Small Scale Rabbit Breeding

A Food Security Project Developed by

Help people, Help themselves, Help others

By Dave & Christina Pilkington

Small Scale Rabbit Breeding Manual A Food Security Project

By Dave & Christina Pilkington
Copyright 2010 by Christina Pilkington

We have put this manual together as a means to help facilitate anybody who wants to start their own food security project or help someone else to. This is by far the most unusual project we have ever worked on but has been intriguing and exciting to see how one animal can have so much potential with the right knowledge, tools and understanding. In no way can this manual be sold or reproduced to be sold. There are sources of information which cannot be verified which were taken from the web. This is a document that CAN be reproduced, photocopied, emailed and downloaded as many times as you want for FREE. This was not put together to make money but to facilitate and enable others to climb out of poverty by giving them the knowledge and understanding to generate their own food source and potential source of income. The majority of this document is based on our own research and case studies. All but one of the diagrams was designed by Cara Botha for the free use of this project. Any photos that you may or may not see depending on what version you see are all photos that we have taken for the use of this project. Lastly, even though this is by no means a radical approach to food security, an academic paper, or an exceptional piece of literature, however, we still feel we owe it to thank the people who have helped put this together. We have worked hard to try and put as much information into a document in the hope that maybe this is a small contribution to hunger and poverty being eradicated. Therefore, we would like to acknowledge as many of the individuals who have helped pull this together. So with no further procrastination and self apology... we would like to thanks our friend Dean Barnes who first suggested rabbits and paid for the first pilot project. Mandy Minnar who spent many a night with us trying to get a government grant to do the project large scale (however, this failed as we could not seem to convince boards that people would want to eat rabbits - so we re-grouped to do a smaller version of our initial feed the world with rabbits idea!) We definitely want to thank the community of KwaDabeka in D Section (particularly Zume, Egcikini farmers Philani and Baba Zulu) who embraced us and humoured us. They also believed in the project and help make it all happen. Finally, the English volunteers from soul action; Hannah, Amy, Catherine, Bill and Ben (the flower pot men!) who helped us finalise and tweak this manual. On a personal note I would like to thank our families especially my mum, dad, my brother Eddie and His wife Anna who have supported us financially to make so much of this possible or not as stressful.

Christina Pilkington

Chapters
CHAPTER 1 --- The answer to Why Rabbits? --- Food Security A Human Rights Issue... --- Getting Started a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

Choosing a breed Rabbit time-line Sexing the rabbit Mating & Breeding Birth Nesting Box Weaning

CHAPTER 4

--- Exponential Growth

CHAPTER 5

--- What do rabbits eat? & Rabbit feed boxes

CHAPTER 6

--- General care of rabbits

CHAPTER 7

--- Curing basic health problems

CHAPTER 8

--- Process and Timing of slaughtering

CHAPTER 9

--- Rabbit Skins & Tanning

Chapter 10

--- Glossary & Photos

Chapter 1: The answer to Why rabbits?

Farming with rabbits is becoming increasingly popular because they can be kept in a relatively small space, it is not expensive to keep them, they eat almost anything, they produce high-quality protein meat and they can be sold to make money. Some interesting facts about rabbits: Rabbits are among the most productive of domestic livestock. A female rabbit can produce up to 80 kilograms (kg) of meat per year. X1 buck (male rabbit) and x2 does (female rabbits) can produce enough rabbit meat to feed a family of 6. A rabbit can produce 6lbs of meat for every 1lb of meat a cow can produce of beef. Rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man according to United Stated Department of Agriculture. Rabbit meat has the highest protein, vitamin and mineral content, a meat that meets all human amino acid requirements, is low in cholesterol and high in Omega-3 fatty acids (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation). Rabbits will eat food such as grass, hay, carrot tops and other foods that could be seen as kitchen waste. Rabbits do not compete with humans for food like other animals such as chickens that need grain, cows that needs two acres of land... Rabbits are herbivores and eat many different foods that are easily grown in many different climates, making them one of the most economic animals to farm. Storage of meat is not an issue; one rabbit produces a good portion of meat for a whole family (around 1kg). In many developing countries such as South Africa many people do not own a refrigerator or freezer so a large animal such as a cow or goat would require storage for excess meat. Due to a global aids epidemic there has been an increase in child and pensioner headed homes in developing countries; thus small livestock is also a practical solution as it allows physically weaker members of society to be involved. The rabbit pelts (skins) can be used as a raw produce to make shoes, blankets, gloves... providing possible income opportunities. Rabbits are raised off the ground so they are one of the cleanest meats. 4

Rabbit manure is one of the richest manures; this waste is much richer in nutrients than ordinary farm manure and can be used directly without composting. Earthworms can be used to convert rabbit manure into fertilizer. This is a fairly important resource in areas where chemical fertilizers are virtually unknown or an expensive commodity.

What do the experts say???

United Nations (FOA 1981): Rabbit farming has significant potential to improve food security and nutrition in developing countries. United Nations: There is greater and greater recognition that the potential of small species like rabbits, has been underestimated so far, according to Emmanuelle Guerne-Bleich, United Nations FAO animal production expert. United Nations food and agriculture organization (Rome, 28 September 2001): Rabbit breeding for food security Ahead of a major international rabbit breeding conference, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today that it is ready to promote rabbit farming in its various livestock projects all over the world. United States: The office of home economics, state relations of the U S Department of Agriculture, has done extensive tests and have stated that domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man. National Development Agency for South Africa: Produced a study; Rabbits for Poverty Alleviation in which they stated that: The body size provides a small carcass that can be consumed by a family in one meal, eliminating the need for meat storage and refrigeration. Rabbit skins are a major component in the international fur trade, with large numbers also being used for the manufacture of hats, trimmings and gloves. (www.nda.agric.za/docs/MarketExtension/7Livestock.pdf)

Disadvantages!
Rabbits have the potential to be an environmental disaster. If they escape from confinement they will breed very quickly and can potentially become very destructive to farm land. Thus the need for cages and appropriate care is paramount.

Chapter 2 Food Security - A Human Rights Issue....

Hunger is a human rights issue. Never before has this linkage been so strongly recognized as in the context of the global food crisis that started in 2005 with the soaring food and energy prices and that continues today as a result of the financial crisis and economic slow-down. (United Nations right to food forum 2009). The right of access to sufficient food is a basic human necessity and right. Many constitutions oblige the State to provide legislation and other supporting measures to ensure that all citizens are enabled to meet their basic food needs. Food Security is a result of poverty (and often decisions made on a national or international level regarding socio-economic and political issues). In a recent report (2009) by United Nations food and agriculture organisation it stated; at a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories. The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, where 70 percent of the worlds hungry live and work. With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger. (United Nations 2009) The purpose of this project is to present a possible solution for some of those individuals who are affected by food insecurity. Furthermore, to offer a potential product that can be sold to establish income generating opportunities for many poverty stricken families. The bi-product of rabbit pelts can create opportunities for people to develop business ideas (such as making and selling blankets, gloves, even using the guts for organic dog food!) in order to further their financial capacity. This could also create employment requiring skills ranging from practical skills such as sewing, to business skills, slaughtering of animals, cage building. Hopefully resulting in the development of sustainable micro-economies in order to alleviate poverty and uplift communities based on agriculture and harnessing natural resources. Food security by its very nature requires a sustainable solution as it is an on-going need that cannot be solved with a one-off financial investment otherwise seen as a linear solution: money + person = problem solved. The solution needs to cyclical - a cycle to replace the cycle of systemic (or cyclical) poverty which is starving many urban and rural communities. Therefore, the aim of the project is to create a food and wealth generating cycle, reliant on initial financial investment but will then be sustained through effective agricultural methods harnessing natural resources to develop food and income opportunities.

Rabbits Breed Breed Some Sell Some Eat Some

*See chapter 3 for growth model. A key aspect that we try and incorporate into the projects is creating systems of accountability and responsibility (or carrot and stick model) i.e. only when an individual shows they can take responsibility do they get access to more resources. Through individuals becoming more responsible and accountable, communities are going to be strengthened and more cohesive. Our aim is that we must not just Help People but also they must learn to Help themselves and to also Help others. Thus, this has formed the main principle in our project:

Help people, Help themselves, Help others

In order to create systems of responsibility and accountability, inclusion in the programme is based on the requirement that all participants invest some of their produce whether it be rabbits, seedlings, training, knowledge gained into another family, in order for them to keep access to the tools & resources required to develop their project. This also ensures that the project is sustainable and does not require constant injections of funds.

A further aim of the project is that it is replicable. We want this project to not just be limited in course design to benefit a particular group of people but that the knowledge and skills gained will be able to be transferred and adapted into other communities. With potential for some communities to be a hub of teaching, training, and a practical working example of a sustainable economy that generates food and wealth based on agricultural projects in small family homesteads.

Community Cohesion Plan stage 1 (Ubuntu): Helping people, help themselves to help others
Community Participant If the participant chooses to share then they can continue to remain part of the project thus has access to advice, cages, loan tools... ...If the participant chooses not to share, they can keep their rabbits but will have no access to advice or affordable cages.

Participant signs up and completes a 3 day rabbit breeding and cage building training course.

Yes

No

The participant then does a test to see whether they have an understanding of what is required to run a small scale rabbit project.

We then ask that each participant invest 2 rabbits (x1 male and x1 female) into 2 other families of their choice and helps them develop their own food security project. In return we help supply them with more cages to facilitate their growing project.

If the participant passes the test they then receive a rabbit cage flat pack in which they are required to put their training in to operation and build the cage.

The participant is given a programme with key stages such as when it is suitable to breed...and can follow the programme to start breeding (see chapter 4 rabbit time-line).

The cage is then inspected and if it has been suitably put together then the person is eligible to receive two rabbits (a buck and doe).

*This model is just a proposed idea and does not have to be followed religiously. The stage 1 model illustrates how the project also has the capacity to be scalable as the project can be started with 2 families or 20 families... etc. By investing rabbits into 10 families, on the basis that they share with another 2 families, it creates the opportunity for exponential growth i.e. the 10 families becomes 30 families. Thus, the project becomes scalable and sustainable based on community cohesion (or Ubuntu) rather than further financial investment. The success of this project is due to effectively applying rabbit farming knowledge and the spirit of ubuntu.

Explanation of Ubuntu:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008: One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity... ...We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity. Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes this perspective, ubuntu is not, I think therefore I am. It says rather: I am a human because I belong. I participate. I share. In essence, I am because you are. We are truly all in this together, and we will only succeed by building mutually beneficial partnerships among civil society, the private sector, and the public sector. This is Ubuntu Diplomacy: where all sectors belong as partners, where we all participate as stakeholders, and where we all succeed together, not incrementally but exponentially.

Help people, Help themselves, Help others

Chapter 3: Getting Started

(a) Choosing a breed of Rabbit We use Californian whites and New Zealand whites. If Californians can be sold they have the best tasting meat and can be grown more economically. The four most common breeds for meat are: New Zealand Red - a light brown-red colour with an average adult weight of 3.5 kg. Although it is the smallest breed, it is the quickest to reach slaughter weight of 2 kg. New Zealand White - completely white colour with an average adult weight of 5 kg. California - white with black nose, ears, feet and tail. Average adult weight 4.5 kg. Flemish Giant - grey-brown in colour, with average adult weight of 6 kg. The main breeds used for rabbit meat in the world for supermarket and restaurant retail are the New Zealand White and the Californian White rabbit. The main differences are that the adult New Zealand White is bigger, while the Californian grows faster over the first 8 weeks than the New Zealand White. (b) Rabbit Time-line

Female rabbits are ready to breed when they are 4 to 6 months old and males when they are 5 to 6 months old. Pregnancy lasts about 1 month (28 days), the baby rabbits eyes open at around 10 days old. Depending on the feeding and management level, the female can be mated again from 2 to 3 days after having given birth. However, it is important to understand that the harder a rabbit works (i.e. if you breed your rabbit(s) every month) this will shorter the life expectancy plus they can start to get unproductive. If this happens at any stage of breeding rabbits (i.e. they start getting less and less productive) then they can be killed and eaten. Only select the productive rabbits to be the breeding rabbits. Good breeding productive rabbits produce good breeding productive rabbits...i.e. if a rabbit gives birth to 10 babies, then those babies are likely to produce 10 babies, If a rabbit only produces a small litter you should eat them all as they will only produce small litters. Some people recommend that you breed your rabbits every 2 months in order to keep them strong and breed longer. At around 5-6 weeks the young rabbits need to be moved to their own cage, keeping the bucks and does in separate cages. Young rabbits are usually big enough to be eaten or sold at the age of 3 to 4 months. A target weight of 2.4kg is a good time this would produce around 1.2kg of meat. If you keep them for a longer period they will eat much more and the males will begin to fight. Rabbits generally retire from breeding at around 2-3 years of age, and again they can just be killed and eaten.

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Rabbit Timeline - a guide to key mile stones:

Day Day 0 Day 25 Day 27,28,29 Day 30 Date Action/ Event Mate Rabbits- note date in folder and on cage Add nesting box and hay (both in the box and underneath the box) then leave until after birth. Check the doe late at night ie, 8:00pm for fur being pulled out, if has been then very likely will have babies in the early hours. 1st litter born normally in the early hours, count number of new- born and remove any dead babies - record, move them into the nesting box if not already there. Put vicks vapour rub on does nose if not familiar with you. Doe may eat 1st litter. Kindlings eyes should be open, if not get advice Kindling can leave the nesting box after 15 days Doe re-mated- note date in folder and on cage 1st litter does (females) and bucks (males) should be moved into separate cages - max 4 per cage Add nesting box and hay. Check the doe late at night ie, 8:00pm for fur being pulled out (repeat stage 3). 2nd litter born normally in the early hours (repeat stage 4) Kindlings eyes should be open, if not use get advice Kindling can leave the nesting box after 15 days Doe re-mated- note date in folder and on cage 2nd litter does and bucks should be moved into separate cagesmax 4 per cage Add nesting box and hay (repeat stage 2) Check the doe late at night ie, 8:00pm for fur being pulled out, if has been then very likely will have babies in the early hours 3rd litter born normally in the early hours (repeat stage 4) 1st litter should be given away, sold or killed. Kindlings eyes should be open, if not get advice Kindling can leave the nesting box after 15 days Doe re-mated- note date in folder and on cage 3rd litter does and bucks should be moved into separate cagesmax 4 per cage Add nesting box and hay (both in the box and underneath the box) then leave until after birth (expect for food and water!) Check the doe late at night ie, 8:00pm for fur being pulled out, if has been then very likely will have babies in the early hours 4th litter born normally in the early hours, count no born and remove any dead babies- record, move them into the nesting box if not already there. Put vicks vapour rub on does nose if not familiar with you. 2nd litter should be given away, sold or killed. Stage 1. 2. 3. 4.

Day 40 Day 45 Day 45 Day 65 Day 70 Day 72, 73, 74 Day 75 Day 85 Day 90 Day 90 Day 110 Day 115 Day 117 118, 119 Day 120 Day 120 Day 130 Day 135 Day 135 Day 155 Day 160 Day 162 163,164 Day 165

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

Day 165

27.

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(c)

SEXING THE RABBIT

(d)

Mating & Breeding

Before mating rabbits ensure that both the Buck and Doe are in good health, any defects in the doe are likely to be passed to their babies; your aim is to breed only the best stock to ensure healthy babies. Female rabbits are ready to breed when they are 4 to 6 months old and males when they are 5 to 6 months old. Keep the male rabbit in a separate cage. We have found it hard to tell if the mating was successful however, the male can roll over on his side and sometimes squeal! If the female is not ready for mating, she will try to run away. For the first month the young buck should not be mated as often as an adult. The female is more productive during springtime, summer and early autumn. Mating is always done in the buck's cage. You need to check the doe's health at this time to make sure she has no breathing problems, sore hocks (sore feet), etc. or that she is not too thin. If the females private part is red that is a promising but not infallible sign that the female has mated successfully (80-90 percent chance of mating success). If the females private part is white the buck can mate a doe but less chance of success (10-20 percent chance of success). When they have successfully mated you should remove the doe and put her back in her own cage. Altogether this should not take more than 2-5 minutes. If the doe refuses to mate you can try to present her to another buck. As a last resort you can leave her for 24 hours in the buck's cage but then you cannot be sure that mating has taken place. It is better to mate the animals in the morning or evening, to avoid the hottest hours of the day.

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In intensive breeding 1 buck can serve 7 or 8 does. In the extensive system 1 buck can serve 10-15 does. The buck, however, should not be used more than 3 or 4 days a week, and not more than 2 or 3 times a day. So even if there are only, say, 10 does in the unit, there should be at least 2 bucks so that successful mating is not dependent on 1 buck alone. (e) Birth

About 25 days after mating soft dry grass can be placed in a clean, dry nesting box for the female. The female will add some of her own fur to the grass. Stay away from the cage at this stage until the babies have been born. The babies are usually born during the early morning hours. Inspect the babies carefully to see if they are alive and well. Remove dead babies immediately. Try not to touch the babies unless it is absolutely necessary. The female may reject the babies if she picks up your smell on them and may even eat them. (This is less likely if the same person who handles the babies also regularly handles the doe as the scent will be familiar). It is wise to put a strongsmelling nontoxic substance on the female's nose before handling the babies (Vicks Vapo Rub). The babies should lie close together in the nesting box. Make sure that the babies are suckling and well nourished. Females, who have babies for the first time, may eat them! The female cannot always feed all the babies if there are too many. Some of the babies can then be given to another female who only has a few babies. The babies should be of the same age. Cows or goats milk is a suitable substitute where the mother cannot rear the babies.

(f)

Nesting Box:

The nest box is strongly advised for rabbitries using straw litter. The box most recommended to meet these requirements, especially the doe's comfort when kindling and nursing, is a rectangular shaped box 30cm X 40cm (See picture diagram 1). The nesting box should be placed in the does cage 25 days after mating has occurred. The nesting box is for the babies and must have room for the doe to be able to get into feed the babies. Hay should be placed under the nesting box for extra insulation, and in the nesting box The nest box should be made from materials that are impossible to gnaw, easy to disinfect and insulate and resistant to moisture. In a well-heated rabbitry or a warm climate, galvanized iron can be used if some other material such as plywood, wood or plastic is used for the bottom. Untreated wood, fibreboard, plywood or plastic are frequently used in Europe. They insulate better than metals, but except for plastic are not always easy to disinfect. The nesting box should have the following features: The bottom should be non-skid, to prevent dislocation of the young bones ("swimming"); Access for the doe should be clear so that she will not crush them when entering the nest box suddenly;

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The bottom of the box should be designed to allow urine to run off. It can be perforated or a space 1 to 1.5 cm wide can be left between the floor and the sides of the box. Another alternative is straw sandwiched between two layers of mesh; There should be a sufficiently high ledge, to keep the young from leaving the box too early (before day 15).

30cm x 40cm (diagram 1) The doe needs materials in addition to her own fur to make a good nest. Clean straw or soft, untreated wood chips are suitable and dried grasses can be used. Cotton wool must never be used.

(g)

Weaning

The baby rabbits can be weaned from the age of 30 to 35 days. At this stage they can be taken away from their mother. Put the young females and males in separate cages. As mentioned previously, depending on the feeding and management level, the female can be mated again from 2 to 3 days up to 1 month after having given birth. Young rabbits are usually big enough to be eaten or sold at the age of 3 to 4 months and depending on their size can be mated between 4-6 months.

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Chapter 4: Exponential Growth

Although on average each doe often produces between 7 and 12 babies for the purpose of this illustration we are going to use a minimum of 6. Each Doe can be mated every month, but we recommend breeding every two months to allow the doe to stay strong. So the following example is based on breeding every two months using a minimum of 6 babies per doe
If you have one doe and breed her once every two months, and presume she has 6 babies, half of which are female (which you keep) then: 1st month: 1 doe = 6 babies 3rd month: 1 doe = 6 babies 5th month: 1 doe = 6 babies keep 3 keep 3 keep 3 eat 3 eat 3 eat 3

(Now the fist litter is mature enough to breed so we add them to the does we breed each month as they reach 5 months of age) 7th month: 1 doe + 3 youngsters = 24 babies keep 12 does 9th month: 4 does + 3 youngsters = 42 babies keep 21 does 11th month: 7 does +3 youngsters = 60 babies keep 30 does eat 12 eat 21 eat 30

1 doe can produce 6 babies (minimal estimate) every 2 months. The ideal is for a doe to produce a litter every 2 months not every month, (although this is possible). Therefore it is feasible to see the potential for further exponential growth if a doe produces 10 rabbits and is mated every month... Therefore: In 12 months 1 doe can produce 36 babies. 1 meat rabbit will weigh approx 1.5kg once slaughtered Therefore: 1 doe produces 54kg of meat each year. So: 3 does will produce 162 kg per year or 108 babies... 5 does will produce 270kg per year or 180 babies... 10 does will produce 540kg per year or 360 babies...

So if you keep 10 rabbits and breed them properly you then get 10 does = 45 kg of meat a month or: 10kg of meat per week or: 1.5kg of meat per day Practicalities: by month 11 each household will require 11 cages (please see cage design to understand that this is 11 double cages) to facilitate the breeding. However, families should be able to use some of their rabbits to purchase or exchange for more cages.
15

Chapter 5 What do rabbits eat?

Do not over feed rabbits. Only feed rabbits twice a day (Morning & Evening). Rabbits are vegetarians They must NOT eat meat! Keep plenty of fresh clean water available at all times. Feeding baby rabbits: The feeding pattern of newborn rabbits is imposed by the mother. A doe feeds her young only once every 24 hours (although some does will nurse their young twice). Suckling lasts only two or three minutes. If there is not enough milk the young try to feed every time the doe enters the nestbox, but she will hold back her milk. This behaviour signals insufficient milk production in the doe. Rabbits eat almost anything that grows in the soil. However, do not feed cabbage to the female when she is producing milk, as it can reduce milk production. Do not make sudden changes to the rabbits diet. Feed rabbits early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Most of the food should be given in the late afternoon. You should give your rabbits a variety of foods, such as: Root crops, like carrots, turnips and radishes. If you have many rabbits, you should consider growing radishes for them. Radishes grow all year round and can be picked 3 weeks after planting; Fresh green grass, green maize leaves, cabbage leaves, lettuce, Lucerne, blackjacks and dandelions are all good food for rabbits; Starch foods like maize meal, porridge and bread are good for fattening rabbits before slaughter. Rabbits also like good quality hay; Always give rabbits plenty of clean water. A female producing milk drinks up to 4 litres of water per day.

: 16

Rabbit Feed Boxes:

This requires a bit of creativity! Each cage needs to have two boxes a water feeder and a food feeder. In the rabbit cage manual there is a section which shows how to build a basic frame that can be attached to the sides of the cage to secure two plastic margarine type plastic tubs. If the boxes or feeders are not secured to the cage the rabbits tip them up and the food/water is wasted. To purchase rabbit feeders from a shop are considerably expensive so trying to be creative to find a suitable solution is worthwhile. Never put the rabbits food straight on the floor in the cage, as this encourages disease (if the rabbit or their babies wee on the food and the rabbits eat it! It has then become contaminated).

Note: Do not feed rabbits the following dry because they can be poisonous for rabbits: grass or leaves, potato plants, tomato plants, and spinach leaves. Do not give them food that has been sprayed with pesticides, looks rotten or mouldy hay.

Rabbit Food List

Rabbits CANNOT eat ANY rotten or bad food, if you wouldnt eat it your rabbit shouldnt! Napier fodder (umhlanga) is a form of cane (looks like sugar cane) but has no use for humans but is a complete diet for rabbits. Also, it grows wildly all over the Durban area! Do not give sloppy / wet food to rabbits. Hay is a very important aspect to a rabbits diet. A rabbit must have some hay every day this helps the rabbit digest food and prevents the rabbit from becoming ill.

17

NOT SAFE TO FEED RABBITS

NO greens for rabbits once moved from mother, until 3 months old. Tomato. Tomato leaves and stalks. Raw potato. Potato leaves and stalks (any potato plants). Fruit tree cuttings. Bean leaves. Lettuce although not deadly, if too much is given can cause diarrhea and urine infections. Fresh alfalfa/Lucerne. Grass cuttings that are warm- if they are warm that means they are decomposing and therefore bad for your rabbit. Wet grass or weeds dry them off before using them. Wilted greens.

SAFE TO FEED RABBITS

Sunflower seeds. Peanuts. Sugar beet. Carrots (green tops included). Turnips. Porridge. Sweet potato cooked- NOT the leaves. Mielies - cob and stalk included. Potato and peels COOKED. Khakibos. Hay. Alfalfa - ONLY when DRY. Black jacks. Chickweed. Green grass clean, not any dogs or horses have been on. Cabbage leaves- fed sparingly. Broccoli. Apples. Pineapple good to clear fur block, when they get a fur build up inside their stomachs. Bananas good to clear fur block. Bread crumbled or soaked in milk or water. Sugar cane. Bran with mashed (boiled) potato. Vegetable scraps mashed with bran. Milk- dried and fresh. Oats. Soya bean ground. Wheat. Bran. Beans. Parsley- good tonic.

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Chapter 6 General Care of Rabbits:

A HAPPY BUNNY grows well, breeds well and lives well. Therefore,
making sure your rabbits are clean, well-fed and generally looked after will make your project a success. A rabbit is essentially a worker for you (working to produce meat) if you look after your workers they are happy to work and work well! Key points for caring for your Rabbits: Feed rabbits twice a day; morning and evening. Always make sure there is plenty of clean water. The rabbits hutch or cage should be cleaned once a week with mild disinfectant, including the feeding and drinking equipment. Depending on the cage design, some cages may need to be cleaned more regular. Rabbits are among some of the cleanest animals in the world. A clean cage is your best insurance for a healthy rabbit. Rabbits teeth grow continuously, therefore, it is essential that the upper and lower teeth meet evenly and that they be worn down by chewing on something hard or clipped with special clippers. Otherwise they will eventually grow so the rabbit will be unable to eat. Rabbits nails need to be clipped when getting too long. If your rabbits are housed outside then it is essential to make sure their home is weather proofed. The hutch or cage should be at least 2 feet off the ground with a sloping roof and a slight over hang so the rain will just run off. For added protection canvas flaps can be added to all four sides and lowered when the weather is bad or windy. Hay, straw or wood shavings make a nice warm bed for rabbits. Also, hay is a very important aspect to a rabbits diet. A rabbit must have some hay every day; this helps the rabbit digest food and stops the rabbit becoming ill. Make sure the wire mesh has small holes to stop animals with sharp claws reaching in to harm the rabbits. Rabbits need plenty of fresh air circulating through the hutches. Put a grass wall or windbreak on the windy side to reduce the cold wind in winter.

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Chapter 7 Curing basic health problems

If you give your rabbits the proper care and attention, hopefully they will maintain a sound state of health. Most diseases result from the lack of proper care, unsanitary living conditions, bad ventilation or improper food. The more hygienic the methods you apply, the fewer problems you will have with diseases. Clean the cage regularly and keep it dry to prevent diseases. After the animals have been removed, the cages must be thoroughly cleaned, and sprayed with a bleach product (jik, domestos). Dung and hair that collect on the wire cage must be removed from time to time. Wire cages can be disinfected with a flame, which also gets rid of the dung and hair. After the litter has been weaned, the nesting boxes should be thoroughly cleaned. All waste should be removed and the boxes disinfected with a bleach product on the floor of the box, put it outside for 24 hours. Study the following carefully so that you can identify diseases and treat them immediately. 1. Coccidiosis Symptoms of coccidiosis are diarrhoea, loss of appetite, pot belly, rough or untidy hair, and traces of blood in the dung. The disease is caused mostly by unclean hutches and contaminated food. Regular and thorough cleaning of cages and equipment reduces the risk. It is better to use fine wire netting for the hutch floor. If manure is allowed to contaminate feed or water, the chances increase for the disease. If it occurs, reduce the amount of green feed and get advice. 2. Bloat This attacks young rabbits before weaning. They show loss of appetite, a heavy flow of intestinal mucus or thin watery diarrhoea, and an accumulation of gas in the digestive system. It is caused by mouldy feed and/or dirty feed troughs. Bloat can be prevented by ensuring there is always clean water available, and by keeping the hutch clean. 3. Ear-Canker This is an irritation of the ear, which causes the rabbit either to shake its head a lot or scratch its ears. It is caused by a mange mite irritating the lining of the ear. The parasite can also affect other parts of the body. It can be treated by cleaning the ear with a cotton wool swab soaked in a solution of diazinon. If it persists get advice. 4. Mastitis The udder (does breasts) is swollen, hot and sensitive; the doe is feverish and loses appetite. Affected does should be isolated and their litters bottle-fed. The litter should not be given to a foster mother, as she will also become infected. The doe should then be treated with an antibiotic. 5. Sore hocks (feet) Sores develop under the hind leg between the hock and the toes, caused by dirty floors and injuries. The hindleg of the animal should be immersed in a disinfectant such as iodine. Rabbits with dense hair cover suffer less from sore hocks.

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6. Pasteurella Pasteurella causes 4 different conditions in rabbits:

1. 2. 3. 4. Snuffles a watery discharge from the nose, sneezing and a snuffling sound; Pneumonia rabbits are often found dead without showing symptoms; Middle-ear inflammation affected rabbits tilt the head to one side. Treatment is usually ineffective; Conjunctivitis eyelids are swollen, the eye turns red, and there is a watery discharge around the eyes. An antibiotic eye ointment can be used.

A vaccine against pasteurella is now available, which must be repeated every 6 months. Good hygiene is the best way to prevent this disease. 7. Mange This is caused by a mite, and the rabbit shows scaly, bare patches of skin across the nose, forehead, eyes, hindlegs and genitals. The animal is itchy and keeps rubbing and scratching itself. It is very contagious, and infected animals must be isolated. Mange can be treated with 1.6ml of diazinon in 1 litre of water. Sponge the animal with the solution, and repeat after 1 week. Products Used by a Rabbitry in South Africa
Boracic Powder used in warm water for cleaning rabbits eyes when infected Sulphcetamide an eye ointment (made for humans) available at chemists, put in the eye after cleaning. Iodine- (disinfectant)diluted 1:10 sprayed/dabbed onto wounds F10- a disinfectant for spraying, bowls, cages and general use. Virukil- for flushing out water system and general disinfectant Agricultural Lime- sprinkled under the cages and on compost heap to prevent flies.

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Chapter 8: Slaughtering and skinning

Young rabbits are usually big enough for sale or slaughter at the age of 3 to 4 months. The best time to slaughter rabbits for meat is when they reach a weight of 2 kg. Kill the rabbit by hitting it hard on the back of the head with an iron bar or slit throat! (to be honest we still need to add more information to this section?) Skin the rabbit by hanging it up by its legs. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the skin around and down the outside of each thigh, and down the belly. Loosen the skin and pull it downwards. Cut around the head and the front feet, and pull the skin off. At 11 weeks of age, about 54% of a rabbit carcass is meat. Dry the skins in the sun, but do not rub salt or chemicals into them. Soften them by rubbing them in your hands or over a smooth stone.

Skin

the thighs. the fore legs.

the hind legs.

the trunk and then the fore legs

cut between Skin pulled off Skin pulled to bare Carcass skinned but internal organs not removed.

Carcass opened, white viscera (intestinal tract and lungs) removed.

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Chapter 9: Rabbit skins & Tanning

The skins if looked after properly can become a useful by-product that can be sold, tanned, turned into floor rugs, trimmings on clothes garments, blankets, gloves even shoes! One idea that we have been able to facilitate here in Durban, south Africa; is taking the skins to a tannery instead of paying cash for the process an agreement is made in which the tanner agrees to tan the skins in return for half the skins back. For example, if a person takes 4 skins to a tanner, they then tan the skins and keep two as payment. A successful rabbit project could be producing 10 rabbits a week within a year. Which means around 500 rabbits per year? If all of the skins are tanned; after payment of giving half (50%) of the skins to the tanner you would still be looking at a substantial amount of tanned skins/leather back for further use and potential financial income at little investment (or 0 investment). An alternative is that you attempt to tan the skins yourself which is a complicated process and one we have not attempted, but I have included some downloaded information off the internet!

(This next section has been copied from a blog on the internet) (It has not been tried and tested by us!)
Tanning (which is also called tawing or pickling) is the process of converting a raw hide into leather, thus making the skin more pliable, more durable, and more resistant to water, wear, and decay. You may be surprised to learn, though, that home tanning costs very little and requires a minimum of equipment. In fact, you'll find that your biggest investments in the craft will be your time and energy. The availability, convenient, small size and variable colours, patterns, and textures of rabbit skins make them perfect material for the novice tanner. NOTE: No tanning formula is foolproof. There are no shortcuts to learning this skill . . . you'll need to practice, practice, practice! The freshly flayed hide (which is known as a "green" skin) is now cased, or sleeve-pulled, to put the fur on the inside and the flesh on the outside. Let the cased pelt soak in cold water while you finish dressing out the carcass and storing the meat in your refrigerator or freezer.

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WASHING AND COOLING THE SKIN Once the butchering duties are finished, thoroughly rinse the hide in more cold water to finish cooling it as quickly as possible. Don't worry about any remaining fat and tissue at this point . . . rather, apply your effort to washing away all the blood left in the skin, since any that's not removed will leave permanent brown stains in the leather after tanning. (Soap or detergent is really unnecessary, but if you do use such a cleanser, be sure that all traces of that are rinsed out before you proceed, too.) With the rinsing done, carefully squeeze (never wring!) the excess water from the pelt. THE FIRST TANNING SOLUTION When the pelts are clean and cooled you're ready to begin tanning. You'll first need to round up a four-to six-gallon plastic container (a wastebasket or bucket will work fine). Then pour two gallons of room-temperature (about 70F) water into it, and add either but not both of the following recipes. (Each formula will be adequate to tan six to nine medium-sized pelts.) TANNING RECIPE NO. 1: SALT/ALUM 1 cup of coarse or granulated salt (not iodized) 1 cup of common alum (aluminium sulphate or any of several similar double sulphates), powdered or granulated TANNING RECIPE NO. 2: SALT/ACID 1 pound of coarse or granulated salt (about 1-3/4 cups) 1 ounce of full-strength sulfuric acid, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of battery acid (dilute sulfuric acid) You can buy a five-pound sack of the necessary salt at almost any grocery store (look for noniodized pickling salt). And larger quantities (usually 100-pound sacks) are available from chemical companies and other sources at "bargain" bulk prices. Alum is stocked by biological supply companies, handicraft and leather shops, chemical suppliers, pharmacies, and feed stores. It comes in both a commercial and a medicinal grade (for tanning purposes it makes no difference which you use) Battery acid (electrolyte) is available from auto supply houses and is usually sold in five-gallon containers. 24

Both recipes work well and take approximately the same amount of time. Once you've determined which method you're going to use, add the chemicals to the water (don't let them splash) . . . and make sure the powders are completely dissolved before you add the pelts. Be certain to show respect for your chemicals and to handle them properly. (Wear rubber gloves if you're working with sulfuric acid.) Now, drop each skin into the pickle (as the tanning mix is called) and swish it around with a wooden stick or spoon (or wear gloves and use your hands) to work the solution into the fur and skin. Allow the pelts to remain in the brine at room temperature (65-70F) for 48 hours, stirring them at least twice a day. If the pelts tend to float to the top of the solution, weigh them down . . . using a glass jug filled with water or a clean rock. After the two full days have passed, squeeze the excess brine from the skins (save the solution . . . you'll reuse it later) and rinse them in cold water. FLESHING Fleshing is the process of removing the fatty tissue and flesh to expose the actual leather (or derma) to chemical action. Rabbits have a clearly defined undertissue which, after the first chemical soaking, can be peeled off in one piece (if you're careful). Since the flesh separates most readily at the rump section, start there and peel toward the neck. A steak knife can be used to scrape and loosen the difficult areas you are likely to encounter on the belly and around the legs. Be careful not to peel too deep and expose the root hairs, but do try to get off as much fatty tissue as possible. When you're finished, rinse the fleshed hides in cool water and then squeeze out the excess liquid. THE SECOND TANNING SOLUTION Now, go back to the recipe you chose before, add the same amount of salt/alum or salt/acid as you used in the first soaking solution to the reserved brine . . . and follow the same mixing procedure. Put the pelts in the liquid, one at a time, working each hide thoroughly to coat it with the pickle. Keep the skins soaking at room temperature for seven days, stirring them at least twice a day. You can see when the tanning is successful after the week's up by simply boiling a small piece of hide for a few minutes in water. If the leather curls up and becomes hard and rubbery, return the pelt to the solution . . . because a well-tanned skin will show little or no change in boiling water.

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DRYING AND FLUFFING Test one pelt to see if it is done. If it is, remove all of them from the solution and squeeze out the excess tanning mix. The tanning brine will likely be pretty much used up if you've soaked the recommended number of skins, but any liquid that does remain should be disposed of. Take care to discard the mixture where animals can't drink it and the chemicals won't contaminate drinking water. (Although it's not poisonous to handle, the brew might be fatal if taken internally.) I generally pour any leftover solution along pathways to keep them free of weeds. Next, wash each pelt thoroughly with a mild detergent. I use an inexpensive cologne-scented shampoo that leaves the fur soft, fluffy, clean, and sweet smelling. Then rinse the hide several times in lukewarm water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Hang the pelts in the shade to dry (or on a temporary clothesline suspended over the bathtub). It'll take from six hours to two days for the skins to become fully dried, depending on the temperature, the humidity, and the thickness of the leather. (Don't ever put wet hides in direct sun or near a heat source, as they'll quickly shrink and become brittle as they dry.) WORKING THE LEATHER Ever since animal hides were first turned into leather, they've been pounded, rubbed, chewed, and beaten and often anointed with grease or oils to make (and keep) them flexible and soft. Stretch partially dried hides to soften the leather, using a process known as breaking the skin. Pull the skin of your damp pelt in all directions, working only a small area at a time. The leather will begin to turn soft and white. The trick is to catch the hide while it's still slightly wet and limp. If it becomes too dry and turns hard, resoak it with a wet sponge (this is called damping back) until it's soft enough to stretch again. Be firm as you pull the leather, but don't use too much force, or you might tear it. Keep up the skin-breaking procedure as long as necessary. . , until the pelt remains soft as it dries. ("Broken" hides may be pinned to a board or frame to encourage them to dry flat.) FINISHING AND STORAGE After the hide has dried and is sufficiently soft, give the fur a good brushing with a small hairbrush. Then massage mink oil (I buy it at shoe stores . . . where an eight-ounce container, which is enough for several dozen pelts, into the skin side of the hide with your fingers. (You'll be glad to know that mink oil is a wonderful hand conditioner.) As a final optional step, try buffing the leather with pumice or fine sandpaper to give it a soft, velvety feel. 26

Rabbit fur, like all leathers, breathes . . . that is, it contains microscopic spaces for air circulation. Therefore, it's best not to store rabbit pelts (or any other fur or leather) in airtight containers. I keep my finished hides in a cardboard box with a bar of sweet-smelling soap, which repels insects and helps to scent the furs. PREVENTING FAILURES Although the procedure itself is simple enough, really successful pelt tanning is usually the result of ingenuity and perseverance. The secret is not so much the chemicals used as it is the elbow grease that you apply to make the hides soft and supple. Keep in mind that each piece of leather is different. And even among hides that were all tanned in the same batch of solution, something will occasionally go wrong with one or more of the skins. The problem I encounter most often is hairslip: bare patches that appear as the fur pulls or slips off the leather. This condition, which is also called taint, results from the growth of bacteria on the outer skin (decay) and usually occurs in folds and wrinkles, where the surface wasn't exposed to the tanning solution. It can be prevented if you stir the pelts around in the solution frequently and make sure that the liquid comes in contact with all parts of each hide. Take care, too, that the brine ingredients are dissolved and mixed well before adding the skins. Finally, don't store the pelts in the solution at temperatures over 80. If hairslip does afflict a pelt or two, however, you can trim away the damaged sections when constructing garments or other articles. ALTERNATIVE TANNING PROCESSES The tanning technique described here is a simplified version of chemical tanning. (There are also vegetable and oil tanning methods, neither of which is well suited to preserving rabbit skins.) Most of the other chemical processes in use today would require additional equipment, extra labour, and complicated ingredients. In general, these systems involve the application of a paste or powder (common ingredients might include alum, acids, sodas, salts, animal brains and livers, oils, and vegetable tannins) to the fleshed skin. The substance must be reapplied several times over the course of a few days, with the residual material scraped off the hide before each new application. Not only are such processes too time consuming to fit into the schedules of most busy homesteaders, but they also require the green hide to be fleshed before the application of the tanning agent . . . and the mere thought of spending hours scraping fat and tissue from a hide is enough to discourage most folks from even attempting to tan furs. The chemical method I've recommended, on

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the other hand, requires only a minimum of scraping, which can be accomplished within five to ten minutes. NOW WHAT? If these instructions are followed, you should be the proud possessor of a stack of soft, silky rabbit pelts . . . which you can either sell as is or fashion into beautiful garments and other items for sale or barter. SEWING RABBIT FUR Working with thin leather such as rabbit skin isn't all that different from working with thick cloth. Therefore, any person who sews should have no great difficulty making the transition from fabric to fur. The following list should serve to give you an idea of the variety of items an ingenious homesteader can craft with rabbit pelts: bedspreads, coverlets, robes, cushion covers, pillows, handbags, toys, hats, caps, hoods, mittens, baby bootees, vests, coats, capes . . . in short, the scope of your furs-titching projects is limited only by your imagination!

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Glossary:
Glossary Accountability Being answerable to another person. Alleviation Antibiotic Breeding Buck Carcass Commodity To make more bearable or to remove. Substance or compound that kills bacteria or inhibits their growth. The producing and upbringing of young. Male rabbit. The body of an animal. A physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which can be bought, sold or exchanged with another product of the same type. A mixture of decaying matter, from plants and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. To restrict or restrain within limits. To taint or dirty something. Something which causes harm or damage. Any happening that causes great harm or damage. Female rabbit. The production, development, and management of material wealth. To reveal or uncover. Soil amendments applied to promote plant growth, and contain nutrients A living thing that eats only plants. The joint bending backward in the back leg of an animal. Perfect or foolproof. Animal waste. Objects smaller than those that can easily be seen by the naked eye and which require a lens or microscope to see them clearly.

Compost

Confinement Contaminate Destructive Disaster Doe Economic Expose Fertilizer

Herbivore Hock Infallible Manure Microscopic

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Nutritious

Providing nourishment especially to a high degree; nourishing; healthful. Of great importance and influence. A stripped animal skin ready for tanning. To refuse or decline something. In proportion.

Paramount Pelts Reject Relatively

Responsibility Being answerable or accountable, for something within one's power, control, or management. Scalable Capable of being copied but to a bigger or smaller degree. Substitute Suckling Sustainable Something which takes the place of something else. Feeding of a young animal with milk from the mother. Capable of being continued with little long-term effect on the environment. The process of making leather, which does not easily decompose, from the skins of animals, which do. The organ on a female animal which produces milk and where the young feed from. Not creating desired results. Process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide better Indoor air quality. The external female genitalia. The process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.

Tanning Udder Unproductive Ventilation

Vulva Weaning

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Project Photos: Community Outreach and Consultancy

Rabbit training

Rabbit Cage flat pack getting ready to be delivered...

Loading up the flat packs....

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Delivering the cages

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Putting the cages together:

Delivering the rabbits:

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