Typology of rabbit rearing systems in tropical areas: A case of Benin (West Africa)

The breeding of rabbits in tropical areas is confronted with enormous difficulties related to feeding and health, which limit the expansion and viability of these farms. The objective of this study is to carry out a typology of rabbit farms in tropical conditions to characterize the structure and function of this rearing in order to better understand their production results. A sample of 600 rabbit farms located throughout Benin was selected. The typology was carried out using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) followed by Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) according to the Ward's aggregation algorithm and Euclidean distance, which identified five typological groups. Group 1 covered 45.7% of the farms and included small-scale production (fewer than 20 does) by professional breeders using traditional parasite control methods. Group 2 covered 3.3% of the rearing and includes a larger number of semi-extensive farms using self-produced feed. Group 3 (14.7%) was characterized by farms with fewer than 20 does that were semi-extensive and used more phytotherapy. In Group 4 (9.7% of the farms), the extensive mode was the most used, with veterinary medicine being the most used. Group 5 concentrated 26.7% of the farms and was marked by semi-extensive breeding. These farms did not record any cases of parasitosis. The typology carried out allowed a better understanding of the operating modes of these farms, their problems and the main limiting factors.