The basics of rabbit breeding for beginners

0

1443

Article rating

Breeding rabbits is considered quite profitable. They are kept both for personal needs and for the further sale of meat, skins and fur. It is recommended to start with a few individuals, choosing the most unpretentious breeds (for example, dwarf rabbits), and then gradually increase their number. When it becomes clear what is what, you can move from the start (rabbit breeding for beginners) to a more profitable occupation, that is, breeding rabbits in order to make a profit.

Rabbit breeding for beginners

It is worth saying that all investments will pay off quickly enough, because the purchase price of a rabbit is small, which cannot be said about meat, rabbit fur and skin, so we can confidently say that such an activity is very profitable. Today we are going to talk about the main aspects that any person involved in breeding rabbits should know. It will be about rabbit breeding for beginners and all the related information about running a business from scratch.

How to choose a place to keep rabbits

Starting a new business is not easy. There are many factors that need to be examined to avoid mistakes. For example, before you start buying rabbits, you should take care of where they will live in advance. It is worth saying that this is not only the aesthetic part of the issue, but also a factor that will further contribute to the fact that the rabbits reproduce faster, hurt less, etc.

First of all, you need to have a certain territory. A summer cottage or a private house is considered an ideal place. Those who do not own such wealth will have to rent a place. As for the requirements for the area, it should not be too windy and humid there, as this will negatively affect the health of rabbits and rabbits.

Rabbit keeping options

After the terrain has been determined, you need to choose the most suitable rabbit breeding technology. Cages and aviaries are considered ideal conditions, although there are some narrow divisions as to how pets can be kept. These technologies will be discussed further. Let's start with those that are used on home farms and have up to a hundred heads.

The pit method of breeding rabbits

The first method, which will be described, is growing in pits. Experienced breeders do not recommend using it, despite the fact that it is the most financially beneficial for running a business. What is this placement? These are the most common dug holes in which rodents are placed, after which they are covered with iron nets to prevent escape. Further, after some time, rabbits will breed and break holes to accommodate their offspring.

The disadvantages of the pit method are that you will have to constantly depend on the weather, and the animals will be kept in mud, since the pit does not imply any flooring. For the same reason, skin breeds and those that are grown because of the fluff are not bred using the pit method, because the quality of the fur in this situation will be much worse than if the pet was kept, for example, in cages. For this reason, for a successful business, it is better to prefer other options and say no to pit content.

Among other things, the rabbits living in the pit will get sick more often, because the ground is damp, and this also causes a lot of trouble for the owner of the rabbit base and slows down the development of business.

Keeping rabbits in cages

This is the most common rabbit breeding method used by almost all rodent owners. Of course, you still have to spend money on the cage itself, and you can buy it ready-made in the store or make it yourself with your own hands. In order to make a cage yourself, you will need the simplest materials, a little ingenuity and hard work.

Currently, the most popular are Zolotukhin's drawings. They are used not only in Russia and other CIS countries, but also abroad, for example, in China and America. The fact is that the design proposed by Zolotukhin is as simple and understandable as possible, even a person who is far from designing can reproduce it.

Other methods are used subject to industrial content. Let's see where the eared ones live on large-scale rabbit farms with their detailed description.

Shedovy way of keeping rodents

This method of rabbit breeding is very popular among owners of large rabbit breeding farms. The fact is that with the help of the shed method it is possible to save space, thus it can be safely called the most compact of all available. The cages are arranged in several tiers, most often in 2. You have probably seen such farms in the photo or video.

Thanks to the use of the shed method, it is possible for 12 sq. m to arrange about 45 cells.

Speaking of the shed method, one cannot but mention the main drawback: it is too high a cost, which frightens off many livestock breeders, especially those who deal with rabbits for the first time. For this reason, you should not try your hand at animal husbandry, starting with the sheds, it is better to switch to them in the process of increasing the number of rabbits, if things go well.

Mikhailov's method

Only Mikhailov's system can be compared with the cost of shed placement: this method is the most expensive of all the existing ones. However, the high price is justified, since the method allows you to breed any kind of breed, is the most practical and fastest, which is also important in raising rabbits and building an effective business.

Mikhailov's system involves the arrangement of so-called minifarms, which are automatic or semi-automatic. The fact is that such mini-farms are designed so that human intervention is minimal. In the shortest possible time, it will be possible to grow an adult rabbit from a small rabbit, since all the conditions have been created for this. This is due to the fact that here Mikhailov applied the technology of growing rabbits with accelerators (acceleration growing), which will maximize the speed of the mass gain process. On average, the time is reduced by 1-3 months, which plays into the hands when calculating the business plan and increases the profitability of the project with a further perspective.

General recommendations for arranging a rabbitry

Regardless of which method the farmer prefers, you need to follow these recommendations for keeping rabbits:

• It is advisable to place rabbits at a certain distance from other pets and birds as well.
• If you choose to breed rabbits outdoors, you need to make sure that the area with rodents is surrounded by trees. Of course, this recommendation is no longer applicable to small household farms, but to industrial farms. The most suitable tree is birch. If the territory and budget allows, then trees should be planted on the territory of the farm itself. All this is needed in order to create the necessary climate for animals. The crown of trees will serve as protection from the scorching sun in summer, as well as protect from the cold in winter.

What inventory is required

Now that the place for breeding rabbits has been selected, and the breeding method has been determined, you need to start manufacturing and purchasing the necessary equipment and implements that will be required to care for the rodents. This includes:

• Drinking bowls and feeders. They must be purchased at the rate of 1 pc. for 3 individuals.
• Plastic buckets. They are used as temporary containers for food and water.
• Carts, wheelbarrows or baskets on wheels. They greatly simplify the transportation of forage, in particular greens and hay. In addition, do not forget that it will be important to regularly clean the cells, and then dispose of the manure.
• A broom for cleaning the territory occupied by the farm.
• The rules on which the rabbit skin is pulled. They are needed by those who plan to deal with the processing of skins.
• Tools needed to drive livestock. Moreover, it is necessary to equip a special room in which the slaughter of animals will take place, it is called a butcher shop.
• Logs for keeping records of animals (they record the number of feedings, data on vaccinations, norms for the development of young animals, and so on).

It is worth saying that as the number of rabbits grows and the farm develops, assistants will be needed, since it will no longer be possible to cope alone. Many cope with the participation of the whole family, that is, rabbit breeding at home becomes a family business. However, it is better if those people who are experts in this matter are involved in the process of breeding rabbits. They will be able to share their experience in rodent care, feeding, reproduction and treatment.

If you cannot find such people as assistants, then you can turn to amateur videos and photo lessons that rabbit breeding workers post on the Internet for help.

Feeding rabbits

The issue of feeding is also important. It is important to understand which food is suitable for rodents. Despite the fact that rabbits are miniature animals, everyone can envy their appetite. They need a huge amount of food, and you need to take into account the fact that it should be varied:

• The composition of feed for rabbits must include compound feed. This item accounts for more than half of the animal's diet.
• Hay. This component of the menu improves the digestion process of food in the digestive tract of rabbits.
• Branches of fruit trees, as well as oak and birch. In this case, the needles are strictly prohibited for introduction into the diet. Why should rabbits have branches in their diet? This is necessary for the eared ears to grind their teeth, and the animals themselves chew wood with pleasure.
• Vegetables. Rabbits love vegetables, and they also contain a lot of vitamins. The exceptions are potatoes, cabbage and beetroot. All of these components can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems.
• Rodents need greenery and are good for the health of rabbits as well. There are also herbs that need to be discarded: euphorbia, buttercup and lilies of the valley.

Breeding features of rabbits

If you are planning to breed rabbits, then you must be aware of the breeding habits of these animals. Despite their fertility, in order for the livestock to increase, it is necessary to create certain conditions for mating, as well as to balance the percentage of the ratio of males and females.

In order to create the most acceptable conditions, there should be about 5 rabbits per 1 crawl.If there are more males, then there is a high probability that there will be quarrels and fights between males. The easiest way is to settle the rabbits into groups, in one such group there will be about 5 females. Then you need to periodically plant an inseminating rabbit in the female company. It is important not to settle them together on an ongoing basis: adults can trample young animals.

How does mating happen

Only healthy individuals are allowed to mate or mate. In rabbits, inbreeding is allowed, that is, the mating of closely related individuals. To select these, you need to carefully examine them for external signs of illness, as well as conduct a superficial analysis of behavior. If the rabbit is healthy, then its appearance will be well-fed, and its behavior will be cheerful. The approximate age that is optimal for the first mating is 4-5 months. The fertility period in females lasts about 4 years, although there are exceptions to the rule in some breeds.

It is correct to mate on the territory of the male: this way the rabbit will feel as confident as possible. Only females that are currently hunting should be selected. How to determine if a female is ready to mate? This will be indicated by the following signs:

• on palpation, the auricles become hot;
• there is a noticeable swelling of the genitals, transparent discharge from the genital fissure may appear;
• the female can make a semblance of a nest from her own fluff, which she plucked from herself.

As for the time, early morning or late evening is considered ideal; it is best to try the male 2 times at the previously indicated time intervals. To understand whether the mating was successful, you need to carefully observe how the male behaves immediately after mating. If he freezes and remains motionless for some time, then with a high degree of probability it can be argued that everything went well.

To understand at an early stage whether a female has become pregnant, you need to see how she reacts to a rabbit in the immediate vicinity. If she is trying in every possible way to get away from him, then most likely she is pregnant, and after 30-40 days you can wait for the appearance of little rabbits.

What should be the care of newborn rabbits

After birth, about 7 new little rabbits are born. They look very tiny, as evidenced by their weight: about 60 g. It can also be said that at first newborn babies are completely defenseless, since they are born completely blind and without fur. In order for the rabbit to have enough milk, it is necessary to provide her with constant access to water. If this is not done, there is a high probability that the young will be eaten by their own mother.

During breastfeeding, it is necessary to intervene minimally in the natural process, because a rabbit, on which the smell of a person remains, with a high degree of probability can be rejected by the rabbit, after which imminent death awaits him. After the rabbits reach the age of 1 month, they need to be taken from the mother and settled in separate cages. At this age, the stocking density can be about 12-18 heads per cage.

As a conclusion

Domestic and industrial rabbit breeding is considered one of the simplest and most understandable branches of animal husbandry, which is why many livestock breeders prefer to start raising domestic animals with rabbits.

Now you know the basics of rabbit breeding and understand many issues. It's time to decide on the breed (meat, meat and skin, fur, down, and so on) and start your own business on rabbits, especially since in Russia there is an opportunity to get a subsidy for the development of your own rabbit farm, it's a sin not to take advantage of this chance.