Microanimals for meat if poultry populations are culled to prevent pandemic flu

German Grey Giant Rabbit and its owner.

According to "A Colossal Leap of Faith In Fight Against Famine: North Koreans See Potential in German Breeder's Giants" by Craig Whitlock in The Washington Post, February 2, 2007, a set of these giant rabbits have been imported to North Korea to create there a breed of micro livestock. According to the article:

Karl-Heinz Heitz, chairman of the State Association of Rabbit Breeders in Berlin-Brandenburg, said that German gray giants are hard to beat for size but that they aren't cheap to fatten up. It takes wheelbarrow-loads of hay, vegetables and rabbit chow to bring them to maturity.

"Let me say this: There are certainly breeds that are more economically profitable; I do not know why the North Koreans wanted this one," said Heitz, who introduced the Korean officials to Szmolinsky.

Breeds such as New Zealand red or big light silver or Vienna blue are only half as big but are more cost-effective to raise. "You do not have to put in as much to get out a fair amount of meat," Heitz said.

Some years ago, the National Academy of Sciences published a book on Microlivestock, recommending small animals and birds to farmers in developing nations, especially those with small farms.

It pointed out that guinea pigs are cost-effective to raise for meet in the Andes, and might be in other countries. The book also identifies Cricetomys gambianus as a species that is used for meat in Africa, and has been raised as a variety of microlivestock.
Already hundreds of thousands of chickens have been destroyed to prevent the spread of H5N1 avian flu, but new outbreaks are occurring again this year. Experts agree that the question is not whether a new pandemic of avian flu will arrive, but how soon. If one does arrive, it may well be the case that many poultry farms will have to close down, at least temporarily. The prices of poultry and eggs may rise beyond the reach of the poor, especially in developing nations.

An alternative source of meat from small animals might well become very important. Of course, sheep and goats will serve very effectively as small livestock suitable for the rural family, but even smaller animals may have an important role to play. The time to establish breeding populations of these animals, and to begin to introduce them into local diets would seem to be now!