Assessment of Production and Reproduction Performance of Selected Rabbit Breeds Reared under an Intensive System in Zanzibar.

Juma, Rajab Ramadhan (2025) Assessment of Production and Reproduction Performance of Selected Rabbit Breeds Reared under an Intensive System in Zanzibar. Doctoral thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study investigated rabbit production practices and the performance of selected rabbit breeds under intensive rearing systems in Zanzibar, Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey of 390 farmers from three districts revealed that 48.2% (188) practiced rabbit rearing, with the majority of owners (53.2%, 102) preferring medium-sized breeds and employing intensive management (60.2%, 113). Green grass was the predominant feed source (88.6%, 165) among farmers. Concurrently, a feeding trial evaluated 36 weaned does (30 days old) from New Zealand White, California, and Chinchilla breeds (n=12 per breed, further subdivided into three groups of four for dietary treatments). Rabbits were fed diets containing 50% of either maize, wheat, or sorghum as the primary energy source. Results indicated significantly higher (p<0.05) body weight gain in New Zealand White rabbits fed the diet with 50% maize (2640g). This breed also performed well on the 50% sorghum diet (2498.3g), followed by Chinchilla on the maize-based diet (2433.3g). Interestingly, no significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in carcass weight and dressing percentages. While the results on meat sensory evaluation showed that consumers did not rate meat very tough or tough across rabbit breeds or diets, 28(56%) having a very good smell and 28(56%) having a very good flavour for New Zealand fed wheat. The study concluded that energy-rich feeds are suitable for rabbits at different ages, with maize grains demonstrating superior results in terms of growth performance, meat quality, and cost-effectiveness compared to wheat and sorghum. This highlights maize as a highly beneficial feed component for intensive rabbit production in Zanzibar. Keywords: Energy feeds, growth performance and reproduction performance.

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