Description of domestic breed rabbits

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The decorative pet rabbit has long taken a solid position on the pet list. A person primarily appreciates this animal for its warm fur, tasty meat and low maintenance requirements.

Domestic rabbit

Ordinary owners of the soul do not like furry pets, because these rodents are extremely funny and curious. If you decide to get yourself rabbits as pets, then you should immediately solve the first question: for what purpose?

Why do they have rabbits?

There is still debate about whether a farm rabbit can be considered decorative or not, because the breed of these animals is often the same, but the purpose and conditions of keeping domestic rabbits are different. If you decide to breed a domestic rabbit for slaughter, then you will need a farm or pens, special enclosures for pregnant females, regular suppliers of feed in large quantities.

You should also regulate a number of legal acts and be sure to get a personal veterinarian who can notarize the suitability of meat and skins for sale. Rabbit farms are highly profitable due to the rapid fertility of animals and the value of fur. The domestic rabbit is also a source of dietary meat; it is recommended for people with heart and kidney diseases. These animals are not too expensive, the price fights back after the first okrol.

If you need a domestic rabbit as a pet, a simple but comfortable cage, grass cuttings in the meadow and food from a pet store are enough. It should be remembered that a rabbit is a gregarious animal, and if you purchase only one eared eared, it can become depressed without proper attention.

When buying a new pet, no matter for what purpose, you should check the documents for the animal and the general appearance. The rabbit's coat should be thick, without bald spots, and the eyes should be black and shiny. It is important to check your pet's teeth and paws: the incisors should not be crooked, and the knees should not be turned out.

Domestic rabbits are very lively animals and can make a mess if you let them walk around your apartment. It is necessary to protect the animal from wires and sharp objects: the rodent may not resist the temptation to try them on the tooth. Otherwise, caring for the animals is quite simple, and the dwarf rabbit, which looks like a mini-version of the farm, will appeal to many rodent lovers. What types of rabbits are good pets and how to keep them?

Breeds of domestic decorative rabbits

A rabbit is a herbivorous mammal from the hare family. The characteristic external features of this animal are:

• strong front incisors;
• elongated ears;
• five-toed front legs and four-toed hind legs;
• shiny eyes with a wide viewing angle and thick soft fur.

Rabbit breeders can tell about the many species of these animals.The breeds of rabbits in the household are divided according to the type of products that can be obtained from a particular animal in greater quantities. These types of rabbits are classified as:

• meat types of breeds;
• fur types of breeds;
• downy species of breeds;
• dwarf breeds.

In addition, breeds are usually divided according to the habitat of the animal and named after countries. The brightest representatives of various states:

• American species of rabbits (Silver fox, California, American sable).
• Soviet breeds of rabbits (Russian ermine, Gray giant, Soviet chinchilla).
• German species of rabbits (German sheep, German variegated giant, Riesen);
• French types of rabbits (Burgundy Silver, Champagne, Harlequin, French sheep).

Life expectancy in wild rabbits is 4-5 years. In captivity, these rodents can live up to 12.

Many newcomers to rabbit farming often confuse a rabbit and a hare. However, these are different animals, although they belong to the same subclass.

Hare and rabbit: what's the difference

Often times, people do not see the difference between these animals. Rabbit and hare - are they somehow different? In fact, there are a number of characteristic differences between rodents:

• The first, and most simple, is the appearance. The hare is much larger than its domestic counterpart, has elongated limbs and ears. Both animals molt twice a year, but the hare's fur changes from black to white depending on the season. The hare is not very good as a meat prey: it is wiry and muscular due to constant rapid dashes.
• Hare females cannot reproduce constantly, and prefer the warmest periods of the year for pregnancy.
• Rabbits are born naked and blind, and the hares have already opened their eyes and have fur.
• The rabbit prefers to settle in burrows underground, and the hare builds a nest on the surface.
• For the entire existence of this breed, the hare has not been tamed.

Natural habitats of rabbits

Northwest Africa, Italy and the south of France are considered to be the historical homeland of the eared ears.

Spain is worth mentioning separately. It is believed that the Roman soldiers transported the rabbits from Madrid to Rome, and from there they bred all over the world. Today these rodents can be found in every corner of the country.

An interesting story connects rabbits with Australia, where rodents have become a kind of destroyers of the ecosystem. At one time, the colonists considered these animals the most advantageous species for divorce and brought some of them to the mainland. The rabbits bred too quickly, destroying the already meager green reserves, leaving the indigenous animals without food. Many herbivores in Australia are on the verge of extinction due to the small furry animals.

Today, the largest number of rabbits in natural conditions can be found on both continents of America. Also, the habitat of rodents is considered the Western and Central part of Europe, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean. It is believed that if you do not restrain the reproduction of these animals, then the planet will be completely populated by them in a couple of years.

How to feed rabbits properly

The domestic rabbit requires a lot of food due to the structure of the body and activity.

The lion's share of the daily diet of rabbits is food of plant origin. There are several types of food:

• greens;
• juicy food;
• roughage;
• combined feed.

It is important to remember that for the proper growth and development of pets, the rabbit's menu should not only consist of all types of food, it should include vitamin and mineral supplements. To calculate how much feed you need per day, you should use the table of feeding rates.

Green complementary foods include fresh grass, cabbage leaves and vegetable tops. In the summer, there are no problems with obtaining this food. But what to do in winter? Here succulent feed comes to the rescue of the rabbit breeder. Root crops or silage are usually used as juicy additives.Silage is harvested in advance and fermented for at least 2 months.

In winter, coarse fodder acts as a source of vitamins for rabbits instead of greens. This is hay, branches and tree bark. Hay, like silage, is harvested in advance. The cut grass is carefully sorted out and washed with boiled water, after which it is dried in the shade on the street or on the balcony. Branch feed should also be prepared in spring or summer. Not every tree is suitable for rabbits: some of them, such as elderberry or apricot, are extremely toxic.

The source of protein and fiber for the rabbit is a combination feed and fresh vegetables. Without these products, the animal will not be able to gain weight. Concentrated feed includes such solid grains as wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds. Rabbits are happy to eat corn and peas. Among vegetables, carrots and cabbage take the first place, but potatoes, pumpkin, and zucchini are also suitable. Beets can be fed to rabbits, but in moderation. Rodents have rather weak stomachs, and things can end up in frustration.

Another feature of rabbits is their teeth. The incisors of an animal grow throughout life and so that they do not begin to curl up, wood is needed for the point. Otherwise, the eared will begin to gnaw at the cage and make noise at night.

Vitamin and mineral supplements, in addition to the usual feed, are contained in fish oil, bone meal or chalk. These components must also be present in the diet of the animal, especially in expectant mothers. Lack of calcium can lead to rickets and bone deformities.

There are four and three meals a day, which also differs depending on the season. Usually farmers select the feeding time individually for the breed, but if the rabbit is a pet, then feed it according to your own schedule. Food should be given at about the same time, otherwise the animal will get nervous. Even small rabbits drink a lot of water, so it is important to monitor the availability of fluids around the clock. Hunger is not as terrible for this animal as dehydration. The drinking bowl is filled with plain water, but, preferably, settled or boiled. To increase immunity, you can add a drop of lemon juice to the water once a month.

Conditions and sanitary standards for keeping a domestic rabbit

Caring for a rabbit like any other animal requires effort and investment. When choosing this pet, it is important to remember that in the wild, rabbits live in families and love attention, so it is best to have about 10 individuals to start with. If there is an opportunity to afford only one animal, then it is necessary to give it more affection, otherwise the animal will miss and die. The rabbit should be allowed out for a walk. It is optimal to do this on the street in an aviary, but if this is not possible, then you can send the rodent on a trip around the apartment.

Eared - sometimes wayward animal and loves to arrange everything to his liking. Keep wires and toxic items away, and don't leave important papers within reach of your furry friend. It is better to be mentally prepared for the fact that your favorite curtain or flower may suffer.

The pet's cage must be at least a meter cubed. The bottom of the cage must be made of wood or plastic; in the house itself, a feeder and a drinking bowl are required. The temperature of the room in which the pet lives should not exceed 20 ° C: rabbits do not tolerate heat well. In addition, it is important to avoid loud noises or strong odors: the animal is quite fearful and can become seriously ill from stress. The cage is cleaned twice a day. Rabbits are clean enough that they can be trained to go to the toilet in the same place. There are many articles and videos about this on the Internet.

Also, these animals are incredibly mobile and love to play. Eared toys can be made by yourself or purchased at a pet store.

Fulfillment, okrol and the first month of life of rabbits

The breeding process of rabbits does not depend on the season.The female is capable of giving birth more than 20 times a year. It is this high birth rate that has allowed rabbits to survive in the wild, where many predators can feast on them.

The maturity of the farm rabbit occurs at the 6th month, and the dwarf - at the 3-4th. Young rabbits are extremely fertile: in captivity, 1 rabbit can bring up to 12 young rabbits.

If you have determined the fecundity in a female, then you must be ready to provide her with proper care. The duration of pregnancy lasts about a month and depends on the number of cubs. The more babies in one litter, the faster they are born. For good fetal development, the diet should be revised and made more saturated. On the farm, expectant mothers need to make a separate aviary where nests are installed. The rabbit during the fertile period can be aggressive and start fights. The female should be protected from contact with other domestic animals and kept at rest. The mother house will help to distract from stress: the rabbits love to equip the future nest, tearing the fluff from the belly and insulating the hay with it.

Rabbits are born blind and helpless early in the morning or in the middle of the night. You should not touch the female during the birth without urgent need: the animal is extremely vulnerable. The young mother feeds and licks the cubs twice a day. If the female refused the rabbits, then they need to be put on another nurse. To do this, you should plant the unscrupulous female in another cage, wipe your hands with wormwood and put the refuseniks on another rabbit. This must be done extremely quickly, otherwise the little rabbits may die.

The domestic rabbit grows rather quickly, and after 2 months the rabbits are ready for independent life.

Treatment and prevention of diseases in a rabbit

The domestic rabbit, like any pet, is susceptible to various diseases. Since it is considered a farm animal, there are epidemics and unpleasant infections in the ranks of the eared ones. Infectious diseases can be spread by a virus (stomatitis, rhinitis, myxomatosis) or carried by parasites (scabies, lice).

Treating pets is costly and stressful. To avoid most diseases, it is enough to adhere to certain preventive actions. You should examine the animal at least once a month, check its ears, eyes, fur condition and feel for possible tumors. A routine check-up of the herd with a veterinarian should be arranged every season. It is required to increase the amount of vitamins in the fluffy diet in winter and spring, as well as during pregnancy. Each individual must be vaccinated.

When buying a new pet, do not let it go straight into a common cage. During the week, the rabbit must live separately: during this period, a sick animal can usually be seen.

It is important to keep the cages and enclosures clean, and remember that a balanced diet and proper maintenance will protect your pet from most diseases.

Additional interesting facts from the life of rabbits:

• The viewing angle in rabbits is much wider than that of humans or many other animals. The rodent is able to see everything that is happening behind him without turning his head.
• Rabbits are real water lovers: with a weight of 2 kg, a male can drink as much as an average dog.
• False pregnancies can occur in rabbits.
• It takes no more than 5 minutes for the female to feed the rabbits.
• The sweat glands in rabbits are located in the paw pads.
• In some states of Australia, it is illegal to keep rabbits as pets.

Most often, these pets do not tolerate a change of scenery. They need to be protected from stress.

Domestic rabbits are special pets, keeping them in an apartment requires knowledge and skills. In this case, it is important to draw up the right diet and care for exotic breeds of fluffy.