RAISING RABBITS IN THE TROPICS
The importance of the domestic rabbit as a supplier of meat for human consumption is widely recognised throughout the world. There are rabbit farms in the tropics and sub-tropics. The size of these varies from the large commercial rabbitries to small backyard rabbitries. Apart from being a good source of meat, rabbits provide useful skins, manure and, with some breeds wool.
Reasons for keeping rabbits
Most of the countries in both the tropics and sub-tropics face an increasing demand for meat production, especially in expanding urban areas. The rabbit has several points in its favour as a meat producer, and can be raised either on a small-scale by individual households, or on larger commercial scales. Furthermore, there are few cultural or religions or beliefs which do not allow the eating of rabbit meat.
Rabbits can be fed on a great variety of locally available foods, some green leaves and kitchen vegetable scraps can be given to rabbits at almost no cost. Commercial rabbitries buy more expensive concentrate rations for their rabbits. Rabbits can breed and grow quickly. This means that a rabbitry can expand quickly and take advantage of a plentiful food supply. Even the backyard rabbit keeper can provide a constant supply of meat for his family. Rabbit skins can be used for several purposes (mats, rugs and clothes). The manure is a valuable organic fertilizer for use in a vegetable garden. Housing can be built from pieces of wood and/or bamboo. No special materials or equipment needs to be bought for the construction of a backyard rabbitry.
The number of rabbits in a group can easily be matched to the rabbit keeper’s resources, for example available space, or quantity of feed supply. Even six does and one buck will provide a useful supply of meat for the family. The small size of rabbits means that they can be easily handled and cared for by women and children. It also means that the carcass is small enough to be used at once, without having to store any part of it.
The disadvantages of keeping rabbits
There are very few disadvantages of rabbit keeping. The small size of rabbits means that they are more easily stolen or attacked by predators. They need to be protected from these by fences and other barriers. Large numbers of rabbits require a lot of labour, particularly if they are kept in individual hutches. Each hutch has to be cleaned out daily. Each rabbit needs to be fed and watered two times daily.
The production must also be aligned with and liked to the market and correspond to food habits (or preferences) of consumers.
Climate and environmental requirements
Rabbits need protection against extremes of climate. They are especially sensitive to heat and must always have access to shade. Rabbits can no longer regulate their internal temperature and hyperthermia occurs at temperatures of between 30 and 35°C. They are better adapted to highlands and sub tropical areas than to lowlands areas with high temperatures.
Production systems
There are three main systems for production of rabbits: 1. Small-scale backyard rabbitry. Here the aim is to provide meat for the household. 2. Small commercial rabbitry with from ten to 50 breeding does. The aim of this type of rabbit production is to sell rabbit meat for a profit. The rabbits are usually fed on concentrates as well as bulky foods. 3. The large commercial rabbitry. These are currently less common in the tropics. As well as the meat they provide, they serve a useful purpose in the multiplication of breeding stock for distribution. Housing
Major considerations include: * Space: There must be sufficient room otherwise stress, fighting and injury may result. * Suitable temperature: The ideal temperatures range is 10-20°. This is very difficult to maintain all the time, and especially so under tropical conditions. In general rabbits can tolerate cold more easily than heat. However they may suffer as a result of cold draughts or sudden changes in temperature. * Dry conditions: The rabbit cannot tolerate constantly wet conditions, so the hutches must be rainproof. * Ventilation: Movement of fresh air through the rabbitry is essential, especially in hot weather. This air must be free from smoke and dust. * Security: Rabbits are easily frightened by sudden noise and the presence of predators such as small wild carnivores, snakes, rats, dogs and cats. A rabbitry should be built in a quiet place and if necessary a fence should be built to keep predators away from the rabbits. * Cleanliness and hygiene: Disease is much more likely to occur under dirty conditions. Rabbits themselves are clean and animals and prefer to be kept in clean surroundings. * Food and water: Without regular feeding and a plentiful supply of clean water, rabbits will not thrive. In the absence of these, even for short periods, they may suffer stress.

SNAIL REARING (HELICICULTURE)
Snails are derived from the wild life bank and are used as food, feed or source of revenue in given parts of the world. Usually unknown to animal production specialists trained in industrialized countries and often officially ignored also by the livestock services of their home areas, even though their meat often considered bush meat or game meat, may be appreciated and command a higher price than the more conventional animals.
The two main areas of snail consumption in the World are Western Africa and Western Europe. Snails are invertebrates with soft bodies that are covered with hard Carcareous shells. Snails belong to the phylum of animals known as mollusca. Some other members of the mollusc are slugs, mussels and oysters. Many species of edible land snails are recognized but the popular species of economic interest is the West Africa giant snails. Archachatina marginata and Achatina achatina.
Snail meat is high in protein (37-51%) compared to that of guinea pig (20.3%), Poultry (18.3%), Fish (18%), Cattle (17.5%), Sheep (16.4%) and Swine (14.5%). Iron content (45-59mg/kg), low in fat (0.05-0.08%) and contains almost all the amino acids needed for human nutrition. In addition to the nutritional value of snail meat, recent studies indicated that the glandular substances from edible snails cause agglutination of certain bacteria, which could be of value against a variety of ailments including whooping cough. In folk medicine, the bluish liquid obtained when the meat has been removed from the shell is believed to be good for infant's development. It is believed in some quarters that snail meat contains pharmacological properties of value in counteracting high blood pressure.
There is a flourishing international trade of snails in Europe and North America. In France the annual requirement is about 5 million kg, over 60% of which is imported. The estimated annual consumption in Italy is 306 million snails. In West Africa, snail meat has traditionally been a major ingredient in the diet of people living in the high forest belt. In the Cote d'Ivoire, for example, an estimated 7.9 million kg is eaten annually. In Nigeria, although the consumption figures are not available, it is clear that demand outstrips supply.
Feeding: it’s better to feed snails with a dry meal, rather than a green fodder as it is more efficacious and hygienic. Calcium carbonate 30%, calcium phosphate 4%, soya meal 20%, sunflower seeds 5%, wheat flour 40%, and vitamin mix 1%; whole is finely ground. With 2 kg ( about 4 lb.) of this food, I product 1 kg (2 lb.) of snails.
Reproduction : breeding snails are put in cages with food and water ad lib., and some pots which are filled with a good soil. Ideally, these boxes are placed in a room which is kept at 20° Celsius (68° F), with a relative humidity of 95%, and a long photoperiod (16L / 8D). But we can also simply use a greenhouse. Snails are hermaphrodites but they have to mate before laying some days later. When a snail has laid, the pot is placed into an incubator at 20° C and covered. Three weeks later, about 100 new hatched snails appear under the lid. Usually, we can expect a yield of 70 young snails per breeder for 2 months.