New Zealand White Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Developed in the United States in the early 20th century from rabbits of New Zealand ancestry and standardized around 1916, the New Zealand White is a medium-large, pure-white, pink-eyed breed prized for its fast, uniform growth and high dressing percentage.

Species: Leporid
Family: Leporidae
Climate requirements: Adapts well to Kenya's moderate highland and mid-altitude zones when given shaded, well-ventilated housing; its thin white coat makes it prone to heat stress in hot lowland or coastal areas without adequate shade.

Husbandry

Care & Economics

Husbandry guide: House in raised hutches with wire mesh floors giving roughly 2.5-3 square feet per adult for hygiene and ventilation. Feed 120-150g/day of a 16-18% protein pellet ration supplemented with Napier grass, sweet potato vines or lucerne. Litters average 8-10 kits, does can breed from about 4.5-5 months, gestation is roughly 31 days, and rebreeding is possible 4-6 weeks after kindling, giving 4-5 litters a year. Well-fed kits reach a market weight of 1.8-2.5kg by 10-12 weeks. Watch for coccidiosis and ear mites; disinfect hutches between litters.
Economic importance: As the world's dominant commercial meat-rabbit breed, the New Zealand White is the most widely recognized and traded breed in Kenya's growing rabbit meat market, giving farmers reliable demand from urban butcheries, hotels and cooperative buyers.

Genetics

Breeds

No breeds recorded yet.

Animal health

Diseases

No diseases recorded yet.

Nutrition

Feeds

No feeds recorded yet.

Veterinary

Drugs & Medication

No drugs recorded yet.

Value chain

Products from this Animal

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Trade

Marketplace

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