Introduction

The existence of rabbit with human being remained from the time immemorial. Romans were the first to domesticate wild rabbits. Wild rabbits [oryctolagus cuniculus] gained importance in Roman empire as game animals. Such rabbits were increasingly populated in and around southern Europe, North  Africa and Spain.

Rabbit raising started in other parts of Europe in the early middle ages but was not accepted as popular animal till 19^th century. In Australia and New Zealand, the rabbit population was by and large higher. In North America only feral rabbits were abundant. Wild rabbits were in existence in Chili.

There are different views concerning the domestication of rabbits. Some say rabbits were domesticated by 1^st century B.C. but others say that the first experiment in domestication of rabbits took place in monasteries of France between 6^th and 10^th century A.D.

Napoleon was regarded as the most famous rabbit breeder of all times.

Rabbit keeping in commercial base started in the last century. The scarcity of food following first and second world war pave the way for extensive rabbit rearing. Meat became popular due to it’s excellent quality. During those times rabbit’s flesh was denoted as ‘Underground Mutton’ and served as a source of food for rural families. Later on F.A.O. through different package programs encouraged the farmers for rabbit farming. Thus rabbit farming gradually spread to other countries.

In India from early sixties the rabbit farming gained importance in places like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir through introduction of German angora breed. In 1977 the government of India took much interest in rabbit raising in states and established a Central Research Station to encourage rabbit farming and to envisage research program to mitigate the problems in rabbit farming. Now rabbit farming is take up length and breadth of the country. But more attention is required to be made to popularize and commercialize the mutton of it.

For the economic growth of our country, Rabbit growing is considered as one of the best aspects. In the ancient days rabbits were living in forests, hill areas, uncultivated lands etc. but at present it is famous that rabbit are grown as pet animals in township areas and villages. The growing of rabbits is not only for meat purpose but also it should be noted that importance is being offered for their skin and hairs.

Like hens, rabbits are not brought up at home for many years from the ancient days. From the authentic information noticed, the rabbits are grown at home only from A.D. 16^th century onwards. The growing of rabbits was initially taken up in European countries like Spain, France, Italy, Germany and England. When the ruling of England extended to countries Australia and  New Zealand, the growing of rabbits at those countries had gained momentum. It is revealed through the researches made that during Second World War that when the scarcity of meat was considerably increased, growing of rabbits in other regions of the world have been taken up.

Initially like hens rabbits are brought up small in numbers in backside of the house. The food waste in kitchen and cattle feed are only offered as food to them. Only from the middle of current 20^th century onwards, the growing procedure of rabbits in separate cases had been implemented. Instead of various colored wild rabbits, at present the varieties like white colored New Zealand California, White Giant, Brawn Giant etc are being grown in greater way. And also rabbits brought up on buildings and cages are provided with special feed of grits.

In European countries the growing of rabbits had  been  established as one  of the bigger business.  On world level, it is calculated that at an average one  man consumes 200 grams of     rabbit  meat  per year     but it is revealed that in  France country only one man consumes 10 kilos of rabbit meat in a year. Out of   the total rabbit meat production in the world, 85% are produced in European countries.

As per the statistics, it is revealed that yearly meat production in America is 20 lakhs ton, Soviet is 2 lakhs 20 thousand ton, France is 2 lakhs 1 ton, Italy is 1 lakh 80 thousand ton, Spain is 1 lakh 40 thousand ton and China is 15 thousand ton. England imports rabbit meat for china.

In India, the production of rabbit meat had not reached any marked stage. Due to increase in the habit of eating rabbit meat, the farms growing rabbits are not the increase. In many parts of  Tamil Nadu. Since last 10 year or so, the fanns are established and at present are being run in bigger way on commercial  basis.

The importance of rabbit growing

The animals are being brought up for consuming the unusable botanical products and family covert themselves as a suitable for human being in the shape of meat. Next to hens, rabbits  are capable of converting the botanical protein energy in to meat. The hens brought up for meat, converts protein energy out of the food consumed by them to the extent of 23%. Likewise the meat conversion in the case of rabbit worked out to be 20%, pigs 16%, catties 12%. The hens does not consume the plants consist of “fibers” but grow by consuming the pulses varieties being utilized by men. In view of this, expenditure towards the feed for hens increases. This may also pose scarcity of food to human. Only rabbit meat can be produced by using the feeds consist of excessive quantity of Fibers with lesser production cost.

Rabbits, in one time, are capable of producing 6 to 10 young rabbits. Their pregnancy period is only 30 days. As such, one female rabbit, in a span of one year, can have the capacity of yielding 30 to 35 young ones (excluding deaths) towards production of meat. Due to this, in a period of one year, we can produce more meat out of rabbits than from goats. One rabbit, in a year, produces meat 15 to 35 times of its body weight. Whereas the yield of meat in the goat calculated  out to be only 0.8 times and for cows it is only 0.6 times. Like in poultry farms where the owners running behind for the chickens from the places where the hatching of eggs are done, rabbits never pose such problems to the owners in the rabbit farms. The requisite young rabbits for the farm can be obtained throughout the month rabbits available with them

Rabbits are not being affected by climate conditions or insects developing diseases like in the case of chickens. As such, other maintenance cost for growing rabbit is considerably less.

The rabbits growing procedure is quite easier when compared to that of chicken. They never create nuisance to neighbors by way of abnormal sound and bad odor.

With a limited space capacity, rabbits can be grown in cages. As such, it is quite suitable to grow rabbits in the high population prevailing township areas and in the backyard of the houses. The cholesterol content in rabbit meat is considerably less when compared with the meat of chicken and mutton. As such rabbit meat is quite suitable for the aged and the persons affected by blood pressure and heart problems. In the hospitals in foreign countries the rabbit meat is provided to those recouping from the disease, those affected by ulcer, allergy and dyspepsia.

In the rabbit meat the proportion of meat is high. Bone content will be less [5:1]. The meat yield out of rabbits with same weight will be more when compared to that of chickens. Apart from meat, the skin of rabbits will also fetch good price. The rabbit skin is used for making dress, ornaments, purse, hand gloves etc. as such, there are feasibilities of obtaining good profits by organizing rabbit farm.

The rabbit’s bowel waste can be used as good manure. Per year, 40 to 50 kgs. of manure are available through a rabbit. When compared to the stool of other animals, the rabbit’s stool increases the ventilation in the soil and has efficiency to increase the water holding capacity.

Special features of rabbit

Rabbits are midway between ruminants and monogastric animals. They are called pseudo ruminant. They can convert cellulose into meat and can easily survive on kitchen scrap. They are coprophagous in nature they reinvest their faeces in the early hours of morning directly from their anus through lips. Thus replenish vitamins and cellulose content of feases.

They breed eight times in a year. Female may produce five to eight youngs which attain sexual maturity in four to six months. Life span of rabbit is about seven to eight years. Slaughter weight of rabbit is about 2 kg. which can be achieved in 12 to 15 weeks. Rabbits have got fast reproductive process and are able to remate within 24 hours of giving birth [kindling]. Their gestation period ranges to 31 days. They are prolific breeder.

The advantages of rabbit farming:-