The rabbit husbandry, health and production


Table of contents


 

by

F. Lebas
P. Coudert
R. Rouvier
H. de Rochambeau

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 1986

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

David Lubin Memorial Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Lebas, F.

The rabbit; husbandry, health and production.
(FAO Animal Production and Health Series, no. 21)

1. Rabbits.
2. Animal breeding.
3. Animal diseases.
4. Animal production.

I. Courdet, P.
II. Rouvier, R.
III. de Rochambeau, H.,
IV. Series

FAO code: 20 AGRIS: L01 L10 L73 1986 ISBN 925-101253-9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

|Printed in Italy

© FAO 1986


Contents


Foreword

Acknowledgements

1. World production and trade

Historical background
World production
International trade
Rabbit meat quality

2. Nutrition and feeding

Anatomy and physiology
Feeding behaviour
Nutritional needs
Types of feed

3. Reproduction

Anatomy of the genitals
Male reproduction physiology
Reproduction and environment
Rates of reproduction

4. Genetics and selection

Genetics of rabbit breeds and populations
Coat colour and hair structure
Groups of breeds by adult size and origin
Local populations and strains
Breeding characters
Biological characters
Genes and the environment
Genetic improvement: selection and crossing
Conclusions

5. Pathology

Appearance and development of diseases
Diseases and disorders associated with reproduction
Preventive hygiene

6. Housing and equipment

Biological considerations
Rabbitry equipment
Buildings
Uses for waste

7. Rabbitry management

The production cycle
Organizing a rabbitry

8. Production of rabbit skins and angora wool

Rabbit skins
The Angora

9. Rabbit breeding and rural development

The mexican "family packages" programme
The DGAEM: an action agency
A development programme using rabbits

References

Further reading