Rabbits are animals that are characterized by increased fertility: one female can give up to a dozen births per year, and there will be about ten cubs in each litter. Mating rabbits should begin a little later than the male and female reach sexual maturity: this moment comes on average at 3 months, but for the best effect and good offspring, you should wait up to 4-5 months for the male and up to 8 months for the female. The process itself is divided into several stages.
Preparatory stage in reproduction
First of all, you need to choose rabbits from among the available ones, and the age criterion is far from everything. In general, to begin with, males should be selected from females: to determine the sex, it is enough to take the rabbit by the scruff of the neck and put it on the tail in a reclining position. The genital organs of the female look like a triangle, the organ of the male has the shape of a bullet and clearly visible testicles. Individuals with one testicle should be immediately discarded, since mating efficiency will not be as high.
For further selection, the following rules must be observed.
- The rabbit must weigh at least 2.5 kg. In general, individuals of both sexes should be of average weight: they should not be either excessively thin or obese.
- The rabbit must have a hunt, i.e. this should be the period when she is ready to reproduce: at this time her sexual external organ becomes larger in size, as if swollen, and acquires a pink tint. It is also easy to determine the presence of hunting by behavior: the behavior of the female becomes excited, and she eats worse than usual.
- Up to 8 females can be selected for one rabbit, because he is able to fertilize such a quantity in one mating.
- When selecting rabbits, diseased specimens should be identified and excluded. Ideally, a week before mating, a veterinary examination of selected animals will be carried out. If it is not possible to conduct it, it is necessary at least to exclude those individuals that have outwardly pronounced signs of the disease.
- If the mating of rabbits does not occur for the first time, females that have a tendency to eat their offspring or take poor care of their offspring, do not give much milk, etc., should be excluded.
The process itself can take place both in a cage and in a special pit: the first method is usually used for breeding for the purpose of selection, and the second - to obtain as many offspring as possible for the sale of rabbit meat and skins.
in the hole
For breeding in a pit in the soil on an elevation, a recess is made from a meter or more down, the walls are poured into concrete, and a grate is laid on the floor. A thick sandy layer is poured on top, in which a large hole breaks out. Rabbits launched into the pit make their own individual minks, along the walls, feeders and devices for supplying drinking water should be installed.
This method, despite the possibility of obtaining a large offspring, is bad in that the reproduction of rabbits occurs uncontrollably, the rabbits often get sick, and unplanned inbreeding also spreads among individuals, i.e. inbreeding.
In a cage
At home, it is easiest and most convenient to use rabbit cell reproduction. This method requires the purchase or construction of cages with individual cells with your own hands, but the costs pay off, especially if you breed decorative animals. If this method is used, then the rabbit should be placed in the cage of the male, because this way he will be less nervous, and the chances of successful insemination will be much higher.
http://youtu.be/K2nfVgc4U8Q
Peculiarities
From the pit or cage, you need to temporarily remove all objects that can interfere with the process: food bowls, drinkers, etc. Cleaning should also be done. Actually, mating games look like a male running after a rabbit, and the mating process lasts about half a minute.
If the rabbit fails to fertilize the female, you can either bring him to a calmer rabbit, or try to repeat the mating after a few minutes. The time and date of mating should be recorded in a special diary.
False mating test for rabbits
Sometimes it happens that the mating was not effective, and the rabbit did not become pregnant. To test this, after five days, you need to again plant a rabbit with her and see how she reacts to attempts at courtship. If the rabbit behaves aggressively and is not given to the male, then, most likely, mating has succeeded, and the pregnancy is already proceeding normally.
It is possible to finally establish the fact of pregnancy on the 15th day, for this you should feel the female's tummy as carefully as possible: the embryos are clearly detected. For definition, they can be confused with stool balls, but the latter will be smaller in size.
Pregnancy and childbirth in rabbits
The duration of the gestation period in a rabbit is from 27 to 30 days. After the female has suffered, the rabbit is placed in his cage. You should always provide the female with the proper amount of food and water, and before giving birth, you need to prepare her a nest of soft hay or special bedding, especially if breeding takes place at home.
The nest needs to be disinfected, a couple of days before birth, it is placed in a cage. It is desirable to create an atmosphere of twilight, the temperature should be at least 24 degrees, and drafts should not blow through the cage. It is also very important that the room where the cage is located is quiet; this factor is important throughout pregnancy.
The female is usually relieved of her burden without human assistance, but if labor is difficult, veterinary intervention may be required. After the pregnancy has ended in childbirth, the female should not be disturbed for a couple of days, and then the rabbits should be counted, the dead cubs removed, if any, were born, and the nest and cage should be cleaned.
It is also important to ensure that the rabbit has a maternal instinct: she should feed the babies 1-2 times and not try to eat them. If aggressive behavior towards the offspring is determined, then the female may need to be removed and replaced with artificial feeding.
After birth, the female can start breeding again after a day. It should, however, be remembered that she needs to feed the cubs, and not allow too frequent mating.
- The best specimens for breeding are those born from 1-3 births.
- When choosing a rabbit, it is extremely important to take into account the degree of development of her maternal instinct: this factor is decisive. From each pregnancy, at least 8 rabbits should be obtained, which will be well-groomed and healthy. After every third round, a new selection should be made and those who do not meet the requirements of individuals for breeding should be culled.
- To select a male, the following factors should be taken into account: strong bones, proper physique, average fatness, activity, absence of hereditary and acquired diseases. It is equally important to pay attention to the speed at which the rabbit grows and gains weight. It should also be at the first meeting with the rabbit to check how skillfully he can fertilize the female. It happens that an individual fails to produce a coating, while the qualities of the rabbit itself are very high, and in this case, a process such as artificial insemination of rabbits can help.
- When selecting animals at a young age for further crossing, one should look to see if any defects have appeared in all or many specimens: according to genetic development, all rabbits from the litter may have some kind of congenital deviation, and even if outwardly it is not noticeable in any - or an instance, in the future it can manifest itself and progress.
- Despite the fact that rabbits breed throughout the year, winter is considered the best time: offspring born in these months, as a rule, have the best health, gain the best weight, and usually the vast majority of cubs survive. Therefore, if rabbits breed from December to February, you should expect a better offspring from them.
- Reproduction of rabbits at home should be carried out either in a private house, or simply in a large area. If breeding takes place in an apartment, then for rabbits you can completely allocate a room where the cages will stand.
- It is advisable not to allow inbreeding, tk. inbreeding can lead to both the appearance of a new breed and the creation of deviations and mutations. Only experienced breeders can, having studied all the features of the mating of specific individuals, decide whether inbreeding is worth it or not.
Regardless of the scale of the economy (farm or household), special cages are built for rabbits. Thanks to this, feed is used correctly, breeding work is carried out successfully, and it is much easier for the owners of the farm to monitor the health of animals and take 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 rearing 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 adversely affect the health of animals. In the rabbitry, you need to maintain a stable temperature at the level of 12-18 degrees.
Note: Adults can withstand extreme cold or heat, but only for a few days. If the temperature extremes last longer, the animals will get sick and die.
In addition, the room must have an optimal level of humidity, since with excessive dryness or humidity in animals, diseases develop and productivity decreases. Drafts are also a danger, so all cracks in the containment room must be closed.
In the summer, the room should have natural light, but if the weather is too hot, the cells should be shaded, and special sheds should be equipped on open ranges. In winter, natural lighting must be supplemented with artificial.
Hygiene and nutrition
These animals are very demanding on hygienic conditions of keeping and feeding. The room should be well ventilated, and the interior space should be regularly cleaned of manure, wool and feed residues. This condition plays a particularly important role when keeping rabbits at home in enclosed spaces.
Note: To comply with hygiene requirements, cages are cleaned twice a week, and drinkers and feeders are cleaned daily.
Equally important is the observance of hygiene requirements when feeding and watering livestock. Water should be clean and should be changed daily. Fresh grass, which is given to animals as food, is pre-washed under running water, and then lightly dried. Any feed should only be laid out in the feeders, as the food will become contaminated on the floor. Before issuing a fresh portion of feed, food remains are removed from the container.
When feeding, preference should be given to juicy seasonal feeds, and in winter, supplement the diet with root crops, high-quality hay and special compound feeds.
Prevention of injury and disease
Rabbits are very easily injured, so the cages must be made so that they do not have sharp corners. In addition, with the simultaneous maintenance of several individuals in cramped cages, fights arise between animals. To prevent this from happening, you need to simultaneously place only individuals of the same age. New animals cannot be added later.
When buying new animals, they must be quarantined for a month, preventing contact with the rest of the livestock. In addition, at the first signs of malaise, the animal is isolated from the rest until the exact cause of the disease is determined and the treatment is completed. Cells are disinfected several times a year with special agents or a blowtorch. Disinfection is also carried out when transplanting new individuals or after treating diseases.
Ways to keep rabbits
There are several ways to keep rabbits in the household. Animals can be permanently kept in cages or an aviary. They can also be kept in pits and free range. In the pits, rodents dig their own holes, and the quality of the meat increases. But with this method of keeping, the quality of the fur deteriorates, so it is not suitable for breeding animals to obtain fur.
Keeping rabbits in cages for beginners
Rabbit cages come in several types:
- In warm climates, they can be installed outdoors (for example, in the yard);
- In cold regions, structures are installed indoors;
- There is also a combined type of content: in summer, animals are on the street, and in winter - indoors.
Each type has some nuances. So, if the cages are in the yard, drafts should not be allowed nearby. In addition, rabbits do not tolerate high and low humidity.
Figure 1. Location of cells The most optimal humidity is considered to be no higher than 75%, although even at a humidity below 50% the animals will feel bad. Also, the cells should not be allowed to be in wetlands, where fogs often occur.
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 that the room always has clean and sufficiently humidified air. Other indoor cage placement requirements include(picture 2):
- They can be placed in several tiers in two rows, facing each other;
- Between the rows you need to leave a passage;
- The ends must be covered with shields so that there are no drafts inside;
- Electric lighting is carried out in the cages, since the average length of daylight hours to ensure high productivity and normal development of the livestock should be about 10 hours a day;
- When choosing the type of cage, you need to focus not only on climatic conditions, but also on the breed and size of animals.
Figure 2. Drawing and photo of cells For example, for adult animals of downy and meat-skin breeds, one- or two-section cages can be equipped. The optimal length ranges from 110 to 130 centimeters, respectively, but with enough building materials, the length can be increased to one and a half meters.
When equipping a cage for group keeping 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 a group content, this figure is 0.1 square meters. meters (for cells with a mesh floor) and 0.3 square meters. meters (with wooden floor).
Juveniles intended for breeding and sale can also be kept in regular adult cages. In this case, the number of animals should be as follows:
- Up to seven commercial young animals;
- Four males or females 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 be kept in groups only up to three months of age. However, in winter they are also brought into groups, and in summer they are separated.
Group keeping significantly reduces the quality of skins in males. Therefore, if the farm does not have enough space for individual maintenance, only males intended for obtaining skins are seated in separate cages. An important role is given to the mating of animals. How to conduct it correctly - see the video.
Drinkers for rabbits
In front of each cage, you need to install built-in feeders for root crops and concentrates, as well as drinkers. This design greatly facilitates the care of animals. On top of the feeder, a metal crayfish with transverse partitions is made so that suckling cubs do not climb into the feeder. The drinking bowl should also be protected.
For the issuance of grain and granules, it is advisable to install self-feeding bunkers, the feed supply in which is replenished once a day (Figure 3). You can also learn the detailed device of the bunker feeder from the video.
Note: Some rabbit breeders advise laying the amount of feed calculated for several days at once. However, this is not recommended, since in this case the diet of animals is disturbed and feed consumption increases.
If there are no built-in drinkers, you can use plug-in ones. However, they must be of a stable construction 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 fixed to the floor or wall (with a hook, a nail, or in any other way).
Figure 3. Feeders (from left to right): bunker (drawing and photo), hay and fenced feeders for young animals For young animals, which are kept on walks 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. For the issuance of concentrated feed on paddocks, they equip a trough-shaped feeder with partitions and a group drinker of the same design.
Do-it-yourself rabbit drinkers can be made automatic using a tank and a float for this. Thanks to the float in the drinker, a stable water level is constantly maintained. Often, drinkers are made independently from improvised materials: plastic bottles or cans (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Examples of homemade drinkers From other inventory, the homestead owner will also need a small cart for transporting feed, as well as cleaning and cleaning equipment: a rake, a shovel, a broom, a scraper, a bucket and a dustpan. Disinfectant 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 building cages, attention should be paid to ease of maintenance, hygiene, as well as simplicity of construction and low cost of building materials. The greatest attention should be paid to the floor:
- In warm and temperate climates, the floors of the aft compartment are made of wooden slats (oak, maple). Plastics, stamped metal and metal mesh can also be used.
- In the nest box or in the nest, the floors should be of solid wood.
- In cooler climates, the floors are made of board or double.
These rules also apply to the arrangement of floors in portable cages. If the farm prefers to keep livestock on solid board floors, you need to make a slope of 5 centimeters to the rear. For arranging a double floor, you can use a grid, on top of which a removable plank floor is laid. It is this design that 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 develop pododermatitis.
In home gardens, two-section cages are considered the most popular, but for a large number of livestock, a shed system is more suitable. Sheds can be of arbitrary length, depending on the number of individuals. In addition, sheds can be single or double tiered. If the cages in the shed 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. Shed content In addition, a metal frame and mesh are used for construction. In most cases, such cages are designed to keep 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 cells, which are made of plywood or wood. If you install a heater in them, you can get a round 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 by partitions in half, and in each compartment there are six individuals of the same age, weight and development. As they grow, the cage is divided by ten partitions into 12 parts, so that each rabbit is kept separately until the moment of slaughter (Figure 5).
Note: The content in such cages has a number of advantages. Firstly, the skins are not damaged, their quality increases in general. Secondly, it becomes possible to send individual individuals for slaughter after the molt is completed.
You can also make cages yourself using the drawings shown in Figure 6.
Keeping rabbits outdoors 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 closed. At the same time, you need to leave holes for ventilation and sunlight.
Note: With proper insulation, the cells can not be transferred indoors, and kept right on the street. But if in winter the temperature drops below -30, it is still better to transfer them to a barn.
Experienced rabbit breeders advise making the floor in cages made of mesh so that manure and food residues fall into a special tray, from where it is easier to remove them. In winter, the livestock should be closely monitored, and if the animals show signs of frostbite, they are transferred to a warm room.
Figure 6. Drawings of sheds for keeping rabbits Equally important is the diet of animals. In summer, they feed mainly on green and succulent fodder, and in winter, the basis of the diet is hay, mixed fodder and grain crops. Hay should be of high quality, free of fungus or mold, as this can cause disease. The composition of the winter diet must necessarily include vitamins and mineral supplements (for example, chopped needles or tree branches). You can also give them boiled potatoes, bran and stale bread.
Foreword
A barn for rabbits is selected or built taking into account the requirements for the conditions of their maintenance. It should be different from outbuildings intended for breeding and raising other domestic animals, even in its location. In a barn where all requirements are taken into account, rabbits will breed and grow healthy all year round.
The technology of raising rabbits depends on climatic conditions, the scale and purpose of the farm (obtaining meat, high-quality skins or breeding), and the possibilities of harvesting certain feeds. Animals are kept freely (in paddocks, aviaries) or isolated (in cages). In both cases, they can live on the street under a canopy or in the open air, or in a closed building (shed, shed), which is completely protected from adverse weather factors. At the same time, rabbits should be kept away from rooms with other pets and residential buildings. They do not tolerate such a neighborhood.
The optimum temperature for keeping rabbits is 12–18 ° C. Permissible fluctuations are ± 5 ° C. Adult healthy individuals of a number of breeds are able to tolerate temperatures up to –30 ° C or +30 ° C for several days without damage to their own physical condition. A greater decrease or increase leads to serious disease of animals and their death. In addition, sudden changes in temperature negatively affect the well-being of rabbits; both high humidity (recommended 60–75%) and dry air (humidity below 50%). They also do not tolerate drafts and catch colds when they are strong. If the animals are kept in cages, the speed of air movement around them should not exceed 30 m/s.
Rabbits need fresh air. For the normal development and health of animals, its purity is of great importance. The most important thing is that the air does not contain hydrogen sulfide and ammonia vapors, which are released from decomposing manure. The maximum allowable concentration of these gases in 1 liter of air is 0.015 and 0.01 g, respectively. Therefore, in the case of keeping rabbits in sheds or sheds, manure must not be allowed to accumulate and must be regularly removed from them. The high content of dust and fluff in the air is also poorly tolerated by animals. Good ventilation should be provided in the rabbitry.
Rabbits are more hygienic than other pets. Open-air cages or cages on the street should be cleaned at least twice a week and as they get dirty, and indoors - daily. If there are holes in the floor and the manure itself is well removed through them, the frequency of cleaning can be reduced. You also need to make sure that the bedding in the aviaries or cages is always fresh. Feeders and drinkers should be cleaned daily.
Outdoor rabbit enclosure
Animals need natural light. Sunlight and a small portion of ultraviolet radiation received by rabbits during the day are good for them. Therefore, in sheds intended for keeping animals, it is recommended to provide windows. Their total area should be 8-10% of the size of the floor surface. On some large rabbit farms, in addition to natural practice, the use of artificial lighting is practiced. Its working hours are usually set from 6.00 to 21.00. In general, the duration of illumination of enclosed spaces with rabbits should be at least 8–10 hours and not more than 16 hours per day. The recommended illumination intensity is 30–40 lux. In the case of fattening rabbits, it can be reduced to 10 lux.
The water in the drinkers should be constantly, and only clean. Fresh grass, especially harvested near a road or a pond, should be washed under running water. Before serving, it is recommended to dry it. Feed should be placed only in the feeders, and not thrown on the floor of the cage or aviary. Before the next serving, the remnants of uneaten food should be removed.
Dried grass for feeding
The key to good health and weight gain of animals, as well as high-quality fur is a complete diet. In the warm season, one should strive to make the most of seasonal fresh succulent feed. In winter and spring, rabbits have to be given hay and compound feed. During this period, the need for mineral and vitamin supplements is especially high, which are an important part of the diet all year round. Most of all, pregnant females and young animals need them.
Hay for feeding rabbits in winter
It should be remembered that rabbits can easily get hurt on any sharp objects. Therefore, before settling in cages or enclosures, care should be taken that they are safe from injury, and in the future it is necessary to monitor the condition of the animals. In the case of joint keeping, the animals can bite each other. Wounds must be immediately carefully processed. Animals that appear lethargic or ill should be isolated immediately. Only acquired rabbits are also best placed in quarantine for a while.
In winter, the majority of amateur rabbit breeders, who keep animals on the street, reduce the number of livestock. Leave only adult breeding individuals. The purpose of this forced measure is to wait out the cold in order to resume the rounds with the onset of heat. And this technique justifies itself, since in cold weather care is much more difficult and feed consumption increases. Everything freezes: juicy food, water and even excrement - sometimes it is impossible to clean up. Animals lose weight and stop breeding, and weak individuals may even die.
Adult breeding rabbits
The ideal way out is to transfer cages with rabbits to a warm barn for the winter. In it, animals will not only painlessly endure any frosts, but will also continue to breed. However, a warm barn is needed only for the winter round. To save livestock, “cold” is also suitable. And for the round, the cage with the rabbit can be transferred to a warm room in advance.
Carrots as a vitamin feed
In summer, the main concern for rabbits is how to keep them from overheating.
In the case of open housing with the advent of hot weather, you should make sure that the animals are not at risk of getting heat stroke. Cages must be protected from overheating from above with hay or straw. You should also provide a canopy over them to create a shadow. In closed rabbitries, good ventilation must first be established. You can not install cages near the ceiling, where the air heats up the most. Regardless of the method of keeping, it is necessary to constantly monitor the presence of water in the drinkers and it is recommended to make a font in the shade. Its depth should be 3 cm, no more. To constantly replenish the font with water, you can use some kind of vacuum system.
In personal rabbit farms, animals are recommended to be kept exclusively in cages. Only with this method can you get advantages that are unattainable in the case of free content:
- economically, as well as selectively, giving different food to different individuals, spend food;
- timely and effectively identify and then treat sick animals and take preventive measures - in case of infection, there is no threat of losing a significant part or all of the livestock;
- to conduct selection (breeding) work correctly - breeding is completely controlled.
Personal rabbit farm
Thanks to this, additional products will be obtained, which will more than cover all the costs of manufacturing and subsequent repair of cells.
The choice of the type and design of cages, and there should be several types of cages in any farm, depends on climatic conditions, breed and group of individuals (small, medium, large, adults, young animals, breeding, commercial), the method of feeding, the birthing schedule adopted on the farm, availability and cost of necessary building materials. Indispensable conditions for the manufacture of any cells are low cost and ease of assembly, hygiene and ease of care for animals.
You can build a barn for rabbits with your own hands. As a building material, boards or logs are usually used, less often brick or other materials. The walls of the rabbitry are erected dense so that there are no gaps in them. This will prevent the occurrence of drafts and the penetration of mouse-like rodents into the barn, as well as larger predators. The floor must also be made dense, without cracks. It should have a slight slope towards the entrance. This will make cleaning much easier.
Lighting requirements are listed above. The rabbitry should be well ventilated through windows, vents and pipes.
Airing the rabbitry through the windows
It is preferable to make the roof single-pitched, as in the photo. Then it can be used as an additional place for drying and harvesting hay for the winter. A ladder is attached to the canopy above the entrance to the barn, which serves to climb the grass to the roof. In the same place, above the canopy, they put the front door to the attic. If you make a hatch in the roof, then it will be convenient to throw hay into it inside the barn, and through the one installed on the roof - grass into the attic.
The doors of the rabbitry should be double: the outer one is made of thick boards, and the inner one is mesh. In summer, the barn can only be closed with a second door, a mesh one. This will provide the rabbits with extra light and ventilation. Outside, at the front door, you can equip a closed lined pit for rabbit manure removed from the barn. A hatch is installed in the wall of the latter above the pit.
Closable lined manure pit
In the rabbitry, it is necessary to provide a place for storing feed, spare cages and inventory. At the southern wall outside, you can arrange a summer paddock for young animals, enclosing it with a net, as in the photo. A do-it-yourself barn can be insulated and equipped with a heating system.
Inside, in the center, cages are placed for the breeding stock, and along the walls - young animals and enclosures for them. In order to more fully and optimally use the area of the barn, the cells are installed in 2-3 tiers, as shown in the photo. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that excrement from the upper tiers does not fall into the lower ones.
How to build a rabbitry with your own hands
First you need to draw a drawing of the future barn. To do this, we first calculate the dimensions of the rabbitry. They depend on the number and designs of cells. Therefore, we determine the categories of rabbits that will be kept in the barn, and their number for each species: females, males, young animals, and so on. Each requires cells of a certain size and in the right quantity.
After that, on the drawing we indicate the location of the cells. They should be placed as compactly as possible, but so that the rabbitry does not turn out to be too small, the animals should be comfortable, and it should be easy for you to clean up and care for them. Between the rows of cages, a passage must be left, the width of which will be sufficient for cleaning and other necessary operations for raising rabbits.
Then, along the outer perimeter of the rows of cells, draw walls, indicate their dimensions and height. Be sure to indicate on the drawing the location of doors, windows, as well as places for feeding and walking, if any. We finish the roof, internal and external communications and fixtures, which are supposed to be done according to the above recommendations for building a rabbitry with your own hands (ladder, chest, hatches, paddock, etc.). We make the detailing of the drawing - for all objects and elements we indicate the dimensions.
We choose a place. It should be such that the rabbits are not disturbed there. In addition, the location in the shade of trees is considered ideal - in the summer heat, the animals will feel comfortable there. A place behind the house on the north side is also suitable. When choosing a place for the construction of a barn with your own hands, it is necessary to ensure that the structure itself and additional outbuildings fit on it according to the developed drawing, and there is also the possibility of arranging young animals for walking.
Do-it-yourself barn construction
After that, we proceed to the construction of the rabbitry (the proposed video shows its main stages). We do this in the same way as they build it, but taking into account the above recommendations and requirements.
In order for pets to be healthy and active all year round, they need to be properly looked after and maintained. Growing rabbits at home should be organized based on already developed methods. There are several of them, and each has pros and cons that distinguish it from other ways of keeping animals.
As a rule, a rabbit is bought either as a pet or for breeding, in order to subsequently obtain dietary rabbit meat and a valuable skin. However, regardless of the purpose, care and attention must be given to any animal.
The technology of growing rabbits has many pitfalls. Knowing about them, you can grow strong and healthy individuals. In order to succeed in breeding rabbits even for a beginner, that is, for someone who decided to do it from scratch, without experience and skills, there are various literature, training videos, etc. All this will help to understand the specifics of rabbit breeding and avoid mistakes as a novice breeder, and an experienced rabbit breeder, because the knowledge base needs to be replenished regularly.
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Breeding rabbits at home
Before purchasing a pet, it is worth considering the purpose of the undertaking. It has already been mentioned that the rabbit can serve decorative purposes or be bred for subsequent slaughter, sale and profit.
It is on the basis of why a rabbit is needed that its breed is selected. For example, if a breeder pursues the goal of putting rabbits on meat and getting a dietary product and valuable skins, then there are special breeds:
- meat;
- meat - skin.
These include the White Giant, the Soviet Chinchilla, etc. It is these breeds that are aimed at giving the rabbit breeder the maximum amount of meat products and beautiful skins that are of high value. Therefore, in the meat business, the above breeds are better suited.
If we talk about decorative pets, then we should name the following breeds: Dwarf Fox, Lion's Head, etc. The peculiarity of these breeds is that rabbits are small in size and have fluffy hair, which is why they especially need proper care.
Once the goal is determined, it is worth carefully considering the place where to keep the rabbits. Obviously, any animal should have its own house, which will be equipped with everything necessary for normal life: soft hay, a drinking bowl, feeders.
Such a house will allow the pet to be calm for its safety. That is why there are special requirements for what this content space should look like.
Note that each breeder selects ways to keep rabbits based on their own preferences. To identify the most suitable method, you should study in detail all the options, analyze and compare them.
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Features of keeping rabbits in cages
A cage is the most familiar and common way to keep a pet. It is perfect for beginners who have little experience in breeding rabbits. Rabbit cages are divided into two types:
- stationary (standing in one place);
- portable.
The first type of cells is placed in a warm room (barn, basement) and must be covered with a canopy. If the cage is portable, then this makes it possible to put it on the street in warm weather so that the pet breathes fresh air, and in cold periods to bring the animal into the house. Despite the fact that rabbits tolerate cold weather quite well, it is still better to protect them from too low temperatures, otherwise they can become seriously ill.
Cells are also divided into several types depending on the purpose. For example, a cage designed for a mature female nursing her offspring is not suitable for a young or mature male.
To create a cage with your own hands does not take much effort and time. It is enough to find an already made sample with detailed calculations and drawings and do something similar.
In order to make the process of creating a cage as easy as possible, video materials were shot, showing step by step how to make a cage at home.
What is the best material to use to create a cage? Its frame is most often made of plastic or wood, and then covered with a metal mesh. To correctly calculate the size of the cage, pay attention first of all to the breed of the rabbit.
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Depending on it, the size of the animal itself also varies. As a rule, the length of a cage prepared for raising rabbits is 1 m, and the height and depth are 0.5 m.
What are the benefits of caring for and keeping pets in a cage? The main advantages are:
- The ability to carefully monitor each individual individually.
- Minimizing the possibility of mass infection with the virus.
- Small amount of food.
However, the cellular method of keeping animals has certain disadvantages. We list some of them:
- it will take a lot of time and effort to clean and disinfect the cells;
- financial costs required to purchase building materials to create a cage or buy it ready-made.
In the process of cage keeping rabbits at home for beginners, a lot of questions can arise. That is why experienced breeders are advised to prepare in advance. That is, to learn everything about rabbits: how and where they live, what they eat, how and when they mate, etc.
It is believed that the cage is great for keeping a decorative pet. At the same time, it should be spacious so that the animal is not cramped. Otherwise, the rabbit will feel uncomfortable.
The cage should be opened regularly so that the pet has the opportunity to walk around the house or on the street. Do not forget that the rabbit is a very active creature, so he should be in motion and games most of the time.
How to implement free content?
Currently, breeders quite often resort to the free method. The thing is that the freedom created for the pet imitates the conditions familiar to him, in which he feels as comfortable as possible. Living conditions close to natural will allow the rabbit to relax and not worry about their own safety.
- pit;
- in an aviary;
- grazing.
Breeding rabbits in the pasture
Grazing is considered the most economical way to raise animals. Grazing does not require a lot of effort and money, which is why it is popular among rabbit breeders.
What is the specificity of grazing content? In order to grow a pet, a small grassy clearing is used. The greens growing on it should be fresh and of high quality.
Additionally, the breeder should equip the clearing with drinking bowls filled with water. This allows you to provide the animal with fresh food and drink.
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To protect rabbits from diseases or unwanted mating, you need to make a special canopy, as well as put up fences and separate the pets by gender. For a nursing rabbit with cubs, a special place is needed, separated from the rest of the individuals.
The main advantage of free keeping is that pets can move throughout the day. Their movements are not constrained and not limited by frames.
Such conditions, as close to natural as possible, improve the health of animals and positively affect their character traits. If the rabbit lives on the street, then it is much calmer and friendlier than pets kept in cages.
We also note that keeping outdoors strengthens the immunity of rabbits and improves their endurance. Fresh grass growing in the clearing and serving as the main food for pets allows you to gain weight in a short time and speed up the puberty of individuals.
Grazing Disadvantages:
- The inability to constantly monitor pets.
- The rapid spread of infection, which can lead to the fact that the whole household becomes ill.
- If rabbits have lived on the street for several years, then their size decreases, and they themselves gradually degenerate.
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Growing pets in an aviary
If the rabbit breeder has set a goal to breed animals for the subsequent sale of dietary rabbit meat, then the aviary will be the best option. Rabbits are freedom-loving and active animals, so they need a lot of space for normal life.
How to care for rabbits, ? To make the animals feel comfortable and safe, the aviary is supplemented with a canopy. This allows you to protect pets from bright sunlight, rain, snow.
It should be noted that rabbits are good at digging holes. That is why the deepening of the enclosure must be at least 0.8 m. Otherwise, the rabbit will make a mink and get out. So that the pets do not need food and drink, several feeders and drinkers are placed along the walls of the enclosure.
Their content is assigned a separate role, since everything must be fresh and of high quality. Otherwise, pets may get poisoned or get sick. Feeders and drinkers are covered with a special roof and regularly changed, cleaned and disinfected.
The aviary can contain not only rabbits, but also other pets. For example, chickens. However, if pets of different species live in the space of one enclosure, then this is wrong.
The thing is that chickens, in particular, can peck at newborn rabbits or pass them any infectious disease. Note: small rabbits can be most affected by any virus, which in extreme cases leads to the death of pets.
In one enclosure, you can accommodate a small number of rabbits. Moreover, they should all have approximately the same size, weight and age.
If you put a new individual in the aviary, then those who settled earlier may not accept it. As a rule, an aviary is well suited for a rabbit bought for decorative purposes. The range of any pet store includes spacious portable enclosures.
Pit rabbit raising
The pet pit is most often used by rabbit breeders who have extensive experience in this matter. The main advantage of this method is that the space of the pit has a strictly defined framework, therefore, a lot of building materials will not be required to create and equip it.
The hole can reach several meters. At the same time, it should be equipped with a canopy, feeders and drinkers.
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Note that the breeder does not have to build the necessary temperature conditions. In the pit, rabbits will always be fine: in winter it is not too cold there (especially if the pit is warmed first), and in summer it is not so hot.
When choosing a location for a pit, you need to consider the terrain. If the pit is made on a small hill, then this will protect the pets from the effects of groundwater.
Only those rabbits that belong to meat or universal breeds should be kept in the pits. If fur breeds are planted in a pit, then their representatives will fight for territory, as a result of which they will have mechanical damage, and the fur will lose value. This can happen due to the fact that it is very difficult to look after the animals in the pit.
Rabbits and their care at home
To succeed in the breeding of animals, a special place must be occupied by the care of rabbits at home. It does not matter whether we are talking about decorative or economic purposes.
It should be borne in mind that habitat conditions play an important role for rabbits. That is, the breeder must know exactly all the subtleties of caring for them, as well as how and what to feed the pets.
Rabbits do not like too hot or too cold weather. Draft and cold wind, stale water and food, as well as dirt in the cage - all this can lead to serious animal diseases.
There are a number of general rules that every rabbit breeder must follow. To properly monitor rabbits at home, you need:
- keep the cells in constant cleanliness;
- give pets a complete and balanced diet of high quality and fresh drink;
- make vaccines on time to protect rabbits from viruses and dangerous infections and not provoke an epidemic;
- regularly examine rabbits to identify or eliminate symptoms of diseases: monitor teeth, fur, nails.
Separate care is carried out for the waiting okrol or the female who has already given birth and her offspring. She needs a special diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals. A hatching female needs a lot of clean water, so you should also pay close attention to this.
Newborn rabbits in the first weeks of life are fed with mother's milk and live next to her. Breeders build a special nest where the rabbit will feed and raise her babies. When the rabbits are 1-2 months old, they are moved to another cage and given feed mixtures as food.
Content Requirements
For rabbit houses (cages, aviaries, pits, etc.), you need to create comfortable and safe conditions. In particular, the space where the rabbit will live should not have sharp corners so that the pet does not receive mechanical injuries. Each cage has drinking bowls, feeders, sheds.
It is important that the rays of the sun have access to the cage. For this purpose, windows are used in the room where the cage will stand. Ordinary lamps are used as an alternative to windows. Note that the rabbit should actively spend in the light up to 16 hours.
Cages should be well ventilated so that ammonia vapors and dust do not stagnate. The most favorable for animals is the temperature indicator, which varies from +10 to +20 degrees. In summer, it is important to ensure that the pet does not overheat in the sun.
To do this, build a special canopy. The metal mesh is covered with hay or straw. Unfavorable temperatures can lead to the formation of fungus and mold in the cage and, as a result, to illness and death of pets.
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Maintaining cleanliness and disinfection
These measures should be carried out continuously. If dirt and waste accumulate in the cage, viruses and pathogenic bacteria can form, which can make the pet sick.
That is why it is necessary to maintain cleanliness at least 2 times a week, and if the rabbit lives in an enclosed space, then every day.
Once every 2 weeks, the cage, as well as drinkers and feeders, must be disinfected and new hay and sawdust should be laid. Such a litter will protect the pet from the mesh floor, which injures the paws of the animals.
What to feed rabbits?
Rabbits should be fed regularly. It is no secret that these animals eat little, but often. Their diet should be designed so that it is balanced and contains all the nutrients and trace elements.
In warm weather, rabbits are given fresh grass, vegetables, fruits, cereals and compound feed, composed mainly of dry grass (hay) and additives to the main feed, which contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
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Before feeding a rabbit with food, you need to look at the production time and expiration date, as expired products can lead to poisoning.
In rabbits, the intestines work in a special way: in order for what is eaten to pass further, you need to eat a new portion. That is why rabbits often eat. In this regard, the contents of the feeders should be given constant attention: they should not be empty. Drinking bowls are filled with fresh water in the morning and evening.
The rabbit's diet should contain a maximum of useful elements. To pour a new portion into the feeder, you should carefully remove the previous one, washing and cleaning from the uneaten. Rabbits are happy to eat greens (clover, dandelion, etc.). To feed a pet with grass, it is thoroughly washed, dried and brought to a slightly dried state.
How to keep a rabbit healthy?
To protect pets from the appearance of viral infections, vaccination should be carried out on time. If the vaccine is administered in a timely manner, the rabbit will not get sick with myxomatosis or hemorrhagic disease. When should rabbits be vaccinated? The vaccine is administered to rabbits whose age does not exceed 1.5 months, and their weight is 0.5 kg.
Experienced rabbit breeders pay special attention to the nails of rabbits. If you keep pets on a pasture, then they grind off on their own. Otherwise, nails should be trimmed at least once a month. When cutting your own nails, you should be careful, because the nails contain capillaries that should not be touched.
In order for the rabbit to look healthy on the outside, it is combed and put in order every day. This will protect the fur from the appearance of spools. Their education is especially characteristic of. If the pet still has pellets, they must be urgently cut out, otherwise they will become tangles.
The teeth of rabbits also need to be carefully monitored. Since they are constantly growing, they need to be ground down from time to time. For this purpose, feed, oak twigs, hard carrots are used.
For rabbits, breeding, raising and feeding is key. It is these three components that affect the health and activity of pets. If you properly feed the animals, take care of them and vaccinate them in a timely manner, you can grow a full-fledged and high-quality farm, which will subsequently bring a good income.
Rabbit breeding is one of the most exciting livestock industries. Despite the fact that there are very few such farms left on an industrial scale, there are no fewer enthusiasts who raise rabbits in household plots and dachas.
Breeding rabbits in cages at home
One of the advantages of keeping rabbits is that they don't need large rooms or walks. Several dozen heads can be kept in an open enclosure, a special pit, or in cages. It is the cellular content that is considered the most effective option for individual rabbit breeding at home.
With proper care, the cage space is enough for rabbits. In it they mate, are born and grow up.
With a cellular content, it is more convenient for a rabbit breeder to care for animals, monitor their health and conduct breeding work with livestock.
Choosing a place for rabbitry and cage designs
Before you buy rabbits, you need to prepare their place of residence. The rabbitry can be arranged both outdoors and indoors. Many rabbit breeders claim that keeping rabbits in cages in the open air is even better - animals gain weight faster, their skin is of better quality. When choosing a site for a mini-farm, you need to meet some conditions:
- Rabbits do not like dampness, so cages should be installed away from water bodies, on a hill.
- The cage should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Animals do not tolerate heat very well, so it is better if there is a canopy or shade from trees.
- There should be no drafts.
If the rabbitry is located in some room (for example, a barn), then it is important that it is ventilated and that there is lighting for at least 10 hours in winter. The content can be combined - keep it in the air in the summer, and bring it into the barn for the winter.
Important! Cages should always be placed on supports higher off the ground. This will protect the dwelling of rabbits from the entry of rats, dogs and foxes into them.
One cell is not enough, separate ones are needed:
- For a pregnant rabbit, where she brings rabbits, she feeds them for at least 1 month.
- For a male. Sometimes males fight and each of them needs to be kept in a separate cage.
- For the young. Young rabbits are kept in group cages.
Cell sizes can vary greatly depending on the breed of animal. For example, for a decorative rabbit, you can build a dwelling on a balcony measuring 60 × 40 × 35 cm. For an adult gray giant, a cage needs 100 × 70 × 60. In such a dwelling, you can also keep bred rabbits - up to four individuals. Below are the sizes of cages for various purposes:
You can combine and arrange cells as you like. A variant of a complex of two cages is common, with a nursery serving as a partition between them for laying solid feed. There are also options for multi-tiered cages. Detailed drawings with step-by-step instructions on how to make can be found on the Internet.
When breeding rabbits on an industrial scale, cages are made from a metal frame covered with a mesh. However, experienced rabbit breeders do not recommend keeping pets in such structures. It is better if all the walls are deaf and only the front one is covered with a mesh. So the rabbit feels more comfortable. The most suitable material is wood. From the grid you can still make the bottom for ease of cleaning. But such floors are not suitable for all breeds of rabbits, especially if you plan to keep them outdoors in the winter.
How to start growing from scratch
Social networks and specialized publications warn about the difficulties of breeding rabbits at home for beginners. However, these fears are largely exaggerated. Starting from scratch, the future rabbit breeder must study some of the features of animals:
Having an idea about feeding, treatment and maintenance, you can begin to choose the breed of rabbits. It is recommended to start with those that go for meat - when selecting breeds for fur, the requirements for keeping are different, and it will not be easy for an inexperienced rabbit breeder. Do not start with complex breeds. It is better to start breeding individuals of common, unpretentious breeds:
- gray giant;
- California white;
- butterfly;
- Russian ermine;
- New Zealand.
It will not be superfluous to study what breeds are common in the region, how they have proven themselves. It would be nice to find out everything about the breeders, about their livestock. You can communicate with them, learn the nuances of keeping and breeding. The market is not the best place to buy thoroughbred rabbits in order to raise a decent livestock.
Rabbit fattening cage
Keeping and breeding rabbits at home
After the theoretical part has been studied - where and how rabbits will be purchased, breeding and keeping at home, the cages necessary for this, feed and vaccines - you can begin to put into practice the plan.
It is better to acquire rabbits at the age of about two months. At this time, they no longer need mother's milk and may well feed on their own. The appearance of a rabbit can tell if everything is in order with his health. A healthy rabbit should have:
When buying animals, you need to find out what they were fed. With a sharp change in food, the rabbit may begin to feel unwell, the stomach will swell, and everything can end in the death of the pet. After enduring quarantine for some time, it can be gradually transferred to those feeds that are planned to be fed to animals.
Months from 4-6 rabbits can be mated. More precisely, they are ready for mating earlier, but you should not do this. From very young parents, frail, not viable offspring are obtained. It is possible to determine that the female is ready for mating by her behavior - she begins to behave restlessly, refuse food, pluck fluff from her stomach and carry bundles of hay in her mouth. Hunting for an uncovered rabbit occurs about once a week.
Important! For mating, you need to take unrelated individuals - inbreeding gives weakened offspring that do not have weight or skin indicators for the breed. It is better to take a male young, active, not overweight. In such an individual, the seed will be of high quality, and the female will not miss.
Before mating, rabbits need to be put on a special diet. The menu should include the following items:
In summer, rabbits should be caught in the morning and evening hours, in winter - during the day. This is due to the fact that animals will not happen at too high and too low temperatures. For mating, it is better to plant the female with the male. Otherwise, he may get confused and begin to explore new territory, instead of dealing with the "bride". When mating, it is better to wait for a second, control mating and only after that remove the rabbit in her cage. Right on the cage, you can mark the date of mating - it will be easier to follow the emerging signs of pregnancy.
Signs appear after 14 days. By this time, it is already possible to feel the embryos in the fallopian tubes. They are still very small, only 2-3 cm in diameter, but by palpating the abdomen, they can be felt.
Attention! You need to be very careful when approaching the nest of a pregnant rabbit, otherwise, from fright, she may start spasm of the uterus, and the animal will die.
Pregnancy lasts about 30 days. A week before birth, the rabbit begins to build a nest, dragging hay from the nursery into it, a day before she lines it with fluff pulled from her own stomach. Childbirth begins, as in all animals, in the morning.
Rabbits are born quickly, approximately every 10 minutes. There are also protracted births. If the rabbit cannot give birth within a day, then you should seek help from a veterinarian. Usually 6-10 rabbits appear in the nest.
For your information! A young female may have significantly fewer babies during her first pregnancy. The first births are not considered indicative and fertility may return to normal with subsequent births.
After giving birth, the female eats the afterbirth. She can also eat dead rabbits, so you need to remove them. You can touch newborns by first removing the young mother. Rabbits have a highly developed sense of smell, and if the babies have a foreign smell, the female may refuse them, therefore, before touching the rabbits, you need to rub your hands with fluff from the nest.
Cubs are born blind, naked and shriveled. They lie quietly under the down, covered by a caring female, who visits them 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening. After eating milk, they fall asleep again.
But not all rabbits show concern for offspring. This is especially true for young females who have given birth for the first time. The instinct will most likely wake up, but for now, the rabbit breeder will have to keep an eye on the rabbits. So that the kids do not freeze, you need to independently pull the fluff from the rabbit's belly and cover the cubs with it.
After 10 days, the rabbits are already completely covered with wool, after another 2 days their eyes open. By three weeks they are already trying to get out of the nest. By a month and a half, they are almost independent. If the rabbit is already covered again, then they can be placed in a group cage.
Important! If the rabbits try to leave the nest before three weeks of age, then the female is underfeeding them.
Profitability of rabbit breeding at home
Having tried to breed and raise rabbits for themselves, some rabbit breeders are thinking about selling the surplus. A rabbit farm is a fairly profitable business from the standpoint of private entrepreneurship.
Knowing all the maintenance costs, the estimated price of the products sold, it is not difficult to calculate the profitability of a mini-farm and draw up a business plan. And with a ready-made business plan, you can already apply for a loan and expansion of production.
Considering that there are practically no industrial rabbit farms left, and dietary rabbit meat does not cease to be in demand, the creation of a small business based on this particular topic seems to be very promising.
If there is no desire to deal with rabbits on a large scale, then you can remain an amateur, providing yourself and your loved ones with high-quality carcasses of delicious meat.
