Solution
(a) Silage and silage preparation and their characteristics
(i) Silage is fresh green forage preserved by partial fermentation (i.e. preservation and storage in the absence of air during its preparation).
(ii) Preparing of silage
•Silage preparation is technically referred to as ensilage. Most hay crops are also suitable for ensilage. Silage preparation consist of the following steps
• Cut fodders just before it reaches the following
• The fodder is dropped into pieces (2.5 to 10cm).
•Chopped fodders are loaded in a pit or tower silo.
• In preparation the pH of 6-7 at the ‘beginning of silage is gradually brought to 3.8-4.2
• The temperature for silage preparation should be between 10-380C
• For ensiling young grass and legumes, additives such as molasses or ground grains should be incorporated to accelerate rate fermentation.
• The loaded pit is fully compressed to ensure total compaction rising a heavy tractor or any suitable means.
•The silo is then soil-sealed and covered with tarpaulin to protect it from rain and sun.
•Heavy materials such as stones, blocks etc. are placed on the cover to prevent it from being blown by wind.
(iii) Characteristics or Qualities of a good silage
•A good silage should be free from mould and rotten material.
• A good silage is normally green of brownish in colour. The moisture content-and colouring should be uniform.
•It should have pleasant taste (not sharp or bitter).
It should have pleasant smell in contrast to a foul smell of poor quality silage.
•It should have high animal acceptance (i.e. should be palatable).
(b) Production of Rabbits
(i)Housing
•Rabbit-keeping generally uses one of three systems: battery, hatch or free-range (underground system).
•Rabbits can only be properly reared under the intensive management system involving the use of battery cages and hutches.
• The use of burrows (underground system) is still not very common in our part of the world.
•The hatches are usually made of wood-wire and all metal hutches.
• A hutch is built to give maximum comfort to the animals and this gives good ventilation without draughts.
•The hatch should also protect rabbits against bad weather and natural enemies like dog, cats and snakes.
• The welded mesh (about 1.28 cm wire mesh) and roofing material of aluminium sheets or wood covered with felt material.
•Other cheap material like bamboo and wire netting can also be used.
• The roof of the hutch has to be well built to give cool temperatures and prevent excessive humidity inside the hutch.
•The roof should be gentle slopping.
•The floor has to be well laid to prevent the bunnies from coming out of the hutch.
•A kindling box should also be provided in all rabbit houses
(ii) Feeding
•Rabbits are rodents whose main feeds are grasses, green herbs and leaves.
•Rabbits may eat a little during the day and rest.
• Feeding material should be cheap and should not be part of staple food of people.
•Well-balanced ration made up of protein, carbohydrates, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins and water.
• The ration should be processed in pellets or in a mesh form to avoid wastages.
• All feed for rabbits should not be stale or rancid as these feeds gets into their nostrils and causes irritation and sneezing.
• Cool clean drinking water should be provided at all times.
• All feeds should be less succulent (juicy) especially those meant for bunnies, nursing mothers and pregnant does. This is to prevent diarrhoea.
•A rabbit feeding trough should be 30cm by 8cm by 5cm deep and watering bowl (plastic or earthenware dish of 10cm-20cm diameter may be used.
• Rabbits eat more in the night than during the day and this should be a guiding principle when designing their feeding regime.
(iii) Breeding
•The selection of rabbits for breeding is based on their fertility, growth rate, mothering ability and disease resistance.
• The buck (male rabbits) should have a sand scrotum with well-developed two balls of testicles, well-built body and shaped.
•In breeding one buck is capable of serving 10-20 does.
•Start breeding by keeping one buck and 10 does.
• At age 5-7 months both bucks and does are considered as matured for breeding.
•All forms of in-breeding should be avoided.
•The gestation period ranges from 30-32 days. In a litter a doe is capable of raising 6 to 8 bunnies (young rabbits).
• Good breeding programme enables does to have four (4) litters in a year.
• Does wean bunnies at 6 weeks old and rest for two (2) weeks after a gestation period of four (4) weeks.
•Male and female young rabbits should be separated at an early age of 3months to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
(iv) Sanitation: Sanitation is important in keeping rabbits
• Hutch should be kept clean always to prevent diseases and pests attack.
• Sawdust in hutch should be replaced every 3 days or as often as possible as the litter appears soiled.
• The hutch should be scrubbed and disinfected with a mild antiseptic solution. A few drops of Dettol or Izal in water can serve as a good disinfectant.
• The rabbit feeders should be removed and washed every day.
•Rabbits manure should not be allowed to pile up under hutch but should be removed and placed in areas where it is needed.
• Sanitation is important in rabbit keeping because they are attached by a number of diseases including diarrhoea, coccidiosis, ear canker and pests such as lice, flees, ticks, tapeworms and mites. In all these the best prevent measures is by adopting excellent sanitation in rabbit hutch.