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OCR for page R1
1
~ .
1dICROLIVESTOCK
LitIte-Known Small Animals
with a Promising Economic Future
Board on Science and Technology
for International Development
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C. 1991
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing
Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils
of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the
Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were
chosen for their special competence and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures
approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National
Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of
Medicine.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of
distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the
furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon
the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a
mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical
matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the
National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It
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The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at
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achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy
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The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences
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The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in
1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's
purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in
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National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public,
and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by
both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert M.
White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
The Board on Science and Technology for International Development (BOSTID) of the
Office of International Affairs addresses a range of issues arising from the ways in which
science and technology in developing countries can stimulate and complement the
complex processes of social and economic development. It oversees a broad program
of bilateral workshops with scientific organizations in developing countries and conducts
special studies.
This report was prepared by an ad hoc advisory panel of the Advisory Committee on
Technology Innovation, Board on Science and Technology for International Develop-
ment, Office of International Affairs, National Research Council. Staff support was
funded by the Office of the Science Advisor, Agency for International Development,
under Grant No. DAN-5538-G-SS-1023-00.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-63998
ISBN 0-309-04437-5
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PANEL ON MICROLIVESTOCK
RALPH W. PHILLIPS, Deputy Director General (Retired), Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Chairman
EDWARD S. AYENSU, Senior Advisor to the President, African Devel-
opment Bank, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
BONNIE V. BEAVER, Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Department of
Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Texas A&M University,
College Station, Texas, USA
KURT BENTRSCHKE, Professor of Pathology and Reproductive Medicine,
University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
ROY D. CRAWFORD, Professor of Animal and Poultry Genetics, De-
partment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatche-
wan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
TONY J. CUNHA, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, University
of Florida, Gainesville, and Dean Emeritus, School of Agriculture,
California Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA
DAVID E. DEPPNER, Director, New Forest Project, International Center,
Washington, D.C., USA
ELIZABETH L. HENSON, Executive Director, American Minor Breeds
Conservancy, Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA
DONALD L. MUSS, Menard, Texas, USA (Formerly Regional Animal
Production Officer, FAO, Santiago, Chile)
DAVID R. LINCICOME, Guest Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Beltsville, Maryland, USA
THOMAS E. LOVEJOY, Assistant Secretary for External Affairs? Smith-
sonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA
ARNE W. NORDSKOG, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sci-
ence, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
LINDA M. PANEPINTO, Director, Miniature Swine Laboratory, Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
KURT J. PETERS, Professor of Animal Breeding and Husbandry in the
Tropics and Subtropics, University of Gottingen, Gottingen, West
Germany, and Director of Research, International Livestock Centre
for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
JOHN A. PINO, Senior Fellow, National Research Council, Washington,
D.C., USA
HUGH POPENOE, Director, International Program in Agriculture, Uni-
versity of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
MICHAEL H. ROBINSON, Director, National Zoological Park, Washington,
D.C., USA
KNUT SCHMIDT-NIEESON, James B . Duke Professor of Physiology,
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina,
USA
. . .
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ALBERT E. SOLLOD, Associate Professor and Head, Section of Inter-
national Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton,
Massachusetts, USA
LEE M. TALBOT, Visiting Fellow, World Resources Institute, Washing-
ton, D.C., USA
CLAIR E. TERRILL, Sheep and Goat Scientist, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
CHRISTEN M. WEMMER, Assistant Director for Conservation, National
Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, USA
DANNY C. WHARTON, Associate Curator Animal Departments, New
York Zoological Park, Bronx Zoo, The Bronx, New York, USA
CHARLES A. WOODS, Professor and Curator, Florida State Museum,
University of Flonda, Gainesville, Florida, USA
THOMAS M. YUILL, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Training,
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
* *
*
NOEL D. VIETMEYER, Board on Science and Technology for International
Development (BOSTID), National Research Council, Washington,
D.C., Microlivestock Study Director and Scientific Editor
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
F.R. RUSKIN, BOSTID Editor
MARK DAFFORN, Technical Writer
MARY JANE ENGQUIST, Staff Associate
ELIZABETH MOUZON, Senior Secretary
JOHN VREYENS, MUCIA Intern
1V
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CONTRIBUTORS
The following individuals have made general contributions to the develop
ment of this book. All of the persons listed as research contacts in Appen
dix B also contributed-usually on one or two species that are their scientific
specialty.
ASH1Q AHMAD, Wildlife Management Specialist, Pakistan Forest Institute,
Peshawar, Pakistan
ANGEL C. ALCALA, Division Research, Extension and Development, Silliman
University, Dumaguete City, Philippines
HART! AMMANN, Basel, Switzerland
PATRICK ANDAU, Forest Department, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
S.P. ARORA, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
S. AYYAPPAN, CIFRI, Kausabyaganga, Bhubaneswar Orissa, India
WALTER BAKHUIS, Caribbean Marine Biological Institute, Willemstad, Curagao,
Netherlands Antilles
JAMES R. BARBORAK, CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica
PUSHKAR NATH BHAT, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar
Pradesh, India
STEVE BENNETT, Curepe, Trinidad, West Indies
K.P. BLAND, Department of Physiology, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary
Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
MELVIN BOLTON, Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia
JOSEPH BONNEMAIRE, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Sciences Agronomiques
Appliquees, Dijon, France
R.D.S. BRANCKAERT, Faculte des Sciences Agronomiques, Universite du
Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
PETER BRAZAITIS, Herpetology, New York Zoological Society, The Bronx,
New York, USA
L. DE LA BRETONNE, JR., Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Louisiana
State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
P. BRINCK, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
LESETE BROWNRIGG, CIAT, Cali, Colombia
D. HOMER BUCK, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kinmundy, Illinois, USA
GERARDO BUDOWSKI, Natural Renewable Resources Programme, CATIE,
Turrialba, Costa Rica
DAVID BUTCHER, Taronga Zoo, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
JULIAN 0. CALDECOTT, World Wildlife Fund Malaysia, Kuching, Sarawak,
Malaysia
GARY CALLIS, Texline, Texas, USA
J.K. CAMOENS, Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines
A. CHRISTOPHER CARMICHAEE, The Museum, Michigan State University, East
Lansing, Michigan, USA
ROBERT H. CHABRECK, School of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Louisiana
State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
A.M. CHAGULA, Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
v
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CHARAN CHANTALAKHANA, Department of Animal Science, Kasetsart Univer-
sity, Bangkok, Thailand
PETER R. CHEEKE, Rabbit Research Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
Oregon, USA
G.S. CHILD, Forest Resources Division, FAG, Rome, Italy
A.S. CHOPRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Coop-
eration, New Delhi, India
W. ROSS COCKRILL, 29 Downs Park West, Bristol, England, BS6 7QH
CRISOSTOMO CORTES, Dairy Promotion and Extension Section, Dairy Devel-
opment Division, Manila, Philippines
WYLAND CRIPE, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida, USA
A. BEN DAVID, Holon, Israel
C. DEVENDRA, International Development Research Centre, Singapore
RODNEY DILLINGER, International Agency for Apiculture Development,
Rockford, Illinois, USA
DIRECTOR, Natal Parks Board, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
ROLLANDE DUMONT, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Sciences Agronomiques
Appliquees, Dijon, France
N.G. EHIOBU, Department of Agricultural Sciences, College of Education,
Agbor, Nigeria
nn~ A T n FA UNFR nf~n~rtme.nt Of 7~1~v I Jniversitv of Washington, Seattle
~ ~ ~ ~ 1~ ~ ~ ~ A ^` ~ ~ ~ A ~ ~ ^_ r - - - _ =, , _ _ ,
Washington, USA
JOHN A. FERGUSON, Overseas Development Administration, Eland House,
London, England
ABELARDO FERRER D., Quinta Nueva Exparta, San Bernardino, Caracas,
Venezuela
LYNWOOD A. FIEDLER, Section of International Programs, U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Denver Wildlife Research Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
H. FISCHER, Tropical Science Centre, Division of Tropical Veterinary Medicine,
Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, West Germany
J. FURTADO, Commonwealth Science Council, London, England
FRANK GOLLEY, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia,
USA
E. GONZALES J., Instituto de Produccidn Animal, Universidad Central de
Venezuela, El Limon-Maracay, Venezuela
GRAHAM GOUDIE, Mainland Holdings, Lae, Papua New Guinea
ALISTAIR GRAHAM, Tanglewood, Crowborough, East Sussex, England
GORDON GRIGG, Zoology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia
M.R. DE GUMAN, JR., Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, Taipei, Taiwan
COLIN P. GROVES, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, The Australian
National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
J. HARDOUIN, Institut de Medicine Tropicale "Prince Leopold," Antwerp,
Belgium
GEOFFREY HAWTIN, International Development Research Centre, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
V1
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GORDON HAVORD, Technical Advisory Division, UNDP, New York, New York,
USA
TIN HLA, Veterinary Department, Director General's Office, Rangoon, Burma
JAMES HENTGES, Department of Animal Science, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida, USA
W.F. HOLLANDER, Department of Genetics
Iowa, USA
Iowa State University, Ames,
RENE E. HONEGGER, Herpetology, Zurich Zoo, Zurich, Switzerland
JACK HOWARTH, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California
Davis, California, USA
HUANG CHU-CHIEN, Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China
ANGUS HUTTON, Gympie, Queensland, Australia
H.A. JASIOROWSKI, Animal Production and Health Division, FAG, Rome, Italy
MUHAMMAD YAQUB JAVAID, Directorate of Fisheries, Government of the Punjab,
Punjab, India
J. MANGALARA] JOHNSON, Nudumalai Sanctuary, Vannarpet, Udagamandalani
India
MAT! KAAL, Tallinn Zoo, ESSR Tallin, USSR
STELLAN KARLSSON, Simontorp Aquaculture AB, Blentarp, Sweden
JACKSON A. KATEGILE, International Development Research Centre, Nairobi,
Kenya
ROBERT E. KENWARD, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Furzebrook Research
Station, Wareham, Dorset, England
JAMES M. KEARNEY, Miami, Florida, USA
F. WAYNE KING, Florida State Museum, Gainesville, Florida, USA
H.-G. KLOS, Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Berlin, West Germany
NELS M. KONNERUP, Boom International, Stanwood, Washington, USA
NAVU KWAPENA, Office of Environment and Conservation, Boroko, Papua
New Guinea
THOMAS E. LACHER, Huxley College of Environmental Studies, Western
Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
JOHN K. LOOSLT, Gainesville, Florida, USA
PETER LUTZ, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University
of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
CRAIG MACFARLAND, CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica
CONSTANCE M. MCCORKLE, Department of Rural Sociology, University of
Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
ROBERT E. MCDOWELL' Department of Animal Science, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York, USA
JEFFREY A. MCNEELY, International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources, Gland, Switzerland
ADRIAN G. MARSHALL, Institute of South-East Asian Biology, University of
Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
RICHARD R. MARSHALL, Veterinary Medicine, Sutter Hospitals Medical Research
Foundation, Sacramento, California, USA
G.H.G. MARTIN, Department of Zoology, Kenyatta University College, Nairobi,
Kenya
. .
V11
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IAN L. MASON, Edinburgh, Scotland
JOHN C. MASON, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
J. MAYO MARTIN, Fish Farming Experimental Station, Stuttgart, Arkansas,
USA
Yo~ANDA MATAMOROS, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional,
Heredia, Costa Rica
Rosin McKERGoN, Livestock Development Corporation, Lae, Papua New
Guinea
M. MGHENI, Faculty of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture,
Morogoro, Tanzania
P. MoNG~N, Station de Recherches Avicoles, INRA-Centre de Tours, Nouzilly,
Monnaie, France
JOSE ROBERTO DE ALENCAR MOREIRA, Agricultural Research Center of the Humid
Tropics, Belem, Para, Brazil
W.L.R. OLIVER, Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, Jersey, Channel Islands,
United Kingdom
WERNER PAUWELS, Basel, Switzerland
W.J.A. PAYNE, Worcester, England
IAN PLAYER, Wilderness Leadership School, Bellair, Natal, South Africa
JAMES H. POWELL, JR., Plainview, Texas, USA
WILLIAM R. PRITCHARD, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California,
Davis, California, USA
HECTOR HUGO L~ PUN, International Development Research Centre, Bogota,
Colombia
V~cENTE T. Qu~RANTE, Small Ruminant Collaborative Research Project, Bureau
of Animal Industry, Manila, Philippines
DAN RATTNER, The Institute of Animal Research, Kibbutz Lahav, D.N. Negev,
Israel
C.V. REDDY, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural
University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India
RHoEHE~T, Institute of Applied Science and Technology, University Campus,
Turkeyen, Guyana
CHAR~Es T. Ross~Ns, Department of Zoology, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington, USA
CARMEN MA. ROIAS G., CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica
D.H.L. Ror~NsoN, Sardinia, Italy
Ju~o E. SANCHEZ P., Museo Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica
JEFF SAYER, World Conservation Centre, Gland, Switzerland
G. SEIFERT, Tropical Cattle Research Centre, CSIRO, Rockhampton,
Queensland, Australia
ANDRES E~oY SE~As, Servicio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre, Maracay, Venezuela
S.K. SHAH, Institute of Animal Sciences, National Institute of Health,
Islamabad, Pakistan
STEH CHENx~A Department of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural College,
Nanjing, People~s Republic of China
B.P. SINGH, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Chandra Sekhar Azad
University of Agriculture and Technology, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
C. CATIBOG SINHA, Forest Research Institute, College, Laguna, Philippines
. . .
v~'
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A.J. SMITH, Tropical Animal Health, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies,
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, Great Britain
A. MITHAT EFENDI, Ankara, Turkey
HENRY STODDARD, Shamrock Veterinary Clinic and Fisheries, Cross City,
Florida, USA
SUKUT SULARSASA, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Gadjalu Mada University,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
D.L. SUTTON, Agricultural Research and Education Center, Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, USA
NICHOLAS SMYTHE, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
J. SZUMIEC, Polish Academy of Sciences, Experimental Fish Culture Station,
Chybie, Poland
N. TABUNAKAWAI, Ministry of Primary Industries, Suva, Fiji
FRANK M. THOMPSON, Wild Animal Brokers, Bradenton, Florida, USA
ALLEN D. TILLMAN, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
DON TULLOCH, Winnellie, Northern Territory, Australia
CONRADO A. VALDEZ, Dairy Development Division, Bureau of Animal Industry,
Manila, Philippines
LUIS VARONA, Havana, Cuba
PRAN VOHRA, Department of Avian Sciences, College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
ANTOON DE VOS, Whitford, Auckland, New Zealand
GRAHAME WEBB, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Win-
nellie, Northern Territory, Australia
DAGMAR WERNER, Fundacion Pro Iguana Verde, Heredia, Costa Rica
GARY WETTERBERG, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., USA
CHAREES H. WHARTON, Clayton, Georgia, USA
F.W. BERT WHEEEER, College Station, Texas, USA
ROMULUS WHITAKER, Madras Crocodile Bank, Perur, Tamil Nadu, India
WILDEIFE CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAE, New York Zoological Society, The
Bronx, New York, USA
R.R. YEO, USDA-ARS, University of California, Davis, California, USA
BRUCE A. YOUNG, Department of Animal Science, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
CHAROON YOUNGPRAPAKORN, The Samutprakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo,
Samutprakan, Thailand
THOMAS M. YUILL, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin,
Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
W. ZEILLER, Miami Seaquarium, Miami, Florida, USA
1X
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Preface
The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of the potential of
small livestock species and to stimulate their introduction into animal
research and economic development programs. It is geared particularly
towards benefiting developing nations.
"Microlivestock" is a term we have coined for species that are
inherently small, such as rabbits and poultry, as well as for breeds of
cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs that are less than about half the size of
the most common breeds. These miniature animals are seldom consid-
ered in the broad picture of livestock development, but they seem to
have a promising future. Wherever land is scarce it seems reasonable
to assume that, things being equal, small animals would be more
attractive than large ones. And land for livestock is becoming increas-
ingly scarce.
In this report we have emphasized multipurpose species with promise
for smallholders. In some species, the promise is immediate; in others,
it is long term, and much research must be undertaken before that
promise can be realized or even understood.
We have included wild species that seem to have potential as future
livestock. Some are threatened with extinction but are described here
because their economic merits may be the key to acquiring support
for their protection. Also, we have highlighted rare breeds of domes-
ticated species because the current tendency has been to concentrate
on a small number of large breeds, and many potentially valuable
breeds are becoming extinct through neglect.
The book was prepared after an intensive survey of more than 300
animal scientists in 80 countries. They suggested more than 150 species
for inclusion. The staff then drafted chapters on about 40 species and
these drafts were reviewed by more than 400 researchers worldwide.
The thousands of resulting comments, corrections, and additions were
integrated into the drafts. The panel then met to review the product,
to select the most promising species, and to rework the chapters based
on their own experiences and joint conclusions. The result is the
current 35 chapters. Most of the case studies and accounts of inno-
vations highlighted in the various sidebars were developed by the staff
study director.
X1
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. .
X11
MICROLIVESTOCK
Collectively, this study covers many species, but it by no means
exhausts all the microlivestock possibilities. Lack of space and time
precludes discussion of creatures such as edible insects, snails, worms,
turtles, and bats, which in some regions are highly regarded foods.
Similarly, we have not included aquatic life. These decisions were
arbitrary; perhaps invertebrates and aquatic species can be included
in future volumes.
This report is addressed to government administrators, technical-
assistance personnel, and researchers in agriculture, nutrition, and
related disciplines who are concerned with helping developing countries
achieve a more efficient and balanced exploitation of their biological
resources. Hence, we deal with the animals in a general way and
do not cover details of biology, husbandry, or economics. A selection
of readings that contains such technical information is cited in
Appendix A.
A further goal of this project has been to explore the common ground
between the disparate arms of animal science: to show that specialists
in wildlife, zoology, and livestock science have much to learn from
one another's field of expertise; to show that "fanciers" of pigeons,
pheasants, chinchillas, iguanas, and other species may have much to
offer livestock breeders including germplasm; and that those who
raise "obsolete" breeds are not only playing a vital role in the protection
of rare genes but can offer the benefit of their experience to commercial
livestock producers.
Throughout this report, the scientific names of mammals follow
those in: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic
Reference. 1982. J.H. Honacki, K.E. Kinman, and J.W. Koeppl,
editors. Published by Allen Press, Inc.; and the Association of Sys-
tematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas, USA. All dollar figures are
in U.S. dollars; all ton figures are in metric tons.
This report has been produced under the auspices of the Advisory
Committee on Technology Innovation (ACTI) of the Board on Science
and Technology for International Development, National Research
Council. ACTI was mandated to assess innovative scientific and
technological advances, with particular emphasis on those appropriate
for developing countries. In this spirit, therefore, the current report
includes some extremely unusual species. Whether these will eventually
prove practical for widespread use is uncertain, but we present them
here for researchers and others who look forward to challenges and
enjoy the satisfaction of successful pioneering. The domestication of
new poultry, as well as the management of rodents, iguanas, and small
deer and antelope, should be viewed in this spirit.
Current titles in the ACTI series on managing tropical animal
resources are:
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PREFACE
· The Water Buffalo: New Prospects for an Underutilized Animal
· Little-Known Asian Animals with a Promising Economic Future
· Crocodiles as a Resource for the Tropics
· Butterfly Farming in Papua New Guinea.
. . .
x~
The production of these books has been supported largely by the
Office of the Science Advisor of the U.S. Agency for International
Development (AID), which also made this report possible.
WARNING
If misunderstood, this book is potentially dangerous. Because of the
severity of the food crisis, the panel has selected some animal~mainly
in the rodent section that are highly adaptable and grow quickly. These
seem appropriate for raising only in areas where they already exist,
which are clearly identified in those chapters. Such potentially invasive
animals should not be introduced to other environments because they
could become serious pests. In any trials, local species should always be
given priority.
How to cite this report:
National Research Council. 1991. Microlivestock: Little-Known Small
Animals with a Promising Economic Future. National Academy Press,
Washington, D.C.
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Contents
Introduction 1
PART I MICROBREEDS
1 Microcattle 16
2 Microgoats
3 Microsheep
4 Micropigs 62
14
Part II POULTRY 72
5 Chicken 78
6 Ducks 90
7 Geese 100
8 Guinea Fowl 114
9 Muscovy 124
10 Pigeon 136
11 Quail 146
12 Turkey 156
13 Potential New Poultry 166
PART III RABBITS 178
14 Domestic Rabbit 182
PART IV RODENTS 192
15 Agouti 198
16 Capybara
17 Coypu 216
18 Giant Rat
19 Grasscutter
20 Guinea Pig
21 Hutia 250
22 Mara 256
23 Paca 262
24 Vizcacha 270
25 Other Rodents
224
232
240
PART V DEER AND ANTELOPE 284
26 Mouse Deer 290
27 Muntjac 298
xv
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XVI
28 Musk Deer 306
29 South America's Microdeer 314
30 Water Deer 320
31 Duikers 326
32 Other Small Antelope
PART VI LIZARDS 342
33 Green Iguana 346
34 Black Iguana 354
PART VII OTHERS 360
35 Bees 362
APPENDIXES
A Selected Readings
B Research Contacts
C
371
393
Biographical Sketches of
Panel Members 427
INDEX OF SPECIES 437
336
Board on Science and Technology for International
Development (BOSTID) 440
BOSTID Publications 441
Art Credits
Page
14
46
90
114
124
156
166
206
MICROLIVESTOCK
Small Farmer's Journal
Balai Penelitian Ternak, Bogor, Indonesia
Tom Phillips, The Anstendig Institute, San Francisco
Brenda Spears
CAB International, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Drawing from Lewis Wright's Poultry by J. Batty, reproduced
by permission Nimrod Bood Services, Liss, United Kingdom
Drawing by Charles W. Schwartz, reproduced by permission
from Wildlife of Mexico: The Game Birds and Mammals, by A.
Starker Leopold, courtesy University of California Press
Small Farmer's Journal
Courtesy, Department of Library Services, American Museum
of Natural History
David W. Macdonald
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ART CREDITS xvii
216 Charles A. Woods
232 Reproduced from The Rodents of West Africa, ~ Trustees of the
British Museum (Natural History).
250 Charles A. Woods
270 FAO, Santiago, Chile
290 Reprinted from Animals of Southern Asia by M. Tweedie,
courtesy Paul Hamlyn Publishing, part of Reed International
Book.
320 Huang Chu-Chien
346 Horacio Rivera
362 Drawing by Sarah Landry. Reprinted by permission of Harvard
University Press from The Insect Societies, by Edward O. Wilson,
p. 97. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University
Press, copyright ~ 1971 by the President and Fellows of Harvard
College.
Drawings on pages 198, 240, and 256 are reproduced by permission from The
Random House Encyclopedia, copyright ~ 1983 by Random House, Inc.
Silhouettes on pages 284, 297, 313, 319, 334, are reproduced from Hoofed
Mammals of the World by Ugo Mochi and T. Donald Carter, reproduced with
the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. Copyright ~ 1953 by Ugo Mochi
and T. Donald Carter, copyright renewed 1981 by Edna Mochi. All rights
reserved.
The maps on pages 203, 210, 219, 227, 236, 243, 253, 260, 265, 274, 292, 293,
309, and the drawings or pages 276 and 314 are adapted from Grcimek's
Animal Life Encyclopaedia and are reproduced by permission of Coron Verlag,
Lachen am Zurichsee, Switzerland.
Drawings on pages 178, 224, 262, and 306, are reprinted by kind permission
of Andromeda Oxford Ltd. and first published in the Encyclopedia of Mammals
by David W. Macdonald, Facts on File (New York).
Drawings on pages 326 and 336 are by Clare Abbott and are reprinted from
The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, courtesy the University of
Pretoria.
Cover Design by David Bennett
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UICROLIVESTOCK
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In the developing countries, there are over 100 million farms of less
than five hectares, supporting about 700 million people, who represent
about 17 percent of the world population. Even more significant is the
fact that about 50 million farms have less than one hectare of land.
C. Devendra and Marcia Burns
Goat Production in the Tropics
We may now be in the wind down stage of bigger is better animal
selection trend and it has certain!: been a wild ride.... the lesson
now being learned is that the bigger breeding animals . . . cost more
to maintain, are often slower to reproduce, and may even have a
shorter lifespan.
Kelly Klober
Small Farmer's Journal
I ~