Description of Hikol rabbits
Thanks to the intensive development of animal husbandry, Hikol rabbits were bred. They are representatives of a hybrid breed. White California and Australian rabbits were involved in the selection of these animals.
Characteristics of Hikol rabbits
The breed was bred in France at the end of the last century and for several decades has already gained immense popularity in the world, thanks to its breed characteristics. It is the most popular farm breed in the world.
Description
The official description says that, like their ancestors, Hikol rabbits are light in color, but do not have a standard fur color.
There are individuals of white, gray, cream color, as well as colorpoint (the body is white, the nose and ears are painted in a dark color).
The breed standards are:
- ears are spoon-like, short - up to 10-11 cm;
- the head is medium-sized, light;
- the nose is pulled out;
- eyes set wide apart, red with light edging in sclera;
- the neck is short;
- body length reaches 50-54 cm;
- the back is straight, wide;
- the stomach is lowered;
- the croup is very massive;
- forelegs rather short, set wide apart;
- the hind legs are powerful, placed correctly when viewed from behind;
- straight tail with dark piping.
The Hikol breed has a meat direction and is raised as a broiler. Sufficient weight of 4.5-5 kg for slaughter young animals reach already at 3-4 months. This is a record figure among meat breeds of rabbits. With a correct and balanced diet, the animal gains 45-60 g of body weight daily.
Representatives of the breed are not predisposed to obesity and suffer from it in very rare cases.
Hikol rabbit meat is especially appreciated in the agricultural market. Due to the rapid weight gain and light bones, raising rabbits for slaughter is a good source of income. The percentage of pure meat from the weight of the animal before slaughter is about 57-60%.
Breeding features
The main difference from many breeds is that Hikol is a representative of a hybrid breed, which means that breeding has its own characteristics. Representatives of the breed cannot reproduce naturally due to their hybrid origin. Females are artificially fertilized to produce offspring with a full list of breed characteristics. If the representatives of the Hikol breed are brought together in a natural way, then the rabbits will not be considered purebred representatives of the breed.
Because of this breeding feature, it is unprofitable to breed rabbits in private households and small farms. Artificial insemination is costly and pays off only on large farms.
The French company Hipfarm is a monopoly in breeding stock. In addition to Hikol, a similar hybrid Hiplus breed is bred there. These rabbits are also meat-oriented. The progenitors of these breeds are kept in the company's nurseries and are not sold for breeding. There are branches all over the world where animals can also be purchased. One male will cost about 550 rubles, while females cost about 500 rubles.
Breeding features
Females are highly fertile. One litter consists of 10-12 cubs. With compacted litters, you can get 8-10 litters per year. After that, the rabbit is taken out of breeding.
The rabbit has 10 nipples, thanks to which she is able to equally provide all her babies with milk. It is important to provide the female with a balanced diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Content
Animals have well-pubescent paws, which allows them to be kept in cages with a lattice floor. This makes cleaning easier and prevents rabbits from trampling on their feces. Dirt in the cages or enclosures causes outbreaks of coccidiosis and the death of the entire herd. Young rabbits under the age of 3 months are especially susceptible to disease.
It is recommended to arrange the cells so that:
- they were not in direct sunlight;
- precipitation and drafts did not penetrate there;
- the temperature in winter did not drop below 16-17⁰С.
Females are kept in 2-3 individuals, and males one by one, in order to avoid aggression and fights. The cages must be well ventilated. Pets need constant access to food and clean water. This is especially true for females during and after birth. Often, due to dehydration, rabbits eat their cubs to restore water-salt balance.
The diet
Hikol rabbits perfectly adapt to different types of food. They willingly eat dried grass, hay, fresh and boiled vegetables, wheat, sunflower seeds, corn, barley. But in order for the animals to gain weight and fully justify their breed characteristics, granulated concentrated feed should be present in their menu from early childhood. Their price is quite high, but it is justified by the meat yield after slaughter.
Hichol Rabbit Feeding
Compared to their ancestors, Hikoli require fewer feed units to gain body weight, which is an undeniable benefit for the farm. At the age of 3-4 months, the animals gain 4.5-5 kg of live weight and are ready for slaughter.
To ensure a complete diet, you must:
- Take care of making hay for the winter. It is better to do this in the month of June and July. During this period, herbs have a higher protein content, which is necessary for the growth and development of animals. Over time, the grass increases in fiber, which the rabbit's digestive system cannot digest. The amount of fats and minerals is also reduced. Hay harvested in August has a low nutritional value.
- Feed the rabbits with legumes. This can cut the cost of concentrated feed in half. Legumes contain a lot of lysine, a valuable amino acid. So, 1 kg of green mass contains up to 27 g of easily digestible protein.
- Give animals 24/7 access to food. Rabbits can eat 50-60 times a day. During feeding, the animals require round-the-clock feeding.
Choosing and buying Hicol rabbits
Since the breed is not very common and there are not so many nurseries engaged in divorce, you should not purchase animals by ad on the Internet, markets or dubious subsidiary farms. Purebred representatives of the tribe can be bought at agricultural shows or in nurseries specializing in this breed.
You can buy rabbits in France, but delivery will be disproportionately expensive. But you can be completely sure that you have a Hikol rabbit in front of you, and not a less thoroughbred brother like him.
By external signs, it is difficult to determine belonging to the breed. Hicoley is often referred to as Australian or Coliform White rabbits. It is necessary to require supporting documents from breeders.
You should also be careful in choosing an animal. An overly calm and lethargic rabbit is most likely sick with something. Bald spots on the coat at best indicate poor living conditions and malnutrition, at worst they can be symptoms of infectious diseases.
Conclusion
When buying Hicol broiler rabbits, it is important to understand that keeping these animals and their feed can be too expensive. If you raise rabbits in small numbers, then they will not recoup their cost. It is advisable to breed this breed on an industrial scale.
It is also worth remembering that in the absence of the correct diet, the animal will not be able to fully realize its breed qualities. In this case, it makes no sense to start Hikol rabbits.