profit organization
TechnoServe (www.technoserve.org), whose mantra is "Business Solutions to
Rural Poverty". Peet's literature and web describe overcoming a similar
local community grower lack of professionalism, to establish an organized
excellence status in their small-farm coffee growers in Tanzania. Perhaps
their techniques and experience may help IOBB efforts.
Michael Theroux
Theroux Environmental
PO Box 7838
Auburn, CA 95604-7838
(530) 823-7300; fax: -7290; cell: (530) 613-1712
mthe...@jdmt.net
US Combined Heat & Power Association (www.uschpa.org)
----Original Message-----
From: iobb-ib...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:iobb-ib...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jacky Foo
jackkson ntapi
Dear Jacky,
Always delighted reading from you. I strongly believe with this kind of focus in your project, you will certainly obtain good results. I carefully read through all your comments and will make the following observations:
1) It is best to start a project where people have some experience in the main project activity, this will ease implementation as issues concerning interest, local expertise and practices are addressed. This falls in the framework of endogenous base development (Endogenous rabbit development in the case of your rabbit project) where we build on existing knowledge and potentials and all the negative issues associated with transfer of technology are minimized. This has been the phylosophy adopted in all rabbit projects i have worked with: In this respect i think it was a very wise decision to start a project which is not new to project partners (project beneficiaries) and their knowledge and expertise should be the base on which growth is achieved.
Your observation |
Any professional level operation needs discipline and routines. |
|
From my observation, this is or has been lacking in all the "pet" or
"household" operations. The ability to develop into an "excellence" status is also lacking. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN ? |
2) About the issue of professionalism (Excellence) i absolutely aggree with your comments. But i will want to adopt INCENTIVES and ABILITY as the two main determinant factors of professionalim and or excellence.
INCENTIVES: To become a professional rabbit farmer, there must be incentives that will drive the farmers to take that extra step to move from a pet farmer to a profesional. These incentives include interest in rabbit production,availability of capital/land, availability of cheap inputs, access to markets, adaptability of rabbit production in the area but the bottom line is profitability and competitiveness of rabbit production compared to other activities. If people can comparatively make a better living out of rabbit production then they will certainly go the extra mile to become professionals. They will adopt routines and become more disciplined, as a matter of fact they will invest more time and resources in the business.
ABILITY: As you rghtly mentioned, pet production is a different ball game from commercial rabbit production. The drive in the latter is profit onlike in the former where interest in the activity dominates. A professional rabbit farmer first and foremost needs the ABILITY to become one. As i described in the article "Towards more sustainable livelihoods" in the LEISA magazine, training on production techniques prior to animal placement is the key to success. Farmers will better mobilize the resources needed, better understand the stakes in each technical operation and are equipped to become professionals in the future. When the project takes off and technical lapses observed are redressed, production starts going up: bring in related training and support on: marketing, farmers organisation, leadership and organisational dynamics, management of micro enterprises, aquisition of micro loans etc. Some of these activities are
training but others are just to orientate the farmers on how to mobilize resources (through personal savings, loans etc) and make investments in their farms. At the end the package use in guiding farmers will be a holistic one that addresses the socio-economics of growth in the place where the project is located.
Your Question? |
are there any professional rabbit raisers in Cameroon ? If not..... WHY ? If yes......what made that person different ?? |
|
3) Yes there are several professional rabbit farmers making their living out of rabbit farming. Limiting the discussion to farmers i have worked with as this is more adapted since it concerns production systems with limited resources, i will advice not to expect all the farmers to become professionals. As you mentioned, professionalism necessitates discipline, respect of routines, good organization and a vision. In my experience only 50 to 60 % of farmers in a farmer group end up as professionals in rabbit production. Why do these farmers succeed??????
Kind regards and good luck in your humanitarian work.
Jackson Ntapi Nk.
Development Field Officer
Heifer International Cameroon
PO BOX 467 Bamenda, Cameroon |
|
Cellphone: +237 96 13 47 84
|
Jacky Foo
> .....TechnoServe (www.technoserve.org), whose mantra is "Business
>Solutions to Rural Poverty". Peet's literature and web describe
>overcoming a similar local community grower lack of professionalism,
>to establish an organized excellence status in their small-farm coffee
>growers in Tanzania. Perhaps their techniques and experience may help
THANKS .... very much appreciated for the info you provided.
regards
jacky
Jacky Foo
>some experience in the main project activity, this
>will ease implementation as issues concerning interest,
>local expertise and practices are addressed.
>In this respect i think it was a very wise decision
>to start a project which is not new to project partners
> (project beneficiaries) and their knowledge and
>expertise should be the base on which growth is achieved.
Yes, I agree with your advice.
(with the exception when there will be times we may need to transfer a technology that is very new to the beneficiaries).
>development (Endogenous rabbit development
>in the case of your rabbit project) where we build
>on existing knowledge and potentials and all the
>negative issues associated with transfer of technology
>are minimized. This has been the phylosophy adopted
>in all rabbit projects i have worked with:
yes…..and then correcting/improving their practices.
jackkson ntapi
Dear Jacky,
With your confirmation of the existence of the necessary knowledge background needed for a successfull grassroot project, i want to believe your project can produce the so called "excellent" farmers if appropriate time and attention is allocated to the project. If we can use a holistic lens to identify constraints in the project and promptly make ammends, then we are sure in the next two or so years to have a handfull of boys who can efficiently produce, sell and make a leaving out of rabbit production.
Keep up with the good job and please keep the believe of obtaining professionals from your project, it will go a long way to help achieve the ultimate Millenium goal of eradicating extreme hunger and poverty. Stay blessed.
Jackson Ntapi Nk.
Heifer Cameroon |
From: Jacky Foo <jack...@gmail.com> |