The most unpretentious and useful pets are rabbits, because they provide not only valuable fur, but also healthy dietary meat. Breeding rabbits at home is popular today. Although it is low-cost, you can not only provide food for your family, but also make a profit. Caring for rabbits does not require any special skills. You can even breed them in an apartment or on a balcony.
You can even raise rabbits on the balcony
Where to begin?
Breeding and caring for rabbits is not a complicated science that takes years to master. For new farmers, rabbit farming is an excellent practice. Breeding a farm begins with the acquisition of a female and a male for rapid development, or young animals, which will be cheaper, but it will take longer for the first offspring to appear. Before purchasing animals, it is necessary to equip cages or boxes for their maintenance.
Where to buy rabbits?
Today the sales markets are quite extensive. Eared pets can be bought at farms, pet markets, through an advertisement in a newspaper or on the Internet. A better option for buying rabbits would be a rabbit farm, since there you can see animals of different breeds, get advice from breeders and learn about the advantages of each breed individually.
Rabbits on the farm
Choosing a breed for breeding
Thanks to the development of selection, today you can find rabbits of various breeds. The following breeds are popular:
- Flanders;
- Risen;
- white and gray giants;
- New Zealand red and white;
- Californian;
- European silver (beautiful breed);
- rexes.
If you are going to engage in rabbit breeding for profit, then you should opt for such breeds as the gray giant, Risen, and Californian.
Rabbit breeds are divided into the following types:
- meat;
- meat skins;
- sandpaper.
Therefore, you should decide for what purpose to breed rabbits, and then decide on the choice of breed. Care and maintenance of meat breeds is simpler and less expensive.
Skin rabbit
Mating and breeding
To achieve healthy and strong offspring, you need to familiarize yourself with the basics of breeding these animals. The female and male begin to mate at the age of six months. During the period of readiness, the female rabbit becomes active, and her genitals swell. At this time, she is placed next to the male. Once fertilized, the rabbits will be born in 28-30 days.
The birth process in rabbits takes an hour. The babies are born bald and blind. During the first week of their life, they become twice as large and overgrown with fur. In the first three weeks, they are fed exclusively with mother's milk, and she also takes care of them. They should be introduced to an adult diet gradually. When the young rabbits reach 35-40 days of age, they are transplanted into separate cages, and the female rabbit is sent for re-mating. In female rabbits, the reproductive period lasts up to 3 years, and after that they are slaughtered.
Despite the fact that raising rabbits at home is not a difficult process, it is still not worth taking a large number of animals at once. It is better to increase them gradually. To begin with, it is better to try caring for a couple of rabbits.
Every rabbit breeder must have basic aspects, such as the room where the animals will be kept, cages, food, hay, etc.
It is better to start breeding rabbits with one pair
Room for rabbits
Rabbits are unpretentious animals. Therefore, the room for them can be either simple or insulated. There should be no drafts in the room. It is necessary to ensure that the air humidity is 60-70%. In winter, cages with animals should not be taken outside, and in summer they must be kept outdoors at all times.
In winter, it is necessary to install dim lighting in the room; the light should work for at least 8 hours.
If you have taken breeding rabbits, then the room where you will keep them must be insulated. Some breeds are very heat-loving. The room temperature must be constant. A barn where the cages are located is usually used as a room. If there are warm winters, keeping eared pets is possible right on the street. Cell care must be constant.
Feeding
The diet of animals at home should not be very different from their natural diet. The main food used is root vegetables, fresh hay, dried wild plants, as well as grain crops, among which rabbits prefer oats, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and apples. It is also necessary to give them branches of fruit trees every day to prevent dental diseases.
Twigs are needed for grinding teeth
In the summer, pets are grazed. To do this, they build enclosures on the street so that they do not run away. You can release them as soon as the dew disappears. Before serving them fresh grass, it must be dried, as wet greens are harmful to them.
For rabbits, three proper meals a day. Be sure to add chalk and salt to your food. Everything must be carried out according to schedule: food, maintenance, and care. Do not forget that clean water must always be present in the cells.
Usually, female rabbits are excellent and caring mothers. They arrange the nest themselves, where they then give birth to their offspring. But even among female rabbits there are cases when they abandon their babies. But little ones need care and feeding. Therefore, they are given to another rabbit, or fed independently using a syringe or a bottle with a nipple.
Caring for young animals is easy, the main thing is to do everything on time. As the young grow older, they are gradually tamed to roughage.
Caring for baby rabbits is quite simple
The main mistakes of novice rabbit breeders
Beginning rabbit breeders have problems with offspring and keeping animals. This happens due to the following errors:
- The principle “in crowded conditions but not in any way offended” is not about rabbits; they don’t like crowding. There are no more than 3-4 individuals in one cage.
- Give preference not to metal cages, but to plywood boxes that you can make yourself. Caring for pets in such a cage is a little more difficult, but they are the safest for animals. They are quite often injured by the cut. There are cases when pets freeze exposed soft tissues to the wire. If rabbits are kept in an apartment, then metal cages are also suitable.
- After the female rabbit has given birth and fed them for the first time, she should be placed in another cage for a while. Sometimes a female rabbit eats her offspring.
- Mating is systemic in nature, so females and males should be kept separate from each other.
- You can’t slaughter all the rabbits at once; a couple are always left behind.
Raising rabbits at home is a simple task. The main thing is to stock up on everything you need, regularly care for your pets, and feed them properly and fully. Even in an apartment it will not be difficult to keep several rabbits, and proper care will prevent the smell from appearing.
If you want to provide your family with tasty, low-calorie meat, and in addition have the opportunity to earn extra money by doing something that is truly interesting, raising rabbits may be a suitable option. Caring for fluffy ears is not so difficult, no special expenses are required, you can make cages and equipment for them with your own hands. Even if you have not dealt with rabbits before, knowing the technology of cultivation, you will definitely achieve success in breeding these useful animals.
What kind of cages are needed to breed rabbits?
Check out the most and choose the appropriate breed depending on the purpose for which you plan to breed rabbits. To obtain rabbit meat in large quantities, it is better to give preference to meat breeds; you are most likely to be able to obtain valuable skins from meat-skin breeds, while downy rabbits will provide you with soft and warm down.
Purchase rabbits for raising at home that are exclusively healthy, with characteristic features for their breed. Pay attention when buying an animal: does it have shiny fur, a strong body and clear eyes? Healthy rabbits are well-fed and mobile.
Video about breeding rabbits
If you are determined to raise rabbits at home, take care in advance of making suitable cages for your future pets. Even if the buildings for keeping rabbits are cheap, they must be sufficiently light, clean and dry, because their health will directly depend on the conditions you provide for the rabbits.
Since rabbits are not afraid of the cold, they can be kept both in a closed rabbitry and outdoors in individual cages (with mandatory insulation of the walls and floor). If you make the cages yourself, make the floor from wooden slats with a distance of one to one and a half centimeters so that animal waste does not accumulate on the floor. Near feeders and where rabbits most often relieve themselves, you can make a floor of metal mesh, but be aware that the mesh can lead to (inflammation of the paws).
Since rabbits are not afraid of the cold, they can be kept either indoors or outdoors.
Equip the cages with hay mangers and hopper feeders where concentrated feed or fertilizer can be poured. The use of bunker feeders will help protect food from contamination and thereby protect rabbits from various diseases. Securely secure the drinking bowls so that the animals do not turn them over, because there must be clean water in the cages at all times.
With outdoor cage housing, you can successfully raise healthy rabbits with strong immunity, but in severe frosts your pets can get frostbite, and in winter you will only have to feed dry food in open cages. Therefore, if possible, it is better to keep rabbits in a closed rabbitry.
Rabbit raising technology - what you need to consider
Feeding
The quality of their meat and skin, as well as the health of the animals themselves, will ultimately depend on what you feed your pets. Therefore, before raising rabbits, study in detail what you should never give. Feeding pregnant females and rabbits who feed newborn rabbits requires special attention.
The quality of their meat and skin will ultimately depend on what you feed your pets.
Vaccination
Dangerous diseases such as myxomatosis and VGBV cannot be treated, so rabbits must be regularly vaccinated. The first vaccinations are given at four to six weeks of age, and then repeated every six months. Timely vaccination of rabbits will help you preserve your herd, preventing the spread of deadly diseases.
Pairing
Since rabbits are very fertile, their reproduction must be controlled from an early age: rabbits reach puberty by three months after birth, and by this time males and females should be separated. For mating, a six-month-old female is placed in a cage with a male for a few minutes and returned back to her cage so that the rabbit does not waste energy. Do not forget to note in a special notebook the date of mating and which male mated the female. For mating, it is enough to keep one male for five females.
Rabbit pregnancy and litter
If mating is successful, the female rabbit becomes pregnant, which lasts about one month. The breeding usually occurs without problems and does not require human intervention. In one litter, females of different breeds and different ages can bring from six to eighteen rabbits. With a large litter, rabbits are born with a lower weight. During the year, when breeding rabbits at home, young females produce two litters, and adults receive four or five litters.
Rabbit slaughter
You can kill a rabbit without assistance by holding it by the hind legs with one hand and striking it between the ears with a heavy stick.
The ultimate goal of raising rabbits at home is to slaughter the animals for meat or skins. Rabbits are slaughtered for meat at any time of the year upon reaching the age of four months, but it is recommended to slaughter animals for skins after molting, which occurs at the age of six to eight months. You can kill a rabbit without assistance by holding it by the hind legs with one hand and striking it between the ears with a heavy stick. All that remains is to cut up the carcass and get what you started raising rabbits for - tasty meat and beautiful skin.
Regardless of the scale of the farm (farm or homestead), special cages are built for rabbits. It is thanks to this that feed is used correctly, breeding work is carried out successfully, and it is much easier for farm owners to monitor the health of animals and carry out preventive measures in a timely manner.
This article will describe the main features and methods of keeping rabbits. You will also find photos and drawings of cages for raising livestock in summer and winter.
Keeping rabbits at home
Temperature and humidity conditions and lighting
The paws and ears of animals are very sensitive to frostbite, but high temperatures also negatively affect the health of animals. In the rabbitry, you need to maintain a stable temperature at 12-18 degrees.
Note: Adults can withstand extreme cold or heat, but only for a few days. If extreme temperatures last longer, animals will get sick and die.
In addition, the room must have an optimal level of humidity, since if the air is too dry or humid, animals develop diseases and productivity decreases. Drafts also pose a danger, so all cracks in the holding room must be closed.
In the summer, there should be natural light in the room, but if the weather is too hot, the cages need to be shaded, and special canopies should be installed in open areas. In winter, natural lighting must be supplemented with artificial lighting.
Hygiene and nutrition
These animals are very demanding regarding hygienic conditions of keeping and feeding. The room should be well ventilated, and the interior should be regularly cleaned of manure, residues of wool and feed. This condition plays a particularly important role when keeping rabbits at home in enclosed spaces.
Note: To comply with hygienic requirements, cages are cleaned twice a week, and drinking bowls and feeders are cleaned daily.
Compliance with hygienic requirements when feeding and watering livestock is no less important. The water must be clean and changed daily. Fresh grass, which is given to animals as food, is first washed under running water and then slightly dried. Any food should be placed only in feeders, since food on the floor will become contaminated. Before dispensing a fresh portion of feed, any remaining food is removed from the container.
When feeding, preference should be given to succulent seasonal food, and in winter the diet should be supplemented with root vegetables, high-quality hay and special compound feed.
Prevention of injuries and illnesses
Rabbits are very easily injured, so the cages must be made so that they do not have sharp corners. In addition, when several individuals are kept in close cages at the same time, fights occur between the animals. To prevent this from happening, only individuals of the same age should be housed at a time. New animals cannot be introduced later.
When purchasing new animals, they must be quarantined for a month, preventing contact with the rest of the livestock. In addition, at the first signs of illness, the animal is isolated from the rest until the exact cause of the disease is determined and treatment is completed. The cells are disinfected several times a year with special means or a blowtorch. Disinfection is also carried out when transplanting new individuals or after treating diseases.
Methods for keeping rabbits
There are several ways to keep rabbits on a homestead farm. Animals may be permanently kept in cages or an enclosure. They can also be kept in pits and free-range. In pits, rodents dig holes on their own, and the quality of meat increases. But with this method of keeping, the quality of the fur deteriorates, so it is not suitable for breeding animals for fur.
Keeping rabbits in cages for beginners
There are several types of rabbit cages:
- In warm climates, they can be installed outdoors (such as in a yard);
- In cold regions, structures are installed indoors;
- There is also a combined type of keeping: in summer the animals are kept outdoors, and in winter – indoors.
Each type has some nuances. So, if the cages are located in the yard, drafts should not be allowed nearby. In addition, rabbits do not tolerate high and low air humidity.
Figure 1. Cell arrangement The most optimal humidity is considered to be no higher than 75%, although animals will feel unwell at a humidity below 50%. Also, cages should not be allowed to be located in swampy areas where there is frequent fog.
Examples of the location of cages in open areas are shown in Figure 1. If they are placed in a barn or any other room, care should also be taken to ensure that the room always has clean and sufficiently humidified air. Other indoor cage requirements include(Figure 2):
- They can be placed in several tiers in two rows, with facades facing each other;
- There must be a passage between the rows;
- The ends must be covered with shields so that there are no drafts inside;
- Electric lighting is provided in the cages, since the average daylight hours to ensure high productivity and normal development of the livestock should be about 10 hours a day;
- When choosing a cage type, you need to focus not only on climatic conditions, but also on the breed and size of the animals.
Figure 2. Drawing and photo of cells For example, for adult animals of downy and meat-hide breeds, one- or two-section cages can be equipped. The optimal length ranges from 110 to 130 centimeters, respectively, but if there is a sufficient amount of building materials, the length can be increased to one and a half meters.
When equipping a cage for group housing of young animals, it is important to calculate the number of animals that will be in it. Based on this quantity, the length and width are calculated.
Note: One adult individual should have approximately 0.7 square meters of space, and with group keeping this figure is 0.1 square meters. meters (for cages with mesh floors) and 0.3 sq. meters (with wooden floor).
Young animals intended for breeding and sale can also be kept in regular cages for adults. In this case, the number of animals should be as follows:
- Up to seven commercial young animals;
- Four males or females each, intended for breeding.
It is worth noting that the females are kept together only until the beginning of the pregnancy period, and then they are seated. Males can only be kept in groups until they are three months old. However, in winter they are also brought into groups, and in summer they are separated.
Group housing significantly reduces the quality of male pelts. Therefore, if the farm does not have enough space for individual housing, only males intended for obtaining skins are placed in separate cages. An important role is played by the mating of animals. How to do it correctly - watch the video.
Drinkers for rabbits
In the front of each cage you need to install built-in feeders for root vegetables and concentrates, as well as drinking bowls. This design makes caring for animals much easier. On top of the feeder they make a metal crayfish with transverse partitions so that the suckling babies do not climb into the feeder. The drinking bowl should also be fenced.
To dispense grain and granules, it is advisable to install bunker self-feeders, the supply of feed in which is replenished once a day (Figure 3). You can also learn the detailed design of the bunker feeder from the video.
Note: Some rabbit breeders advise providing an amount of feed for several days at once. However, this is not recommended, since in this case the animal’s diet is disrupted and feed consumption increases.
If there are no built-in drinkers, you can use plug-in ones. However, they must be of a stable design so that animals cannot knock them over, and they must also be easy to clean. For example, for these purposes you can use tin cans or clay cups secured to the floor or wall (with a hook, nail or any other way).
Figure 3. Feeders (from left to right): bunker (drawing and photo), hay and fenced feeder for young animals For young animals that are kept on paddocks in the summer, it is necessary to equip a nursery with a gable hinged lid. The distance between the rods should be approximately 3 centimeters. To distribute concentrated feed on paddocks, set up a trough-shaped feeder with partitions and a group drinking bowl of the same design.
You can make automatic drinking bowls for rabbits with your own hands using a tank and a float. Thanks to the float, a stable water level is constantly maintained in the drinking bowl. Often drinking bowls are made independently from scrap materials: plastic bottles or cans (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Examples of homemade drinking bowls From other equipment, the homestead owner will also need a small cart for transporting feed, as well as cleaning and cleaning equipment: a rake, shovel, broom, scraper, bucket and dustpan. Disinfecting solutions and agents (for example, Lysol or creolin) are stored in separate containers. All equipment must be immersed in them after each treatment of cages, feeders or drinkers.
DIY rabbit cages
When constructing cages, attention must be paid to ease of maintenance, hygiene, as well as simplicity of design and low cost of building materials. The greatest attention should be paid to gender:
- In warm and temperate climates, the floors of the aft compartment are made of wooden slats (oak, maple). You can also use plastics, stamped metal and metal mesh.
- The nest compartment or nest should have solid wood floors.
- In cooler climates, floors are made of planks or double-height.
These rules also apply to the arrangement of floors in portable cages. If the farm prefers to keep livestock on solid plank floors, you need to make a slope of 5 centimeters towards the rear. To install a double floor, you can use a mesh, on top of which a removable plank floor is laid. This design is considered the most hygienic, since the removable floor can be easily cleaned of dirt and droppings.
Note: Animals should not be allowed to be kept on a mesh floor for a long time, as in this case they will develop pododermatitis.
In homestead farms, two-section cages are considered the most popular, but for a large number of livestock the shad housing system is more suitable. Sheds can be of any length, depending on the number of individuals. In addition, sheds can be single- or double-tiered. If the cages in the shad are placed in two tiers, a simple mechanism (suspended road) is installed between them, with the help of which one person can serve a large number of adults and young animals at once.
Figure 5. Shadow content In addition, a metal frame and mesh are used for construction. In most cases, such cages are intended for keeping livestock indoors, but in the summer they can be taken out into the fresh air. Also, the farm should be equipped with separate uterine or portable cages, which are made of plywood or wood. If you install a heater in them, chicks can be obtained not only in spring or summer, but also in winter. Recommendations for building cages for rabbits with your own hands are given in the video.
Large cages with partitions are considered an excellent option for keeping young animals on the skin. First, they are divided in half by partitions, and in each compartment there are six individuals of the same age, weight and development. As it grows, the cage is divided into 12 parts by ten partitions, so that each rabbit is kept separately until slaughter (Figure 5).
Note: Keeping them in such cages has a number of advantages. Firstly, the skins are not damaged, their quality improves overall. Secondly, it becomes possible to send individual individuals for slaughter after molting is complete.
You can make cells yourself using the drawings shown in Figure 6.
Keeping rabbits outside in winter - heating and feeding
If the farm has domestic rabbits, the care and maintenance of animals in winter should be special. They are prone to colds and frostbite, so their cages are insulated for the winter. The floor is covered with boards and a thick layer of bedding, and all cracks are covered. In this case, you need to leave openings for ventilation and sunlight.
Note: With proper insulation, the cages can not be moved indoors, but can be kept directly outside. But if in winter the temperature drops below -30, it is still better to move them to a barn.
Experienced rabbit breeders advise making the floor in the cages out of mesh so that manure and leftover feed fall into a special tray, from where it is easier to remove them. In winter, the livestock must be closely monitored, and if the animals show signs of frostbite, they are moved to a warm room.
Figure 6. Drawings of sheds for keeping rabbits The diet of animals is no less important. In summer they feed mainly on green and succulent food, and in winter the basis of their diet is hay, feed and grain crops. The hay must be of high quality, without fungus or mold, as this can cause disease. The winter diet must include vitamins and mineral supplements (for example, crushed pine needles or tree branches). You can also give them boiled potatoes, bran and stale bread.
Breeding rabbits at home is becoming a favorite activity for many people, which also brings good profits. These animals are fertile, and their meat and skins are highly prized. Important factors for successful rabbit breeding are the choice of breed and method of keeping animals. It is important to decide which cultivation technology the farmer will adhere to.
Breed selection
Having decided to start breeding rabbits, you need to decide on the purpose of your activity. Some raise eared pets for the purpose of selling rabbits, in which case it is worth focusing on decorative breeds. Now they are very popular, such pets are purchased as pets.
Other breeds of rabbits:
Meat. These rabbits are raised for their meat. They quickly gain weight; after 6-7 months, each individual can produce at least 4 kg of dietary rabbit meat. Purely meat breeds do not have high quality skins. These include the California and New Zealand white rabbits.
Downy. Such animals are raised solely for their skin. Meat from downy rabbits can also be eaten, but it is not so highly valued in the market. Having decided to breed rabbits for the sake of selling high-quality fur, you should pay attention to the white downy or Angora rabbit breeds.
Meat-skin. This direction is universal. By raising Soviet chinchilla rabbits, black-brown or silver, you can get double benefits - meat and skins of good quality.
How to buy a healthy specimen?
Rabbit breeding at home will be successful if you initially purchase healthy rabbits. What to look for when purchasing:
- Activity. A healthy individual is active and playful. If your pet lies down all the time and looks sad, he is most likely unwell.
- Body type. Rabbits should be moderately well-fed, strong, with developed muscle mass.
- Appearance of the skin. When a rabbit is sick, its fur loses its shine and looks unkempt. Farmers always inspect the fur in the anal area. If it is dirty there, the animal has digestive problems.
- Eyes. A healthy pet's eyes are clear and shiny. Swollen eyelids, redness, and the presence of discharge are a sign of the disease.
- Nose. A healthy rabbit has a slightly damp nose and the fur around it is clean. Any crusts under the nose or discharge from the nasal passages are a reason to refrain from purchasing.
- Ears. It is important to examine the inside of the ears. If crusts, scabs or scratches, as well as a brown mass are noticed there, the rabbit is infected with psoroptosis.
- A good rabbit's back is straight, without deflection.
- The abdomen is soft to the touch.
After examining the animal before purchasing, you should ask the owner to provide documents and vaccination information. Only after this can you buy rabbits for breeding at home.
Choosing the type of rabbit keeping
There are several types of keeping rabbits. It is important to immediately decide which type will be used. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Farmers practice rabbit breeding in the following ways:
- in cages or enclosures;
- in the pits.
Cellular
Most farmers prefer to raise rabbits in cages. Pet stores offer a wide range of housing for eared pets. It is not necessary to buy ready-made cages; you can make them yourself from available materials. For example, some make them from old furniture - a table or cabinet. This approach significantly reduces the cost of keeping rabbits.
When making cells, it is important to take into account the basic requirements for them. Let's look at them:
- Dwelling size. A suitable area for one pet is 80x60x45 cm. The height can be greater, but not less than 45 cm, since the rabbit must fit inside when it stands on its hind legs. The size of the home for a female with offspring is at least 90 cm in length and at least 80 cm in width.
- Materials. The cage is made from environmentally friendly materials - wood, not coated with varnish or paint. The front part is sewn up with metal mesh.
- Floor. Particular attention should be paid to the floor. If rabbits are kept on a cage, they may develop pododermatitis. Ideally, lay linoleum on the floor, because it is easy to clean and will not damage the paws of animals.
- Roof. The rabbit cage should be protected from precipitation and direct sunlight.
- The inside of the home is equipped with drinking bowls and feeding troughs. It is better to immediately secure the food containers to the walls of the cage so that the rabbits do not knock them over.
- House. A resting house must be installed in the rabbit cages. In the future, it will serve as a queen cell.
- Door. It is secured on hinges and a lock is installed. It is important to ensure that the opening is not too small. The owner should be comfortable cleaning the cage. Feed containers can easily enter the doorway.
Raising rabbits in cages has several advantages:
- animals are kept alone or in small groups, which avoids mass infection;
- the farmer controls the mating process, preventing inbreeding;
- in summer the cages can be moved outside, and in winter - into a warm room;
- It is possible to equip dwellings with automatic drinking bowls.
In the pits
If the farmer does not have suitable premises where rabbits could live in winter, they can be bred in pits. This method is successfully practiced even in the middle zone. It is cost effective. We will consider other advantages of pit breeding below:
- animals live in conditions close to natural;
- they multiply constantly;
- pets' immunity becomes stronger;
- rabbits lead an active lifestyle, due to which meat quality indicators improve;
- space saving - in a pit with an area of 4 m2, 150-200 individuals can live.
Now let's look at the disadvantages of pit content. These include:
- Inbreeding. The farmer cannot control inbreeding, therefore, without replacement of the male, the clan gradually degenerates.
- Epidemics. Once one individual is infected, the disease quickly spreads among animals. There is a high risk of losing the entire livestock.
- Wildness. The animals begin to be afraid of humans, they do not go to hand, and it is difficult to catch them in a pit.
- Due to fights between males, it is impossible to sell the skins as they are damaged.
Attention! Rabbits of large and fur-bearing breeds are not suitable for pit housing.
Construction of a pit does not involve large material and physical costs. Farmers dig a pit approximately 1-1.5 m deep, and its area is 2x2 meters. The walls of the pit are lined with wood or covered with slate. A layer of sand of at least 20 centimeters is poured onto the bottom, after which a fine mesh is laid on top. One of the walls is not fully sheathed, leaving space in the lower part where rabbits will dig holes.
It is important to take care of protection from precipitation. It is better to make the roof removable and sloping. It is worthwhile to provide ventilation and lighting inside the pit in the winter, when the roof is closed to protect pets from cold and snow. Inside the pit is equipped with feeders and drinking bowls.
Attention! For normal reproduction, animals need daylight hours, which lasts 16 hours.
Rabbits do not freeze in pits in winter, since the air temperature there remains within acceptable limits. These animals are sensitive to drafts, which are absent with this method of keeping.
Feeding rabbits
In order for animals to remain healthy and reproduce well, they need to eat well. Each farmer decides for himself whether he will give the rabbits compound feed or create their own diet. The first method is simpler than the second, and does not require the farm owner to have deep knowledge of how much concentrates, greens, or succulent food to give to pets. The advantage of preparing your own diet is that this method is less expensive.
The basis of the rabbit's diet in winter consists of concentrates and hay. Animals obtain protein and vitamins from grain crops. They need hay for normal digestion and for grinding down their teeth, which are constantly growing.
In summer, rabbits are given greens:
- nettle;
- dandelions;
- plantain;
- sow thistle;
- burdocks;
- dill, parsley;
- tops of garden plants - carrots, potatoes.
Attention! Do not feed rabbits tomato tops, wet grass or poisonous plants.
The diet of eared pets should also include vegetables - carrots, sugar beets, Jerusalem artichoke, zucchini, cabbage (in small quantities). Vegetables contain many vitamins, which strengthen the animals' immunity. It is forbidden to feed rabbits red beets, as well as vegetables and fruits that contain a large amount of fiber.
Branch food is another important component of the rabbit diet. Rabbits are given branches of maple, willow, mulberry, acacia, grape shoots, raspberries and currants. The branches are especially useful at the beginning of summer, when they contain the most vitamins and minerals.
Important! To maintain immunity in winter, when the food supply is scarce, rabbits are given vitamins and mineral supplements.
Features of rabbit breeding
Rabbits are allowed to mate when they reach puberty. This age occurs at different times in different breeds. On average, females can breed with rabbits from 5 months. Males should wait until 6-7 months for their first mating.
Important! The highest productivity in rabbits is recorded in the first 2 years of their life.
The following are allowed for mating:
- healthy, moderately well-fed individuals without physical defects;
- unrelated rabbits;
- females who show signs of sexual heat.
Signs that females are ready to mate:
- aggressive behavior;
- an increase in the size of the genital loop and its redness;
- When stroking her back, the female raises her tail.
Noticing this behavior of the female rabbit, she is placed next to the rabbit. The male must be in his territory to feel confident. After a short introduction and flirtation, the female accepts the cage and is fertilized. But sometimes mating does not occur for various reasons. Then it is recommended to temporarily put the rabbit away, and after a few hours arrange a second date for the animals. If this time mating does not happen, it is worth finding another gentleman for the capricious lady.
Advice from experienced farmers on how to breed rabbits successfully:
- young females are placed with mature rabbits;
- It is better to mate adult rabbits with inexperienced young males.
After 7 days, when the female should be in heat again, she is again placed next to the rabbit to check whether she is covered. If the rabbit does not allow the gentleman to approach, it means that she is pregnant.
Reference. Gestation lasts 28-32 days.
Within a month after successful mating, the appearance of offspring should be expected. During pregnancy, you need to improve the rabbit's nutrition and provide her with complete rest. One litter can have from 5 to 11 rabbits. Birthing in rabbits occurs easily and quickly; females do not need any outside help.
When baby rabbits are born, they are completely dependent on their mother for the first weeks of their lives. She feeds them with her milk and takes care of the children. However, there are also various difficulties, for example, when the mother’s milk is not enough to feed the litter. In this case, you will have to find another nurse for the babies. That is why it is important to breed several female rabbits on the farm at the same time, so that at least one more lactating female is on hand.
When babies grow up, they are introduced to complementary foods, and when they reach the age of one month, they are given the first vaccination. This measure should not be neglected if a decision is made to breed rabbits. Any infection is dangerous for these animals and can destroy the entire livestock.
It is impossible to briefly describe all the intricacies of keeping rabbits at home. Having decided to take up this business, you need to constantly study, listen to the advice of experienced farmers and put them into practice. You cannot neglect the rules of animal feeding and vaccination, otherwise your pets may die.
Rabbit breeding is considered one of the most promising types of domestic animal husbandry. With proper care, animals reproduce easily, quickly gain weight, providing the owner with dietary meat and fur all year round.
One of the mistakes novice rabbit breeders make is a permissive attitude towards animal health. There are many breeds of rabbits. Each has certain characteristics, however, rabbits of any breed have general norms of behavior. It is important for a rabbit breeder to learn to recognize the onset of the disease in time by the behavior of the animals. Otherwise, the disease will quickly spread from one individual to the entire herd.
Video about raising rabbits
Signs of the disease are easily determined by the general condition of the animal. It becomes inactive, hides in a corner, and does not accept food or water. Depending on the type of disease, the rabbit may have a cloudy look, changes in the color and shape of feces, troubled breathing, etc. If any symptoms are present, you must immediately isolate the animal in a separate cage or room and call a veterinarian. Rabbits are gentle creatures and are prone to a variety of illnesses. To prevent most of them, it is necessary to vaccinate the herd.
It is also important for a novice rabbit breeder to know that animals have very delicate skin, and a rabbit can easily be injured by sharp parts of the cage. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the cells so that they do not have sharp edges. If an animal is injured, the wound must be treated immediately.
Signs of the disease are easily determined by the general condition of the animal
A common mistake made by novice rabbit breeders is failure to follow the rules for keeping rabbits. Animals can be kept in enclosures, cages, pits, etc. Experts believe that domestic rabbit breeding is best organized when kept in cages. must meet certain indicators.
Rabbits are prone to colds, so drafts should not be allowed in their cages. The air temperature should be between 12-18 degrees. Rabbits react painfully to sudden temperature changes and high humidity. Humidity in the room can meet the standards of 60-70 percent. Lighting should correspond to natural daylight hours. During the summer, you need to make sure that rabbits are not in direct sunlight.
Particular attention should be paid to the sanitary condition of the cells. It is necessary to keep animals clean, periodically clearing the cages of animal waste products. Feces and urine, when decomposed, release harmful substances that can lead to the death of rabbits.
Rabbits are prone to colds, so drafts should not be allowed in their cages.
Rabbit breeding at home requires a special attitude to the winter maintenance of rabbits. During periods of frost, animals can get frostbite, catch a cold, and even die. If the rabbitry is located indoors, it can be heated in various ways. If the cages are located outdoors, they need to be insulated. First of all, lay a large layer of hay or straw on the floor. The walls of the cages also need to be insulated with sheets of plywood, leaving small areas for ventilation. With proper housing organization, rabbits grow healthy, quickly gaining weight.
Many novice farmers mistakenly believe that rabbits are unpretentious to food and do not require variety in food. In fact, a monotonous diet can lead to metabolic disorders, and, accordingly, to animal disease. Rabbit breeding for beginners provides for the presence of hay, grain, fresh grass, root crops, and branches in the diet per year for one adult animal. It is advisable to feed rabbits at the same hours every day.
The grain mixture, the main components of which are wheat, oats and barley, can be given dry, steamed or sprouted.
There are special feeds for rabbits, enriched with vitamins and microelements. Starting in spring, it is necessary to add green dried grass to your diet. It is important to know that not all grass is suitable for feeding rabbits. There are poisonous plants, for example, buttercups, which can kill animals. When dried, the toxic substances in the herbs disappear, so they are not harmful to animals in the hay.
There are special feeds for rabbits, enriched with vitamins and microelements
Experienced farmers use mash mixtures to which they add vegetables, feed or grain, and various vitamin supplements.
Vitamin supplements play a big role in the development and growth of healthy animals with high-quality fur. Meat and bone and fish meal, rich in minerals, are used. Table salt should be added to the food in small quantities; without it, rabbits lag behind in development. Vitamin and mineral supplements are especially necessary in winter, when green grass disappears from the rabbits’ diet.
Beginning rabbit breeders should know that under no circumstances should substances with signs of mold and rotting enter animal feed - the rabbits may die.
Often, beginning rabbit breeders tend to believe that the number of rabbits can easily be increased tenfold in a year. In principle, they are right, but such a result requires a lot of effort and time from the farmer. According to experts, you can start a domestic rabbit farm by purchasing several females from different litters and one male. Animals reach sexual maturity by 4 months, but experts advise breeding rabbits no earlier than 7-8 months, when they have gained enough weight and become stronger.
Animals reach sexual maturity by 4 months
The female carries the rabbits for about a month - from 27 to 33 days. It is necessary to ensure that the pregnant female does not experience stress or get scared. A nest made of hay should be equipped for her in the cage. Before giving birth, the female rabbit begins to prepare a nest for the young rabbits, pinching the fluff from her belly. It is important to ensure that there is always clean water in the cage for drinking. If there is no drink, the female rabbit may eat the droppings.
Little rabbits need increased care and attention from their owners. They are born without hair, blind, weighing about 50 grams, after a week their weight doubles, and by a month it increases 10 times. This is due to the high fat content and nutritional value of rabbit milk.
During the first weeks, the rabbits remain completely helpless. Once outside the nest, they may die from hypothermia. Therefore, the farmer needs to constantly monitor the litter and see if all the rabbits are fed. From about three weeks of age, rabbits begin to eat food. Still, young animals should be kept close to their mother for about two months. During this time, the rabbits become strong.
Video about breeding rabbits
Young animals should be fed nutritious and light feed. Include vitamins, milk powder, boiled and raw vegetables, and animal feed.
It is necessary to exclude coarse straw and poor-quality food from the diet of rabbits.
With proper care, rabbits grow quickly and gain weight, delighting their owners with a healthy appearance and high-quality fur.