SroilerRabbitProductionin Tripura

North-Eastern Hill Regionasa wholeand Tripurain particularhasbeen

identifiedas meatconsuming zone.But thereis a wide gap betweendemand
and availabiligof meathere,the availabiliry beingonly4.66g perday per head
insteadof recommended levelof 87.0g. Thecostof productioncf meatis also
very high becauseof the high costof feed which hasto be purchasedfrom out
sidethe state.Aftercarefulconsiderations of agroclimaticconditions,
o{ all aspects
landscaping,demand,pecple'sacceptability, qualityof meat andcosieffectiveness,
rabbitis beingconsidered to be the animalof choiceto fulfillthe growingneed
in
of meat this region.
Advantages cf broiler rabtlit farming
Breedsof broilerrabbitviz.,New ZealandWhite and SovietChinchillaare
well adaptedto agroclimaticconditionsof Tripura.
They grow very fast and attain 1.8-2.A kg in 90 days of age'
Broilerrabbitsareveryprolificin nature,Femalerabbit(doe)cangivebirth
4-5 timesa year.
i Cansurviveon wide rangeof greengrasses.
Broilerrabbit {arminggivesearly good return with leastinvestment.
Diseaseproblems are minimal and almost free from any worm
infestation.
. Doesnot requireanyspecialcareand management for broilerrabbitrearing.
Rabbitmeat is almostcholesterolfree and doesnot attachany taboo for its
consumption.
Rabbitexcretais a better organicfertilizerthan thoseof other animals(N
3.7%,? 1.3%and K 3.5%).
Why to eat rabLrit rneat ?
It is one o{ the bestwhite i.e totally lean meat availatrlein the market'
This meat is having high percentageof easily digestibleprotein.
It containsthe leastfat contentamongall the meats.
There is no religioustaboo attached to the
consumpticnof this meat.
Rabbitmeatisalmcst"choiesterol free" andtherefore,
heart-patient caneatthis meatinsteadof othermeats.
It is the highestnicotinicacid (13 mg/k$ containing
meat.
Usuallya comrnercial rabbityieldsbetween60-65
per centdressed out meat which meansconsumer
getshigher percentageof meat from a live one.
Ratioof meatto bone(5: 1.2)isquitehigh and higher
culso{mbbitmeal
Diffetent
thanchicken.

o
Due to its excellent quality, taste,flavourand appetizingnature,rabbitmeat
is now becoming more popularamongthe peopleof all communities.
Breeds of choice
It is very importantto choose
right breed to start broilerrabbit
farming.Popularbroilerrabbitbreeds
are New Zealand White, Soviet
Chinchilla,California,Ciant Blanc New?ealand
Wnit* $ovieiChinchille
loviei Chrnchrtii;
etc.Out of thesebreeds,NewZealandWhiteandSovietChinchilla
wereevaluated
at ICAR,TripuraCentre{Iable2).
H*using
Forscientificand profitablerearingof broilerrabbit,housingplaysan
ffiimportantrole.ffi
Housing for
rabbits depends
cn the locationof
rabbitfarm,local
climateand size
of the enterprise.
-_
tage l'or:se{ir'lsl? v:erlil Neat desisn and Loy;e*sibar:b*h*tclr
individuaicage,
Therearethreetypesof housingsystems-
comfortareessential.
hutchand colonysystem.
ln the cagesystem,the cagesare arrangedinsidethe shedin single,two or
threetier systems. But singletier is preferable
at smallfarrn.Thecasesare madewith welded
wire meshplacedon metalstandand about
2-3 ft above the ground.Thespaceof a single
cageis 50 cm x 40 cm with a heightof 45 cm
for keepingrabbit from 42 daysonwards.
Below the cages,the floor should have a
drainagesystemfor easycleaningof urine and
faecesregularly.The roofingshould preferably Col*ny:yslem*f housinq
be of asbestos,thatchor otherlocallyavailable
materials.
The hutchsysternis a self-ccntainedcage-cum-nest.Therecan be 2-"1 0
hutchesin a row. Thissystemis generallyusedfor smalland backyardrabbit
farm. lt is economicalto constructhutcheswith locallyavailablematerials. Walls
maybe madeusingrnullbamboo,floorby the weldedwire meshfor easycleaning
and roof by the cfiangrass.Floorshouldbe 2-2.5ft abovethe ground.Thefloor
spacemeasufemenl {or singlehutchis 3.5 x 2.5 ft with a heightof 3.5 ft at the
frontand2.5ft atthe back.Cenerally,5-6rabbiacanbe keptin eachcompartment.
In colony system,more number of rabbitscan be kept togetherfrom
a
weaningto marketingage(90 days).The wallsof colonyhousesystemcan be
made puccato half the heightand resthalfwith wire net.The fioor is concrete.
Roofcan be madeusingcorrugated tin or bamboo.Sizeof a roomis 10 x 10 x
10 ft. Twentyfive to 30 rabbitscan be kept in this room.
As feederand waterer,aluminiumbowlsof 500 ml capacityor bakedearthen
bowlsare used.
Points to be considered before constructing a rabbit house
Must have adequatespaceotherwisestressand injury may occur.
'-
i House must be rainproof as they can't tclerate wet conditions.
.- Roomsshculd be well-ventilatedandfreefrom dust.
temperalureis 10-250Cbut meatbreedcantoleratetemperature
,- Preferable
ashighas3s-400C.Tryto keepindoorlemperature 320cwith relativehumidiqr
of 66-7a%.So,usehousingmaterialwhich cancoolthe room.
i Rabbitaryshouldbe at quietplaceasanimalsgetfrightenedeasilyby sudden
noiseand presenceo[ predators.
Roomsshouldbe cleanand hygienicand a well drainedsiteis important.
':
:- House must be in east-ivestdirectionto give protectionfrom the sun.
Productive and Reproductive care
Forprofitablebroilerfarming,reproductionplaysa vital role.Femalerabbitis
readyto acceptmaleat about6 monthsof agewhereasmale(buck)startsmating
from7 monthsonwards.
* For successful mating,doe shouldbe put to the buck's cageand watch
carefullyfor successfulmating.ln successfulmating,doe emitsa soundand
buckfallson eithersideof the doe. lf femaledoesnot allowthe male,repeat
the sameprocedurea{ter4 days.Sometimes somedoes requireassisted
mating.
{} Right time of mating is either early morning or eveningof a day.
r.1l?Checkthe pregnancyl 4-l 5 daysafter nratingby palpatingthe abdomen.li
not pregnant,g0 for rebreeding.
d.) Their pregnancyperiod is around 30 days.
,.{} Pregnant doe shouldbe shiftedto the kindling
cageat 25thday of pregnancY.
'i-?Pregnantdoe generallystartsmakingnest by
pluckingher own hair one or two daysbeiore
kindling(delivery).
lf shedoesnot pluckhair,give
Kitswithihedam
somefine qualitystrawin the cage.
"* A doe generally gives birthto 6-7 kits.Kitsaredevoidof any hair and eyes
areclosed.
,i Watchcarefullyimmediatelyafterbirth and checkthe conditionof kits.Do
not touchthe kitsuntil someemergency comesand usethe glovesin such
a case.
i!:J Doe givesmilk once or twice a day.So, keepall the kitstogetherfor proper
feeding.
o
Lf Removedead or defectivekitsfrom the cage.
*of sometinres doe killsher own kitsor doesnot givemilk especially afterfirst
kindling.ll that particular
doe repeatsthe samehabit at the nextkindling,
it is advisable
to cullthatdoe.
Civeadequateamountof balancedrationalong
with pienty of clean drinkingwater {or the
productionof sufficient milk.
[yesof kitsgenerallyopen at the ageof 10 days.
Hair start growingfrom two weeksof age.
At threeweeksof age,k;tswill also starttal<ins
feedalongwith mother'smilk.
Hclding
cf rabbit
t;S Besttime t0 wean kifs is at 42 days.
Sreeding buck and doe should be kept in individual cages.
ajl Rebreedingof doe shouldbe performedimmediatelyafter weaning.
one adultdoe cangive4-5 kindlings a yeardependingon the spaceavailability
and scientificmanagement practices.
# Forefficientbreedingof rabbits,the maleto fenraleratic shouldbe 1: 5.
# A maturebuckcan successfully mate4-6 doesa week.
& Buck should not be overfedto avoid cverweishtand decreasedlibido.
{} Keep the productive and reproductive data of buck ancl doe.
Feeding
e Feeding is very imporiant {or profitable broiler rabbit farming.
-a Feedshouldcontainboth concentrateand greenfodder (25-30:7O-7i).
A Concentrate shouldbe givenbeforefeedinggreens.
x Thequantityof concentrate feedneededby the differentgroupsof rabbitsis :
WeanedA2-70dt - 50g
Crower(71-90d) - 80s
ndull ,tztale - 100e
AdultFemale 200g
A. Feedshould be giventwice a day.
A Makeroundballwith balancedrationand molasses. pelletsaregivenassuch.
A In summer,theygenerally eat at nightwhereaswith the onsetof winter,the
requirementincreases and time of eatingis shiftedto the day time.
ur A regulartime tablefor feedingis advisable.
^ ?o not changethe feedsudden.ly, replacepartiallyday-by,dayand complete
changccan bc doneaftcr4-5 days.
A Creenshouldbe ied ad libitun {freechoice).
A Planproperlyfor cultivationof foddersto get adequatesupplythroughout
the year.
s Cultivateperennialgrasses likedub, hybridnapier,Cuineagrass,paragrass
CI C.
A Annualfodderslike- maize,oat, cowpea,rice bean carrot,radishleaves,
cabbage,cauliflnwer,chinesecabbageetc. are well relishedby rabbits.

o
 N4ulberrv leaves areoneo{theirchoicestfodder.
Cultivate nrulberryplantswhichsupplythe
fodderthroughoul the Year.
A fodderareaol. B0 m2issufficient for rearing
10-12rabbits.
Normallv. one broilerrabbitconsumes1'9
kg concentrateand 8 kg greenfodderup to
90 daysof age.
Concentrate rationcanbe preparedby mixing
different ingredienls combinations
in difierent
for broilerrabbit.One of themcouldbe (kg/100
kg)maize-32, wheat-14,wheatbran-5,broken
riie-11, groundnut cake-15, scybeanm.eal*
13, molasses -7.5,mineralmixture-2andsalt-
0.5 parts.
Periodical vitaminstherapyshouldbe done" asfcddet
leaves
Mulberry
Cleanwatershouldtre madeavailable
throughoutthe day. Cenerally,one adultrabbitdrinks300-400ml waterper
day.
Table't.Daily nutrientrequirementsof rabbits(ICAR,1998)
Nutrients Crowth M a i n te n a n c e Cestation Lactation

Digestible energy{Kcallkg)2,500 2,300 2,500 2,500

Crudeprotein(%) to 16 17 19
Crude{ibre(%) 10-12 12-14 1A-12 1A-12
Etherextract (%) 2 2 22

Health care
Healthcareis an importantpartof rabrbitary for more-relurns. A good
owner should devote time to loak at his animals carefully every day'
Coat r:f the animalshouldbe glossy with no dull patches'
- Rabbitshouldappearalertand brighteyedwithoutdischarge'
..:=Freeand easyn"lovemenl.
'.' Normalappeiiteis a signof goodhealth.
SLoolshouldalwaYs be normal.
: Rabbitshould not appear 'Bony','Fatty'or "Potbellied"'
' Skin/earshouldbe free from any sore'
Keepthesickrabbitin isolation.
Cleanhutches and utensilsregularly.
' Alwaysprovidecleanfeed and water.
': Keepinsectsand fliesawayfrom rabbithouses'
,-.. Newlyintroducedrabbitshouidbe kept in quarantine for at leastone month'
o
 Some diseases likecoccidiosis,
snuffles,sorefeet,mange,mastitisetc.areobserved
in rabbits.
Coccidiosis
' lt is a protozoan
diseaseaffectingmainly intesiine with the symptomsof
diarrhoeawith or withoutblood,off-feed,roughbody hair,depression and
death.
Preventive therapywith coccidiostat(SulmetO) shouldbe givenat day 21-
23 and at day 42-45 everyyear.
Regularcleaning and disinfectionof cagesand hutches is must.
Cive cleanwaterand feed regularly.
Snuffles
It is a very.contagious bacterialdisease with the symptomsof thick,sticky
whitenasaldischarge, sneezing and hightemperature.
'i' Proper ventllation is the most important to avoid this disease.
','.' Antibiotictreatmentscurethe cases.
SoreFeet
-.: Rabbitwill be lameand unwillingto move.lnflamedsoredareason bottoms
of the feet thind legs).
--' Damageoccursgenerallyfrom sharppiecesof floor wire and wet solidfloor.
-: To prevent this, provide good comfortable floor to the rabbit.
;,; Apply antisepticcreamto the wound.
+ Badlyiniuredrabbigareadvisedto be culled.
Mange
It is a parasiticdiseaseaffectingthe skin,ear and
mouthcausingwound and irritationleadingto
stuntedgrowth.Thisdiseasespreadseither by
contactwith an affectedrabbitor by ccntamination
of hutches,bedding, feed or equipments.
i.,, Regularcheckingof rabbits,isolationof affected
rabbits,thoroughcleaningof hutchesreducethe Mangeinfested
rabbit
chanceof thisinfection.
i,' Thisdiseasemay be treatedsuccessfully with lvernrectrn
injections21 days
4 U4t L.

Mastitis
i lt isan inflammation of mammaryglands.
,i, Mammaryglandsbecomepainfulwith a changein colourand the doe will
not let her litterta suckand kitswill probablydie.
'' lt is usuallycausedby bacteriabecauseof injuryto teats.Dirty nestagravates
the situation. Clean nest and bedding prevent this condition.
r:: Antibiotictfeatm€ntis advocatedto treatthiscondition.
".' Tryto fosterthe kitsif they arevery young.

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Table2. production performanceof New Zealandwhite and soviet
ChinchillaRabbitsat ICAR,TripuraCentre.
Parameter New Zealand Soviet

Littersizeat birth(No.) 6.5 6.2

Litterwt. at birth (g) 308.9 327.7
Littersize at weaning (No.) 5.3 5.2
Litterwt. at weaning(kg) 3.9 3.9
lndividualwt. at weaning(kg)
Male o.B 7 a.7B
Female o.74 o.75
Individual wt. at 90 d (kB)
Male 1.86 1.85
Female 1.84 1.90
Therefore,the farmersshouldtake careof breeding,feeding,housing,
healthaspectsetc. so that the meat productionfrom rabbib is profitable'lt is
marginal
hopedthatthe pointsasgiven abovewould helpthe farmers.particr"rlarly
ones,landlesslabourersand tribalsto raisethe broilerrabbitsin a scientific
mannerwhich would fetch them more returnsand providebetternutrition.
Puhlication No - 3O Year-2008
ff-.repanedS3'
Dr. S. K. Ghosh, Scienlist,SS(AnimalR:eproduction)
Dr. Chander Datt,Scientist,SS(AnimalNutrition)
Dr. N. P. Singh, Jaint Directar
Dr. S.V.Ngachan, Director
**signing: Mr, Shekhar6hosh
eLEf:fg's&ed
&y ;
Dr. N. P.Singh,Jnint Director
l cAR R es ear c h Com p l e x fo r N EH R e g i o n , T ri p uraC entre, Lembucherra,
TripuraiWest)-799210
,r'c,ndsfar"f.splease ecnd*cd ,'
Dr. N. P.Singh,Joint Director
lcAR Research Complexfor NEH Region,TripuraCentre,Lembucherra,Tripura (wesi),
7gg217, phone:tO:St) Z+OOA47l 256s537{O), Faxi0381) 28652O1I 2865537,
e-mail: jd_icar@yahoo.com
Dr. S.V.Ngachan,Director
lcAR Research Cornplexfor NIH Region,Umiam,Meghalaya,7931A3,Phone:(0364)
2570257 ( o) , e -ma i l:di rector@ i carneh.ernet.i n
F ax ; i03 6 4 ) 2 5 7 0 3 6 3 1 2 5 7 0 5,0 .1
\m,,
is tll tryIr!ryi