Evolution of an Unconventional Rabbit Breeding System for Hot-climate Developing Countries

To develop rabbit breeding it is common to try to transfer sophisticated technologies from industrialized to tropical countries. But the success is not sure. Frequently infrastructures are not sufficient. to support the needs of complex production systems and market is unable to trade large scale productions, To import buildings andor cages is very expensive and to control the environment is more difficult than in temperate climates. As a consequence it is frequent that productivity is not such to permit successful economical results (Finzi, 1987; Finzi, 1988). Courtyard breedings are not so vulnerable by the over mentioned factors. Moreover it has been shown that thousands of families can breed an overall doe number much larger than any industrial breeding (Finzi, 1986). Beside, from a developmental point of view, it is better to provide to the economical and nutritional needs of thousands of families than to few investors which produce for the rich customers of the potentially big town markets (Finzi, 1992). For these reasons in 1987 an unconventional rabbit housing system was projected and settled in West Noubaria near Alexandria, as a side enterprise of a FAO consultancy (Finzi, 1987). The limiting factor, considered in the project, was the summer temperature (Casedy et al., 1962; Gonzales et al., 1971; Nichelmann, 1971; Nichelmann et al., 1973; Gonzales et al., 1974; Prud’hon, 1976; Eberhart, 1980; El-Sherry et al., 1980; Matheron and Martial, 1981; Whaley, 1983; Cheeke, 1983; Camps et al., 1985; Finzi, 1991). In tropical countries hot climate impairs reproduction (Chou et al., 1974; MollerHoltkamp et al., 1976; Waites, 1976; Waitze et al., 1976; Blume et al., 1977; Rastimeshin, 1979; Kadlecik, 1983; Battaglini and Costantini, 1985; Bagliacca et al., 1987; Morera et al., 1990; Kuzminsky et al., 1990). Mating is not even performed during a period of about three months (Afifi et al., 1992) with the result to reduce the productivity per doe and to make uneconomical any industrial breeding unable to overcome this very important limiting factor. The traits considered in the project were that the housing system should be: Cheap: local material should be utilized and handicraft preferred. Simple: the structure should be easy to be built and to consent a simple management. Efficient in environmental thermoregulation. Adaptable to different situations. Accepted by the breeders and sustainable. The drawing of the first prototype is shown in fig. 1. The basic idea was to exploit the insulating power of ground and to permit the rabbits to reach an underground cell. This one was made with cement in the first prototype and it had a trunked cone or, pyramid shape. It could be done as a single piece prepared on. a mould (trunk conic shape) or made up with cement slides which were set together to build the cell (trunk pyramid shape, fig. 2). The cell was covered with the ground nearly to the top and it had an insulating wooden upper lid to permit to explore the inside. It was considered important that the lid. could not warm up not o irradiate the cell.