Author's introduction
In the Bible, Genesis I: 26-30, we are told how God created man (Adam) in His own image, and told him to multiply his own kind. God also instructed man to have dominion over His other creations. Since then, man multiplied by the millions, causing a population explosion, while his ability to produce food for himself and those millions Lagged far behind.
Thus, today statisticians tell us that nearly half of the world's population goes hungry daily, and more than half of the world's total are undernourished. On top of this, there are millions being born each year to be added to the world's total. The future looks grim, but not hopeless.
There are solutions to population explosions:
- Control population growth through Family Planning.
- Increase food production and land areas under cultivation.
Food production (the concern of this handbook), involves not only the cultivating of rice and corn which are the basic staples, but also the production of food stuffs rich in protein to keep us healthy and resistant to disease. We all need a balanced died. Meat is one good source of protein, but the meat supply (i.e., cost) today is often beyond the reach of the common man.
As a remedial measure, we should find and raise an animal which is not only rich in protein, but also has the capacity to multiple fast, if not even faster than man. That animal is the RABBIT! Rabbits are easy to raise and can be produced by all strata of our society.
Under good management and using modern farming techniques, one mother rabbit can give birth to 20-35 bunnies or 45 kilos of dressed meat a year. In addition, we can salvage the fur, paws, and tails from witch novelty items can be made. The manure is another peso earner. Rabbit manure is far superior to other manure as proven by those who experimented with the performance of various kinds of manure on plants and trees. Rabbit manure could be utilized to even make methane gas. Labor-wise, it takes only 10 minutes daily or 15 hours a years to care for two does and their young. There definitely is an excellent prospect in rabbit raising.
Importation of new breeds of rabbits from the U.S.A. was undertaken by some rabbit raisers such as Dr. Lasaro P. Ricafort of Baguio City and Mr. Dick Fagan of Rural Life Center, Dasmari�as, Cavite, to improve the "native" rabbit. Since this importation, upgrading of rabbits had taken place in many areas, so today there are quality breeding stocks available.
For some time now, urban and rural people have been interested in rabbit raising. However, their main problem was and still is how to obtain the technical know-how of rabbit raising and marketing, since rabbit raising in the Philippines is quite new to many people.
Previous books and pamphlets written on rabbit production were either written stateside or by people who were not rabbit raisers themselves, so their ideas were quite academic and beyond ordinary farmers. This handbook on rabbit raising, on the other hand, tries to adopt stateside information to local situations and attempts to share the many experiences and knowledge gained by rabbit raisers in the Philippines. We have kept no secret success factor to ourselves! Care has also been taken to include the many suggestions and experiences gathered from participants in several seminars on rabbit raising. Furthermore, conflicting opinions have been reconciled to clear away many doubts and/or questions to those "doubting Thomases."
Rev. Juan B. Sicwaten, Farmer - Priest, Km. 3, Asin Rd. Baguio City
Author's Preface[edit | edit source]
Sa kalusugan ng bayan, rabbit ang alagaan. For the health of the nation, go into rabbit production.
Utilizing RABBIT, as an alternative protein source and its BYPRODUCTS as an income-generating activity, has been the campaign of dedicated rabbit raisers for many years. We have seen many backyard, commercial, and nutrition education rabbit production projects succeed and fail, although successes have so far surpassed the failures. From observation and evaluation of these past and on-going ventures, the following criteria are offered as guidelines to insure success in YOUR project.
- A true and sincere dedication to the IDEA of rabbits as food for your family, neighbors, and for the general population.
- A willing spirit to help and cooperate with your neighbor in his rabbit production project. If you are planning a backyard rabbitry and you cannot supply a market on your own, you MUST coordinate and cooperate with those around you. In this case, the net result of greed (profit for one self only) is eventual failure.
- A STRICT program of sanitation and disease control. The only excuse for a dirty cage is laziness. If you cannot afford the time to clean your cages, feed and water containers EVERYDAY, DO NOT GO INTO RABBIT PRODUCTION. The majority of failures are due to the lack of proper sanitation.
- If you cannot afford commercial feed, a balanced diet consisting of a variety of ALL types of forages will serve if the meat is only for local consumption. If you plan to market your rabbits professionally, then it is a MUST for commercial feeds to be given daily. If you do not pay careful attention to diet, your production will decrease and your breeding stock will degenerate. Plant your Green Revolution garden with a variety of legumes and root crops and cultivate an area for those recommended grasses BEFORE you begin your project.
- To make any kind of profit, you must engage in tanning. You cannot make a substantial profit from meat alone unless you have the markets in Manila "cornered".
- If you are to succeed in rabbit production, you must FIRST DEVELOP A MARKET WITHIN YOUR OWN LOCALITY. If you choose to enter this growing field, you must be willing to propagate the idea of rabbits as food to your neighbors and relatives. You will be a teacher, a change agent, a community developer, and you will truely be a pioneer!
Good Luck to You All!
Diane Stahl, U.S. Peace Corps
Copyright[edit | edit source]
Peace Corps
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Peace Corps
A COMPLETE HANDBOOK ON BACKYARD AND COMMERCIAL RABBIT PRODUCTION
(Sa Kalusugan ng Bayan Rabbit Ang Alagaan)
For the Health of the Nation Go Into Rabbit Production
by Rev. Juan B. Sicwaten and Ms. Diane Stahl
Editor Ms. Barbara Sims
Photography Ms. Diane Stahl
Published by CARE Philippines
Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange Reprint R-41 September 1982
The majority of information found in this handcook is an adaptation and revision of COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING Agriculture Handbook No. 309, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This revision was essential to meet the special environmental conditions found only in tropical climates.
Reprinted with permission for Peace Corps use only. Limited numbers of reprints are available through Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange Office of Program Development 806 Conn. Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20526 September 1982
