Author(s)

Thierry H. Cishesa^1,2,3*, Rosine Lufungulo², Crispin K. Ndagano⁴, Dieudonné C. Rugendabanga¹, Noé S. Ishara⁵, Victor N. Mituga^3,6, Justin N. Nyenyezi², Claudien I. Hamuli⁷, Anicet B. Kavange⁸, Patient M. Zamukulu^1,9

¹Institut Supérieur d’Etudes Agronomiques et Vétérinaires (ISEAV) Walungu, DR Congo.
²Institut Supérieur pour les Techniques de Développement (ISTD), Kalehe, DR Congo.
³Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Université Officielle de Bukavu (UOB), Bukavu, DR Congo.
⁴Faculty of Sciences, University of Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi.
⁵College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
⁶Université du Cinquantenaire, Lwiro, DR Congo.
⁷Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural (ISDR), Kaziba, DR Congo.
⁸Insititut Supérieur de Développement Rural (ISDR), Shabunda, DR Congo.
⁹Faculty of Agriculture and Environnemental Sciences, Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA), Bukavu, DR Congo.

Rabbit production plays a key role in the meat production and householder revenue, but the pathological risks limit their production in the traditional systems. A study was carried out to assess the farmers’ perceptions on the pathological problems in the rabbit production and assess the rate of traditional veterinary solution application on the occurrence of rabbits’ lesions. Data were collected from 100 respondents through questionnaires administered to small-holder rabbits’ farmers selected in the study area. Results indicated that most of our respondents are women than men, 28 years of average age, 26 months of rabbit farming experience and are mostly of the secondary school level. In addition, mange of the ears is the most frequent disease in rabbit farming and affects generally the head area. The occurrence of the lesions was the main mode of disease detection and most farmers used local solution (palmist oil + kerosene) to control the disease. The presence of lesions on organs varied with the application frequency of the product (p = 0.000). The palmist oil + kerosene solution applied 2 times per day (T2) reduced the amount of lesions compared to the control (T0) and thus reduces the risk of mortality (90%) compared to the control (100%) with healing. The study recommends that small-scale rabbits’ farmers be supported by an extension service through the availability of good information and sanitary livestock management to improve livestock productivity.

Ectoparasites, Rabbit Farming, Sanitation, Pathological Risk, Traditional Livestock, Kalehe

Cishesa, T.H., Lufungulo, R., Ndagano, C.K., Rugendabanga, D.C., Ishara, N.S., Mituga, V.N., Nyenyezi, J.N., Hamuli, C.I., Kavange, A.B. and Zamukulu, P.M. (2022) Farmers’ Perceptions on Rabbit’s Diseases and Treatment Application Trial against Ectoparasites in Kalehe, Eastern DR Congo. Open Access Library Journal, 9, 1-14. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1109130.