100 Rabbits for the Market

Transcription

1 100 Rabbits for the Market A Business Proposal and Guide for Raising Rabbits Maurice Rangoma Livestock Kenya

2 Copyright Notice All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author. All inquiries regarding copyright permission should be directed to: Legal Notice While attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibilities for errors, omissions, or contradictory information contained in this document. The purchaser or reader of this document assumes all responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Maurice Rangoma and Livestock Kenya assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials. In English you are a business person, I am a business person you need to be responsible for the actions you take Livestock Kenya. All Rights Reserved. Livestock Kenya 2

3 Contents I. Production... 4 A. Introduction... 4 B. Breeds New Zealand White Californian White The Chinchilla The Flemish Giant... 5 C. Breeding Cost of breeding stock... 6 D. Housing Cages The rabbitry Cost of construction materials E. Equipment Drinkers Feeders Nests F. Store G. Feeding H. Health and Care Ear mange (ear canker) Overgrown nails and teeth Problems caused by parasites Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Quarantine hutches Cleaning Handling II. Financial A. Total set up cost B. Gross margins C. Cost saving III. Markets A. Opportunities B. Organizations C. Rabbit products Live animals Meat Hides Droppings A market summary of the rabbit market by Aquafarm consultants IV. Conclusion Livestock Kenya 3

4 I. Production A. Introduction Any sized rabbit unit is conveniently made up of a two-doe or a four-doe module. A two-doe module has 2 does and 1 buck while a four-doe module has 4 does and 1 buck. Either of these modules is replicated severally to match the number of rabbits to be kept. The number of cages or hutches required in a rabbitry is similarly determined by these modules. Because we are interested in producing about 100 fatteners on a regular (every two months) basis, the most suitable module is the four-doe unit. We shall replicate this system four times and place it under a separate roof. If you like you can place this arrangement under its own roof but then you have to surround it with a strong fence and find ways to protect against adverse weather and predators. This particular set up has 16 does and 4 bucks. Each adult rabbit is housed individually in its own cage and colony cages are provided for growers or fatteners. Accordingly there will be 20 cages for the adults and 16 colony cages that accommodate 7 to 12 growers/fatteners. There will also be 8 inbuilt kipping boxes or nests. Rabbits are mated at almost any time of the year. When mating is successful the doe will kindle 30 to 32 days later. The aim of this project is to get at least 6 litters per year with at least 7 kits weaned per litter i.e. 42 kits per doe per year. With 16 does the number weaned every 2 months should be 112 kits which can be fattened and sold. This translates to 672 bunnies sold per year. The construction detail described here is standard. You can build the hutch from locally available materials to save costs. As we move along, ways in which you can save costs will be pointed out so be on the look out. What is important is that the rabbit hutch is well lit, easily cleaned, adequately ventilated and protected from adverse weather conditions and predators. B. Breeds You can choose from these breeds since they are the most common. These breeds are New Zealand White, California White, Chinchilla, and Flemish Giant. 1. New Zealand White New Zealand White has thick white fur and long straight ears. Eyes are normally bright and range from pink to red in color. One good thing about them is that they are resistant to most diseases. Livestock Kenya 4

5 They grow fast up to 4 to 5 Kg in weight. Other than their meat and fur they are often used for laboratory purposes and are also very popular as pet. 2. Californian White The Californian is a meat rabbit. They weigh about Kg and have a coat of dense white fur with black nose, ears, feet and tail and bright pink eyes. 3. The Chinchilla The Chinchilla is a large sized rabbit with straight and erect ears used for fur and meat. Adults weigh between 4 6 Kg. However consumers complain of the breed having proportionately more bones than meat compared to other breeds. 4. The Flemish Giant Flemish giant can grow up to 7 8 Kg if fed well. The iron grey color of the fur is the most common but other colors such as black, blue, fawn and grey are common. Due to its big size it requires a minimum floor space of 1400mm 2 or 14 x 36 x 48 which allows very little room for the rabbit. Their big sizes need extra care when handling. They can cope with cold temperature but do not do well in hot areas. They eat more than the other breeds. It is important not to let them be overweight because it can bring problems with joint and movements. C. Breeding Breed the female at the age of 6 to 7 months. Put her into the buck s pen and not vice versa. Let the pair mate a few times for around 15 minutes. Female rabbits can be bred whether or not they are on heat. Livestock Kenya 5

6 Record the date of mating on a piece of cardboard mounted on the front of the doe s cage. Take note which buck was used for mating because the same male should not serve more than once every 4 days. This will also help in keeping track on buck performance. The doe will have her first litter 30 to 32 days from conception. Inspect the litter the day after they are born to remove any dead or deformed kits. Leave the kits with their mothers until they are weaned, at about 6 weeks. If you schedule mating every 3 weeks after kindling you can be able to have 6 sets of weaners in a year. Replace the female after it has produced for 2 to 3 years. Also replace non-performers e.g. those that give birth to two or three young ones for two consecutive times. If the does are successfully bred they should all give birth after 30 to 32 days, each producing at least 7 kits. Each doe should be able to give birth at least 6 times a year. With 16 does you expect 7 x 16 x 6 or 672 kits in one year which can be fattened and taken to the market. If the management is good the doe should kindle up to 10 kits per litter, and the death rate should be below 20% from birth to slaughter among the young and below 20% annually among the adults. Cross breeding the rabbits will help you come up with rabbits that are resistant to diseases. 1. Cost of breeding stock Item No Unit Cost (Kshs) Total Cost (Kshs) Breeding does ,000 Breeding bucks ,000 Total 20 50,000 Alternatively you can purchase young rabbits at the age of 3 months then raise them to 6 to 7 months when they should start breeding. This will save some cost but it means more time before you take your first rabbit to the market. Young rabbits at 3 months of age cost around Kshs 300 to 500. If you take this route you will spend a maximum of Kshs 10,000 on purchase of breeders plus Kshs 2,400 on feeds hence saving Kshs 37,600. But it also means losing 4 months and missed sales of at least 224 fatteners. The choice is yours. D. Housing As earlier indicated this is a four-doe module replicate 4 times. Each adult rabbit has its own cage or compartment. Cages for females allow an extra space for the litter and extra compartment (kipping boxes) for the nest box. The kipping boxes or nests are permanently installed with access from each cage for a doe; and have outside doors to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. Colony pens are provided where the weaners are transferred for fattening. The growers should be about the same age and weight and should be raised in groups of 7 to 10 until they reach 3 months of age. The colony pens allow the minimum recommended 1200 cm 2 floor space per kilogram of liveweight. Livestock Kenya 6

7 Multi-tier cages Multi-tier cages are popular because they save on building space. More than two-tier cages are however not recommended because of difficulties in management. The cages are stacked in two tiers with the bottom row 50cm above the ground. Thorough cleaning should be done to prevent outbreak of coccidiosis, loss of appetite and death caused by build up of manure in corners of the cage and contamination of feed and water. This set up is replicated on both sides of the building leaving a passage about 1.4 metres for movement. 1. Cages The cages are part of the main house. The frames are made of 2 x 2 timber and the doors by 6 x 1 timber. The doors measure about 16 x16 to allow easy reach by hand to every part of the hutch. The doors should open the same way according to the direction the attendant normally travels along the line. The floors of the cages should be made of weld mesh 14 or 16 gauge and mesh size 19mm x 19mm. Rafters can also be used to save cost but this will eventually wear out raising the cost of maintenance. The floor is as a consequence perforated for self-cleaning since manure and urine pass through to the ground and this assists in disease control. Stretch the wire mesh over and staple neatly on the wooden frame. Make sure that there are no rough edges on which the Livestock Kenya 7

8 rabbits can injure themselves. Chicken wire can also be used on the floor but its thin wires may cause sore hocks and the urine can corrode the wire very fast. Walls should be covered with chick mesh of 16 or 20 gauge and mesh size 25mm x 25mm. The roof of the rabbit cages or hutches is made of ordinary iron sheets with a six inch slope and the upper tier raised six inches above the lower covering. The intervening space allows the attendant to push debris from the top pens without urine and manure dropping onto the rabbits underneath. 2. The rabbitry Measurements are in millimeters. Ease of management depends to a great extent on the construction of the floor. It may be made of earth or concrete. Earth floor absorb urine and holds down odour and make cleaning easier. Concrete floors must be washed every day. Roofing and side frames are made of 3 x 2 timber. The sides are covered with off-cuts on the lower side and chick mesh on the upper side. Proper ventilation of the rabbitry is essential but make sure that the rabbits are protected against strong winds, cold and rain. An all solid wall can be constructed on the side to prevent strong prevailing winds. a) Plan view The hutches are arranged in 2 rows each with two tiers. The passage between the two tiers is around 1400mm (55 ), which is enough for movements during cleaning and other maintenance duties. Livestock Kenya 8

9 b) Side view c) Partial view d) Oblique view Livestock Kenya 9

10 3. Cost of construction materials Item description Units Amount Unit Total cost cost 1. Ordinary iron sheets 2m , Off cuts ft , Cedar posts 12ft Pcs , Timber 3 x 2 Ft , Timber 2 x 2 Ft , Timber 6 x 1 Ft , Weldmesh 14 or 16 gauge mesh size 19x19mm 4x8ft pcs , Chick mesh 16 or 20 gauge mesh size 25x25mm Rolls 1 ½ , Nails 6 Kg , Nails 5 Kg , Nails 4 Kg Nails 3 Kg Nails 2 Kg U nails Kg Roofing nails Kg Hinges 3 Pcs , Hinges 6 Pcs Tower bolts 3 Pair , Tower bolts 6 Pair Total material cost 225, Labour 30% cost of material 67, Total construction cost 292, As you can notice, the highest cost of construction materials is contributed by timber. An alternative to using timber is the use of blue gum poles. A 16ft pole cost around Kshs 100. If all the timber is replaced with blue gum struts the material cost can be reduced by Kshs 91,000 cost of timber less Kshs 17,500 cost of 175 blue gum struts amounting to Kshs 73,500 savings. This will also save the labour cost by Kshs 22,050 if based on 30% of the cost of construction materials. The flip side is that you got to find a good fundi who knows how to work with blue gum poles else the structure can be horribly crooked and may not last long. E. Equipment 1. Drinkers A doe with litter require up to 5 litres of water per day. All rabbits should have access to clean drinking water at all times. Automatic drinkers are convenient but you can use other simple containers to water the rabbits. Livestock Kenya 10

11 A suitable water drinker can be made from any plastic bottle. Make one or two holes in the bottom of the cleaned bottle, fill it with water and screw on the top. Place this in a shallow container. Place one drinker in each adult cage. The total number of drinkers required is 36. Each drinker cost Kshs 300 therefore 36 drinkers will cost Kshs 10, Feeders Feedboxes measuring 150mm deep by 150mm wide at the bottom and 300mm wide at the top (6 x 6 x 12 ) and running along the width of the cage is nailed on the frame of the house as shown. This is a permanent and fixed installation. The feedboxes are constructed in all the cages using 6 x1 timber. Heavy earthenware pots about 80mm deep and 100mm to 150mm diameter also make good dishes for feeding grain, pellets and mash because they are not easily tipped over. A manger made out of a piece of wire mesh, 400mm x 400mm (16 x 16 ), can be fixed to the door of the cage for feeding greens or hay. This allows the rabbit to pull forage into the cage but it also increases the risk of disease. The remains of greens left on the floor must be removed every day. 3. Nests Rabbits like to kindle or give birth in private places. Nests or kipping boxes are permanently installed for this purpose. The nests can be accessed by each doe through a passage allowed on the sides. A door is provided for the attendant for ease of maintenance. Like the rest of the cages the top is covered because some does prefer the nestbox to be dark. Straw or grass lining of the box is generally not necessary but will provide extra protection in cold weather. Livestock Kenya 11

12 F. Store A store is not provided in this structure and it is assumed that feeds and others will be kept elsewhere. Never store concentrates (e.g. pellets) for more than 6 weeks and ensure the place is dry. G. Feeding Assuming an average litter size of 10 and that the unit is filled to capacity throughout the year, it will be housing 16 does, 4 bucks and 160 growers i.e. 180 animals at any given time. Rabbits consume about 25g of pellets per day. The amount of feed required per day is 4.5kg or 1,642.5 in a year. Rabbit pellets are sold at Kshs 3000 per 70kg bag. Therefore in a year the rabbits will require about 24 bags of rabbit pellets amounting to Kshs 72, NB: Do not store rabbit feeds for more than 2 weeks. Of course you can cut this cost by replacing pellets with greens such as grass, browse, weeds, vegetable waste, roots, tubers and vegetables. But this will necessitate longer breeding intervals and results in lower weight gain. H. Health and Care 1. Ear mange (ear canker) This is a very common disease of the ear. It is caused by mites, small parasites which burrow into the skin of the ear canal (inside ear). The rabbit shakes its head from side to side and rubs its ears against the cage and walls. A yellowish white crust (thick layer) covers the ear canal. The easiest way to treat this infection is to put a few drops of oil (olive, sesame or sunflower) inside the ear and massage it. Repeat this every day until the condition improves. If you have any powder for ticks and mites you can mix a little with the oil and use it. See your veterinary officer if the disease continues. Cages and houses should be kept clean. Wash your hands when you treat a rabbit and before you touch other animals. 2. Overgrown nails and teeth The rabbit's nails grow continuously and can sometimes become overgrown. They can be clipped back using nail clippers or pliers. Do not cut too close to the foot. Rabbits have four front teeth in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw. The teeth grow continuously but they are worn down as the animal eats. Sometimes the lower and upper teeth do not meet when the mouth is shut. The teeth in this case do not wear down. You will need to cut them with a wire cutter or a pair of pliers. Livestock Kenya 12

13 3. Problems caused by parasites Rabbits suffer from fleas which suck the blood and carry disease. Fleas lay their eggs in the cracks and holes in the walls of the housing. Rabbits can be treated with a dusting powder (Sevin dust) against fleas and the housing should also be thoroughly cleaned and dusted. Coccidia (very small parasites) in the liver and gut can be a problem especially in animals under 4 months old. They cause diarrhoea which may contain blood and animals lose weight and are pot-bellied. Coccidia can kill many rabbits. The parasites live in the droppings so hutches and cages should always be kept clean. One teaspoon (5 ml) of iodine in 5 litres of drinking water can be used to help prevent this disease. It should be given to the female rabbit before her young are born. 4. Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Pneumonia and Diarrhoea are the two common ailments but are easily countered by sheltering rabbits in a warm and clean environment. Cures are also readily available at agrovets where a dose costs KSh70, at most, per rabbit. 5. Quarantine hutches Whenever a new rabbit is brought in to the rabbitry from outside the farm, it must be kept in isolation in a quarantine hutch for 2 weeks. If the rabbit is sick when it is brought into the hutch, signs of the disease will show during its two weeks in quarantine. It can then be treated or slaughtered. In this way it will not spread the disease to the other rabbits. Any sick rabbits from the rabbitry should also be put into the quarantine hutch. The quarantine hutches should be separate from main building. Each hutch must be separated and the walls should be solid. The manure from each hutch should not be allowed to fall to the ground and instead should be collected and burned. 6. Cleaning Clean and disinfect the rabbitry on a regular basis. Set a suitable place to store all equipment and material such as brushes, brooms, cloths, detergents and disinfectants that are used for cleaning. 7. Handling Do not lift the rabbit by holding its ears. When you lift a rabbit, hold it by the scruff of the neck and place your other hand under its rear. Any other technique may hurt the animal. Livestock Kenya 13

14 II. Financial A. Total set up cost Item description Amount (Kshs) 1 Purchase of breeding stock 50, Housing construction 292, Equipment 10, Feeds 72, Health (cleaning materials and antibiotics) Total 428, B. Gross margins At 90 days the dressed weight will be between 1-2kg. Meat is sold at between Kshs 500 and 600 per kilogram dressed weight. The price of mature rabbits depends on weight and size. Mature rabbits can have a live weight of 5 6 kg. Live rabbits cost around Kshs 500 at the age of 3 months. The rabbits will stay with the mother for 6 weeks and transferred to the fattening pens where they stay for another 6 weeks. If you organize properly, the fattening pen should be occupied for 6 weeks, stay unoccupied for 2 weeks where cleaning and disinfecting can be done. This will give a chance for 6 crops per year in the fattening pens. Female rabbits can produce up to 50 live rabbits per year. They produce an average of 9 kits per birth. Here we take a conservative estimate of 42 live rabbits per doe per year, at a price of Ksh 500 per rabbit. Unit Unit Price Amount Total Gross output Sale of rabbits No , Variable cost Purchase of breeding stock No 2, , Feeds 70kg bags , Veterinary care Labour month , Depreciation of the house 5% 14, Transport , Total variable cost 161,638 Gross Margin 174,362 This margin can tremendously increase if the price of rabbits is adjusted upwards. For example, at a price of Ksh 1000 which is common, the Gross Margin is Ksh 510,362. Livestock Kenya 14

15 C. Cost saving Cost saving will depend on your plan of action. Some of the cost-saving measures have been discussed above. If you choose to use locally available materials then you can save costs as follows. Item description Original cost Alternative cost Savings 1 Purchase of breeding stock 50, , , Housing construction 292, , , Equipment 10, Local materials 10, Feeds 72, ½ Partially greens 36, Health (cleaning materials and antibiotics) Total 428, , , The cost of construction can further be reduced by omitting the main house. This translates to a cost reduction of Kshs 79,000 in materials and Kshs 24,000 labour totaling Kshs 103,000. But this will leave the rabbits vulnerable. With high levels of management and careful breed selection and culling this margin can also be tremendously increased. For example, the sale of rabbits is calculated from a weaning rate of 7 kits per doe. Weaning rates can be improved up to 10 kits per doe and if this happens the sales can shoot up to 960 rabbits or Kshs 480,000 per year. Note that purchase of breeding stock is a one-off affair. If you have a small budget you can get started by constructing the cages first and later construct the main house above it. You do not need to purchase all the feeds for the whole year and it is recommended that you purchase enough amounts that lasts a maximum of 6 weeks at a time. The first rabbit sale will be due in 3 months time and this will enable you to purchase extra feeds. If you can, construct the structure yourself because that way you can save on costs which are hitherto not highlighted. Keep records of your activities for you to be able to know whether you are making profits or losses and the areas that need improvement. Livestock Kenya 15

16 III. Markets A. Opportunities Business opportunities for rabbit production are fast opening up as consumers increasingly prefer rabbit meat. As a rabbit farmer new in the business the biggest challenge is marketing. But this should not be so because the market demand has not been satisfied in Kenya and internationally. Rabbit butcheries are opening shops in major towns and shopping centres. High end hotels and supermarkets are also placing lucrative tenders which you can take. B. Organizations Note that we are not affiliated to any of the listed organization and neither do we market for them. This information may assist you in your rabbit marketing business. There are numerous organizations ready to partner with farmers to meet the rabbit market demand. These two organizations can be helpful to upcoming rabbit farmers. The Rabbit Republic, They are involved in commercial rabbit production through signed contracts, with a ready local and export market. They have a network of over 500 large scale rabbit breeders in Kenya with 1 year renewable contract. Tel: or info@rabbitrepublic.co.ke Rabbit Breeders Association of Kenya (RABAK) Headquarters located at Thika, it has over 850 members countrywide. They are involved in training, marketing, financing, skin and hides development, feeds and breeding. Tel: or info@rabak.or.ke C. Rabbit products 1. Live animals Lack of good breeding stock is locking many out of the lucrative sector. On average breeders are selling their rabbits at between KSh 2,000 for a weaned bunny and KSh 5,000 a served doe. Livestock Kenya 16

17 2. Meat Rabbits slaughtered for sale should meet health requirements as set by the government. A certificate from the National Environment Management Authority endorsing the slaughtering yards is also required as well as a public health inspection stamp. Dressed rabbit meat can be sold whole or into parts. A kilogram of rabbit meat is at KSh 500 and a mature one can yield from 1 5 Kg depending on the breed. Various types of packaging materials are available in form of plastic cartons and trays. Markets require the meat to be packed well and transported in cold trucks. 3. Hides Leather companies are buying rabbit skins at Sh300 per piece. 4. Droppings Rabbit droppings are used as organic manure and the urine is used as organic spray to fight pests in vegetables and other crops. A litre of the urine costs Sh A market summary of the rabbit market by Aquafarm consultants MARKET SUMMARY RABBIT MEAT Being the best white meat, demand for rabbit meat is increasing in the local market. Most of the five star hotels in Kenya are willing to introduce rabbit meat in their menus but the challenge has always been a constant source which could sustain the demand vs. supply chains. The Norfolk hotel for example are serving rabbit on plate, the safari park once introduced but could not get enough from the farmers. The only available rabbit meat is gotten from farmers who produce rabbit for breeding but are forced to reduce the bucks (males) since buyers buy one Buck (male) for every eight Does (females). A kilo of rabbit meat ranges between Kshs and in the local market. The export market is not mentioned for we are far from reaching the production capacity. A Danish NGO is working on modalities of increasing production through sensitizing campaigns and funding to the existing farmers. The World Bank and financial institutions (e.g. Equity Bank) are taking the same interests in rabbit farming through small rabbit breeders groups. RABBITS FOR BREEDING This becomes the biggest market locally due to the increase in the number of new farmers from the middle class who are starting on large scale after realizing the potential and high returns in the business. A weaned rabbit, one Month is fetching between Kshs to Every extra month increases the value with Kshs ,with a mature 4 Months rabbit going for between Kshs to depending on the breed, health and the region. RABBITS FOR MEDICINAL USE / LABORATORIES Livestock Kenya 17

18 This is the best market for rabbits from the fact that it is an export business hence very high returns once the market is established. A farmer in Mwingi has been exporting live rabbits to a drug manufacturing company in South Africa at Kshs.15, for a 3 Months old rabbit. A prominent politician in central province has established his own market to companies in China and Egypt. RABBIT URINE Rabbit urine is used as a direct insecticide. However this market is not exploited due to small production and poor construction. Our modern self cleaning hutches have a urine collection system that ensures that nothing goes to waste. RABBIT MANURE Being the best composite manure with the highest contents of ammonia and nitrates, rabbit manure is going for 50 Kenya shillings for a 20 kg sack. Most farmers prefer using it in farming than selling. Fresh rabbit droppings serve as tilapia food for those with fish ponds, also done by our Aqua Culture department. Local green house farmers are buying urine at Kshs per liter which they dilute in a 1: 5 ratio in water and spray directly to their crops. Companies like Bayer E.A have shown interest on the same but small production has always been the challenge. RABBIT SKIN Used in making ornaments in Asian countries and the best in making fishing rods, rabbit skin is going at Kshs Proper training on slaughtering in done during the initial 3 months stage since the quality of the skin depends on the mode of slaughtering. COMMENTS With high demands out there, we have engaged in a mega awareness and marketing campaign to the middle class investors so as to meet a target of breeding rabbits to meet the international markets. Starters are given routine trainings and every available supportive material that can increase the investor motivation for maximum production. We guarantee market to all our Farmers as we also network all rabbit farmers through existing rabbit breeders associations in areas like Kiambu, Thika, Kajiado, some parts of Meru and Central Province. This will, in due time, give us a bigger bargaining power in the market as well as the always asked supply confidence. Livestock Kenya 18

19 IV. Conclusion Rabbit farming can be a fulfilling undertaking if you put your effort there. Start by knowing the market before venturing into the business because a good market research can determine the difference between profits and losses. Some markets are very lucrative if only you can find them. Many farmers give up on lucrative business because of this. Just like any other enterprise, management is a critical aspect in rabbit production. Even if you leave a farmhand to run the enterprise your presence is important at decisive moments. Rabbits are delicate and require very good care for you to make profit. Housing is also very important and can be decisive in the size of the profit margins. A good house means minimum disease incidence, comfort to the rabbits and efficient rabbit operations. A few aspects can be compromised but this should not be to the extent of harming the rabbits. If the start up is currently not affordable, you can start small and grow big with time. I know of a lady who started with a served doe that she bought at KSh 2, 000 which eventually gave her 12 litters. She estimates that her 500 rabbits have a market value of at least Sh2.6 Million. You can also do it. Good luck in your rabbit rearing business. Livestock Kenya 19