Economics Of Production Of Two Rabbit Breeds And Their Cross Under Two Feeding Regimes

Wanjala, Faustine N; Kibegwa, Felix

doi:10.21608/ejrs.2025.415074

Economics Of Production Of Two Rabbit Breeds And Their Cross Under Two Feeding Regimes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Faustine N Wanjala ¹
Felix Kibegwa ²

¹ College of agriculture and Veterinary sciences, Animal production Department, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 29053 -00625 Nairobi, Kenya.

² Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

10.21608/ejrs.2025.415074

Abstract

A study was carried out to assess the economics of production (all costs of production fixed with feed costs as the only variable) of New Zealand White (NZW), California White (CAL) and their Cross (Z×C) under two feeding regimes; concentrate based diet (feeding regime 1) and forage based diet (feeding regime 2).
Regardless of the feeding regime, the (Z×C) recorded least feed intake thus lowest feed cost compared to the pure breeds. Total Feed intake was significantly higher (P˂0.01) in feeding regime 2 than feeding regime 1. Despite the high feed intake under this feeding regime, lowest total feed cost was recorded due to low cost of the Rhodes grass hay (Ksh.10kg^-1 compared to the concentrate diet (Ksh. 31kg^-1). When production cost was extrapolated for 100 doe unit for a year production cycle, feeding regime 1 (4.3) was still profitable because of the higher fryer crops per doe per year than feeding regime 2 (3.1).
Conclusively, it was also concluded that more revenue was generated when animals were sold as breeding stock rather than meat, regardless of the feeding regime, in Kenya.
Key words: Cost of production; feeding regime; rabbit breeds, profit margin

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