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e Kindling boxes: These boxes are very important during kindling because they keep the young ones warm and they prevent them from wondering around the hutch. Kindling boxes also confine does to enable the young one suckle in addition to providing a danger free environment to the doe and it .s young ones. -- --- - :-- t --. Kindllng ooxes are made from wood of the types mentioned in the section for materials used in the construction of hutches and can have different designs and dimensions as given .in figure 13 (a), (b) and (c). Figure 13: Sarnwmg uyr;lr nrzu csvavu luururnng ,~r)xes 4.8 Maintenance sf hutches and equipment Maintenance of hutch.es is very necessary and must be a daily practice. After construction of the hutches, they must be cleaned and disinfected Thereafter they are lefi for 1-2 weeks before introducing the rabbits. Maintenance of the hutches will then become a daily activity. Farmers must adopt a routine and a working schedule for purposes of maintenance of hutches and equipment.
1 Every farmer must decide on the routine to be followed depending on the level of management helshe intends to achieve. , I i However the following routine is suggested and can be adopted by the farmers Cleaning of the hutch QW C~UI~II~GIIL ar least every 2-3 days. Complete cleaning and disinfection between litters using soap and plenty of water. After washing and disinfection, ensure complete drying especially by allowing the hutches to dry using direct sunlight. 0 Checking and repairing of all loose boards, tins, wires which may allow rabbits to escape or predators to enter 0 Checking and prevention of sharp edges which may injure the rabbits 5.0 ACQUIRING AND HANDLING OF RABBITS 5.1 Acquiring of rabbit stock When acquiring rabbit stock buy from highly productive commercial sources and farmers should take the following steps Purchase stock from farms that have been certified to be disease free by veterinary personnel. Ensure that the veterinary personnel has conducted a culture and sensitivity test for pasteurellosis as this organism causes diseases of great economic importance in rabbit production. Rabbits should preferably be purchased when they are 3-4 months of age. After purchasing the rabbits, treat them against coccidiosis before they are put in the hutches. Place newly acquired rabbits and those from shows or borrowed bucks in quarantine for at least three weeks to detennine whether they were incubating any disease or not. In this way rabbits, which had diseases in the incubation stage, will be detected and treated before they are introduced to the rabbit flock. ARer the introduction of the rabbits in the hutches, they have to be ~bservcd on a daily basis and sometimes it is necerssary to handle them for examination or reproductive purposes. 5.2 Handling of rabbits Rabbit management demands that the farmer be well versed with rabbi! handling techniques. Once in a while the farmer will handle rabbits for purposes of
Page 1: Increasing income through RABBIT FA
Page 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Uganda National Far
Page 7 and 8: Rabbits are not violent and can thu
Page 9 and 10: Figure 7: Hutch set up for one male
Page 11 and 12: Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the des
Page 13: cleaning is a must as the rabbits t
Page 17 and 18: 5.2.2 Handling rabbits by the scruf
Page 19 and 20: 6.2 How do you feed rabbits? There
Page 21 and 22: Source: Tropical Agriculturist Grou
Page 23 and 24: e Bucks are territorial. Rabbits li
Page 25 and 26: 7.4.3 Mating Choose the most health
Page 27 and 28: What other features serve as suppor
Page 29 and 30: Weaning or separating young rabbits
Page 31 and 32: agents. Therefore excrement should
Page 33 and 34: 9.3 Records that must be kept by th
Page 35 and 36: APPENDIX Clinical signs, trewtment/
Page 37: FURTHER READING 1. The domestic rab

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