Organic Water Hyacinth for Rabbits to Increase Profits

What is Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth with purple flowers growing in a water garden

A dense population of water hyacinth blooming with flowers in a river or pond

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is believed to be a native to Brazil. It is an aquatic floating, perennial plant that bears beautiful flowers and seeds. It reproduces sexually by producing rosettes (daughter plants) formed on floating runners or stolons, which grow from mother plants. The leaves growing from the rosettes will float about 3 feet above the water and expand to 6 inches wide. A group of water hyacinth will double in size in 7 to 15 days.

Nutrition Value of Water Hyacinth and its Effect to Rabbits

In a study conducted in Nigeria, water hyacinth contains important nutrients that can be provided to growing rabbits. It is high in protein and fiber which rabbits need to support growth and health. On the other hand, it is low in fat and sodium which are good for the rabbits.

Nutrition Value of Water Hyacinth Leaves per 100 Grams
Nutrient	Percent per 100 grams of Water Hyacinth Leaves
Moisture content	85.15
Ash content	16.79
Crude protein	15.27
Crude lipid (fat)	1.56
Crude fiber	15.23
Potassium ion (K")	1.55
Sodium ion (Na")	0.10

Source: P.C. OKOYE, F. DADDY and B.D.JLESANMJ National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, P. M. B. 6606, New Bussa, Niger State.

Crude protein is a combination of amino acids, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, iodine and other essential ingredients for the vital growth, development and health of rabbits. It provides the nutrients for building the muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs of rabbits. Lack of sufficient crude protein will make the rabbits weak and easily susceptible to diseases.

High crude fiber is very important to rabbits. The higher the crude fiber content of a plant, the better because the fiber increases the bulk of rabbit stool and make the stool softer by taking up liquid as it passes through the colon. The more crude fiber enters the colon of rabbits, the better because toxic substances are immediately removed from the body of rabbits, thus they are far from getting sick.

The above nutrients will vary on the water hyacinth habitat (growing water), whether it is highly contaminated and polluted where substantial mercury, lead and hazardous contaminants are present. In this case, water hyacinth growing from polluted water should not be fed to rabbits.

How to Propagate Organic Water Hyacinth

Materials Needed

Containers. You can use a 5-gallon container. For larger water hyacinth population, you can use 55-gallon plastic containers that you can cut in half, lengthwise.

Water whether chlorinated or non-chlorinated water. If you get tap water, which is chlorinated, from your household faucet, leave the water on the container for 72 hours to dissipate the chlorine.

Water hyacinth. You can buy water hyacinth plants from aquarium supply stores. Or you can harvest some water hyacinth from a pond or river which can be contaminated and polluted. In the long run, the water hyacinth will become organic because it will be absorbing clean water from the container.

Rabbit manure, whether fresh or dried as fertilizer. Or, you can buy organic powdered fertilizer from agricultural stores.

Procedures

1. Clean the container.
2. Scatter one part of the rabbit manure on the container for every 10 parts of water. For organic powdered fertilizer, scatter 5 tablespoon of fertilizer for every 10 parts of water.
3. Put sufficient water on the container to submerge the roots of water hyacinth.
4. “Plant” water hyacinth on the water. See to it that the water hyacinth occupies not more than one-fourth (¼) of the container to give three-fourths (¾) space for water hyacinth population increase. The water hyacinth will increase its population in 7 to 15 days. This means that in 21 to 45 days, the container will be full of water hyacinth.
5. You can divide into 4 groups the crowded water hyacinth from your first container. “Transplant” the 3 groups of water hyacinth to 3 separate same-size containers by following steps from 1 to 4 above. Leave the first group of water hyacinth in the first container.
6. If you do not want to plant the excess water hyacinth, you can put them in one place to decompose. Once completely decomposed, you can use the decomposed water hyacinth as organic fertilizer or mix with soil and sand and use the mixture as your potting medium for your seedlings.
7. Cut the water hyacinth leaves and feed these to the rabbits. If you provide organic water hyacinth leaves and other organic plant leaves such as sweet potato leaves and swamp cabbage leaves, you are raising organic rabbits.

Uses of Organic Water Hyacinth

1. You can use the whole water hyacinth or certain parts of it (leaves, stems, roots) as:
2. Seedlings to propagate more organic water hyacinth
3. Decorative plants for aquarium or water garden
4. Feeds for some animals such as pigs, chickens, ducks, quails, fish, and others since water hyacinth is high in crude protein and crude fiber
5. Organic fertilizer after water hyacinth is completely decomposed
6. Raw materials for producing some products such as slippers, handbags, purses, mats and others

Effects of Water Hyacinth to Rabbit Production

There was a study in Vietnam regarding the feeding of water hyacinth to experimental rabbits. After the experiments, some valuable data were gathered about the advantages of using water hyacinth as supplemental feeds to rabbits.

Effects of Feeding Water Hyacinth to Experimental Rabbits
Item	Water Hyacinth (20%)		Water Hyacinth (40%)
Initial live weight (grams)	802		827
Final live weight (grams)	2,020		2,059
Daily weight gain (grams)	19.3		19.6
Feed conversion ratio	3.68		3.63
Total cost	VND 60,226	74.5%	VND 60,182	70.0%
	US$ 2.76		US$ 2.76
Total income	VND 84,845	100.0%	VND 86,460	100.0%
	US$ 3.88		US$ 3.96
Return on investment (ROI)	VND 24,620	25.5%	VND 26,279	30.0%
	US$ 1.13		US$ 1.20

Source: A study of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as a feed resource for feeding growing rabbits by Nguyen Van Thu and Nguyen Thi Kim Dong, Cantho, Vietnam

VND means Vietnamese Dong currency; US$ means United States Dollar currency

In the experiments, rabbits fed with 40% of water hyacinth of their total feeds resulted to a higher rate of return (ROI) of 30%. This means that the amount invested (US$ 2.76) in rabbit production using at least 40% water hyacinth in feeds will result to a net profit of US$ 1.20, a return of 30% in about 63 days.

The water hyacinth used in the experiments came from the Vietnam local ponds and rivers that may be polluted and contaminated. The water hyacinth was cleaned by washing them with clean water before they were fed to the experimental rabbits.

If rabbit raisers will cultivate organic water hyacinth in containers and use them as organic feed to the rabbits, the rabbits will be healthy and no contamination such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and other hazardous wastes will enter the body system of rabbits. As such, people are assured that they are consuming organic and healthy rabbit white meat.http://moneyhealthfromorganicrabbits.blogspot.com/2015/06/organic-water-hyacinth-for-rabbits-to.html

How to Produce Organic Rabbits

Organic rabbits are small animals that are fed with natural grown and organic plants, vegetables, grass and herbs without using any chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The animals are not injected with any growth hormones and are kept in clean cages. Medicinal herbs and plants are used to prevent and cure the diseases of organic rabbits.

Organic Rabbit Farming Practices

To produce organic rabbits, one must implement the following rabbit raising practices:

1. The rabbit cages must be elevated at least twelve inches (12”) from the ground and between cages from the lower cage and upper cage. The cage setup protects the rabbits from soil and ground surface water contamination.

2. The plants, vegetables, grass and herbs must be grown on containers using organic fertilizers and pesticides. The plants growing on containers will prevent or minimize soil and ground surface water contamination. Big containers can be used to plant small trees that produce leaves to be fed to rabbits. For example, organic swamp cabbage or water spinach (ipomoea aquatica) can be grown in big plastic barrels (55-gallon barrel cut into two, lengthwise) with unchlorinated water and produce stems and leaves every 30 days. Organic carrots and sweet potato leaves can be planted in 5-gallon containers. Madre de agua (trichanthera) can be planted in big plastic containers and will grow organic leaves for several years. Wheat grass and bermuda grass can be planted in large boxes and cut the grass every 30 days to be fed to rabbits.

3. The fresh manure of organic rabbits must be used in fertilizing all plants, vegetables, grass and herbs. The fresh rabbit manure can be immediately sprinkled beside the plants without “burning” the plants. Another alternative is to put the fresh rabbit manure to your earthworm composting bins and the resulting vermicast (earthworms' poops) will be used as natural fertilizers. To produce vermicast tea, you can brew the vermicast in water for 3 days and use the brew in spraying the plants, vegetables, grass and herbs for vigorous growth and protection from harmful pests.

4. You must feed to your rabbits some organically grown medicinal herbs such as oregano, peppermint, spearmint, basil, lemon grass, rosemary, lagundi (vitex negundo) and others to prevent and cure some rabbit's diseases. For example, oregano and lagundi leaves are given to rabbits with runny nose.

5. Water must be mix with concocted indigenous microorganisms (IMO) to serve as probiotics to prevent diseases and pathogens. The water and IMO mixture will improve appetite and feed conversion ratio of rabbits. The mixture will eliminate the foul odor of slaughtered rabbit's internal organs when regularly mixed with the drinking water.

6. To avoid flies and diseases, the rabbit hutches, cages and surroundings must be thoroughly cleaned. Regular cleaning will avoid the build up of ammonia, thus eliminating respiratory problems for the rabbits. Use natural cleaning materials and avoid chemical cleaners and detergents.

Produce at Supermarkets

The vegetables and fruits sold at supermarkets contained residual chemical fertilizers and pesticides, except those labeled organic. Such produce must not be given to your rabbits because of toxins and chemicals.

List of Rabbit Breeds Weighing More Than 5 Pounds (2.3 Kilos)

The different rabbit breeds shown below are those recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc. (ARBA) with headquarters at 8 Westport Court, Bloomington, Illinois 61704, USA.



The rabbits are shown from the heaviest to the lightest variety weighing more than 5 pounds (2.3 kilos). The large rabbits are good to raise for meat production. When large rabbits are slaughtered, the edible portion of the carcass (excluding the internal organs, furs, heads, feet, and tails) will weigh about 55% of live weight. For example: if the live weight of New Zealand White rabbit is 6 pounds (2.7 kilos), the net weight of the carcass is about 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilos).

Rabbit Breed	Image	Approximate Size		Fur Type / Ear Type	Color(s)
		Pounds	Kilos
Flemish Giant		14 – 25	6.4 – 11.3	Tall / Upright	Steel, Light Grey, Sandy, Fawn, White, Black, Blue
Checkered Giant		11 – 12	5.0 – 5.4	Short / Upright	White with black markings
Giant Papillon		11 – 12	5.0 – 5.4	Short / Upright	White with black markings
Silver Fox		11 – 12	5.0 – 5.4	Short / Upright
Cinnamon		10 – 11	4.5 – 5.0	Short / Upright	Cinnamon
English Lop		10 – 11	4.5 – 5.0	Short / Lop	Many
Palomino		10 – 11	4.5 – 5.0	Short / Upright	Lynx, Golden
French Lop		10	4.5	Short / Lop	Many
Giant Angora		10	4.5	Long / Upright
Silver Marten		9.5	4.3	Short / Upright
American Albino		9 - 12	4.1 – 5.4	Short / Upright	White
American Blue		9 – 12	4.1 – 5.4	Short / Upright	Blue
American Sable		9 – 12	4.1 – 5.4	Short / Upright	Sable
Chinchilla (American)		9 – 12	4.1 – 5.4	Short / Upright	Chinchilla
New Zealand		9 – 12	4.1 – 5.4	Short / Upright	White with red eyes, Red, Black, Broken
Californian		9 – 10	4.1 – 4.5	Short / Upright	White with Chocolate, Lilac or Blue points, red eyes
Rhinelander		9 – 10	4.1 – 4.5	Short / Upright	White with colored butterfly patterns
Blanc de Hotot		8 – 11	3.6 – 5.0	Short / Upright	White, dark rings around eyes
Argente de Champagne		8 – 10	3.6 – 4.5	Short / Upright	Silver
French Angora		7 – 10	3.2 – 4.5	Long / Upright	Many
Rex (Standard)		6 – 10	2.7 – 4.5	Rex / Upright	Many
Harlequin		6 – 9	2.7 – 4.1	Upright	2 colors in fur i.e. part black part orange
Satin Angora		6 – 9	2.7 – 4.1	Long / Upright
Himalayan		6 – 8	2.7 – 3.6	Short / Upright	White with black, chocolate, lilac or blue points
Satin		6 – 8	2.7 – 3.6	Short / Upright	All self colors, very shiny fur
Argente Crème		6	2.7	Short / Upright	Cream
Thrianta		6	2.7	Short / Upright	Chestnut

Sources: Images and some texts from Wikipedia.org under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; Argente Crème rabbit image courtesy of livestockconservancy.org; Cinnamon image courtesy of Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy: Jeannie Larson; and Thrianta rabbit image courtesy of differentbreedsofrabbit.weebly.com.

Organic Sweet Potato Leaves for Your Rabbits

Pellets, timothy hay, certain vegetables and fruits are given to rabbits for their diet and nutrition. You can give some fresh sweet potato leaves, that contain a lot of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, to your rabbits. Sweet potato leaves are eaten in other countries such as South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They are also given as supplement feeds to some animals like pigs, ducks, chickens, goats and cows.

Sweet potato leaves and flower	Sweet potato leaves growing abundantly
A row of sweet potato planted in plots

The chart belows shows the valuable nutrients that you can find in sweet potato leaves.

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 grams	1 Cup, chopped 35 grams
PROXIMATES
Water	g	86.81	30.38
Energy	kcal	42	15
Protein	g	2.49	0.87
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.51	0.18
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	8.82	3.09
Fiber, total dietary	g	5.3	1.9
MINERALS
Calcium, Ca	mg	78	27
Iron, Fe	mg	0.97	0.34
Magnesium, Mg	mg	70	24
Phosphorus, P	mg	81	28
Potassium, K	mg	508	178
Sodium, Na	mg	6	2
VITAMINS
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	11.0	3.8
Thiamine	mg	0.156	0.055
Riboflavin	mg	0.345	0.121
Niacin	mg	1.130	0.395
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.190	0.066
Folate, DFE	µg	1	0
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.00	0.00
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	189	66
Vitamin A, IU	IU	3778	1322
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0.0	0.0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	302.2	105.8
LIPIDS
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0.111	0.039
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	0.020	0.007
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.228	0.080
Cholesterol	mg	0	0

Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service,

National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 27

A rabbit's diet comprises three main sources of energy: (1) carbohydrates, (2) proteins, and (3) fats. Carbohydrates provide the kind of energy needed to activate the rabbit muscles. Proteins work to build and restore rabbit body tissues.

Sweet potato leaves contain some dietary fiber and water. Dietary fiber is part of vegetables, fruits, and grains that contain cellulose and is not digested by the rabbit's body. The main effects of dietary fiber are to (1) increase the bulk of the rabbit's stool; (2) make the stool softer by taking up water as it passes through the colon; and (3) absorb the wastes and toxins and carry them out of the intestinal tract. The increase in stool bulk hastens the passage of feces and may reduce the period of time the intestinal wall is exposed to toxic substances. The dietary fiber helps the rabbit's intestines to function properly by stimulating the muscles of the intestinal walls.

Calcium in sweet potato leaves helps in the normal growth and development of rabbits.

Magnesium in sweet potato leaves is an essential mineral needed for the rabbit's bone and tooth formation, nerve conduction and muscle contraction. It may help in treating some rabbit health problems such as anxiety, asthma, cardiovascular, and hyperactivity.

Herbivores, like rabbits, need a lot of potassium. Rabbits require a high content of potassium for their body cells and muscle tissues formation. A proper balance between potassium, calcium and sodium in the rabbits' plasma must be maintained at all times for proper cardiac function.

Vitamin C in sweet potato leaves is a water-soluble vitamin that (1) promotes the growth, formation and maintenance of rabbits' bones and teeth; (2) repairs body tissues and blood vessels; and (3) increases resistance to infections and respiratory problems.

Niacin is also a water-soluble vitamin that is needed by rabbits for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and maintenance of the nervous system. Lack of sufficient niacin in the diet of rabbits may result to muscular weakness, general fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability and vomiting.

Vitamin A found in sweet potato leaves is essential for rabbits' skeletal growth, reproduction and visual acuity. Deficiency of vitamin A in rabbits leads to night blindness, lessens resistance to infection of mucous membranes, and results to loss of body hair.

How to Grow Organic Sweet Potato Leaves for Rabbits

Materials Needed

1. One plastic pail with at least 6 inches diameter and 12 inches high
2. 10 sweet potato vines with leaves. You can buy a bundle of sweet potato leaves from any Asian store.
3. Organic liquid fertilizer. If you can not find organic liquid fertilizer, you can buy organic non-liquid fertilizer from any agricultural store, crush the fertilizer very finely, mix the powdered fertilizer with water, and store the mixture in a dark-colored glass container.

Procedures

1. Fill up the pail with non-chlorinated water up to 4 inches high. If you use tap water, leave the water first in the pail for at least 12 hours to make the chlorine evaporate.
2. Remove all the leaves from the sweet potato vines. You can give the leaves to your rabbits.
3. Submerge the bottom part of the sweet potato vines on the water inside the pail.
4. Wait for about 10 to 15 days to see if small leaves are already sprouting.
5. Add one-half (½) teaspoon of organic liquid fertilizer on the water inside the pail.
6. Add more one-half (½) teaspoon of organic liquid fertilizer on the water inside the pail every month or as needed to sustain the growth of sweet potato leaves.
7. Harvest the sweet potato leaves using a scissor when they are more than 3 inches long.
8. Give the harvested sweet potato leaves to your rabbits for their diet.

For commercial rabbit production, you can use several 55-gallon blue drums and cut it lengthwise into two using a metal cutter or saw. Then, follow the following steps:

1. Clean the drums thoroughly to remove some chemicals.
2. Use plastic board or styrofoam and make several three-fourth (¾) inch diameter holes where you can insert the sweet potato vines without leaves.
3. Place the plastic board or styrofoam on the drum.
4. Put non-chlorinated water on the drum up to the bottom of the plastic board or styrofoam.
5. Insert the sweet potato vines or slips on each hole of the plastic board or styrofoam.
6. Wait for about 10 to 15 days to see if small leaves are already sprouting.
7. Add one cup of organic liquid fertilizer on the water inside the drum.
8. Add more cups of organic liquid fertilizer on the water inside the drum every month or as needed to sustain the growth of sweet potato leaves.

You can plant sweet potato leaves in your garden provided you use organic fertilizer. However, there will be problems if there are chemical pesticides and fertilizer residues on the soil that will be pick up by your sweet potato leaves through their roots. If you give the contaminated sweet potato leaves to your rabbits, the chemical pesticides and fertilizer residues will be in the carcass of the slaughtered rabbits.

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Source: Images from Wikipedia.org under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License