Digestion in the rabbit

Nho Quan is one of three hill-land and mountainous districts of Ninh Binh province has been very good organization for the rabbit development. Linkages amongst stakeholders were closely from district to local mass levels. At the district includes extension, veterinary, farmer departments for the policies such as support the fund for setting up demonstration, training course as well; and then at the local level comprises farmer, women, and veteran associations will practical. Thus, rabbit population has been developing quite quickly at average 25.6% annually (2003- 2007). If at beginning estimated 5 dams per household keeping, that in 2007 is increased around 18 to 20 dams per households. Impact of this, rabbit reproductively also improving at 5 kids/litter and 4-6 litter/year; live weight rate of rabbit after 3 months at 70%. Of the rabbit’s market aspect: rabbit production, the price in both meat and breeding types have been increased in here; in 2003 for meat at 15,000 and for breeding at 25,000 VND per kg live weight; in 2007 it’s grow up at 45,000 and 85,000 VND per kg live weight, in respectively.

Up to present, promoting for the rabbit husbandry has been developing and closely in all stakeholders, rabbit production gradually will be becomes mainly part on the mechanism livestock systems of the rural household in this district.

Keywords: rabbit rearing organization, local association mass, rabbit production, rabbit performance.

Introduction

In the past years, rabbit rearing in Nho quan dictrict was not concentrate for development. It based on scattered with several dams for reproduction for little bite household consumption and not regarding for income. During that time, rabbit farmers have not basis technology on the rabbit rearing, and also could not find where address for purchase high rabbit productive breed. That is mainly reason rabbit was not development; furthermore reason: in 2003, the contagious diseases (bird flue, foot and mouth diseases) appeared in the whole district. Not only local authority and farmers have interest to this problem. Alternative for animal in this is rabbit production.

However, at beginning rabbit farmers were still followed old habit rearing, not support for technologies, and also another facilitative for this, so that rabbit product is low and not role play in the households economic. In the middle 2003, the plant of district is rabbit development to the communes. Along with is corporative to the stakeholders involvement within district experts, association in communes, and organizations from outside such as Goat and Rabbit research center (GRRC), Ninh Binh rabbit station (NRS) on the improved rabbit husbandry. Up to present, according to the authorities in the district, local associations mass that rabbit product has been bring significant on the rural households income. In view of this is evaluation of the organization for the rabbit husbandry, there is just in Nho quan district situation, need more promoting, encouraging, solution of challenge of this situation in larger range.

Objectives

Materials and Methods

Location and duration

The research was carried out in eight communes of district, in which Ninh binh rabbit station as facilitative for the technologies support on rabbit rearing at beginning from January, 2006.

Subjects selection

In Nho quan district, Ninh binh provice, in which are eight communes have been implementing a rabbit rearing by district’s organizing. The aims of the implementation are to improve rabbit rearing organization from district to communes. Eighty rabbit farmers were selected for the research to evaluate the response to rabbit raring organizing. The selection of the farmers was based on:

· Having rabbit rearing before up to present, they were closely with stakeholders

Data collection and analysis

Results and discussion

Table 1: Dams and rabbit keeper situations in communes in the district
Communes	Head of dams			Rabbit farmers keeping
Communes	2000	2003	2007	2000	2003	2007
Ninh Phuc	112	224	500	10	56	100
Quynh Luu	96	210	480	8	44	70
Gia Son	100	235	500	14	39	66
Thach Binh	78	156	345	6	34	57
Son Ha	120	260	450	11	40	70
Gia Lam	67	134	310	5	28	48
Son Lai	79	150	345	8	53	90
Ky Phu	85	170	390	8	28	40

Table 2: Characteristics performance of rabbits in rural households
Items	Pure breeds ( New, Cali)	Hybrids )crossed Pure x Local)	Local breed
*Body weight*
Weaned (30 days;g)	656	534	416
At 3 months (for selling in both female- male)-kg	2.8	2.2	1.4-1.7
Adult	4.2	3.5	2.5
*Reproductive performance*
Litters/year	5.6	5.5	5.5
Kids/litter	5.8	5.7	6.2
% survive weaned ( 1 month)	70.4	73.2	64.5
% survive at 3 months for selling	75.2	75.0	69.6

In practice, farmers keeping in three kinds of rabbit breed. At beginning they were kept local rabbit breed (namely are Re, Grey, and Black feather) when they could not find the address for purchased the new one that is low productivity around 1.4-1.7 kg/rabbit at adult age. In recent year, the farmers have high rabbit productivity breeds (NewZealand, California, Panon) that improved and upgrade for local breed. The result of adult of age is 4.2 kg and 3.5 kg for pure and crossed breeds, respective. However, rabbit productive performance in rural household is still lower than in the research station at 18-25% (Binh DV, 2000; T.Hue. Khuc, 2003).

Table 3. Proportions of different feed offered to the rabbits:
Name of feed	% offer
Trichanthera gigantea	8
Mulberry (Morus alba)	5
Panicum Maximum	20
Wild leaves	30
Vegetable	20
Residue of Ag products	7
Concentrate by farmers processed	10

Assessment of rabbit feed sources is available in that area that farmer could gain. However, this issue is how farmer making it balance nutrients of the feed systems.

Table 4. Rabbit diseases treatments and protection.
Name of common diseases	Treatments applied the farmers (%)	% survival
Heterogic diseases	70	58.8
Coccideosis	80	55.5
Diarrhea	95	90
Others	100	70.6

Rabbit diseases issue was based on farmer control and treatment. The result is comes by farmers understood the diseases and what ways treats and protection. Look at the table 5, the farmers could do themselves, however, rate of rabbits survive still low.

It is very importance during rabbit rearing in the rural household. Since 2003, there were policy for rabbit husbandry by training course organization, study tour, and setting up demonstration. The flow for this comes from district to commune to rabbit keepers. In each stakeholder has own responsibility; in district level with the fund for rabbit rearing organization; in communes level with the how to conduct the farmers for rabbit rearing. And bellow is associations mass such as Farmer, Extension; Veterinary associations were linkage with addresses above for the rabbit rearing implementation.

Table 5: Rabbit production contributes to rural households income
Level		Income (million VND/year)	Total of rabbits selling (heads/year)	% Unsuccessful
Average >=20 dams	Mean	11.5	184	7.1
	N(HHs)	49	19	3
	SE	0.68	10.3	0.23
Average 10-20 dams	Mean	6.5	133	8.2
	N(HHs)	34	14	3
	SE	0.25	4.61	0.32
Average <10 dams	Mean	3.54	98	17.7
	N(HHs)	46	26	8
	SE	0.15	2.76	0.34

The figure in the table..., there are three levels rabbit keeping in Nho quan district: at the level over 20 dams; 10 to 20 dams and least than 10 dams; in respectively for income is 11.5; 6.5 and 3.6 mill VND per year.

The term “habits” is quite broad. But in this context it refers to the question concerning issues of management, housing, feed situation etc., relevant to rabbit rearing, that farmers know but they have not changed yet. Explanation for this, from farmer’s perception, is that the rabbit is a small animal, reproduces rapidly, quick rotation, and is easy to rear; thus sometimes they do not think it profitable to invest more in better housing, feed or breeding quality, or housing sanitation.

Unsuccessful rabbit production in this context can be said to result from rabbits’ low reproductively, high rabbits mortality rate, leading to low income for rabbit keepers. Household interviews and analysis of the results for this issue indicated that; effected of the rabbit farmer backward is one of reasons unsuccessful on the rabbit production of the 25.7% of total households that were unsuccessful reported problems on this issue.

By comparison, between 2000-2007, the rabbit meat price increased most in the livestock production system, at 38% (DAH, 2007). As mentioned in the previous sections, inputs to investment in rabbit production are not as high as for other animals and are appropriate for farmers. Furthermore, field research found that rabbits have not had problems with epidemic diseases such as bird flu, foot and mouth diseases as other animals have. Therefore, rabbit production could contribute to vulnerability reduction.

Additionally, farmers in this have gained a rabbit-breeding program through GRRC in the end of 2005. A purpose of this program is to upgrade the local rabbit breed that the farmers have been keeping. Through this, farmers can borrow buck rabbits of a New Zealand breed to cross the local rabbit breed into hybrid, or if the farmers have a rabbit hybrid available, they can borrow a buck for changeover in order to avoid blood homogenizes.

To provide more opportunities for rabbit production, a new rabbit station was established in Ninh Binh province (NRS). The goal of this station is to provide rabbit material for the Nippon-Japan company of around one million rabbits per year. A Vietnam-Japan joint venture contract was signed on 10th of September 2007, and Ninh Binh people committee’s approved and issued an investment certificate on 10th October 2007 for development of the rabbit in Ninh Binh and also in other regions (source: Dinh Van Binh, Chairman for the joint venture for Vietnam side, 2007). Also the Minutes of agreement between NGRRC and Nippon Zoki Japan on 28th of November 2007 indicated, that this station will be in place early in 2008 as there is need for quite large processing units for such rabbit volumes. It will require quite a lot of farmers to supply rabbits, not only in Ninh Binh but also more farmers in other regions to keep rabbits, to meet needs from such rabbit market development.

Regarding to result of the investigations, the challenges of rabbit husbandry includes: farmers lacked technology at 43.5%, the figure meaning rabbit farmers are still not developing to larger scale. Furthermore, the marketing system, at present fluctuates, and this seems suitable for farmers having good communication regarding rabbit selling.

Conclusion and recommendation

References

Binh, D. V. 2003: "The results of ten years for research rabbit production in Vietnam."

Binh, D. V., L. T. Luyen, et al., 2004: "Results on adaptation research of New Zealand white, California, Panol rabbits breeds after 4 years raised under Vietnam condition. Institute of agricultural sciences. Proceeding of workshop of Animal Production Science, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam (2004) 235-256.

DAH 2005: Final report of animal production from 2001 to 2005: Orientation of Animal production development from 2005 to 2015.

Organization for the rabbit development in rural households in Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh province

Nguyen Ky Son, Pham Van Thuc* and Dinh Van Binh**

Abstract