Igor Nikolaev

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

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

During the year, one healthy female rabbit gives birth to 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 southern European rabbits. Until now, the mating of wild and domestic rabbits produces healthy offspring. But the mating of a hare with a rabbit does not produce offspring, since the biological characteristics of these animals are different.

The cubs can manage without maternal help from 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 suckle 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, an overweight female is not capable of pregnancy. To solve this problem, you need to change the composition of the feed: increase the amount of greens in the diet and, conversely, reduce the amount of feed and grain. To increase physical activity, you need to give animals more free space.

Rabbits' sense of smell is much better than their eyesight.

The female distinguishes her cubs from strangers precisely by their smell. It also takes a long time for these animals to “sniff” new types of food.

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

They do not have fangs, but their 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 food.

These domestic animals have a well-developed digestive system.

The large size of the stomach and the high acidity of gastric juice make it easy to digest the food eaten. Food can stay in a rabbit's stomach for 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 characteristics of rabbits is that they eat their night feces, since they contain a lot of protein and B vitamins. Thus, these rodents make up for the deficiency of microelements necessary for the body.

Breeding rabbits at home for beginners

At birth, rabbits are blind, and begin to see on the tenth day of life. The fluff of the cubs is formed a week after birth, and full fur - a month later.

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

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

Rabbits shed 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, after two days it doubles. 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 the period from three to four months from birth.

The spine of these animals is delicate, and the bones are thin and tubular. This skeletal structure is dangerous from the point of view of injury to rabbits, especially young ones. A broken paw or spinal injury can completely immobilize an animal.

The average lifespan of a rabbit is eight years. For reproduction purposes, rabbits can be used for no more than four years.

Organization of maintenance and care

The care and maintenance of rabbits are not particularly specific. The main thing is to properly prepare the cages and, if necessary, the room, as well as take care of the necessary equipment.

The main requirement is that cages for keeping rabbits should be light and dry, and they should be easy to clean. Adult animals are usually kept outdoors in closed cages with drinking bowls and feeders. Cages should be cleaned regularly. Animals should be protected from drafts.

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

It is imperative to separate different-sex individuals into different cages. This will control mating and prevent fights between animals.

The essence of such preparatory work is that for mating you need to select healthy females with high milk production. Queens observed eating offspring are not used for reproduction.

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

Therefore, a sign 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 rabbits that are closely related). You should also record the dates on which mating took place, the dates of births, and the number of rabbits in the litter (including stillborns). On the male cell plate, in addition to information about his birthday and parents, productivity indicators and 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 uteruses are poorly fertilized.

If the animal needs to be fattened, three weeks before mating it is given oats, hay and a mixture of bran with boiled potatoes. Overfed individuals, on the contrary, are transferred to a reduced diet, excluding grains and mixed feed.

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

One male can fertilize eight females.

How to breed rabbits? Rabbit breeding

Rabbits are capable of breeding all year round.

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

The number of rabbits in one litter ranges from six to twelve, which makes breeding rabbits a rather rapid process. On the second day after giving birth, the female rabbit is again ready to mate, but it is better to give her the opportunity to feed her 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 female’s genitals lasts 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 the cage method.

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

The floor should be made of mesh or slatted, with a cell size of 18x18 millimeters. Also in the cages you need to place drinking bowls and feeders. The roof can also be pitched. 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, a queen cell measuring 50x30x27 centimeters is placed in the female's cage. The size of the hole is 18x18 centimeters. The queen cell should be such that it can be easily removed from the cage and the babies examined. It must have a constant temperature. The lid of the queen cell should be removable, but with locks so that the rabbit does not open it.

Mating cages are pre-disinfected and cleaned. The drinking bowl, feeder and other items are removed from it. The female is always placed with the male, and not vice versa. This way the male will not be nervous and will get down to business right away.

If after mating the rabbit falls on its side and quietly purrs, the mating was successful. After mating, the time and 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, eating up to thirty times a day.

In summer, the basis of the diet is green types of food (grass, leaves and tree branches). Rabbits eat the tops of garden plants. To prevent stomatitis and intestinal diseases, it is recommended to give dried garlic stalks to young animals.

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

In late autumn, the diet of rabbits is dominated by vegetable tops and dry stems of herbaceous plants. In November, the greenery disappears completely, and the animals are fed granulated mineral feed. In addition, you need to include hay, grain supplements and mixed feed in your diet.

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

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

On average, one adult individual needs (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 general condition of the animals.

Animals should not be overfed, since overweight rabbits do not reproduce.

In addition to good living conditions and proper feeding, rabbits need to receive preventive vaccinations.

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

Raising rabbits on homestead farms is aimed not only at producing skins, but also meat, which is distinguished by high taste and is considered dietary. Raising rabbits for meat has certain differences compared to raising fur-bearing animals.

Fattening rabbits for meat

The amount of meat obtained depends on many factors: housing conditions, time of birth and quality of feeding. Therefore, when choosing a breed for breeding, you should take into account the requirements for feed, maintenance and take into account the labor costs for caring for animals.

The best option for raising rabbits for meat at home is the following: th:

• The best females are kept in separate cages and are released upon reaching five months of age;
• After giving birth, the females are kept with the cubs for some time and then sent to slaughter;
• The offspring is fed for up to three months, after which it is also sold.

A drawing and photo of cages intended for keeping meat breeds are shown in Figure 1. A one-time mating of young females makes it possible to obtain numerous and high-quality offspring, while reducing feed consumption. However, in this case, the homestead must have a sufficient number of cages to support females and young animals.

If there is enough quality food, young females can be bred twice in the first year of their life. This reduces the required number of cells and allows you to grow numerous and productive young animals. From the video you will learn how to properly assemble a cage for individual breeding of rabbits.

Diet of rabbits when fattening for meat

Juicy and tender meat is a special dietary product that can be obtained by following proper and balanced feeding. Nutrition should include a large amount of organic and mineral substances, which will accelerate the growth and natural maturation of individuals.

Fattening rabbits for meat is carried out according to the following diet y (Figure 2):

• Complete proteins- animal and plant origin. They are found in leguminous crops, fresh herbs, fish and meat and bone meal.
• Carbohydrates- cereals, legumes, root vegetables. The animal body perfectly absorbs carbohydrates obtained from carrots, potatoes, clover, alfalfa, and turnips.
• Compound feed used to add variety to the diet and increase the muscle mass of animals.

The diet of medium and large breeds should be varied and contain mineral and vitamin supplements. Bean-cereal mixtures provide the animals' bodies with essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Vegetable and gardening waste is used as green food: potato and carrot tops, cabbage leaves and stalks, apples, strawberry leaves, etc.

Note: Juicy feeds from root crops, melons and silage contain a lot of carbohydrates and vitamins. Also suitable are zucchini, pumpkin, feed watermelon and potatoes, which can be given raw, but preferably boiled - with mixed feed, cake, meal.

Silage is a valuable feed that replenishes vitamin deficiencies in winter and early spring. Corn, sunflower, quinoa, cabbage leaves, carrot and pea tops, and forbs are used for silage.

Sources of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals are roughage, such as hay, certain types of straw, and twig feed. Legume-grass hay is the most valuable for young animals and females during pregnancy and lactation. Dried hay is processed into grass meal and mixed into soft food.

Oat/millet and pea/lentil straw are also used for feed, and other types are used for bedding. Useful substances and vitamins are contained in branch foods, such as: willow, willow, aspen, acacia, linden, etc.

Growing technology

Rabbits are bred on special farms. Raising these animals for meat is very profitable, since they are distinguished by early ripening, and their meat is tender, white and is in high demand among consumers.

Breeding on a farm requires the purchase of special cages for their maintenance. Modern cages are equipped with light, heating, ventilation, automatic feeding, watering, and manure removal systems. Such conditions keep the animals healthy, which makes it possible to quickly recoup production.

Note: You can also breed livestock at home. To do this, buy or construct cages, placing them in a clean, dry room. They are well looked after, given nutritious food and vaccinated against myxomatosis on time. To allow animals to grind their teeth, tree branches and bark are placed in cages. A constant supply of clean water is also necessary.

At the age of 4-6 months, individuals are allowed to mate. The duration of estrus in a female is 3-5 days every 8-9 days. After birth, estrus resumes for 1-2 days. In a year you can get 4-5 litters from adult females and 1-2 from young ones. For 8 females, one male is left. For intensive growth, females are crossed with males of other breeds. For one litter, the female brings from 6 to 18 cubs. Slaughter for meat begins at the age of 3-4 months.

Growing methods

When raising rabbits for meat at home, two methods are used: purebred mating and crossbreeding.

Purebred breeding is to enhance the good qualities in the offspring of a given breed, therefore they mate only with the best representatives of the breed. When selecting a female and a male, their compatibility and the compatibility of family lines are taken into account.

Note: A lineage is a productive and numerous group of animals with one common male ancestor. A related group that has a female as its common ancestor is called a family. Lines are an important link in animal husbandry, making it possible to obtain individuals that will pass on the necessary useful traits to generations.

The most effective pairing of this method is the mating of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces. If mating is incorrect, unnecessary and even harmful genes can be formed.

In interline crossing, representatives of the best lines are crossed to obtain and consolidate the necessary qualities. On farms, industrial crossing is used - representatives of different breeds are mated.

What meat breeds

All rabbits intended for slaughter for meat must comply with GOST. All animals are divided into groups:

• First: it is usually divided into the first and second subcategories. Animals of this group have well-developed muscles, the dorsal vertebrae are weakly palpable and practically do not protrude, and the hips are well developed and rounded. Fat deposits can be easily felt on the withers, belly and groin.
• Second: in animals the muscles are slightly less developed, and the spinous processes of the dorsal vertebrae protrude slightly. Representatives of the second group have toned thighs, a slightly flat butt, and may have no fat deposits.
• Third: This group includes animals with poor muscle development and protruding vertebrae. They are considered skinny and are not suitable for breeding for meat. Figure 3 shows the main defects that make animals unsuitable for slaughter for meat.

The hair should not be dirty, tangled or in the active shedding stage. Females should not be in the last stage of pregnancy.

Broiler rabbits belong to the first category, and their fatness must meet the following requirements:

• Dense and well developed muscles, thighs and rump;
• The spinous processes of the dorsal vertebrae are palpated;
• You can feel small fat deposits on the withers.

Animals intended for slaughter for meat can be transported by any type of vehicle, but in accordance with existing rules for transporting animals and poultry in containers, boxes, metal or wooden cages.

Meat rabbit breeds that are suitable for breeding include(Figure 4):

1. New Zealand White: the weight reaches 6 kg, and in one litter the female gives birth to 7-12 cubs. Their soles are down, so the breed can be raised on mesh floors.
2. New Zealand Red: females are much larger than males, and after birth, the cubs quickly gain the weight required for slaughter.
3. Gray giant: The weight of adults is 5-6 kilograms. The female gives birth to 7-8 cubs, which are distinguished by their early maturity, rapid growth and good weight. The meat is of average quality. You can also get large skins.
4. California breed characterized by rapid growth and weight. During the year, the female gives birth to 30-35 rabbits. The skin is of high quality, with thick and dense wool, the meat has a high taste.
5. European Silver: Animals of this breed are not picky, have a calm character, require a minimum of feed, and tolerate severe frosts. The skin is thick and soft.
6. Poltava silver- a breed that allows you to get juicy and tasty meat. The fur is fluffy and prized for its color. Animals tolerate frost well.

Keeping at home (rooms, temperature, care)

On a personal plot, it is better to keep rabbits outdoors rather than indoors. The place where the cells will be located should be dry, on a hill with minimal exposure to sunlight (Figure 5).

Note: It is better to make cages from wood, arranging them in two tiers. The internal corners must be covered with iron strips. The ceiling and walls of the cages must be wooden. The floors are double: the upper part is a grate, the lower part is a tray to remove dirt.

During the cold period, animals should be kept in warm rooms with heating and protection from drafts.

High-quality feed is used for feeding. The diet should contain green food, vegetables and plenty of hay. Iodine or potassium permanganate should be added to drinking water to protect animals from coccidiosis. For pregnant rabbits, apple cider vinegar is added to their drink to increase fertility. Animals must have constant access to water and food. Feeding utensils must be constantly washed and disinfected regularly.

In a city apartment, you can also raise rabbits for meat, provided that they are not frightened by pets or children. The cages should have two compartments: a place for walking and a mesh floor with a tray. The nesting compartment for females is fenced off. Animals must be fed with mixed feed, as well as herbs, vegetables and fruits. In summer they are kept on the balcony, and in winter they are moved indoors.

Profitability of raising rabbits for meat

First you need to determine for what purpose you are getting rabbits. If you are just starting to breed them, then it is more profitable to take well-known local breeds.

The profitability of raising rabbits is determined by several factors(Figure 6):

1. You need to purchase healthy, active individuals, with a well-fed, well-built body, clean eyes and shiny fur. Animals with elongated heads, floppy ears, sagging backs and bellies, and balding hair are considered unsuitable.
2. You need to take care of the housing for the livestock in advance. For outdoor keeping, cages with two compartments are equipped. Feeders and drinkers are fixed inside.
3. Indoors in winter, cages with double ceilings and thick walls are insulated. Cages can be made of different materials, but they should not have drafts. It is important to ensure a constant flow of fresh air and optimal daylight.
4. The cells are arranged in several tiers with a passage between them and moderate lighting. When raising rabbits for meat, the light intensity is reduced for the fattening period.

Then choose a maintenance method that will suit your conditions. If there is not enough space on the site, but there is a basement or cellar, then you can keep animals using the pit method.

Rabbit meat is a quickly digestible, high-quality product containing a lot of protein. It is recommended for children, athletes, women during pregnancy and lactation.

When raising rabbits for meat, profit will be brought by meat breeds with rapid growth, weight gain, good quality products, as well as representatives of the meat-skin direction of productivity.

All carcasses must comply with approved GOSTs and quality standards. After slaughter, carcasses are cleaned of all internal organs except kidneys. The head is separated at the first cervical vertebra, the hind limbs at the hock joint, and the forelimbs at the carpal joint (Figure 7).

Rabbit carcasses are usually separated as follows::

• Cooled - temperature no more than 25 degrees;
• Chilled - from 0 to 4 degrees;
• Ice cream - no more than 8 degrees below zero.

To sell rabbit meat, it must be frozen or refrigerated. It is not allowed to sell carcasses to retail chains if they have the following defects:

• Bone fractures;
• Back fat takes up more than a third of the total length of the carcass;
• Cleaning up bruises or bruises;
• Carcasses that were frozen more than once, after which the color changed (became flesh-colored).

During marking, each carcass is marked with a mark on the outer side of the drumstick: carcasses of the first category are given a round mark, carcasses of the second category are given a square mark, and broiler carcasses have an oval mark. If the carcass does not meet the requirements, a triangular mark is placed on the back. From the video you will learn basic recommendations for fattening rabbits for further sale for meat.

Business plan "rabbit farm"

To benefit from rabbit breeding, a business plan is drawn up that considers the main aspects of rabbit farming. A farmer needs to become an individual entrepreneur, since this form of ownership reduces taxes and makes accounting easier.

The profitability of raising rabbits for meat is average, since this product is not considered the most popular on the market. Fattening animals for meat as a business includes several preparatory stages.

First of all, you need to select a plot of land. A profitable option would be a plot with a minimum rent. The next step is purchasing cells. By building them yourself, you can save your money. At the third stage, you should purchase rabbits. And also hire an employee who will take care of the animals.

The organization of sales must be thought out before starting the organization of the economy. Clients can be meat markets, supermarkets, and individuals. The skins can be sold to fur studios and private fashion designers.

Rabbit farming is one of the most exciting branches of animal husbandry. Despite the fact that there are very few such farms left on an industrial scale, there are no fewer enthusiasts raising rabbits on their plots and dachas.

Breeding rabbits in cages at home

One of the advantages of keeping rabbits is that there is no need for large premises and walks. Several dozen heads can be kept in an open enclosure, a special pit or in cages. Cage housing is considered the most effective option for individual rabbit breeding at home.

With proper care, cage space is enough for rabbits. In it they mate, are born and grow up.

When kept in cages, it is more convenient for the rabbit breeder to care for the animals, monitor their health and carry out breeding work with the livestock.

Choosing a location for a rabbitry and cage designs

Before purchasing rabbits, you need to prepare a place for them to live. A rabbitry can be set up both outdoors and indoors. Many rabbit breeders claim that keeping rabbits in cages in the fresh air is even better - the animals gain weight faster and 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 bodies of water, 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 there is lighting for at least 10 hours in winter. The contents can be combined - kept in the air in the summer, and brought into the barn for the winter.

Important! Cages should always be placed on supports higher from the ground. This will protect the rabbits' home from rats, dogs and foxes.

One cell is not enough; separate ones are needed:

• For a pregnant rabbit, where she brings baby rabbits, she feeds them for at least 1 month.
• For the male. Sometimes males fight and each one needs to be kept in a separate cage.
• For young animals. 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 home on a balcony measuring 60x40x35 cm. For an adult gray giant, a cage of 100x70x60 is needed. In such a dwelling you can also keep older rabbits - up to four individuals. Below are the sizes of cells for various purposes:

You can combine and arrange cells as you like. A common variant is a complex of two cages, with a nursery serving as a partition between them for storing solid food. There are also options for multi-tiered cages. Detailed drawings with step-by-step instructions on how to manufacture can be found on the Internet.

When breeding rabbits on an industrial scale, cages are made of a metal frame covered with mesh. However, experienced rabbit breeders do not recommend keeping pets in such structures. It is better if all the walls are blank and only the front one is covered with mesh. This makes the rabbit feel more comfortable. The most suitable material is wood. You can also make a bottom out of mesh for ease of cleaning. But such floors are not suitable for all breeds of rabbits, especially if you plan to keep them outside 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 characteristics of animals:

Having an idea of ​​feeding, treatment and maintenance, you can begin choosing a rabbit breed. It is recommended to start with those that are used for meat - when selecting breeds for fur, the maintenance requirements are different, and it will not be easy for an inexperienced rabbit breeder. You should not start with breeds that are difficult to maintain. It is better to start breeding individuals of common, unpretentious breeds:

• gray giant;
• California white;
• butterfly;
• Russian ermine;
• New Zealand

It would be a good idea to study which breeds are common in the region and how they have proven themselves. It would be nice to find out everything about the breeders, about their livestock. You can talk to them, learn the nuances of keeping and breeding. The market is not the best place to buy purebred rabbits in order to raise 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 implement the plan in practice.

It is better to purchase baby rabbits at the age of about two months. At this time, they no longer need mother's milk and are quite capable of feeding on their own. The appearance of a rabbit can tell you whether everything is in order with its health. A healthy baby rabbit should have:

When buying animals, you need to find out what they were fed. If there is a sudden change in food, the rabbit may begin to feel unwell, the stomach may swell, and this may end in the death of the pet. Having endured quarantine for some time, it can be gradually transferred to the feed that is planned to be fed to the animals.

Rabbits from 4-6 months old can be mated. More precisely, they are ready for mating earlier, but you should not do this. Very young parents produce frail, non-viable offspring. You can determine that the female is ready for mating by her behavior - she begins to behave restlessly, refuse food, pluck fluff from her belly and carry bundles of hay in her mouth. An uncovered female rabbit goes into heat about once a week.

Important! For mating, you need to take unrelated individuals - inbreeding produces weakened offspring that do not have the weight or skin characteristics required for the breed. It is better to take a male that is young, active, and not overweight. Such an individual will have high-quality seed, and the female will not miss it.

Before mating, rabbits need to be placed on a special diet. The menu should include the following components:

In summer, rabbits need to be bred in the morning and evening hours, in winter - during the day. This is due to the fact that animals will not die at too high or too low temperatures. For mating, it is better to place the female with the male. Otherwise, he may get confused and begin to explore new territory, instead of taking care of the “bride.” When mating, it is better to wait for the second, control mating and only after that remove the rabbit into her cage. You can mark the date of mating right on the cage - this will make it easier to monitor 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 approach the nest of a pregnant rabbit very carefully, otherwise she may experience uterine spasms from fright, and the animal will die.

Pregnancy lasts about 30 days. A week before giving birth, the female rabbit begins to build a nest, carrying hay from the manger into it, and a day before, she lines it with fluff pulled from her own belly. Childbirth begins, like all animals, in the morning.

Rabbits are born quickly, approximately every 10 minutes. There are also protracted labors. If the female rabbit cannot give birth within 24 hours, 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 cubs during her first pregnancy. The first birth is 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 after removing the young mother first. Rabbits have a highly developed sense of smell, and if the babies have a foreign smell, the female may refuse them, so before touching the baby rabbits, you need to rub your hands with fluff from the nest.

The cubs are born blind, naked and wrinkled. 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. Having eaten enough milk, they fall asleep again.

But not all female rabbits take care of their offspring. This is especially true for young females who have given birth for the first time. Instinct will most likely wake up, but for now the rabbit breeder will have to keep an eye on the babies. To keep the babies from freezing, you need to independently pull the fluff from the rabbit’s belly and cover the babies with it.

After 10 days, the rabbits are completely covered with hair, and after another 2 days their eyes open. By three weeks they are already trying to get out of the nest. By one and a half months 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 not feeding them enough.

The profitability of rabbit farming at home

Having tried to breed and raise rabbits for themselves, some rabbit breeders are thinking about selling their surplus. A rabbit farm is a fairly profitable business from a private enterprise perspective.

Knowing all the maintenance costs and the approximate 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 expand production.

Considering that there are practically no industrial rabbit farms left, and dietary rabbit meat continues to be in demand, the creation of a small business based specifically on this topic seems very promising.

If you don’t want 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.

Rabbits are very cute animals that are easy to breed. Caring for and watching these cute animals helps relieve stress and improves your mood.

Where to begin

First of all, you need to decide why you are breeding rabbits. There are meat breeds, there are meat-skin breeds and skin-breeds.

If you breed animals to provide yourself with meat, you should pay attention to breeds such as, Russian Ermine,. They are quite unpretentious to the conditions of detention.

When breeding rabbits for meat sales, choose special meat breeds, for example, California, Burgundy breeds.

Breeds that produce high-quality skins are Chinchilla, Vienna Blue, Silver, downy rabbits - Angora and White Downy.

How to choose the right rabbits

Once you have decided on the breed, you need to choose healthy animals. A person just starting to breed rabbits may make a mistake and purchase a sick or rejected animal.

Signs of healthy specimens:

This method of keeping is considered the most optimal, as it allows you to monitor the health of animals, their reproduction, and helps to properly breed and feed rabbits.

The advantages also include ease of maintenance, the ability to automate many processes, ease of care.

However, a number of requirements must be met to ensure that rabbits are truly comfortable and happy in their cages.

It is better to install cages in a shed called a shed (read:). Being in the open air does not protect you from wind, frost, or precipitation. The walls and floor of the shed can be made of bricks, logs, or wooden boards. The main condition is that there should be no cracks or holes in them in order to avoid drafts that have a detrimental effect on rabbits. In this case, the room should be well ventilated and lit. Lack of light and fresh air causes deterioration of the hairline.

Cell requirements:

• Slat or mesh floor.
• Size for a female rabbit with rabbits: length - 890mm, width - 780mm, height - 420mm.
• Cage size for individual housing: length – 720mm, width – 600mm, height – 420mm.
• The front wall is mesh, the sides and back are solid, wooden.
• The cage is equipped with a feeder and drinking bowl.
• In cages intended for cubs, a mother house made of plywood or thin boards is placed.

This method is suitable for those who want to breed rabbits for meat, while spending a minimum of effort and money. This method is not used at all for breeding breeding animals and obtaining high-quality skins. Giant rabbits are also not kept in pits.

Pits can be made both in villages and in cities. Soils with low groundwater flow and the absence of rocks and stones under a thin layer of soil are suitable. Pits can be installed in a basement or cellar, even in a city apartment building.

The approximate size of the pit is 2 meters long, 2 meters wide, 1 meter high. The size is given for approximately 20 rabbits. The floor can be left earthen or made of slats or mesh, under which a slope or tray for feces and urine is placed. Straw is spread on the earthen floor, which must be removed after a few days and will have to be replaced with clean straw.

Along the walls there are feeders in different directions and drinking bowls. They try not to place them near the entrance to holes dug by rabbits, otherwise they will quickly and heavily get dirty.

The hole definitely needs a window that lets in sunlight. The norm for artificial lighting is 40 watts per 10 square meters. For rabbits, the length of daylight is much more important than the brightness of the lighting.

Pros of pit housing:

• Low costs - one pit can serve for a very long time, it does not wear out, unlike cages.
• No problems with pregnancy and childbirth.
• Various diseases rarely develop.
• Great space saving.
• Ease and convenience of feeding.
• The reproduction process goes well - often, easily. Rabbits are born and develop stronger and more resilient than when kept in cages.
• In winter, the floor and water in the drinking bowls do not freeze.

Minuses:

• Inbreeding. It causes shrinkage and congenital deformities of animals.
• Inability to control reproduction.
• Animals become wild over time and become difficult to catch for vaccination.
• The skins become damaged, especially on males who constantly fight with each other.
• It is more difficult to clean up manure.

Mating

A pair of rabbits is selected - healthy and at puberty . The female must be in a state of sexual heat, otherwise she simply will not allow the male to approach her. How to determine sexual heat?

In a normally developing female, heat occurs approximately once a week. In summer, the interval is reduced to 5-6 days, in winter it increases to 17-20. October and November are the most unfavorable months in this regard.

During the hunt, the female becomes restless, begins to rush around the cage, pluck out her fluff, carry a bunch of hay in her mouth, her appetite sharply decreases or disappears completely. If a female is stroked on the back, she will instinctively lie down on the floor and raise her hindquarters. To more accurately determine the period of sexual heat, the genitals are visually assessed (popularly called a “loop”).

In its normal state, the loop has a pale pink color, but during hunting it becomes a bright pink color. In addition, it swells somewhat. The duration of the hunting period can be 3-5 days.

The male must be young enough, not obese, not emaciated. It is not advisable to allow more than 4 coats per day on a male.

In summer, mating is best done in the morning or evening, in winter - in the daytime. This is due to the most suitable air temperature. In hot and cold weather, animals are less active.

For mating, the female is placed in the male's cage. Otherwise, he will be confused and instead of having sexual intercourse, he will get used to the new room. First you need to remove feeders, drinking bowls, and any other items from the cage. Cages are usually cleaned and disinfected before mating.

For a more guaranteed result, you should wait until the female is covered twice, and then move her back to her home cage.

Determination of pregnancy in rabbits

Experienced rabbit breeders carry out control mating 5-6 days after the first covering. Most often, an already pregnant female is not given to the male for repeated mating.

After 2 weeks, you can try to palpate the belly of the coated female. The animal is taken out of the cage, turned towards itself with its head, holding the female by the skin in the sacral area with one hand. Another one at this time is palpating the belly; in a pregnant rabbit, in the back half, you can feel the embryos as one or two chains parallel to each other. The size of the embryo at this time is 2-3 cm. Palpation is done very carefully so as not to harm the babies or cause artificial birth.

When there are 5-7 days left before giving birth, the female begins to prepare a nest and bedding for the cubs. To do this, she uses straw and grass from the manger. A day before giving birth, the female rabbit plucks her own down and lines the nest with it.

Feeding before mating

A nutritious diet provokes increased sexual activity in animals. Undernourished or obese females most often do not fertilize, and males develop low-quality seed.

Mandatory feed before mating will be legume hay, silage, oats, carrots, a mixture of cake with bran, salt, meat, bone and fish meal. You can give tree branches, sprouted grains of barley and oats.

In winter, females are given high-quality hay, silage, root vegetables, grain mixtures (corn grains, legumes, oats), bone and meat meal, bran, salt, boiled or raw potatoes. Fish oil is also included in the diet - 2g per day, chalk - 2g. Number of feedings – 3 per day.

Feeding pregnant and lactating females

At this time, proper varied nutrition is especially important, because underfeeding causes disruptions in the normal development of embryos and reduces milk production in a lactating female.

In summer, the female is given a large amount of dried grass, in winter - high-quality hay. In addition, the diet includes silage with the addition of meat and bone meal and concentrated feed, and root vegetables. Nursing mothers are given daily milk - 100g, chalk - 2g, salt - 1g.

Do not feed moldy or frozen food to avoid causing a miscarriage.

5-10 days before birth, they reduce the amount of roughage (dry leaves, hay) and completely stop producing silage. There must be water or snow in the cage in winter! Otherwise, the female, experiencing a lack of water, may eat her entire litter.

The number of feedings for a pregnant and lactating rabbit is from 3 to 5 times a day. When the rabbits begin to leave the nest, increase the amount of food.

When breeding rabbits, novice rabbit breeders are capable of making mistakes that can have catastrophic consequences. Lack of experience and lack of knowledge are the main reasons.

• A pregnant female may experience a spasm of the uterus, which will cause the death of the animal. The provocateur is often severe fear and stress. Therefore, an experienced breeder approaches the nest, trying to make as little noise as possible.
• If the location of the uterine house is incorrect, the female will drag the rabbits from corner to corner, ultimately causing their death. The area of ​​the house should be reduced.
• If the mother rabbit has an excess amount of milk, the babies may die of starvation due to the fact that the glands become very dense and the rabbits cannot grasp them. In this case, massage of the mammary glands and timely expression of excess milk is necessary.

Etc. A distinctive feature of this breed is its size, up to 60 cm in length and up to 5 kg of live weight; the young animals develop intensively. They are unpretentious in maintenance and hardy.

First of all, you need to determine where to place the cells. The site should be chosen dry, on a hill, away from the swamps. The humidity at which rabbits feel comfortable is 60-70%. Drafts and dampness are especially harmful to rabbits.

Rabbits consume increased amounts of oxygen. They can't stand the heat. Exposure to the sun's rays can cause them to suffer from heatstroke. But they are resistant to low temperatures and are adapted to spend the winter outdoors, although such maintenance must be treated with caution.

Cages can be built from planks and metal mesh. It is preferable to make them in blocks, each block containing two cells. The partition between the cells is a feeder for grass and hay, made of metal mesh.

Each cage consists of two compartments, nesting and feeding, which are separated by a wooden partition with a hole 20 by 20 cm.

The cage width is 40 cm for the nesting compartment, and 60 cm for the feeding compartment. The nesting compartment is made solid, and the aft compartment is made of galvanized mesh with a cell size of 16-18 mm and a wire thickness of 2 mm. Sometimes, the mesh is replaced with slats made of hardwood, with gaps between them of 1-2 cm. The feeder and drinker are mounted in the feed compartment on the front wall. Feeders for combined feed and root crops, as well as drinking bowls, are usually made on the front side of the cage. Feeders are made 50-60 cm long. They are fastened so that after loading the food, it itself leans inside the cage and its outer side is adjacent to the front wall.

The roof is made pitched with a slope of 15°, roofing material, with a 30 cm canopy for protection from the sun, rain and snow. The cages are installed at a height of 0.7 m from the ground.

Cages should be oriented to prevent animals from being exposed to direct sunlight. Basically, they try to turn the cells to the west or east with their facade.

Rabbit breeders, as a rule, prefer to raise animals in cages with their facades facing each other, which makes it possible in winter, without much effort, to build a gable roof over the cages and cover the sides with wooden boards.

Combined housing is also used, when the cages are moved to a barn for the winter; this is especially true when the birth of rabbits occurs in the winter. All-season exposure to fresh air has a beneficial effect on animals, they become more resistant to diseases, their coat becomes thicker and shiny.

Rabbit farming is an industry with a rapidly increasing volume of final products and deserves due attention. From the reproduction of rabbits, people receive products that are in constant demand. The skins are used for sewing fur products. Rabbit meat is a tasty dietary product and contains a high amount of protein. Its advantages allow it to be recommended for consumption by mental workers, the elderly, children, people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and other diseases.

Breeding rabbits at home is becoming increasingly popular. Thanks to their high fertility, at low costs, you can receive a decent income per year from the sale of young animals, meat and skins.

Instructions

First you need to make cells and choose a good place to place them. It could be a barn or a shed, as long as there is no wind. Cages can be purchased or made from boards, thick plywood, or metal mesh. A cage for a medium-sized rabbit is made in the following dimensions: 90 cm – length, 60 cm – width, 45 cm – height. A nesting compartment is provided for female rabbits.

Feeding rabbits is not difficult. The basis of the diet is hay. It should not be rude either. It’s better to make the hay yourself, so you can make sure that plants don’t accidentally get into it. In summer, rabbits are fed dried grass. The rabbit's diet necessarily contains grain. It could be oats, barley. Additionally, they provide root vegetables, mineral salts, and be sure to pour fresh water into the drinking bowl. Rabbits are fed twice a day.

Female rabbits can be bred at 5-7 months of age. Males are allowed to mate from 6 months. Animals should not be overweight, especially females. Sukrolnaya bears rabbits for 30 days, there may be fluctuations of 1-2 days. Rabbits breed quickly, usually at night.

Rabbits are born completely naked and blind. We need to make sure that there are no corpses left in the nest. This must be done very carefully; the hands should not have any foreign odors; it is better to rub them with the female’s droppings. The mother does not sit with her cubs all the time. She periodically visits the nesting compartment, digs up the fluff, feeds the baby rabbits and buries them again.

Choose a place to keep the animal. It is easier to solve this issue in a private or country house, where the cage can be placed on the veranda or under a canopy. In urban areas, an insulated loggia or a glazed one is suitable. In the future, if you want to expand your farm, you can use part of the living space for maintenance. Of course, this should not interfere with normal living.

Be responsible when choosing an animal. It is best to purchase a rabbit not on the market, but from professional private traders or on specialized farms. This reduces the risk of acquiring defective or sick animals.

note

Breeding rabbits at home is a very good and profitable business. Keeping rabbits. Caring for young rabbits must begin long before they appear. No less attention should be paid to the selection and preparation of premises for cultivation: repairs, construction of a new one, preparation of queen cells and other necessary equipment.

Helpful advice

If you have a private house, then you can organize rabbit breeding at home, or you can create a very serious farm for breeding rabbits. Those who decide to create a small business raising rabbits are faced with two main questions: what breeds of rabbits to choose and what method to raise them. There are different breeds of rabbits and ways to raise them, you have to make the choice yourself...

A rabbit at home is a warm, fluffy, beautiful pet, quite unpretentious in food, and also an unusual pet that will arouse the interest of guests. Naturally, any coin has two sides, and together with the rabbit, its owners receive responsibility for the pet and the hassle of raising and caring for it.

You need to answer a few questions for yourself:

1. Where will the pet live?
It requires a cage, preferably equipped with a toilet, a secluded house in which the rabbit can hide from strangers in case of an alarming situation, as well as a hay feeder.
The cage should be in a free, well-ventilated area, but not in a draft. The cage dimensions must be at least 70*55*45 cm.

2. Who will be the responsible owner?
This person must take care of the condition of the rabbit’s cage every day, transferring his functions to other household members if for some reason he cannot do this himself. In addition, the owner must regularly visit the veterinary hospital for a preventive examination of the rabbit and routine vaccination.

3. Are you ready to take on such responsibility?
We are responsible for those we have tamed. You should not follow fashion or give in to your desires without assessing your responsibility and clearly weighing all the pros and cons.

How to choose a rabbit

When the rabbit is home

Tip 8: California rabbit as the best option for breeding

Today, the Californian rabbit breed occupies a leading position in the list of meat breeds. In addition to meat, farmers who breed these animals have also established a successful sale of their valuable fur.

California rabbits have been known in Russia for more than forty years, and many farms are quite successfully engaged in industrial breeding of representatives of this breed.

Californian rabbits are economically profitable not only due to their meat and fur, but also due to their rapid adaptation to life in different climatic zones. “Californians” have thick, dense furry paws, so they are grown even in the harsh Siberian climate.

Some statistics

The average weight of an adult Californian rabbit is 4.5 kg, and at birth the animal weighs only 45 g. This breed is characterized by very high growth energy - already at the age of 2 months, the “eared” ones weigh about 2 kg, and after another 3 months 3.5 kg. Rabbits reach their normal, “marketable” weight at the age of 5 months.

In terms of the proportion of meat in the carcass (82-85%), Californian rabbits occupy one of the leading positions and successfully compete with the famous New Zealand white meat rabbits. The bone content in the carcass is only 14-15%, the proportion of fat is approximately 2%.

Female rabbits of the Californian breed are distinguished by their good fertility, since in one litter they can give birth to an average of 7-8 rabbits. In a year, under favorable conditions and good nutrition, females can give birth to up to 35 rabbits.

Feeding and keeping California rabbits

The basis of the diet of rabbits of this breed (as well as representatives of other breeds) is plant food. Long-eared animals happily eat the stems and leaves of alfalfa, white and red clover, dandelion, garden sorrel, rhubarb, yarrow, burdock, nettle and many other plants. Rabbits can also feed on branches of garden shrubs such as raspberries and currants.

For full development, it is necessary to include a variety of vegetables in the animal’s diet: beets, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke and others. Occasionally, “Californians” like to eat tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and even onions. By the way, it is not advisable to give cabbage to rabbits, since eating this vegetable can cause bloating and diarrhea in them.

In winter, the basis of the rabbits' diet is hay, but animals refuse to eat straw. In addition to hay, during the cold season, animals should be fed with a special combined feed, which contains the entire complex of useful vitamins and minerals.

California rabbit: description of the breed

The Californian breed easily adapts to any growing conditions. These rabbits feel great in both the southern and northern regions of the planet. Californians develop very quickly, producing large volumes of skins and meat.

George West, a farmer from the American state of California, put a lot of effort into the formation of the breed. The California rabbit was recognized as a separate breed in 1928. In its selective development, genes from several breeds were used, including Russian ermine, New Zealand white and Soviet chinchilla rabbits. As a result of targeted breeding, a breed was obtained that combined the best properties of its ancestors.

The efforts of breeders were aimed at obtaining rabbits characterized by early maturity and high-quality fur. These characteristics are ultimately combined with ease of maintenance and care.

Californians are distinguished by their cylindrical body shape and wide bones. The paws are short and thick. The head is small, the neck is short, and the fur is thick. The ears are medium length, the eyes are red. The color of the animals is very specific: dark brown paws, ears, nose and tail stand out against a white general background. Less commonly, you can find individuals with a smoky blue or chocolate color.

Breeding California rabbit

Representatives of this breed grow very quickly, reaching up to 5 kg of live weight or more by adulthood. For meat purposes, these animals are kept until seven months of age; after this, the growth rate of rabbits decreases, and the weight reaches its maximum level.

The litter can reach 15 rabbits. The rapid growth of young animals is ensured by the developed maternal qualities of female rabbits and their good milk production. In a year, from a healthy female with good care, it is quite possible to get up to three dozen rabbits.

Breeding this breed is not difficult - these animals are unpretentious. A family of five will be fully provided with meat if they have one male and four females.

Keeping and caring for the California rabbit

This breed easily adapts to new conditions. The main thing is to take care of a cozy and spacious cage. Its height should be such that the animals can easily rise on their hind legs. Indispensable attributes of the place of detention are a drinking bowl and a feeding trough. These rabbits also require a small shelter where they can sleep peacefully. One rabbit of this breed should have at least 1/3 square meter of cage area.

When choosing a place for the cage, find an area where there is no sun and drafts. It is advisable that the place be in partial shade. The tray inside the cage should be lined with sawdust or special filler. The substrate material must retain odor and not allow moisture to pass through.

Caring for Californians includes cage cleaning and regular feeding. An important place in grooming is also occupied by cleaning the fur, skin and ears, and cutting nails. You should also remember to carry out eye hygiene for animals.

The easiest way to detect emerging health problems is by examining your pets daily. Pay attention to the skin: there should be no reddish spots, pimples or damage. The presence of such signs will indicate liver dysfunction and hormonal imbalance. Often, skin problems in animals arise after suffering stress.

A healthy Californian's coat is soft and shiny. If tangles are found on the fur, they must be removed with scissors. The quality of fur can be improved by combing; For this purpose, a brush made of natural and not too hard fibers is suitable.

Feeding the California rabbit

Animals of this breed will be healthy and productive only if they follow the correct diet and a balanced diet. For the accelerated development of young animals, food enriched with proteins is required. The diet must include meat or fish meal, protein supplements and dairy products.

The classic food for these animals would be hay or fresh grass, twigs, and root vegetables. The California rabbit loves pumpkin, cabbage, carrots and zucchini, but will not refuse a banana. There should always be sufficient fresh water in the drinking bowl. During the hot season, the volume of liquid should be doubled. In winter, the water can be slightly heated.

Rabbits just weaned from their mother's milk need five feedings. For older individuals, two or three feedings per day are sufficient.