THE PROJECT PROPOSAL
TITLE; DETERMINING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DOMESTICATING
WILD RABBIT FORAGES
PRESENTED BY;
OKENGÓ MAURICE .J.
REG. NUMBER A22/0051/2009
Bsc. AGRICULTURE, CROP SCIENCE MAJOR
SUPERVISED BY;
DR. NJOROGE KIARIE
TH
INTRODUCTION
There is need to increase food security in the country.
Food production for many years has faced many
challenges and consequently food prices have been
escalating each day making it difficult for the majority of
the Kenyan population to access essential nutrition
especial the animal protein. In the recent past, most of
the studies conducted in the country have pointed out
the positive remedy to this crisis through rabbit meat
production. The studies show a remarkable success and
high potential in this sector. For a long time, rabbit
keeping was seen as an activity for young boys who kept
them as a hobby (MOLD, 2004). Rabbit production is
gaining popularity throughout Kenya as an as an
economic undertaking. this new hope could only be
constrained by insufficient and unsustainable of the
rabbit feed supply base.
PROBLEM STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION
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There is need to increase the wild rabbit forages that can
eventually be conserved to ensure constant and sustainable
supply of rabbit feeds. This will simultaneously contribute
positively into the value chain of rabbit meat production
solving the problem of feed inadequacy will spun the
production of the rabbit production to large scale and allow for
the commercialisation of the feed handling, which in return
could expand rabbit rearing.
The problem of feed inadequacy of these wild forages is
unavoidable because most of the areas in Kenya are affected
by dry spell for a better part of the year which limits
establishment of sufficient feeds. Also as part of the cultural
cultivations the wild rabbit forages is eliminated as weed.
Domestication of these forages thereby will tackle the problem
of feed insufficiency by increasing the feed base supply.
METHODOLOGY
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3.1 Materials and requirements
Black jack seeds
Common Sowthistle seeds
Wooden pegs
Meter rule
Gallant soldier seeds
Phosphate (D.A.P)
Nitrate (C.A.N)
Pesticide (duduthrin)
Tape measure
8.5m by 5.5m research plot.
EXPERIMENT
Treatments;
 1. Treatment1 ……… the control.
 2. Treatment2 ……….weeding only.
 3. Treatment3 ……..weeding + pesticide only.
 4. Treatment4 ………..weeding +pesticide + fertilizer.
The experiment will be on 24 small plot divided into three blocks each
with
different forage. Each block has 4 treatment all replicated twice.
Land preparation and planting done before the onset of the rain. After a
period
of 5-6 weeks the plant are harvested to measure the weight of
randomly
selected plants, these are used to obtain the average mean from each
plot.
CHAPTER FIVE: WORKPLAN
AND SCHEDULE
ACTIVITY
Land preparation
Seed collection
Seedbed preparation
Planting
Germination data
Top dressing
Data recording
DATE (2013)
10th January
February
February
12th march
30th march
April
30th march - may
Data analysis
Report submission
may
may
CHAPTER FIVE; WORKPLAN
AND SCHEDULE
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activity
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Land preparation
Seed collection
Seedbed preparation
Planting
Germination data
Top dressing
Data recording
Data analysis
Report submission
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CHAPTER SIX; REFERENCES
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Wanyoike, M. ; BASELINE SURVEY REPORT “Project: Strategies to Promote Rabbit Value
Chain in Kenya”.
Widderick, M 2002 ;WEED 5;COMMON SOWTHISTLE
Blackjack production guideline; Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
Widderick, M 2002; Management of common sowthistle.
G. J. H. Grubben 1996 Plant Resources of Tropical Africa: Vegetables (PROTA 2).
Soyebo K.O. (2006) Constraints Against Widespread of Rabbit Keeping among Households in
Osun and Oyo States: Implication for Family Economic Empowerment,
Journal of Applied
Sciences Research
Vietmeyer, N. D. 1985. Potentials of micro livestock in developing countries. J. Appl.
Rabbit
Res. 8:10.
Ministry of Livestock Development (2004). Annual Report, Department of Livestock
Production. Nairobi: Ministry of Livestock.
McNitt, J. I., Patton, N. M., Lukefahr, S. D. and Cheeke, P. R.2000. Rabbit Production. 8th ed.
Interstate Printers and Publishers, Danville, I
Lukefahr, S. D. (1998). Rabbit production in Uganda: Potential versus opportunity.
World
Rabbit Science, 6(3-4).
Gebremedhin T.G. (1991) The economics of small-scale rabbit production, American Journal
of Alternative Agriculture (1991), 6 : pp 180-183
Widderick, M. (2002). Common Sowthistle – Understanding its Ecology is the Key to Better
Management. Extension Brochure, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
Cheeke P. R. (1986) Potentials of rabbit production in tropical and subtropical
agricultural systems. Journal of Animal Science. Volume 63:1581-1586
Yono C, Raharj C, Cheeke PR and Patton NM (1986). Growth and reproductive performance of
rabbits on a moderately low crude protein diet with or without methionine or urea supplementation.
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