Art C. Veneracion Jr.

AVEN Nature’s Farm and Rabbitry (AVEN)

Association of Rabbit Meat Producers, Inc. (ARaMP)
Rabbit Raisers and Meat Producers Cooperative(RRMPC)
Introduction of Rabbits to the Philippines
 Rabbits are not native to the Philippines
 They were brought to the country by religious
missionaries and US Peace Corps volunteers after WW
II, with the belief that it will help alleviate food
shortage brought about by devastations of war.
 Among these rabbit advocates were:
1. Rev. Fr. Sicwaten – a religious missionary
2. Ms. Diane Stahl – a US Peace Corp volunteer
“Blazing the Trail for Commercial Rabbit Production”
The Rabbit Industry
Pioneers:
 Dr. Lazaro B.
Ricafort – a rural
health doctor
based in Baguio.
 Mr. Dick Fagan-
from the Rural
Life Center
based in Cavite.
 Rabbit Farms that pursued the advocacy
AVEN Nature’s Farm and Rabbitry, Bulacan, Central Luzon
 May 31, 2012
 Art bought his initial parent
stocks from Earth Keepers
Rabbit Farm.
Rabbits were introduced to
the integrated farm as a unique
attraction to tourists and
visitors.
The growing rabbit
population prompted the study
on the purpose and use of
rabbits.
Through research the merits
of raising rabbit meat were
recognized.
 The beginning of an
advocacy to promote the
healthy meat began.
Rabbit Farms that pursued the advocacy
Moca Farm -Robby
Rabbitry
Batangas, Southern
Luzon
•Conducted seminars and
marketing campaigns
•Rabbit Production
Youtube
•Marketed the rabbit meat
as “couture or high-end
meat” with hotel and
restaurant (chefs) as the
market.
Making Rabbit Farming Popular
Seminars at AVEN Nature’s Farm and Rabbitry
Information
Campaign: RABBIT
PRODUCTION
SEMINARS at other
locations and in
farmers’ forums
Making Rabbit Production for Meat Popular:
Government Sponsored Seminars
Department of Agriculture, BAI AGRILINK, World Trade Center
Making Rabbit Production for Meat Popular:
Dept. Of Agriculture(DA) R3 and
Bulacan Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO)
Rabbit Production Seminars and Dispersal Program
Training Stakeholders
BAI-Animal Product Development Center (APDC)
Training on Rabbit Raising and Meat Processing
Making Rabbit Production for Meat Popular:
Rabbit Articles: Manila Bulletin, Agriculture Magazine, Marid Digest,
Kaunlaran Magazine, Cook Magazine. Etc.
Activities to
Promote the
Industry
 Maunlad na
Agrikultura
- Ka Francis
Cansino
 Maunlad na
Magsasaka
– Ka John
Enriquez
 DZXL-
VIEVA
 DA Region
III
Radio-TV
Program
Activities to
Promote the
Industry
• SMNI TV
• AgriPinoy –
DA Region 3
• Galing Bulacan
TV
• ABS-CBN
Salamat Dok
• ABS-CBN
Umagang kay
Ganda
Industry Associations: ARaMP Inc. and RRMPC
 The Association of Rabbit Meat
Producers Inc.(ARaMP) was
organized at the initiative of attendees
to the Rabbit Production Seminars held
at AVEN Nature’s Farm.
 It was registered with the S.E.C. on
August 20, 2015
 Addressed at 68 JP Rizal St., Sta.
Barbara, Baliuag, Bulacan with AVEN
Nature’s Farm.
 The Rabbit Raisers and Meat
Producers Cooperative (RRMPC)was
established in 2018.
Rabbit Industry
Events

•1st Rabbit Festival

(Rabbit Meat, Healthy to
Eat) – May 2016

•2nd Rabbit
Festival (Happy and
Healthy with Rabbit
Meat) – May 2017
1st Rabbit Industry: Stakeholder’s Forum May 2017
Reaching out to Academe
Crafting the Roadmap of the Rabbit
Meat Industry
 Vision:  Mission:
 A Rabbit Industry  Develop the Rabbit
that is recognized as Industry through
enhanced production
one of the major
technology that will
livestock industries provide livelihood to the
in the Philippines. Filipinos and to
establish rabbit meat be
as an important source
of nutrition.
Rabbit Industry Roadmap
ARaMP, Inc. with the BAI and other DA Attached Agencies
Submission of Rabbit Meat Industry
Roadmap to DA Secretary Dar
1ST NATIONAL RABBIT
CONGRESS, 2020
ARaMP in collaboration with
the Bulacan Agricultural
State College (BASC) held the
1st National Rabbit Congress
on February 27-28, 2020 at
BASC,San Ildefonso,
Bulacan..
In this event, the Rabbit
Industry was presented as an
emerging industry that will
help the Philippines to
achieve food sufficiency.
Rabbit meat will be made
popular as the healthy meat
alternative.
Groundbreaking of the
Philippine Rabbit Research
and Development Center at
BASC was held on February
27.
Rabbit Center at BASC
Crafting the Rabbit Meat Industry
Standards
 Meetings with BAFS
Crafting the Rabbit Meat Industry Standards
 Meetings with NMIS
Provincial Rabbit Meat Industry
Stakeholders’ Forums
Rabbit Production Seminar
Terminology:
 Doe - female rabbit
 Buck - male rabbit
 Dam - mother rabbit
 Sire - father rabbit
 Breeding - mating rabbits
 Testing - confirming doe’s pregnancy
 Nesting - putting nest box on doe’s cage
 Kindling - giving birth
 Lactation - nursing the kits
 Gestation - time between breeding and kindling
 Kits - offspring
 Litter - offspring in one kindling
 Weaning - separating the litter from the Dam
Why Rabbits?
 Rabbit farming requires very low investment. Rabbit
farming can be extremely profitable if managed
properly.
 It requires little space and can be done in the farm,
backyard or even in a small space at home.
 Rabbits’ reproduction capacity is very high and can
begin breeding at 6 months old.
 Two pairs of mature rabbits can be multiplied to
produce up to 268 kits in 13 months
Legend:

B- Breed
K- Kindle
W- Wean

Assumptions (for ease in

computation purposes):

- Maturity of both doe and buck

(breed age) is 6 months
- Buck and Doe are both 6 months
old in January 1
- 6 kits per kindling
- 50 % doe, i.e. 3 does, 3 bucks per
kindling
- Above illustration is based on 75
days cycle, at AVEN Nature’s Farm
the 70 days cycle is now in
practice
- It is advised to use 2 pairs of
rabbits as initial breeders to avoid
in-breeding.
Why Rabbits?
 Rabbits are very gentle, quiet animals. They will not
crow, bark or howl anytime of the day.
 Rabbits are the cleanest of all herbivorous animals.
 Rabbits are easy and affordable to feed and do not
compete with humans for grains.
 Rabbits have no rabies nor leptospirosis.
Benefits of Raising Rabbits/Rabbit Markets
Rabbits are also used as
Rabbits are usually cared laboratory and
for as pets. experimental animals.
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
There is a big demand for Rabbits provide healthy
rabbit breeders nutritious meat
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
Rabbit’s fur or pelt as well as the
paw and tail has many uses, too. Rabbit pelt made into clutch bag
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
Rabbit Urine may be
Rabbit manure may be used fresh or
used as fertilizer and
decomposed as fertilizer.
pesticide
Starting your Rabbitry
 Determine your purpose.
 Choose the correct breed (for the identified
purpose).
 Research, read and learn, verify learning.
 Attend seminars and learn from the experiences of
industry pioneers.
 Adopt practices that fit your rabbitry conditions
(i.e. neighborhood, climate, available feeds, etc.)
 Join industry groups or associations to benefit
from the experiences of other industry
stakeholders.
Starting your Rabbitry
 When purchasing foundation stock
include the following:
Type, Vitality, Breeding efficiency,
Milk production, Growth rate,
Longevity, Disease resistance, Feed
conversion, Mortality
 Choose medium meat breeds.
 Purchase foundation stock from a
reputable rabbit grower/breeder .
 Physical (healthy appearance).
Medium
(Meat)
Rabbit Breeds
(pictures from ARBA)
Choose the
correct breeds
for the identified
purpose.
Rabbit breeds
that are generally
good meat
rabbits have
large loins and
are rapid
growers.
Here are
examples of
these breeds:
New Zealand White
•The most popular
foundation stock
•Developed in 1916 by
W.S. Preshaw for meat
and fur production.
•Excellent characteristics:
well-rounded
body,
small bone
structure
pink eyes.
produce large
litters
fast growth rate
Housing and Equipment
Rabbit housing depends on the scale and purpose of
the operation.
 It should be able to provide the following basic
requirements :
 comfort to the rabbits, must be well lighted and well
ventilated.
 protection of the rabbits from predators.
 protection of the rabbits from extreme weather.
 allowance of easy access to the rabbits.
 ease of cleaning and maintenance
 affordable.
 Cages
•Allocate cages for
each rabbit when
they reach three (3)
months,
•New Zealand
White breeds and
other similar sized
rabbit breeds do
well in all-wire
cages
Drinking System, Feeding Equipment
Automatic Drinker, Black Hose Measuring Cup, Clay feeder
Nestboxes
•A nestbox should give
the dam
Seclusion
sense of security
 adequate
ventilation
Protection and
warmth
•Measurement
approximately
11”x 15”x 11” with one side
cut down to 6 ½”
Feeding
 Feed twice a day (regularly).
 Feeding:
 1-2 mos. 25 gms. Pellets per feeding (2X a day)
 2-3 mos. 35 gms. Pellets per feeding (2X a day)
 3 -6 mos. 50 gms. Pellets per feeding (2X a day)
 6 mos. Onwards 60 gms. Per feeding (2X a day)
*** Add 10 to 20 gms. Pellets per feeding 15 days after
kindling for lactating dams.
***Avoid over-feeding rabbits.
 Use automatic drinking system (nipple drinker) to
ensure availability of drinking water 24 hours a day.
Feeding
 Forages are essential for roughage and vitamin value and also reduce
feed cost.
 When feeding rabbits with forage:
 Choose forage with high crude protein and fiber content such as
super napier, madre de agua, etc.
 Do not stack green feeds in piles.
 Clean kangkong leaves gathered from swamps.
 Do not feed your rabbits with forages collected from areas where
animals defecate.
 Be wary of forages that have been sprayed with insecticides.
 Malunggay leaves are good feed supplements for lactating does.
 Best feeding practice is mixed feeding to allow the animals to get used
to different kinds of feeds.
Feeding
 Provide feeds in good quality and
quantity with adequate supply of fiber
and protein
 Changes in the rabbit’s diet and feeding
should be gradual.
Feeding
Breeding
 Considerations before breeding rabbits:
 Age
 Physical Condition and Disease
 Observe the following practices:
 Breed early in the morning.
 Weigh both dam and sire.
 Bring dam to sire.
 Three successful mounts.
 Weigh dam after 14 days (increase of 100 gms. Or more is
indicative of pregnancy, around 80% probability)
Kindling
•Place nestbox inside the
cage on the 26th day after
breeding.
•The doe should give birth
within 28 to 33 days after
breeding.
•Re-breed the doe if it did
not give birth within this
period.
•Remove the nestbox when
the kits start to go out.
Weaning
•Wean the kits 30
days after
kindling.
• The dam may
be bred again
after 10 days from
weaning kits.
Breeding Cycle
 The following shows the number of litters per year
you will get based on how quickly the doe is re-
bred after kindling:

• 70 days after kindle = 5 litters per year

• 60 days after kindle = 6 litters per year
• 50 days after kindle = 7 litters per year
• 45 days after kindle = 8 litters per year
Record Keeping
 Mark does/dams and bucks/sires for proper
identification.
 Rabbit records should include birthdays and
lineage.
 Keep the following records accurate and updated.
Daily Breeding Record
Doe Breeding Record
Buck Breeding Record
 DAILY BREEDING RECORD

EXPECTED KINDLE
DAM WT. SIRE BREED DATE TEST DATE NEST BOX DATE KINDLE DATE NO. KITS WEAN DATE NO. WEANED WT. M/F
DATE

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30
 DAM RABBIT BREEDING RECORD
BORN
DAM NO. BREED /SOURCE

EXPECTED KINDLE
BREED DATE SIRE BREED SOURCE TEST DATE NEST BOX DATE KINDLE DATE ALIVE/ DEAD WEAN DATE NO WEANED NO. OF Doe/Buck CODE
DATE

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
 SIRE RABBIT BREEDING RECORD

BORN
SIRE NO. BREED/SOURCE

BREED DATE DAM KINDLE DATE NUMBER. BORN NUMBER WEANED 4-WEEKS AVERAGE WEIGHT NOTES

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30
Coding Rabbits
Breeding and Management
Health Management
 Aside from those previously discussed, the following are a must
for sound rabbitry operations:
 Keep cages clean and injury proof.
 Regularly deep clean and periodically sanitize rabbit hutches and
equipment.
 Avoid accumulation of manure and other wastes underneath rabbit
cages.
 Control flies and other pests.
 Keep other pets away .
 Caution visitors not to cause stress to the animals.
 Keep noise to a minimum.
 Set up a quarantine areas to isolate new arrivals and sick rabbits.
 Take care of the herd first before taking care of the quarantined
rabbits.
 Quickly dispose of dead rabbits.
 Wash hands and if needed undergo sanitation before handling the
herd.
Diseases and Treatment
 Skin Diseases:
 Ear mites or Canker - Infestation by mites,
 Skin Mange - Infestation by skin parasites
 Sore Hocks - Bruised or chafed areas that become
infected -
 Treatment:
 At Aven Nature’s Farm, skin diseases are treated by Madre de
Cacao (kakawate) leaves are chopped and pounded, then
mixed with virgin coconut oil (VCO). This concoction is
rubbed to the infected areas, after cleaning and removing
scales and crusts. Daily treatment is continued until skin
condition returns to normal and fur grows back.
 Sore hocks are caused by too much stomping and irritation
from wires. It will help to place a resting board inside the
cage.
Diseases and Treatment
 Digestive diseases and disorders:
 Enteritis, Bloat, Scours - Caused by eating fermented spoiled
feeds and forages.
 Poisoning - Caused by eating leaves or stems of toxic plants
or plants sprayed with insecticide.
 Diarrhea - This is often a symptom to other intestinal
disorders, usually parasitic infection caused by contamination
of feed and drinking water
 Treatment:
 At the farm, we treat diarrhea by feeding the diseased animal
with kaimito leaves. Enteritis on the other hand may be
treated by increasing fiber or roughage in their diet.
 We should note that unlike ruminants, rabbits do not have
the capacity to distinguish poisonous plants and will eat all
greens available to them.
Diseases and Treatment
 Other diseases
 Conjunctivitis or weepy eyes - Bacterial infection of the
eyelids
 Treatment: Protect animal from airborne irritants.
Apply VCO after cleaning the infected area. Repeat daily
as needed.
 It is still advisable to consult a veterinarian for other
diseases that may be encountered in the course of
raising rabbits.
 Separate infected animals from the herd to avoid
spread of disease.
Injuries
 Injuries may also occur during the course of rabbit
farming, some of which are as follows :
 dislocated vertebras,
 strained muscles and/or tendons.
 Many of these usually result from improper handling,
while some may be due to slipping in the hutch while
attempting to escape predators. Still, some are caused
by faulty cages that may have protruding nails,
protruding wires or improper wire size.
 Like diseases, injuries are preventable and proper
rabbitry management will help reduce their
occurrence to a minimum
Forage and Medicinal Plants
***Beware of Hagonoy (poisonous to rabbits)

Madre de Agua Oregano Kakawate (Madre de Cacao)

Super Napier (Pachong) ***Hagonoy

“Five Freedoms”
FAWC, 1991 Guidelines for Animal Welfare
Freedom:
1. From hunger and
thirst,
2. From inadequate
environment,
3. From pain, injuries
and distress,
4. From fear, and
5. From the impossibility
of expressing the
“normal” behavioural
repertoire
Slaughtering of Rabbits
Methods of Stunning Rabbits
1. Cervical dislocation
2. Use of Penetrating Bolt
3. Electrical Stunning
Slaughtering Procedure
Process flow
1. Stunning
2. Bleeding
3. Skinning or scalding
4. Evisceration
5. Washing
6. Cutting
7. (Vacuum) Packaging
Meat Classification
 Fryers – 3 to 4 mos. old, 1.8 t0 2.4 kilos
 Roasters – 4 to 10 mos. old, 2.5 to 3.0 kilos
 Stewers - 10 to 36 mos.old, 3.1 to 4 kilos
 Culls - above 36 mos.
Comparative Analysis of Rabbit Meat
Comparative Analysis of Rabbit Meat
Comparative Analysis of Rabbit Meat
Comparative Analysis of Rabbit Meat
FEASIBILITY STUDY
FEASIBILITY STUDY
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Feed Conversion Ratio
MARAMING
SALAMAT
PO.

“Rabbit
Meat for
Health and
Livelihood.”