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Summary of full report
CRUSADER – A production
system for Australian farmed rabbits
by Dr Sandra J Eady
April 2005
RIRDC Publication No 05/038 RIRDC Project No CSA-23A
In 1998/99 production of farmed rabbit meat was 106 tonnes (Foster 1999), compared to 72 tonnes for wild harvested rabbit. This represented a farm gate gross value of $0.62 million which rose to $0.9 million in 1999/2000 (RIRDC 2001). In 2003 an estimate of production by farmers was in the order of 270 tonnes/annum ($2.5 million farm gate value) (Farmed Rabbit Industries of Australia Meeting, February 2004). The CIE (2004) prediction is that production levels will continue to grow steadily at around 14 per cent a year to 2005, slowing to 10 per cent to 2008, and 8 per cent to 2015
Anecdotal evidence from rabbit processors (Crusader Field Day, September 2001) is that the market could accommodate 300,000 to 400,000 rabbits per annum, or 380 to 510 tonnes of meat without additional market development and promotion
Crusader® is Australia’s first research and development project to support the emerging farmed rabbit meat industry in this country. The project was conducted by CSIRO Livestock Industries with financial support from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation for a two year period from August 2002 to June 2004. Project staff and facilities were located at the FD McMaster Laboratory at Armidale in New South Wales. It followed the original Crusader project funded from 1999 to 2002
In a benefit:cost study undertaken by the CIE (CIE 2004) the benefits flowing from the initial Crusader project (1999-2002) were largely from animal husbandry and management information and delivered a return of 15 per cent on the R&D investment. The breeding program results had not translated through to industry at that time, most likely due to the small yearly incremental nature of the improvements and the genetic lag between breeding nucleus and industry. CIE predicts that when they are achieved on-farm they will be of similar value. The prime activity of the next project (reported here) was to provide animal husbandry and management information, supported by the continuing genetic improvement of breeding stock for industry use. The focus of the project was to identify and implement methods to improve key profit drivers. Individual areas of work identified by industry as high priority are management of disease, improved survival of kittens and growers, providing optimum nutrition and benchmarking performance
The original project contract was for five years but alternate funding arrangements were negotiated after two years with the decision to commercialise the Crusader breeding program. This report covers those objectives met during the first two years
Over the two-year life of the project the goals were to:
i. Develop a disease identification/control package and select Crusader rabbits for disease resistance
Project Output: Digital images and accompanying disease identification and control information were organised into a web-based and hard copy publication with the assistance of local veterinary expertise. Candidate traits for selection for disease resistance were assessed, and those found to be heritable have been added to the Crusader breeding objective. Genetic merit for resistance to bacterial infection has improved by 11% in grower rabbits with an accompanying 5% phenotypic reduction in mortality. The project has delivered to industry a management guide to reduce disease and breeding stock with improved genetic resistance to disease
ii. Investigate environmental and genetic means of reducing pre-weaning mortality
Project Output: A range of cage design issues were investigated as to their effect on doe health
Methods for reducing hocksore by the use of suitable pressure mats were identified. The Crusader breeding program continued to select for increased litter size at weaning, achieving a 9% improvement in this trait since the breeding program commenced. The project delivered sound management advice to improve the welfare of breeding does and supplied the industry with superior breeding stock capable of lifting the litter size of industry rabbits
iii. Investigate the role of stocking density in pens in optimising productivity and welfare of grower rabbits
Project Output: Methods of improving the productivity of grower rabbits were evaluated including reduction in stocking density in group pens and continued selection for improved liveweight gain. Stocking density did not have a direct effect on growth or incidence of disease symptoms but lower stocking densities did result in improvements in survival rate. There has been a 17% improvement in rate of liveweight gain since the breeding program commenced. This activity delivered to the industry recommendations on stocking density in grower accommodation and rabbits with the genetic potential to grow faster
iv. Establish benchmark parameters for levels of production, enterprise costs (including labour) and income
Project Output: An Enterprise Model was built to estimate gross margin from meat rabbit production. It used information from the Crusader project, farmer surveys and a small group (3-4) of farmers who maintain good production and expenditure records. The Crusader Enterprise Model was posted on the project web site (www.csiro.au/crusader) in August 2003 and has been downloaded more than 1000 times since then. It has been used by potential farmers, existing farmers and groups undertaking feasibility studies on the meat rabbit industry. This activity delivered to industry an enterprise model against which farmers can benchmark their performance and investigate parameters in their own enterprise that are having major impact on profitability
v. Establish an industry alliance group to facilitate involvement and consultation in setting research goals and evaluating outputs
Project Output: After a public call for expressions of interest, the Crusader Advisory Group was formed in May 2003 and met on 3 June 2003 and 12 December 2003. Contributions by members have been important to the project in defining areas of immediate interest (feed costs and formulation, ability to benchmark performance), providing avenues for dissemination of project results through regional workshops, and direct contributions to Crusader Field Day in July 2003. The Advisory Group also played an important role in the commercialisation of the breeding program
Establishment of the Advisory Group delivered a mechanism by which industry priorities can be incorporated into R&D efforts and regional technology transfer activities can be coordinated
Overall, the meat rabbit industry is gaining coordination, with a meeting held in February 2004 to plan the formation of a national association - Farmed Rabbit Industries of Australia Pty (FRIA). A number of farmers have developed their expertise and enterprises to the stage of being able to manage large breeding herds (200 does plus). In December 2003 a call was made for expressions of interest in managing the Crusader breeding program. Four of the five respondents were in the position of being able to incorporate the Crusader program into their enterprise at 2 month’s notice
The enterprise selected was Snowy Mountains Gourmet Rabbit Company (SMGRC) at Bredbo in NSW. R&D support for the breeding program will continue over the next three years with a focus on introducing new and innovative traits to improve profit, such as additional disease resistance traits and doe longevity
In summary, the meat rabbit industry in Australia has grown considerably over the life of the Crusader project, from production of 106 tonnes of meat in 1999 to an estimated 270 tonnes in 2003
Use of Crusader stock has significantly lifted the income of farmers and provided them with a reliable source of improved rabbits. The Crusader Enterprise Model has allowed potential industry entrants to objectively evaluate returns from the industry and has contributed to the ability of industry members to base decisions on sound economic evaluation. This has reduced financial risk and strengthened the viability of existing enterprises. The project has provided an impetus for the emerging industry to form a national association which will assist in promoting industry growth and will represent its members. An independent assessment of the Crusader project has shown a significant return on investment in R&D - 15% for husbandry and management outputs and 15% for genetic improvements, once they are realised throughout the industry. Commercialisation of the Crusader breeding program means that the industry can now independently run an advanced genetic improvement scheme on a sustainable basis
The meat rabbit industry
has consolidated and grown over the last three years despite the severe
drought conditions during 2002/2003 contributing to almost a doubling in
feed prices. Meat processors report that the number of rabbit suppliers
has grown slowly but the volume being supplied by individuals has increased
significantly. Well established small businesses are now emerging and vertical
integration of production, processing and wholesaling is a common business
model for the most successful farmers. The industry continues to experience
high domestic demand for farmed rabbit. The Centre for International Economics
(CIE 2004) predicts that consolidation will continue as the average size
of rabbit farms increases (currently 100 does compared with 57 in 1999)
and smaller farmers leave the industry due to lack of economy of scale
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