Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry 24 (1-2), p 149-154, 2008 ISSN 1450-9156
Publisher: Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade-Zemun UDC 639.112
RABBIT PRODUCTION IN BULGARIA**
I. Dimitrova
1*
, Tz. Dimitrov
2
, A. Teneva, H. Tzvetkova
3
1
Forestry University – Sofia, Bulgaria,
2
Ministry of Agriculture, Bulgaria,
3
Bulgarian board of bird and rabbit meat processing
** Original scientific paper
Corresponding author: *Ivona Dimitrova, E mail:ivonna_dimitrova@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract: The aim of the study was to present the situation of rabbit
production in Bulgaria. As a whole the rabbit production in Bulgaria is in
extensive stage. To change it as intensive or semi intensive it need to improve
selection and feeding systems, to concentrate the farm, and to build new more
modern farms with control systems of microclimatic parameters and which
covered veterinarian requirements.
Key words: rabbit production, breeding, reproductive system
Introduction
Rabbit breeding is a small sector in Bulgarian animal production with
big potential, because of: the good conditions for producing big quantity of
rabbit meat in the country, absence of European limiting quotas and expanding
of market needs of rabbit meat.
Rabbit numbers in Bulgaria, at the beginning of the transmission (1989
- 2000), were between 335 304 (for 1991) to 667 078 (for 1996). In 2001 it was
obtained the biggest reduction of raced rabbit number (233 480), because of
next reason: high level of forage price increasing, low augmentation tendency of
rabbit meat price and absence of export possibilities of rabbits or rabbit meat.
Since 2002 the rabbit number fluctuated, but the quantity of obtained rabbit
meat in meat processing enterprises at 2003 was lower (47.4 t) with 25.6% than
at 2002. In 2005 the number of farm raised rabbits had diminished with
46.22%, in the same time the rabbit does number had decreased with 19, 29%.
The bigger farms are located in Central North and Central South regions of
Bulgaria, in which part are situated slaughterhouses. The rabbits are 99.4% in
the private sector and only 0.6 in government structure.
I. Dimitrova, Tz. Dimitrov, A. Teneva, H. Tzvetkova
150
Table 1. Farm number and does concentration in 2003 and 2005 years
Tabela 1. Broj farmi i koncentracija zečica u 2003 i 2005 godini
Class/
Klasa
2003
Farm
number/
Broj farmi
2003
Rabbit
number/
Broj zečeva
2005
Farm
number/
Broj farmi
2005
Rabbit
number/
Broj zečeva
2005/2003
Farm
number/
Farme
%
2005/2003
Rabbit
number/
Zečevi
%
Total
rabbits/
Ukupno
zečeva
69457
651175
37354
525563
53.8
80.7
Does
Total/
Ukupno
zečica
62866
220248
33810
177771
53.8
80.7
Farms
with/
Farme sa:
1-10 does/
zečica
60538
171210
30907
115118
51.0
67.2
11-50
does/zečica
2261
42028 2783 53068 123.0 126.0
51-100
does/zečica
53
4076 116 8166 218.8 200.3
101-150
does/zečica
14
632 - - - -
Over 151
does/Više
od 151
zečice
5
2934
4
1420
80.0
48.3
The amount of Bulgarian rabbit population can not cover the recent
country consumption needs of meat in one side, but in the other, there are very
good precondition for expanding this sector to be able to produce enough
quantity rabbit meat for export to other countries. Now rabbit meat production
decreases (tabl.2) because of the low price of live rabbits, small number of
slaughterhouses and more complicated veterinarian requirement.
Rabbit production in Bulgaria
151
Table 2. Meat production 2002-2005
Tabela 2. Proizvodnja mesa 2002-2005
Class/Klasa
2002 20003 2004 2005
Slaughtered
rabbits/
Zaklani zečevi
thousand
tones/hiljade
tona
15.5
8.3
38.4
19.8
Rab meat
meso –
live weight
/živa masa
Tones/tone
45.9
21.2
99.8
58.0
live weight per
rabbits/
Živa masa po
zečevima
kg
2.9
2.6
2.6
2.9
Total
meat/Ukupno
mesa
Tones/tone 28.4 13.3 63.6
37.1
Dressing/
Randman
% 62.0 67.0 64.0
64.0
Slaughtered
weight per
rabbit/Težina
zaklanog zeca
kg
1.8
1.6
1.7
1.9
Liver
production/Pr
oizvodnja jetre
tones 3.6
1.6
Slaughterhous
es/Klanice
n 5 5 5 4
Rabbit production in Bulgaria can be expanded and changed as semi
intensive or intensive if some activity will be improved - genetic and selection,
reproductive system, feeding system, housing condition, prophylactics and
technology as a whole.
Genetic and selection. At 2005 in Bulgaria was raced 177 771 rabbit
does in 60 538 farms (table. 1), but only 2 087 of them (in 18 farms) were
controlled. White New Zealand and Californian breed represent the most part of
rabbit population. In country also are raced White giant, Flemish giant,
Chinchilla, new Bulgarian breed group – Veselina and hybrid ZIKA.
With aim to improve the hereditary traits of Bulgarian rabbit
population, 1500 animals (White New Zealand and Californian breed) were
imported from Italy and other 200 parent forms ZIKA were imported from
Germany at 2002. Utilization of unestimeted does and bucks, uncontroled
inbreeding and sporadic crosses (often with negative heterosis effect (Prayaga,
Eady, 2002; Rommers et al, 2002; Reddy et al., 2003) cause low productive
I. Dimitrova, Tz. Dimitrov, A. Teneva, H. Tzvetkova
152
traits of the big part of raced population – late maturation, low fertility and
prolificacy, low live weight, bad conversion rate of the feed, unsatisfacted meat
traits. Several non-governmental organizations (Bulgarian Rabbit Breeding
Association, National Society of Rabbit Breeders, Bulgarian board of bird and
rabbit meat processing) were established for improvement of population gene
fund.
Reproductive system. Most farms used natural mating; only several
farms practice artificial insemination with fresh semen (Grigorov, Georgiev,
2002). The does were mated for the first time earliest at age 150-days, because
of the low feeding level of young animals. This is the reason some authors to
suggest to inseminate for the first time young does not at fix age, but at fix live
weight – 75-80% of the live weight of old does (Leas et al., 1986; Roomers et
al., 2002). In most of Bulgarian rabbit farm there are not suitable feeding
program for young does, they can not to realize their growth potential. In good
condition of feeding it can be between 100-120 days of age for White New
Zealand and Californian rabbits.
Housing systems. Different housing systems were used in Bulgaria –
indoor, outdoor, or mix. Most farms have different rooms for the different rabbit
categories. The basic problem there is uncontrolled microclimatic parameters.
Feeding system. The most of the Bulgarian rabbit farms use feeding
with all ration pellets, but because of the varying quality of this forage, some of
the farmers add Lucerne hay to the ration.
Prophylactic system. The basic health problems depend of stage of
rabbit development and growth. One of the problem periods for rabbits is during
the two-week period after weaning known as a period with high mortality rate
of young rabbits (Nicodemus et al., 2002). This depend also and of the diet type
– high energy diet with low fiber level augment the percentage of mortality and
high fiber ration with low energy level reduce mortality rate, but slow down
growing in this important age period.
Next problematic stage – this is the period of the first lactation, which
can influence very negatively reproductive traits. Young does are very sensitive
of body energy deficit and this resulted in high percentage of replacement. The
does which are fed with low energy ration with high fiber level have better body
composition which decreased their energy deficit in first lactation (Xiccato, et
al.,1999).
There are not the strict prophylactic systems, but more of the farms
apply vaccination against hemorrhagic diseases one or two time of the year,
coccidiostatics in forage or in water, desinsection and disinfection every month.
Legislation base. For each part of Bulgarian rabbit production there are
the suitable legislation base – for feed producing, for rabbit cares, for does and
bucks producing, for veterinarian manipulations, for transportation and meat
processing.
Rabbit production in Bulgaria
153
Conclusions
As a whole it can say that the Bulgarian rabbit production is in
extensive stage, but the legislation base is fully synchronized with requirement
of European Union. To change it as intensive or semi intensive it need to
improve selection and feeding systems, to concentrate the farm, and to build
new more modern farms with control systems of microclimatic parameters and
which covered veterinarian requirements.
Proizvodnja zečeva u Bugarskoj
I. Dimitrova, Tz. Dimitrov, A. Teneva, H. Tzvetkova
Rezime
Cilj ovog rada je da se predstavi stanje u proizvodnji zečeva u
Bugarskoj. Generalno, proizvodnja zečeva u Bugarskoj je na ekstenzivnom
nivou. Da bi se promenila u intenzivnu ili polu-intenzivnu proizvodnju
neophodno je poboljšanje u selekciji i sistemima ishrane, izgradnja farmi i
novih savremenih farmi sa sistemima za kontrolu mikroklimatskih parametara i
koji su u skladu sa veterinarskim odredbama.
Ključne reči: proizvodnja zečeva, odgoj, reproduktivni system
References
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