Rabbits: breeding and keeping at home, feeding rules and care features

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Breeding and keeping rabbits at home can be a very promising and interesting activity. Starting with just a few individuals, in a few years you can acquire a whole rabbit farm, which will begin to bring uninterrupted income for its owner. Valuable fur, hide, as well as delicious dietary meat - all this is highly valued in the market.

It is also worth noting that rabbits do not require large financial investments, therefore, with the proper distribution of initial capital, you can build an excellent business with almost no risk.

Breed classification

Keeping, breeding and caring for rabbits at home is, at first glance, a rather difficult task that will take a lot of time and effort. However, this is not the case. The main thing that a novice breeder needs to do is not to neglect the recommendations from experienced farmers (you will find them in our article) and put all your heart and soul into your favorite business.

Beforehow to start breeding, caring for and keeping rabbits at home, you must first decide on the breed for growing. This choice should be based entirely on the goal that we will pursue by breeding rabbits. In total, there are about 200 breeds of these wonderful animals in the world, which are usually divided into three categories:

• furry - bred for beautiful fur;
• meat-skin - the best option if the breeder wants to get high-quality meat and skin;
• meat - breeds that produce the most meat.

Where to start breeding

Breeding, keeping and feeding rabbits is a simple science, initially based on the right approach. You can start building your small business by buying both adults (males and females) and small rabbits. You can buy the latter much cheaper, but in this case it will take much longer to get the first offspring.

It should be understood that only he althy young animals will bring a stable profit. That is why when buying rabbits, you need to pay attention to some farm properties. Professional breeders recommend:

• find out from the seller the features and nuances of the acquired breed;
• visually assess the condition of animals;
• ask for advice on raising and caring for young stock.

Most farmers are willing to share some secrets on breeding, caring for and keeping rabbits at home with a novice breeder, howeverYou shouldn't rely entirely on people's words either. It is important to constantly look for new knowledge about a particular breed in the specialized literature in order to avoid material losses when doing business.

To assess the external condition of individuals, it is necessary to pay attention to some requirements that purchased animals must meet:

• the top row of teeth in rabbits should be powerful and pushed forward;
• nose wet;
• ears are even, covered with hairs on the outside;
• sex organs pink, belly soft;
• back is straight, without visible deformations;
• ears and eyes clean;
• body is strong and plump;
• fur cover is even and smooth, without tangles and bald patches;

In general, rabbits should also be active and not sit on their hind legs. Do not forget about the requirements for thoroughbred traits: skin color, body weight and size.

As a result of long breeding work, a large number of different breeds of rabbits were bred. The most popular of them are European silver, rex, Californian, New Zealand red, Risen, Flanders. From the skin category, types are especially distinguished: silver, white downy, angora, Viennese blue.

Beginner breeders are advised to purchase representatives of unpretentious breeds: this is a gray or white giant, Russian ermine, New Zealand white. Productive return in combination with easy care will allow you to start in the shortest possible time.to receive the first profit from animals. After about 3-4 months, the individuals will reach a mass of 3-4 kg, provided that the breeding, maintenance and feeding of rabbits was carried out in accordance with all the rules.

French ram

For the first time, this breed was bred as a result of crossing a huge German rabbit with a lop-eared rabbit in the 19th century. The result of the experiments was a large specimen with long hanging ears, as well as thick and beautiful fur. This breed is characterized by a large head, a wide body, as well as high-quality meat.

The color of French sheep can be very diverse:

• white;
• black;
• spotted;
• blue;
• grey and more

Keeping and breeding French sheep rabbits can provide a breeder with a good profit, provided that the animals are well taken care of. Lop-eared animals of this species are distinguished by a calm character. There is an opinion among the people that because of the long ears the animal does not hear well, so it is very difficult to scare the French rabbit with a loud sound. Due to its large size, the animal is not recommended to be kept in a cage. An outdoor aviary or even an apartment is best suited. The French Sheep has a very friendly nature, so it can easily become a family pet.

French sheep keeping

Creating comfortable conditions for keeping rabbits is of great importance, especially if the breeder wants to get beautiful and attractive fur. First of all, young animals should be separated from adults. Also, if you havepossibility, it is recommended to separate animals by gender. Breeding and keeping French sheep rabbits includes high-quality animal care.

French ram cages must be made entirely of wood (this also applies to all internal partitions and floors). The minimum size of this design: 800 x 800 x 500 cm (when breeding and keeping giant rabbits, the dimensions increase). It is recommended to install a tray with a depth of about 15 cm on the floor so that the lop-eared can take a bath in the hot season. It is best to use clean newsprint (no printing ink) or hardwood sawdust as flooring. In no case should peat be used for these purposes, since it forms a lot of dust, which irritates the mucous and respiratory systems of animals.

The cage must be placed in the shady part of the yard. Timely disinfection of enclosures is an important part of caring for rabbits. It is also not recommended to block animals with a metal mesh, as they can injure their paws on it. However, if it is not possible to choose another material for building a cage, it is worth isolating the mesh part of the dwelling with plywood or a wooden shield.

In winter, sheep are best moved to a greenhouse or barn with equipped windows for ventilation. The best material for building such a house will be cellular polycarbonate. It is a fairly good insulator from cold drafts and at the same time passesdaylight. On frosty nights, the greenhouse will have to maintain a positive temperature. Any type of heater is perfect for this.

What to feed sheep

According to age categories, lop-eared rabbits should eat 2 to 3 times a day (preferably at the same time). Breeding and keeping sheep rabbits at home includes creating a balanced diet. A proper diet includes:

• purified drinking water;
• various fine hay;
• fruits – bananas, pears, pitted apples;
• vegetables - boiled potatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots;
• cereals – wheat, oats;
• green food - plantain, dandelion, nettle, yarrow.

As a rule, young animals begin to be fed vegetables from 12 weeks of age. Vegetables are introduced into the diet gradually. As individuals grow, their number gradually increases.

The following foods should be avoided in your diet:

• tomatoes;
• rhubarb;
• cauliflower and white cabbage;
• beans;
• some types of lettuce.

California rabbit

This is a fairly unpretentious and fairly versatile rabbit breed that can easily adapt to any type of climate and living conditions. In order to provide a promising livestock, it is necessary to constantly monitor the he alth of individuals, as well as regularly carry out hygiene procedures in enclosures, which arean integral part of care. Keeping and breeding California rabbits should not be a problem even for a novice breeder.

Caring for animals means:

• neat cutting of claws (so that the pulp is not affected);
• cutting tangles, combing wool;
• monitoring the condition of the skin (check for flaking and spots);
• regular examination of the ears and eyes (if contaminated, it is important to rinse them in time).

Cultivation and maintenance of the California rabbit breed has become a very popular activity. All this is due to the unpretentiousness of these animals.

Containment conditions

In breeding rabbits, it is of great importance how suitable conditions have been created by the breeder for pets. The closer they are to ideal, the more productivity you can expect from animals.

The rabbit cage should be in a well lit and closed area. It is imperative to avoid exposure to direct sunlight, as well as strong drafts. The process of feeding and caring for animals can be greatly facilitated if animals of approximately the same size are placed in neighboring cages.

If the main task of the farmer is to get meat, then it will be most profitable to keep rabbits in pits, since such conditions will be as close to natural as possible. The animals will dig their own holes, breed and care for their offspring.

For breeding and keeping rabbits"California" will need to build a suitable home. You can build it by going through several stages:

• Dig a pit measuring 2 x 2 x 1 m (for 100 individuals).
• Strengthen the walls with a powerful material, such as concrete, mesh or slate. One of the walls should not be fully fenced so that the animals can dig through it.
• Lay the boards on the floor and sprinkle them with sand on top.
• Enclose the pit with a fence.
• Building a comfortable roof with a small manhole for feeding.

It is worth noting that it is extremely impractical to build pits in places with rocky soil, as well as in areas with a high content of surface groundwater. In such conditions, the animals will constantly experience a feeling of discomfort. Drinkers and feeders should be placed in such a way that even the smallest rabbits can easily reach them.

Feeding rules

Breeding and keeping California rabbits includes proper feeding. Animals have excellent appetites. Adults, for example, should be fed 3 times a day, and rabbits - up to 5. In order to provide yourself with high-quality meat and wool in the future, you need to properly balance the daily diet. It must include:

• vitamins and trace elements;
• fiber - fruits, vegetables, twigs, bark;
• carbohydrates – bran, oats, wheat, corn, melons;
• fats – sunflower, hemp and flax seeds;
• proteins - meat and bone and fish meal, fresh grass, hay, legumes, cake.

It is very important to ensureanimals constant access to water (even in the winter season). It must be fresh and clean, and in winter also warm. It is necessary to ensure that dirt, food and feces do not get into it. Nipple drinkers are best.

Flandre rabbits

This breed is considered the largest in the world, so the breeding and maintenance of Flemish rabbits is slightly different from the cultivation of other breeds. It is in great demand among farmers both because of the dietary meat and because of the good skins. Animals are distinguished by unpretentiousness, calmness and good adaptation to new conditions of detention. In addition, these rabbits are increasingly being bred as decorative, at home

The first representatives of this breed were much smaller than modern individuals. They had an uneven gray-red color with light areas, and also had huge ears.

Flanders now have weight:

• maximum - 25 kg;
• individuals - 10-12 kg;
• medium - 7 kg.

These Belgian giants are large and look very clumsy, but in fact the animals boast excellent agility and great leg strength. Flanders are distinguished by a long body (about 67 cm), a deep and wide chest (girth 37 cm), a slightly concave or straight back, a large head, dense and long ears, and voluminous cheeks. The ears of the Belgian giant can reach 25 cm in size.

Representatives of this breed are also distinguished by thick, high and densefur with different colors:

• metal grey;
• dark grey;
• yellow-grey;
• grey.

Sometimes you can find white flanders, but this color is not considered standard. The length of the fur of such an animal is about 3.5 cm, and the color of its claws most often matches the color of the coat.

By the way, the ears of the Belgian giant resemble burdock in their shape, which gives the animals some kind of cute and homely look. This feature is perfect for their slightly awkward appearance.

Containment conditions

Due to the unique characteristics of the representatives of this breed, they began to breed more often at home, abandoning dogs and cats. However, this does not mean at all that breeders do not pay attention to these giants. Quite the opposite! 10 kg of pure meat from one individual and high-quality fur will make any farmer think about growing flanders on his farm.

Due to the fact that this breed has a very impressive size, housing should also be spacious and large. A rabbit cage must be equipped with a drinker and a clean feeder.

The best option for breeding giants is to use a mini-aviary, where there is no height limit, but there is a large area for walking. However, such structures require too much space in the open space, therefore, for breeders who do not have a summer house or a private house, it is recommended to use spacious cages for growing flandres. For breeding and keeping rabbits at home, it is necessarybuild a cage, the minimum dimensions of which should be:

• for a female with offspring - 170 x 110 x 50 cm;
• for a male - 110 x 70 x 50 cm.

Hay is most often used as bedding in cages. Before cleaning the cages, the animals are placed in a different place in advance in order to carry out cleaning work more efficiently. It is also recommended to regularly disinfect the cage with a special disinfecting solution. For this, it is best to use a mini-sprayer. Thus, breeding Flemish rabbits is a very interesting and profitable activity.

Feeding Flanders

Belgian giants are unpretentious to food. However, this does not mean at all that the feeding process will not give the breeder some difficulties. These animals are very voracious, so they are constantly looking for something to chew on. So stock up on food in large quantities.

Despite this feature, you should definitely make sure that the diet is balanced and complete - this will allow you to grow large and he althy animals. If the slightest symptoms of illness appear (hair loss, trembling in the limbs, itching, lack of appetite, lethargy), it is recommended to immediately seek help from a veterinary clinic.

Adults should be fed twice a day. It is important that in the diet of the flanders daily there is compound feed - grain mixtures and grain, as well as root crops and vegetables - cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin. Foods that are too wet and succulent should be given with a largecaution, because they have laxative properties and can cause diarrhea in the animal.

In the summer, tree branches and grass should be added to the diet. However, it is not worth overfeeding Flanders with hay (it will be enough to use about 30 grams of dried feed per individual). Also, do not forget about constant access to fresh and clean water.

The rules for feeding Flanders are as follows:

• it is strictly forbidden to give spoiled food to animals (with traces of freezing, rot or mold);
• fresh cabbage should be included in the diet with a small amount of dry food;
• root crops should be thoroughly washed from dirt, and also cut into small pieces;
• before giving the animal bean food, they must be soaked in water for 3-4 hours;
• fresh grass is recommended to dry a little first;
• new food should be introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions.

If all the above conditions are met, as well as timely cleaning of cages, you can practically not worry about the he alth of your pets.

Hygiene and care

Speaking about breeding and keeping rabbits at home, one cannot fail to say a few words about the rules of hygiene. Belgian giants are considered unpretentious animals, so they do not require complex personal care. Also, this breed practically does not differ in any features of the content (apart from the need for large cages). Therefore, it will be enough just to change the bedding in the dwelling in time and keep it clean, not allowingthe appearance of unpleasant odors. Also, do not forget about the timely vaccination of animals.

In the hot season, it is necessary to move the cage with animals to a cool room where direct sunlight does not penetrate, since prolonged exposure of animals to the sun can lead to heat or sunstroke. Also, cages or aviaries can simply be covered with grass, branches or straw so that the sun does not bother your pets. In the cold season, it is necessary to increase the layer of bedding, as well as protect animals from exposure to strong drafts.

If the animals are constantly indoors, then one should not forget about regular ventilation, as well as access to sunlight, because the complete lack of vitamin D can also adversely affect the he alth of rabbits.

As you can see, breeding and keeping rabbits at home can be not only interesting, but also very profitable. The main thing to do is to properly care for the farm and constantly develop.