42 September 2009 rabbits were kept in bamboo cages (Figure 1). The cage size was 0.42 m3 (1.2 m x 0.7 m x 0.5 m) set on a double tier. The space for one rabbit was 0.14 m2. All rabbits were vaccinated before starting the experiment. Soft green grasses and seasonal vegetables were made available as food for the rabbits 24 hours a day (Figure 2). In addition, a mixture of broken rice (50 percent), polished rice (48 percent) and salt (two percent) were provided at two percent body weight daily. Chick-pea was provided at one percent of body weight for the lactating does and young bucks. All rabbits were weighed individually every month to determine growth rates. The dung and urine of the rabbits were collected in earthen jars every morning, a slurry was made, water was added and the mixture was distributed over the entire pond surfaces under the rabbit-fish treatment ponds every 3 days. No other organic and inorganic fertilizer was applied. Locally available rice bran was applied to the ponds at a rate of 3-5 percent of the tilapia biomass and all the ponds were subjected to the same regime of feeding. Every 15 days, tilapia were sampled using a seine to determine their growth, FCR and SGR. A range of water quality parameters, including temperature, Secchi disc depth, pH, DO, NO3-N, NH3-N, PO4-P and chlorophyll a, were determined but not reported in this article. Since it is not a conventional food item, consumers might have been confused about rabbit meat and, therefore, a group discussion followed by a test panel for rabbit meat was organized to discern consumer perception of the acceptability of rabbit meat. A total of 46 persons were invited for the test panel of cooked rabbit meat, of which 22 were university teachers, 12 journalists and 12 students. Cooked chicken meat and rabbit meat along with a questionnaire were distributed to the attendees. Growth performance of animals. The individual harvest weights of tilapia were 181g and 150 g in the tilapia-rabbit integration system recorded in laboratory and on-farm ponds; the same were, 136 g and 100 g in tilapia monoculture (Figure 3). This indicated that the size of tilapia was much higher in tilapia-rabbit culture than in tilapia monoculture. In rabbit-tilapia culture, the net production of tilapia was 3,494 kg/ha in laboratory ponds and 3,270 kg/ ha in on-farm ponds during the 152-day culture period. In the case of tilapia monoculture, the recorded net productions were 2,454 kg/ha and 2,120 kg/ha in laboratory and on-farm ponds (Table 1). Therefore, net fish production was about 40 percent higher in integrated farming than in tilapia monoculture. The survival rates of tilapia in tilapia-rabbit integration were 66 and 73 percent in laboratorhy and onfarm ponds, whereas, in tilapia monoculture, the survival rates were 62 and 72 percent. The initial average weight of rabbits was 350 g and 410 g and the final weights were 2,200 g and 2,120 g in laboratory and on-farm locations during the culture period. In both sites a total of 1,000 rabbit ha-1 were reared that resulted in 2,200 kg/ha and 2,100 kg/ha in the laboratory and farm locations. In addition 2-4 rabbit kids/rabbit were produced in five months. Quantity and Quality of rabbit dung as manure. A total Fig. 1. Rabbit in cages placed on experimental pond dike. (All photos by Prof. Dr. Mostafa A R Hossain) Fig. 2. Rabbits eating grass inside cage. Fig. 3. Tilapia growth measurement at experimental site. (Continued on page 45)
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