Status and promotional strategies for rabbit production in Nigeria.

Abstract

Status and promotional strategies of rabbit production in Nigeria were examined in this study. This was because such data were lacking and rabbit production offers a great potential for the attainment of food security in terms of provision of high quality animal protein intake. Data were obtained from field survey, questionnaires administration, personal observations and experiences of authors, structured personal interviews of identified rabbit farmers, agents, personal interviews and visitations to markets and retail outlets for rabbit, proxy information from distant collaborators, recorded data from government establishments and published data. All the information collected was synthesized to provide an informative blend on major aspects of rabbit production patterns in Nigeria. From the data collected, rabbit production in Nigeria is largely traditional, non-commercially oriented, family consumption targeted, and smallholder type operation comprising 2-7 does and 3 bucks. About 3.45.2% of the Nigeria population may be keeping rabbits with women and children being mostly involved. Rabbit keeping is both intensive and semi-intensive, though some scattered free range backyard rearing was recorded. Unlike the rural rabbit keepers, space is limiting for most urban rabbit keepers. Diets of rabbits in Nigeria are primarily forages, grasses and legumes, kitchen wastes, while feeding pelleted commercial feeds is rare and, when fed, the commercial feeds are mostly broiler poultry mash. Although feed millers do advertise their capabilities in production and sale of rabbit pellets, production is largely for specialized research based institutions. Bucks and does are generally under-utilized, with does producing up to 20 weaned rabbits per year, and are usually offered for sale after four parities. Exchanges of males for breeding was observed among some traditional rabbit keepers. In fact, advertisements are made for availability of rented breeding bucks for a paltry sum. Nigerian rabbits do not suffer any peculiar disease; however, mange and coccidia infections are very common. There are high periand post-natal mortalities, and overall mortality between birth and marketing was estimated at 30-40%, being highest in the young rabbits. The productive and reproductive performances of rabbits in Nigeria relate with the level of management. However, there is a latent and growing market for rabbit meat in Nigeria especially as a compliment and/or an alternative to broiler meat. Some promotional strategies and policy suggestions for sustainable expansion of rabbit production were highlighted in this paper.