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What do you need to breed rabbits? Rabbit Breeding Tips for Beginners

Breeding rabbits at home will not lose its popularity. First, it is a profitable business. Secondly, these animals provide not only valuable fur, but also meat and manure, which is used as fertilizer. Thirdly, do not forget about the rate of reproduction: one female can give birth to 26 cubs per year.

Path choice

A huge individual with a lot of meat and a pleasant skin.

First choose a breed. Today there are about 200 breeds. Popular: chinchilla, gray and white giant, butterfly, Viennese blue. Breeds are divided into three main types:

Skinny
Meat
Meat-skin

For rabbit breeding, they buy healthy, distinguished by clean eyes, a strong body and a shiny coat. It is undesirable to acquire those who have signs:

crooked paws
Protruding hips
Extended head
Loose or ruffled hair
Obesity or malnutrition

Biological features

Rabbits are rodents that live in burrows in colonies and eat plant foods. Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 months. The pregnancy lasts for a month. After birth, after 3-5 days the female is ready to breed again. 4 months after birth, it already weighs 3-3.5 kg - a weight that is 60 times higher than the initial one.

Adult animals shed seasonally. The first time - in the spring (April, March), the second time - in the fall (October, September). They have their thickest coat in November. In young animals, molting goes on during the transitional age. Breeders tend to slaughter when the coat change is over.

Advice from a professional

They have a developed sense of smell, but their eyesight is poor. Therefore, it is dangerous to plant not her offspring in a cage with a rabbit. Having identified a stranger by smell, he will simply destroy him. The sense of smell also influences the choice of food. It is also difficult to get accustomed to new varieties of food.

Before birth, rabbits in nature dig holes in dark places. Therefore, in the house at the maternity ward, install a blank door, and place the floor grate lower than that of the bright ward.

The condition of newborns is an indicator of the rabbit's milkiness. If the young growth lies calmly, it has a clean and smooth skin, and the body is round, then milk production is high. This indicator is influenced by the quality of the feed, season, weather, etc. It is important to remember that an obese rabbit is not able to give birth.

Growth and development at home

The baby is born with closed eyes. They open in the second week of life. After 7 days, the body of the newborn is covered with a light fluff 0.5 cm long. And by 20 days, the formation of the hairline is completed. Then he switches to self-catering.

According to statistics

The change of teeth begins 3 weeks after birth. By 25 days it ends. A rabbit is born with a weight of 60 grams, and after a few days the initial weight doubles. A month later, the pet weighs 10 times more than before.

Such intensive development is due to the high concentration of nutrients in milk:

2% sugar
15% protein
0.64% calcium
20% fat
0.44% phosphorus

A man breeds giant rabbits in a hot climate

During the lactation period, the body produces 50-20 grams of milk. By the 30th day of feeding, its excretion stops.

By the 5th month of life, the animal weighs 2.2-3.5 kg. By that time, he has already reached puberty. By the end of the first year, bone formation is completed.

By the 18th day of life, milk teeth are replaced. Then the cubs begin to reach for the mash, delicate green leaves. By the age of one month, the change of teeth is completed.

After 15 days, the animals are ripe for adult food. By that time, she stops feeding milk, and the young are transplanted.

They have a weak spine, consisting of 46 vertebrae. The paws are also fragile. As a result of fright or careless movement, young animals can damage the spine. Animals live an average of 8 years, but by the age of 4 it is necessary to stop using them for the purpose of breeding at home.

Adults and young are kept in separate cages. For the first, a drinking bowl, feeding and nesting compartments are equipped in the dwelling. Periodically, the "house" needs to be cleaned.

If you breed rabbits outside, you can harden them. They become less susceptible to various diseases. But do not keep animals outside in winter.

Rabbits are mating

Since the pets mature quickly, they are immediately separated into separate cages. The sex of the animal is preliminarily determined: skin is pulled around the genitals. If a triangle with a cut is visible, then the female, and if the tube, then the male.

Minimum age for mating: 4 months. Previously not recommended, because it can harm the health of animals and offspring. Reproduction occurs all year round, there are no restrictions. True, year-round mating is recommended for pets that are healthy.

Experienced rabbit breeders follow the following birthing schedule (when breeding at home):

Occurs from January 15 to February 1. Since pregnancy lasts 28-31 days, females are mated from December 15 to January 1, and young animals are planted from March 1 to March 15.
Scheduled for April 1-15. Mating: from 1 to 15 March, jigging - from 15 to 30 May.
Falls on June 1-15. May 1st to May 15th. Jigging from 15 to 30 July.

The male should be used as often as possible for mating. Long breaks will lead to health problems. As a rule, 1 male is assigned to 8 females.

Professional advice

Before mating, check if the female is in heat. It is expressed in an increase and pinkness of the genital loop. She is restless, plucks the fluff on her chest, collects bedding, scatters food. The hunt lasts several days.

The first mating of a young female should be with an older male. If she is “experienced,” then they sit down with a less adult. Before mating, breeders cull animals with flaws.

After 5 days, control mating is performed. If she was fertilized last time, then she will not let the male near her. Final check after 16 days. The animal's abdomen is palpated. If she is pregnant, then an embryo two or three centimeters long is felt at hand.

Preparing for the birth

approximate birth calendar

A few days before giving birth, she lays out a nest. To do this, he plucks the fluff on his stomach. But not all rabbits do this, so the breeders themselves line the bottom with cotton wool or fluff.

The presence of water in the dwelling is obligatory, since mothers, not finding how to satisfy their thirst, destroy their offspring. After the birth, the female is taken out to examine the cubs: the weak, stillborn are removed.

If the litter turned out to be too large and the owners see that they can’t feed, then the “extra” rabbits are transferred to another cage. Previously, the future "mother" of the cubs is removed from the cage. The nest is cleaned, and the young are sprayed with an infusion of odorous grass: yarrow, wormwood, etc. Then the female will not accept her offspring.

Cages for young animals

Young animals are kept in clean and bright cages, convenient for cleaning (excrement does not linger) and for operation. The residence has two sections:

For walking
A shelter entered through a hole. The floor is mesh.

In both of them, a feeder (in the shape of a triangle), a drinking bowl and a manger are placed.

Learn more from the article - at home.

mother liquors

mother liquor. Inside view.

During the period of rearing young animals and kindling, a mother liquor with dimensions of 50X30X27 cm and a manhole 18X18 cm is placed in the dwelling. It is easily removed, which is doubly convenient for examining rabbits. Another advantage: the temperature inside is kept constant. Follow the general requirements:

Make the mother liquor spacious so that the babies are not injured by the female during her movements.
It should be cleaned quickly so as not to stress the mother once again (1 time in 3-4 days).
The mother liquor should have two compartments. In what is intended for rabbits, you should make a solid bottom, and for a rabbit - trellised so that the excrement falls down into the troughs.

Feeding

Food should be enough (constant access to food is desirable). And dry food must be diluted with water. When dosing (3-4 times) a strict regimen is necessary, otherwise an uneven schedule will lead to problems in the digestive system of rabbits. Serve food not only of vegetable, but also of animal origin.

About that at home.

slaughter

This is what the carcass looks like

Stop fattening and kill at the age of 4 months. Before this, make sure that the pet has finished molting. The fur on the rump and sides is inflated and they look at the color of the skin: if it is white, then they are slaughtered. 12 hours before slaughter, do not drink or feed.

Help posts

To facilitate breeding work, rabbit breeders keep records. Previously, a sign is hung on each cage, which indicates the results of weighing, rounding (in rabbits), mating, and productivity. The same information is entered in a notebook.

Before breeding rabbits at home, prepare a place for them, calculate the costs associated with breeding (especially the cost of feed). In a year, one rabbit and her offspring require 412 kg of green grass, 107 kg of hay, 330 kg of concentrates, 120 kg of potatoes, food waste, root crops.

Breeding rabbits at home is becoming a favorite for many people, which also brings good profits. These animals are fertile, and their meat and skins are highly valued. Important factors in the successful breeding of rabbits is the choice of breed and method of keeping animals. It is important to decide what 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 grow eared pets for the purpose of selling rabbits, in which case it is worth stopping at decorative breeds. Now they are very popular, such pets are purchased as pets.
Other breeds of rabbits:

Meat. These rabbits are raised for meat. They quickly gain weight, after 6-7 months from each individual it is possible to get at least 4 kg of dietary rabbit meat. Purely meat breeds are not distinguished by high quality skins. These include the Californian and New Zealand white rabbit.

Downy. Such animals are grown solely for their skins. Downy rabbit meat can also be eaten, but it is not as highly valued on the market. Having decided to breed rabbits for the sake of selling high-quality fur, you should pay attention to the white down or angora rabbit breeds.

Meat-skin. This trend is universal. Growing rabbits Soviet chinchilla, black-brown or silver, you can get a double benefit - good quality meat and skins.

How to buy a healthy individual?

Rabbit breeding at home will be successful if you initially acquire healthy rabbits. What to look for when buying:

Activity. A healthy individual is active and playful. If the pet lies all the time and looks sad, most likely he is unwell.
Body type. Rabbits should be moderately well-fed, strong, with developed muscle mass.
Skin appearance. When a rabbit is sick, its fur loses its luster and looks messy. Farmers always inspect the wool in the anus. If it is dirty there, the animal has digestive problems.
Eyes. In a healthy pet, the eyes are clear and shiny. Swollen eyelids, redness, the presence of secretions 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 buying.
Ears. It is important to examine the auricles inside. If there are crusts, scabs or scratches, as well as a brown mass, the rabbit is infected with psoroptosis.
The back of a good rabbit is straight, without deflection.
The abdomen is soft to the touch.

After examining the animal before buying, you should ask the owner to provide documents and vaccination data. Only after that you can buy rabbits for breeding at home.

Choosing the type of rabbit keeping

There are several types of rabbit keeping. 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 aviaries;
in the pits.

Cellular

Most farmers prefer to breed rabbits in cages. Pet stores offer a wide range of homes for eared pets. It is not necessary to buy ready-made cages, they can be made with your own hands from available materials. For example, some make them from old furniture - a table or cabinet. This approach significantly reduces the cost of keeping rabbits.

Being engaged in the manufacture of cages, it is important to consider the basic requirements for them. Consider them:

Housing size. A suitable area for one pet is 80x60x45 cm. The height can be more, but not less than 45 cm, since the rabbit must fit inside when it stands on its hind legs. The size of the dwelling for a female with offspring is at least 90 cm long and at least 80 cm wide.
Materials. The cage is made from environmentally friendly materials - wood, not varnished or painted. The front part is sewn up with a metal mesh.
Floor. Particular attention should be paid to the floor. If you keep rabbits on a trellis, they can 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 must be protected from rain and direct sunlight.
Inside, the dwelling is equipped with drinkers and feeders. It is better to immediately fix the food containers on the walls of the cage so that the rabbits do not overturn them.
House. In the cages of rabbits, a rest house must be installed. In the future, he will serve as a mother liquor.
Door. It is fixed on hinges and a lock is installed. It is important to take care that the opening is not too small. It should be convenient for the owner to clean the cage. A container for food enters the doorway without hindrance.

Breeding rabbits in cages has several advantages:

animals are kept singly or in small groups, which avoids mass infection with infections;
the farmer controls the mating process, preventing inbreeding;
in summer, cells can be transferred to the street, and in winter - to an insulated room;
there is the possibility of equipping dwellings with automatic drinkers.

in the pits

If the farmer does not have a suitable room where the rabbits can live in winter, they can be bred in pits. This method is successfully practiced even in the middle lane. It is cost effective. Other advantages of pit breeding are discussed below:

animals live in conditions close to natural;
they are constantly multiplying;
the immunity of pets becomes stronger;
rabbits lead an active lifestyle, due to which meat quality indicators improve;
saving space - in a pit with an area of \u200b\u200b4 m2, 150-200 individuals can live.

Now consider the disadvantages of pit content. These include:

Inbreeding. The farmer cannot control inbreeding, therefore, without the replacement of the male, the genus gradually degenerates.
epidemics. When one individual is infected, the disease spreads rapidly among animals. The risk of losing the entire livestock is great.
running wild. The animals begin to be afraid of a person, do not walk on their hands, 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 breeds are not suitable for pit keeping.

The arrangement of the pit is not associated with large material and physical costs. Farmers dig a pit about 1-1.5 m deep, and its area is 2x2 meters. The walls of the pit are sheathed with wood or lined with slate. At the bottom, a layer of sand is poured at least 20 centimeters, after which a fine mesh is laid on top. One of the walls is not sheathed to the end, leaving a space in the lower part where the rabbits will dig holes.

It is important to take care of protection from rain. The roof is better to make removable and inclined. It is worth providing ventilation and lighting inside the pit for the winter, when the roof is closed, to protect pets from cold and snow. Inside the pit is equipped with feeders and drinkers.

Attention! For normal reproduction, the animals need daylight hours, the duration of which is 16 hours.

Rabbits do not freeze in the pits in winter, as 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 stay healthy and reproduce well, they need to eat well. Each farmer decides for himself whether he will feed the rabbits with compound feed or make up their own diet. The first method is simpler than the second, so it does not require deep knowledge from the owner of the farm, in what volume to give concentrates, greens, and juicy feed to pets. The advantage of self-compilation of the diet is that this method is less expensive.

The basis of the rabbit diet in winter is concentrates and hay. Animals get protein and vitamins from grain crops. They need hay for normal digestion and for grinding their teeth, which are constantly growing.

In summer, rabbits are given greens:

nettle;
dandelions;
plantain;
thistle;
burdock;
dill, parsley;
tops of garden plants - carrots, potatoes.

Attention! Do not feed rabbits with tops of tomatoes, wet grass and poisonous plants.

In the diet of eared pets, vegetables should also be present - carrots, sugar beets, Jerusalem artichoke, zucchini, cabbage (in a small amount). Vegetables contain many vitamins, thanks to which the immunity of animals is strengthened. It is forbidden to feed rabbits with 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, shoots of grapes, raspberries and currants. 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 breeding rabbits

Rabbits are allowed to mate when they reach puberty. In different breeds, this age occurs at different times. On average, females can happen to rabbits from 5 months. Males should wait with the first mating up to 6-7 months.

Important! The highest productivity in rabbits is recorded in the first 2 years of their life.

Knitting is allowed:

healthy moderately well-fed individuals without physical defects;
unrelated rabbits;
females showing signs of estrus.

Signs of female readiness for mating:

aggressive behavior;
an increase in the genital loop in size and its redness;
when stroking her back, the female raises her tail.

Noticing this behavior of the rabbit, she is placed next to the rabbit. The male must be in his territory in order to feel confident. After a short acquaintance and flirting, 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 the mating does not take place, it is worth finding another gentleman for the capricious lady.

Tips from Experienced Farmers on How to Successfully Case Rabbits:

young females are planted with mature rabbits;
adult rabbits are best mated with inexperienced young males.

After 7 days, when the female should go into estrus again, she is again placed next to the rabbit to check if she has covered herself. If the rabbit does not let the gentleman, then pregnancy has come.

Reference. Sukrolnost lasts 28-32 days.

One month after successful mating, offspring should be expected. During pregnancy, you need to improve the nutrition of the rabbit and give her complete rest. There can be from 5 to 11 rabbits in one litter. Kindling in rabbits is easy and fast, females do not need any outside help.

When the rabbits are born, in the first weeks of their lives they are completely dependent on their mother. 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 kids. That is why it is important to have several rabbits on the farm at the same time so that at least one more lactating female is on hand.

When the babies grow up, they are introduced to complementary foods, and upon reaching the age of one month, the first vaccination is carried out. This measure cannot be neglected if a decision is made to breed rabbits. Any infection is dangerous for these animals and can kill the entire livestock.

It is impossible to briefly describe all the subtleties of keeping rabbits at home. Having decided to do this business, you need to constantly learn, listen to the advice of experienced farmers and put them into practice. You can not neglect the rules of animal feeding and vaccination, otherwise pets may die.

Compared to other methods, this method has many advantages. The content of rabbits in cages allows you to accurately normalize the amount of food they eat and make sure that they receive all the vitamins and minerals necessary for normal development. Also, when in cells, the possibility of uncontrolled mating is completely excluded.

These animals often suffer from infectious diseases. At the same time, the lunge in the herd can be very large, since the infection spreads quickly. When caged, the animals contact each other less frequently. In addition, it will be much easier to notice a sick animal and isolate it in time.

What should be the cells

Of course, dwellings for animals should be prepared in advance. There are several varieties: for males, for grown-up young animals and for females with offspring. If animals are to be kept in very large numbers, housing for them will most likely have to be purchased. For a small livestock on a personal plot, cages can be made independently. Their walls and lid are usually made of boards. The floor is made of a metal mesh, under which a manure collection tray is installed. The entrance from the facade is closed with bars. Feeders and drinkers are placed outside the cage. The easiest way is to hang them in front of the door so that the animal can easily reach for food by sticking its head between the bars. Usually cages for outdoor keeping of rabbits have such a design.

The floor of the "houses" for animals is sometimes done differently. For example, a farmer with twenty years of experience N. I. Zolotukhin advises making it slightly inclined towards the back wall and solid. At the same time, the tiers of cells are shifted relative to each other so that the manure can roll out into the hole closed by the grate. Keeping rabbits in cages of this design has some advantages in terms of cleanliness. There is practically no manure on the floor, and animal dwellings have to be cleaned less often.

In cages for females, a place for a queen cell should be provided. In it, the rabbit will feed the cubs.

Optimal dimensions

The arrangement of spacious dwellings is one of the rules for the successful rearing of animals such as rabbits. Breeding and keeping (cells can be both purchased and homemade) in inappropriate conditions will lead to frequent diseases. Rabbits are mobile animals, they do not tolerate crowding very well. In addition, with high crowding, various kinds of infections spread faster. The specific dimensions of the cells depend primarily on the breed of animals. For small animals, you can make smaller cages. For large animals, accordingly, it will be necessary to make overall dwellings.

The minimum cage sizes for keeping rabbits are:

width - 70 cm;
height - 50 cm;
length - 150 cm.

This option is suitable either for a female with offspring, or as a home for two teenage individuals. For a rabbit-producer, you will need a cage measuring at least 70 x 50 x 100 cm. The length of the dwelling for young animals should not be less than 3 m (about 10-12 heads).

Ready cages: what to buy

Commercially, rabbit dwellings are often made entirely of galvanized mesh and sold in modular units. In such cages, rabbits will also be comfortable. But in this case, you will have to additionally build a special shed for them - a shed. Keeping rabbits in winter in cages of a similar design right on the street is unlikely to be a good solution. Completely mesh cages are blown, and there is nowhere for the rabbit to hide from the wind. Animals can even just freeze. In summer, the rabbits will suffer from heat due to the lack of shade. Shed is a long barn in which blocks are placed in rows along the walls.

Therefore, keeping rabbits in mesh cages on the street is unacceptable. If you do not want to build a shed, you should look for and buy ordinary cages. They are also found on sale. Make such dwellings for rabbits and private traders. They are sold at the market - in the same place as the animals themselves. Don't buy used cages. In any case, before settling, they should be thoroughly disinfected.

Keeping rabbits in cages: a detailed experience

Of course, for beginner farmers, the advice of those who have been breeding these animals for a long time would be very useful. Therefore, we further present to your attention information on raising rabbits, collected on specialized forums and based on the recommendations of experienced fur breeders.

How to choose manufacturers

Experienced farmers advise beginners to purchase rabbits and rabbits only from trusted farms. In this case, you can be sure that the animals are vaccinated and healthy. For one male, 4-5 females are usually bought. The most popular breeds among domestic rabbit breeders at the moment are the Soviet chinchilla, Flanders, Rex, gray giant, Californian and some others.

Feeding rabbits

Such an activity as keeping rabbits in cages can be difficult for beginner breeders, so food must be given to each animal separately. In an aviary, for example, this is not necessary. But if there are few cells, this will not cause any special difficulties. Large farms usually install automatic food supply lines and specially designed drinkers.

The ratio of types of feed for rabbits can be, for example, as follows: boiled potatoes and vegetables - 50%, (mainly crushed barley) - 35-40%, protein supplements, fish waste, whey, etc.) - 10-15% . Carrots and grass can be given ad libitum. Cabbage is fed once a week and little by little. Fresh branches (willow, elm, elm, birch, etc.) must be included in the daily diet. In winter they give hay and dried brooms.

reproduction

The first mating is carried out at the age of 6-8 months (depending on the breed). The female is always put in a cage with the male, and not vice versa. In this case, he will be more confident in himself and the chances of success will increase. Control mating is carried out in two weeks. At the same time, the behavior of the rabbit is monitored. If she snaps and does not let the gentleman, then soon she will have cubs.

The female rabbits bear about a month (28-32 days). The number of newborns also depends on the breed. They can be from four to 16. Young rabbits bring fewer cubs, experienced ones - more. The content of rabbits in cages (see photo of newborn cubs below) also has the advantage that you can observe the female at the end of pregnancy and accurately determine the time of birth.

About a day before giving birth, the female begins to build a nest. She covers him with her own fluff. Therefore, if you notice his shreds on the floor of the cage, then, most likely, your livestock will be replenished by morning. During birth, the rabbit drinks a lot of water. This stimulates lactation. Therefore, it is desirable to put an additional drinker in the cage. If there is not enough water, the female can gnaw part of the litter. The mother liquor in the cage is placed a few days before birth.

Why does the female gnaw on rabbits

There are several reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon. The main ones, in addition to the lack of water during the round, include:

Mastitis. To prevent the female from getting sick, the floor in the cage must be kept clean.
Foreign smell. It is advisable not to touch newborns with bare hands. Inspection of the nest after okrol is carried out with rubber gloves.
Lack of space. As already mentioned, space is something that rabbits love very much. Breeding and maintenance (cells should not be small, especially in females with offspring) should be carried out according to the rules.
Fright. Rabbits are generally very afraid of sharp noises, and in fear they behave unpredictably.

But the main reason for eating rabbits by females is still a lack of milk. If during the pregnancy of the animal the recommendations of specialists regarding the diet are not followed, the probability of losing the litter is very high.

Feeding rabbits

After the mother, the cubs begin to leave the nest approximately 3.5 weeks after birth. Mainly in order to eat herbs with her (it is better if she is slightly dried). Complementary foods can be started at this time. It can be, for example, crackers or bran. Gradually, crushed and root crops are introduced into the diet.

The rabbits are separated from the rabbit at 2-3 months (not earlier than one and a half). The next mating can be carried out in a month or two after that. The body of the animal must rest.

Rabbit diseases

In terms of resistance to infections, rabbits are significantly inferior to most household animals and poultry. They can get sick very easily. Moreover, the infection usually immediately affects a large part of the herd. Therefore, it is very important to carry out preventive measures - to be vaccinated on time, to clean the cages daily, to carry out disinfection at least once or twice a month. There are many diseases that rabbits are susceptible to, and they all have different symptoms. The most dangerous are:

A typical form of pasteurellosis. At the beginning of the disease, the animal has a high fever. The rabbit does not eat, and serous discharge comes from his nose. There is no cure for this disease.
in an animal with a disease, they begin to appear only after an intensive defeat of the body. The animal refuses to eat, its mucous membranes become icteric. On the sixth day, the rabbit dies.
Myxomatosis. Symptoms of this disease are swelling, the appearance of gelatinous nodules on the body. Pimples and red spots may form on the ears and eyelids.

Infected rabbits must be isolated. Carcasses of dead or slaughtered sick animals are most often burned.

Very often, the infection is transmitted to rabbits through infected feed. Therefore, you should not buy crushed stone at the bazaar. It is through it that all rabbit infections usually spread. It is better to buy more expensive feed, but from trusted suppliers with a good reputation. It is highly recommended not to keep rabbits near chickens and other poultry.

Often, rabbit infectious diseases affect the entire herd, and the farmer has to start all over again. Of course, it is expensive to throw away dwellings in which sick animals died. Especially if these are expensive modular mesh cages for the industrial keeping of rabbits. But in any case, a thorough disinfection should be carried out. This can be done with "Whiteness" or a strong solution of iodine. Metal meshes should be additionally singeed with a gas burner.

How is the slaughter

Most often, rabbits are bred for meat. Animals under the age of three months cannot be slaughtered. By this time, their meat is not yet ripe and tasteless. Animals are slaughtered for skins in the cold season, after molting, and not earlier than they are 5-6 months old. The skin of younger animals is also not ripe. Slaughter can be done in several ways. In private households, they most often use a stick with a piece of hose put on. The rabbit is taken by the hind legs and sharply hit on the occipital region.

Killing an animal by cutting off the head is not allowed. The fact is that after that the nervous system of the rabbit continues to function for a long time. All this time he is in great pain. When hit with a stick, the nervous system is turned off immediately. Before slaughter, the animal is not fed or watered for 12 hours.

skinning carcass

Cutting is carried out by hanging the rabbit on some branch or pole. Tie the carcass with twine by the hind legs. For better drainage of blood immediately after killing, you need to cut the bridge of your nose. The skin is removed like a stocking, cut around the hind legs and cut along their inside.

All organs are removed from the carcass, except for the liver, from which the bile is carefully cut off. Before cooking, it is advisable to keep the carcass in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. During this time, partial protein breakdown will occur, and the meat will become tastier.

As you can see, keeping rabbits in cages is a rather troublesome business. However, if the feeding rules are followed, the most important thing is cleanliness in the cages, and the success of this enterprise is guaranteed.

rabbit breeding- an interesting, profitable and profitable occupation. This type of activity in the household is very popular. Rabbits are distinguished by high precocity and growth intensity, increased fertility and the ability to breed throughout the year. They unpretentious in the content in cages, adapt well to the existing conditions, fully pay for the food spent on them. Breeding and caring for animals is not a difficult task if you know the most important things about rabbits. This article will show you where to start.

Rabbits are born blind, naked and completely dependent on the mother rabbit. feed on exclusively with milk. By the 10th - 14th day in rabbits eyes open, by the 16th - 20th they are already leave the nest and begin to taste adult food.

At the age of 1 month, cubs can do without a mother.. By this time, their primary hairline reaches full development and there is a change of milk teeth to molars. Newborn rabbits have 16 temporary teeth. From the 18th day of life their gradual replacement with permanent ones begins. Milk molars fall out on the 20-28th day. After the change, animals have 28 of them, less often 26 (a pair of small incisors in the upper jaw may be absent). By the age of 30 days, the live weight of rabbits increases by 8-10 times.

Rabbits are true vegetarians. They like to eat green grass and prefer high quality hay in winter. With pleasure they gnaw branches of trees and bushes, gobble up grain, vegetables and fruits. Under conditions of home keeping, animal feeds in the form of nutritional and mineral supplements are also included in the diet of animals.

Rabbit diet

The digestive system of rabbits is perfectly adapted for eating plant foods. Stomach in animals is single-chambered, has the shape of a horseshoe-shaped bag. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, pepsin and lipase, which quickly dissolve feed proteins, promote the digestion of fats, and protect food from decay. Intestines 8-10 times the body length. Rabbit urine is alkaline and contains a lot of nitrogen and sulfur. daytime feces- dry and hard, night - soft and wet. A feature of animal digestion is natural coprophagia.

Rabbit puberty comes early. Animals of medium breeds are capable of reproduction at the age of 3-3.5 months, large - at the age of 3.5-4 months. However, without harm to the health, growth and quality of offspring, they can occur no earlier than 5-6 months, when the period of intensive growth ends. The final development of the body in rabbits ends by 8 months.

Females bring numerous offspring. In one litter, usually from 6 to 9 rabbits are born. The maximum number of newborns is 18. The animals do not have a pronounced seasonal hunting. Females are fertilized all year round, every 5 - 6 days in summer, and 7 - 10 days in winter. Rabbits perfectly combine lactation and pregnancy, they can accept, care for and feed both their cubs and those from another mother, if the rabbits are about the same age.

Animals perfectly adapt to living conditions in any climatic conditions, however, they are sensitive to excessively low and high temperatures, drafts, infections and polluted air. Rabbits live up to 10 years, after 3-4 years, the reproductive capacity of females and males drops sharply, which necessitates a change in the producing composition. Especially valuable animals are used for 5-6 years.

Rabbits are the only farm animals in which albino parent pairs produce strong, healthy, fertile offspring.

Rabbit breeding: where to start, the choice of breed for breeding - meat or skin

Animals are bred for meat and skins. Downy rabbit breeding is less common. Rabbit meat is delicious, nutritious and healthy. It contains a lot of easily digestible protein, 90% of which is easily digested in the human body. Delicate fat does not harden and does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. Rabbit meat is used in dietary and clinical nutrition.. Rabbit dishes are classified as delicacies worthy of the attention of real gourmets. The most tender meat is obtained from broilers, which are slaughtered at the age of 70 - 75 days when they reach 2 kg.

The following animal breeds are suitable for meat breeding:

flandre;

french sheep;

Californian;

white New Zealand;

red New Zealand.

Listed young is fast growing, a good set of live weight, optimal feed costs for growth. Marketable products with intensive fattening are obtained by 4-6 months, the weight of rabbits at this point can reach 5 kg.

Animals are also raised for their skins.. They are used in the light industry for sewing hats, fur coats and in the form of trimming hoods of products made from synthetic and natural materials. Shoes can also be trimmed with rabbit fur. It is also used to imitate more expensive mink, arctic fox, sable, seal, etc.

High-quality skins are obtained from animal breeds:

Soviet chinchilla;

gray giant;

white giant;

silver;

Viennese blue;

black-brown;

butterfly;

Russian ermine.

Animals are distinguished thick, soft and beautiful fur with a short awn and strong undercoat. Large valuable skins are obtained from rabbits. Slaughter is carried out after 6 months, when the first adult molt ends.

When choosing animals for a tribe, attention is paid to the health and constitution of the animals. Appearance must match the description of the breed. The male must be energetic, strong, well developed, with a pronounced masculine type. You should not choose small, lethargic, passive, retarded animals. The selection criteria for females are more varied. The expectant mother should have a light head, strong but not coarse bones., straight back, wide ass, firm, firm belly, strong legs. She must have at least four pairs of evenly spaced and normally developed nipples. This is a guarantee that she can feed and raise numerous offspring.

When compiling a breeding core, it is correct to acquire males and females from different breeders in order to exclude inbreeding. Incorrect selection leads to shredding, the accumulation of diseases and the shredding of livestock.

Home rabbit farm: conditions of keeping, growing and care

In the conditions of personal farms, they practice both keeping in a barn and outdoor cage keeping of animals. The place for rabbit houses is chosen even, protected from the prevailing winds, with natural or artificial shading. Rabbits do not tolerate overheating, drafts and do not like moisture, so you should immediately create comfortable conditions for the livestock. The approach to the site should be free to ensure unimpeded distribution of feed and cleaning of cages. The breeding backbone and productive young animals are kept in different sections, although on small farms this is almost arbitrary. Separately, there is a cage for sick animals and a cage for quarantine, where newly purchased animals will be temporarily kept, which cannot be immediately placed in the main herd.

The best are considered cages made of metal mesh and wood. The back wall and ends are made of boards, nailing the parts without gaps, tightly to each other. From the inside, the corners are sheathed with metal so that the rabbits do not spoil the cages. Part of the floor, the front wall and, if desired, the door are made mesh. For these purposes, a chain-link mesh and a fine-mesh construction mesh are suitable. The size is selected so that it is convenient for the animals to walk without falling into the cells with their paws. Part of the floor is made of solid boards. This is a resting place for rabbits, they can fully relax there, lie down, gnaw on a twig, etc.
Roofing material is slate, ondulin, profiled sheet. It is practical to make a roof with a slight slope towards the back wall to allow rainwater to drain if the cages are located in the open. The hinged and reclining design makes it easy to clean the rabbit housing when changing stock.
Feeders are made removable or stationary, they are placed on the front wall inside or outside the cells. Be sure to put a drinker, preferably automatic, so that the rabbits have constant access to water.
In winter, in severe frosts, the cells are insulated. They use both improvised materials and building thermal insulation. At critically low temperatures, the outer perimeter of the cage can be sheathed with foam plastic, and the facade can be covered with grass mats. In regions where there is a lot of snow, you can simply cover the cages with it, but do not forget to remove it during the thaw. Keep warm in the cages and plentiful litter of dry leaves, hay or straw, sawdust.
On small farms cells are arranged in a row e. With a large number of livestock, for ease of maintenance, they are installed in 3 floors one on top of the other. Under each tier there is a tray for collecting feces, urine and feed waste.

Animal cages are made differently, taking into account the specification of the use of the premises and the needs of the rabbits.

Cages for young animals

Rabbits after weaning kept in groups in large spacious cages. Up to 3 months, animals are not divided by gender, then they are transplanted separately. Pugnacious, aggressive animals are isolated from the herd. Fattening and fur young stock contain 6-12 heads in one cage. Replacement animals intended to replace the producing composition are kept 3 in one house. Living space for a normal rabbit should be 0.12 m², and for reproductive young animals - 0.17 m².

For summer keeping of rabbits use a design with two grids on the back and front wall. In such a cage, young animals are comfortable and safe, animals breathe fresh air and harmful gases do not accumulate inside. In winter, it is correct to keep rabbits in a closed cage, latticed only from the facade.

Queen cells for rabbits

For each female on home farms, a separate cage is allocated. In it she lives and gives offspring. Before the birth of the cubs, housing is supplemented with a mother liquor- a closed box with a hole in which the rabbit makes a nest. They make it from wooden slats and sheathe it with plywood. The size of the box is 300 x 500 x 300 mm. The diameter of the manhole is 150 mm. The lid is made hinged for ease of revision in the nest. Queen cells are placed either inside the cage at the level of the door, or taken out, providing free passage for the animal. In such an imitation of a mink, it is convenient for a female to raise rabbits. They grow healthy, strong and strong, quickly gaining weight.

Cages for mating

There are no special facilities for crossing animals at home. Everything is done simply - the female in the hunt for the time of mating is transferred to the cage of the male. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes. Mating must be observed. Immediately after its completion, the female is removed from the cage so as not to torment the male. After 5 days, control mating is carried out. If the rabbit does not allow the male to approach her, she is considered conditionally covered.

Rabbit care consists of distributing food and cleaning the cells of their waste products. Feed is given 2 or 3 times a day. Hygiene procedures combined with morning or evening feeding. On a mesh floor, it is permissible to remove feces once a day.

Growth and development of rabbits

Childbirth in rabbits occurs at night, lasting from 10 minutes to 1 hour. After the female eats the placenta and stillborn cubs. Generic activity causes a feeling of thirst, therefore cells must be constantly watered so that the animal does not make up for the lack of fluid due to the offspring. The same situation can arise if the mother's body lacks vitamins and minerals.

Young rabbits can scatter babies, so you have to watch around but do not interfere with the process. The rabbits outside the nest are folded manually. If the situation repeats, the animal is culled.

Females feed rabbits 1 time per day, less often twice. Rabbits drink up to 200 gr. milk per day. Well-fed rabbits lie peacefully in the nest, hungry rabbits squeak and try to get out of it. If they climb out of the nest before 14 days, then this means that they do not have enough food. The maximum level of milk production in a rabbit falls on the 20th - 25th day of feeding. The mother herself cleans the nest, without the need for a person to make adjustments there is not necessary.

Feed females during lactation ad libitum, ideally, if there is always food in the feeder, the animal itself will choose when and what it needs. The mother will teach the grown children to eat adult food.

Young animals are beaten off at the age of 30 days. Breeding animals can be left under the mother for up to 45 days. During this period of life, the weight of babies increases up to 10 times.

The first selection of animals is carried out at the age of 2-3 months. They are evaluated according to the degree of development, compliance with the breed standard, health, desirable traits. Bonitation consists in inspection, comparison with standard indicators. Sick, frail, weakened, atypical animals are culled. Rabbits with a rough and loose constitution are also to be excluded. For further breeding, the most promising young animals are left, the rest of the animals are allowed for meat and skins. The last revision of the future breeding composition is carried out at 6 months.

Rabbits grow rapidly up to 4 months. This is the ideal age for slaughtering beef animals, as the profitability of feeding livestock drops sharply afterwards. To obtain marketable skins, you will have to wait for an adult molt. In rabbits, this period is not pronounced. Usually animals molt from March to April, in autumn from October to November. In summer, partial loss of the awn is observed. Approximate time for slaughtering rabbits for skins- after 6 months. It is not recommended to keep commercial young animals for more than 8 months.

What do rabbits eat, proper feeding

A good forage base is the key to the prosperity of a rabbit farm. Animals eat a variety of food of plant origin.. Greens include:

meadow forbs;
wheatgrass;
sagebrush;
corn;
sainfoin;
peas;
thistle;
burdock;
yarrow;
nettle;
colza.

The green mass is dried before distribution, it is never given wet from rain. It causes indigestion in animals, sometimes fatal.

Rough foods include:

hay;
herbal flour;
branch feed;
dry leaf of fruit trees.

Hay is harvested during the budding period, forbs and legumes are considered the best in composition. From branch feed, rabbits prefer aspen, willow, mountain ash, maple, acacia. From the garden - apple, pear, raspberry, cherry.

The succulent food menu includes:

fodder beets;
potato;
carrot;
pumpkin;
Jerusalem artichoke;
cabbage;
fruits.

Sugar beet is fed in limited quantities mixed with bran. Vegetables are a seasonal crop, so the diet can be varied throughout the year.

Juicy rabbit food

Rabbits also need grain feed. They willingly eat:

oats;
wheat
barley;
corn;
peas.

Additionally, bran, cake are included in the diet.

As a top dressing, rabbits are given:

salt;
meat and bone meal;
blood and fish meal;
milk;
serum;
yeast.

A complete diet is also provided by granulated food. It is bought ready-made in the markets or in specialized stores. The pressed lumps contain everything necessary for the rabbit's body.

Periodic distribution of onions and garlic to animals ensures the supply of additional vitamins, and the phytoncides contained in the products prevent the development of infectious and viral diseases.

For one year a female with an average brood eats up to 1 ton of grass, succulent feed 200 kg, hay 150 kg, concentrates 200 kg and mineral feed 10-12 kg. The data may differ in one direction or the other, it all depends on the climatic conditions in the region, the breed of animals and the diet menu.

Features of rabbit breeding - how to keep, care for and feed

The first time breeding animals are allowed to mate at the age of 5 - 11 months. Disposable females can be used at the age of 5 - 6 months. In healthy, strong, well-fed animals, hunting occurs every 5-6 days, somewhat less often in winter, so it is easy for a rabbit breeder to plan the time of birth of young animals. 2 weeks before the start of mating, they increase the diet with protein and vitamin feeds.. Males are offered oats, milk, eggs, which increase spermatogenesis and increase the activity of animals. By the time of mating, the producers should look strong, knocked down, in the body, but not greasy.

Mating of animals takes place quickly. For one cage, the male releases up to 2 ml. sperm. 20 minutes after mating, sperm enter the female's oviducts. Fertilization occurs 10-12 hours later.

Pregnancy in rabbits lasts 26 - 35 days. By the time of their birth, the cubs reach a weight of 50 to 90 g. The mass depends on the breed and the number of rabbits in the offspring. In multiple litters, rabbits are born small.

2 - 3 days before birth, the rabbit becomes restless, runs around the cage, arranges a nest and lines it with fluff. A sign of an approaching birth is and the drooping belly of the female, as well as the swollen nipples in which the milk resides. At this time, the supply of succulent feed is limited and hay is offered to animals. A few days after okrol, the diet is restored. Lack of milk can be stimulated by giving vegetables and fruits.

Rabbits can bring offspring 4 times a year. With compacted births, combined with feeding - up to 6-7 times. Often giving birth animals wear out quickly and have to be replaced more frequently.

With multiple births, it is recommended that part of the cubs be transferred to the upbringing of females who have few rabbits in the litter. To do this, it is better to isolate the foster mother for a while, put other rabbits in the nest interspersed with her own, and after a while return the rabbit to the nest.

Prevention of diseases, vaccinations

Rabbits are susceptible to disease. Vaccination of animals helps to strengthen the immune system and the body's resistance to infections.. The vaccinated livestock get sick less often, and disease outbreaks never end in an epidemic.

Vaccination against myxomatosis carried out when the young are 28 days old. Live vaccine B 82 is used. The form of administration is an intramuscular injection at a dose of 1 cube per head. Re-vaccination is done at the age of 120 days.

Vaccination against HBV do when the babies are 45 days old. Use tissue hydroaluminum formol vaccine. 0.5 cube of the drug is administered to animals intramuscularly. At 6 months, the procedure is repeated.

Another option to rid rabbits of disease is to use an associated vaccine. It works immediately for myxomatosis and VGBK. Rabbits are vaccinated at 45 days old. Use 0.5 cube of the drug per head. The form of administration is intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.

The fight against pasurellosis begins at 2.5 months. Give piperazine, which is administered through the oral cavity. The dose of the drug is 0.5 g per kilogram of rabbit weight.

At 3 months the time comes take action against coccidiosis. Use Baycox, Amprolium. Dilute Amprolium in a liter of water 1.4 g of the drug. The dosage of Baycox is 1 cube per liter. Drink the medicine at one time.

These activities reduce the risk of developing infectious diseases and keep rabbits healthy throughout their lives.

Vaccination is carried out only in healthy animals. The frail, sick and weakened are first treated, and then vaccinated.

Breeding and raising rabbits is an addictive business. They are interesting and instructive. For some, it becomes a lifelong passion. Everything is easy to learn. For beginners, the main thing is to try, delve into, experiment. And then - everything will work out.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 5 minutes

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The popularity of home breeding of rabbits is due to their precocity and fertility, as well as the beneficial dietary properties of their meat. In addition to meat, skins and fluff can be obtained from these animals, as well as their manure can be used as fertilizer. In addition, caring for a rabbit in a personal household is quite simple.

Rabbit breeding at home requires minimal material investment, compared to the same pigs or cows.

For a year, one healthy rabbit brings offspring at least 6 times, and this is 25 rabbits or about 70 kilograms of rabbit meat.

First of all, rabbits are rodents from the hare family. Domestic rabbits are descended from wild South European rabbits. Until now, healthy offspring have been obtained from the mating of wild and domestic rabbits. But the mating of a hare with a rabbit does not give offspring, since the biological characteristics of these animals are different.

Without maternal help, cubs can manage already at the age of three weeks to a month.

At this time, they begin to eat food on their own, while, as a rule, not forgetting to suck the rabbit. How long the suckling period will last depends on the amount of milk the female has. Obesity and low activity reduce milk production, and besides, a fat female is not capable of pregnancy. To solve this problem, you need to change the composition of the feed: increase in the diet for greens and, conversely, reduce the amount of feed and grain. To increase motor activity, you need to give the animals more free space.

The scent of rabbits is much better than vision.

The female distinguishes her cubs from strangers precisely by smell. Just as long, these animals "sniff" to new types of feed.

Since rabbits eat food exclusively of plant origin, the structure of their teeth is specific.

They do not have fangs, but incisors and molars grow throughout their lives. The front surface of the incisors is covered with an enamel ball, and they are sharpened while eating feed.

The digestive system is well developed in these domestic animals.

The large size of the stomach and the high acidity of the gastric juice make it easy to digest the food eaten. Food in the stomach of a rabbit can be from three to ten hours. The length of the rabbit intestine (up to 6 meters) is 10 times greater than the length of the body of the animal itself.

One of the biological features of rabbits is that they eat their nightly feces, since they contain a lot of protein and B vitamins. In this way, these rodents make up for the deficiency of trace elements necessary for the body.

Breeding rabbits at home for beginners

At birth, rabbits are blind, and begin to see clearly on the tenth day of life. Down in cubs is formed a week after birth, and full-fledged wool - in a month.

At the same time, they begin to feed on their own.

Milk teeth begin to change to permanent ones from the 18th day of life, and this process ends completely at the age of one month.

Rabbits molt throughout the year. The first - at the age of one month, the second - at four, the third - at seven and a half months. There are also seasonal molts.

The weight of newborn rabbits is from 40 to 60 grams, doubles in two days. A month later, the live weight of rabbits is 10 times greater than at birth.

At the age of three to five months, with proper nutrition and proper care, young animals reach a weight of two to three and a half kilograms. The fastest growth rates are typical for a period of three to four months from the moment of birth.

The ridge of these animals is tender, and the bones are thin and tubular. Such a skeletal structure is dangerous from the point of view of injuring rabbits, especially young ones. A broken leg or injury to the spine can completely immobilize the animal.

The average life expectancy of a rabbit is eight years. In order to reproduce rabbits, you can use no more than four years.

Organization of maintenance and care

The care and maintenance of rabbits do not have special specifics. The main thing is to properly prepare the cells and, if necessary, the room, as well as take care of the necessary equipment.

The main requirement is that the cages for keeping rabbits should be light and dry, they should be easy to clean. Adult animals are usually kept outdoors in closed cages, in which drinkers and feeders are installed. Cages should be cleaned regularly. Keep animals away from drafts.

Therefore, wintering, especially in extreme cold, is better indoors.

It is necessary to breed heterosexual individuals in different cells. This will control mating and prevent fights between animals.

The essence of this preparatory work is that for mating you need to choose healthy females with high milk yields. Queens seen eating offspring are not used for reproduction.

With a large number of herds, it is quite difficult to remember the characteristics of all animals.

Therefore, a plate is usually attached to each cage with information about the date of birth and the parents of the female or male. This information is extremely important in order to avoid inbreeding (mating of closely related rabbits). You should also record the dates on which the mating took place, the dates of births, the number of rabbits in the litter (together with stillborns). On the plate of the male cell, in addition to information about the birthday and parents, productivity indicators and the facts of eating offspring are also noted.

The fatness of both the male and the female selected for mating should not be excessive, but good.

Both weak and obese queens fertilize poorly.

If the animal needs to be fattened, it is given oats, hay and a mixture of bran with boiled potatoes three weeks before mating. Excessively overfed individuals, on the contrary, are transferred to a reduced diet, excluding cereals and compound feeds.

A pregnant rabbit should eat well. The feed used is the same as usual, but their quantity is increased.

One male can fertilize eight females.

How to breed rabbits? rabbit breeding

Rabbits can breed all year round.

For breeding, it is necessary to properly organize the mating process. It must coincide with the period of sexual hunting. Sexual hunting in females occurs every five to six days. In summer, estrus lasts about 9 days, and in winter - about 6. In the breeding season, on average, from three to nine eggs are released from each ovary of the female.

The number of rabbits in one litter ranges from six to twelve, which makes the breeding of rabbits a rather rapid process. On the second day after giving birth, the rabbit is again ready for mating, but it is better to give her the opportunity to feed offspring.

If the sperm-producing testes are retracted and do not descend into the scrotum, the male is infertile. During mating, the male produces up to one and a half cubic centimeters of seed, the activity of which in the genitals of the female is no more than a day.

The optimal age of animals for the first mating is from six to eight months.

How to care for rabbits?

The most common method that provides comfortable conditions for keeping rabbits is cellular.

The cages consist of two compartments: the first is for walking, the second is a shelter where the rabbit gets through the hole.

The floor must be made mesh or slatted, with a cell size of 18x18 millimeters. Also in the cages you need to place drinkers and feeders. The roof can also be shed. The height of the front wall of the cage is 60-70 centimeters, the back wall is from 30 to 40.

For birth and while feeding the cubs to the female, a mother liquor measuring 50x30x27 centimeters is placed in a cage. The size of the hole is 18x18 centimeters. The mother liquor should be such that it can be easily removed from the cage and inspect the cubs. It must be at a constant temperature. The lid of the mother liquor must be made removable, but with locks so that the rabbit does not open it.

Cages for mating are pre-disinfected and cleaned. The drinker, feeder and other items are removed from it. The female is always placed next to the male, and not vice versa. So the male will not be nervous and will immediately get down to business.

If, after mating, the rabbit falls on its side and purrs quietly, the mating was successful. After mating, her time and the name (or number) of the male are recorded.

Raising rabbits is impossible without proper nutrition. The productivity of animals and the quality of their products depend on the balance of the diet. Rabbits eat little but often, approaching food up to thirty times a day.

In the summer, the basis of the diet is green types of food (grass, leaves and tree branches). Eat rabbits and tops of garden plants. For the prevention of stomatitis and intestinal diseases, young animals are recommended to give dried garlic stalks.

In winter and early spring, rabbits need additional sources of vitamins. They are root crops. There are also many vitamins in rowan berries.

In late autumn, vegetable tops and dry stems of herbaceous plants predominate in the diet of rabbits. In November, the greenery disappears completely, and the animals are fed with granular mineral feed. In addition, you need to include hay, grain additives and compound feed in the diet.

Hay is usually mixed with tree branches, and grain is sometimes replaced with potato peels or grain waste.

New foods should be introduced gradually, in small portions, as rabbits do not get used to them immediately.

One adult needs on average (per year):

roughage: 35-40 kilograms for a female, 23-35 kilograms for a male;
succulent feed: 50-60 and 40-50 kilograms, respectively;
green: 200-250 and 150-160 kilograms;
concentrates: 30-35 and 22-25, respectively.

These amounts may vary depending on the breed and the general condition of the animals.

Animals should not be overfed, as overweight rabbits do not breed.

In addition to good living conditions and proper feeding, rabbits need to be vaccinated.

Domestic rabbit breeding is a very profitable type of private business. Any breeder who breeds these pets will confirm this. Raising rabbits with minimal initial investment allows you to get quite a decent level of profitability, which can later make rabbit breeding the main source of your income.