The term of bearing rabbits
Pregnancy is one of the most important processes in an animal's life. Everyone who has decided to engage in rabbit breeding simply needs to know how the okrol is going on, how many rabbits are carrying rabbits and what conditions are required for her at this moment.
How long does a rabbit's pregnancy last?
The profitability of the farm depends on how many rabbits bear and how often they can give birth to offspring. It is important to remember that there should be an order of magnitude less males on the farm than females, only then it will be possible to achieve mating several times a year. How exactly does the pregnancy go and how many rabbits does the rabbit bear in time? Let's talk about this in more detail.
Puberty in rabbits and early fertility
Farm rabbits are considered ready for mating at 6 months after birth, and dwarf breeds at 3-4. At this age, the rabbit begins to behave restlessly, get nervous and look for a male. If you notice these signs, the female is ready to mate. An important factor in mating is the degree of kinship of the rabbits. They should not be from the same litter, otherwise there is a high chance of manifestation of genetic diseases in rabbits.
The male can mate 4 times a day: twice in the morning and in the evening. Females mature a little later, and the first birth may not be earlier than 6-7 months, while males become sexually mature as early as 4-5th.
At an early stage, it is possible to determine pregnancy in a rabbit by changing behavior. The female avoids males, can react aggressively to humans and other domestic animals. However, these signs do not guarantee fertility. Pulling wool and building a future nest are considered more striking factors. If this behavior is observed, the furry is most likely carrying rabbits.
It is also important to monitor the weight of the animal. Rapid weight gain may indicate that the rabbit is pregnant.
Puberty in rabbits
Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to accurately determine the fertility rate in the early stages, but by the third week it is already possible to probe the formed rabbits in the pet. To carry out such an examination, the female should be placed on her back. If the rabbit is worried and tries to run away, you need to massage her belly. After that, you need to feel the bottom of the pet's abdomen.
It is important that the rabbit is relaxed, the tense abdominal muscles will interfere. If a strong seal is felt under the fingers, then the female is waiting for the cubs. To be sure of the correctness of your conclusions, you can examine another rabbit, which definitely does not carry offspring.
If this is the first pregnancy of a female, you need to contact a veterinarian, he will tell you how rabbits wear and how many rabbits are born in one period. For the health of the expectant mother and cubs, the complex of vitamins and minerals in her diet should be increased, therefore, the sooner it becomes known about pregnancy, the better.
How long is the gestation period in rabbits?
When asked how long a rabbit's pregnancy lasts, experts answer: from 25 to 35 days. Most often, pregnancy lasts one month. The gestation period also depends on the offspring itself. The more cubs in one litter, the faster they develop and are born earlier.
During pregnancy, the animal body is most vulnerable to various infections and diseases. We must not forget to feed the female with chalk and salt supplements, and the proportion of greens in the daily diet of the animal should also be increased. From an incomplete diet in rabbits, vitamin deficiency, deformation of bones and internal organs, rickets and other unpleasant diseases can develop.
The female's food during the gestation period should contain:
- oats, barley and legumes;
- pumpkin or sunflower seeds;
- juicy feed, especially carrots;
- bone meal, salt and chalk;
- crushed egg shells;
- fish fat.
You cannot take the rabbit in your arms while she is wearing it. If you need to conduct an inspection, you should take it by the withers with one hand, and hold it under the hind legs with the other.
You should beware of prolonged pregnancy of the female. If she has not given birth within one month, then most likely the fetus froze. In this case, immediate abortion is required.
If the female has the first pregnancy, then she needs to be given increased attention. The rabbit may not understand what is happening to him and experience stress. It is necessary to pamper your pet with tasty additives and distract it to something else.
During the first pregnancy, the rabbit needs to be given increased attention.
During the pregnancy of the female, it is important to arrange the future nest for the cubs. The rabbits will have to live in it for at least 2 months. An ordinary wooden box lined with straw inside is suitable for this purpose. It is required to put the rabbit in the queen cell so that she equips it to her liking. The nest should be in a quiet and secluded place away from other pets. You also need to ensure that there are no drafts: newborn rabbits have a very weak body, and they can catch a cold, which will complicate the feeding process.
Childbirth and the first month of life of rabbits
The last few days of pregnancy are considered the most difficult for the female. During this period, the rabbit shows aggression, is very nervous and rushes about.
For those who have several rabbits, the expectant mother should be placed in a separate house, otherwise she may start a fight. You cannot let the animal go for a walk on these days.
Before jigging the suckle individual, you need to carefully remove and disinfect the cage, install a nest in it. Usually, setting up a queen cell will calm the rabbit, allowing you to distract from stress.
Sometimes the signs of close genera are radically different from those listed above. The rabbit has increased calmness and low mobility. She huddles in a corner and sits there with virtually no movement. The animal eats and drinks a lot these days.
The birth of babies is usually in the early morning or night. There is no need to intervene in this process without an urgent need: the animal is extremely vulnerable during the okrol.
After giving birth, the female can go to drink, and at this moment it is worth checking if all the rabbits are in the nest. If the baby falls out, you should wipe your hands with straw and fluff, and then put the bunny back to the brothers. Wormwood also helps to kill the human smell.
If the female has refused the rabbits, then they should be placed on another nurse during the first days. It is important to observe the behavior of the mother: if she behaves aggressively or scatters the rabbits, they should be rescued immediately.
Caring for a rabbit after birth
The female licks and feeds the cubs twice a day. For rabbit milk to be fatty and nutritious, increase the amount of feed that contains protein and additional vitamins. The rabbit spends several months with the cubs, usually no more than 2. During this time, with proper maintenance, the young rabbits gain sufficient weight for independent life.
Treatment of the female during pregnancy
Alas, the body of a rabbit during gestation is extremely vulnerable to various types of infections. If the female is sick, then you should immediately contact a veterinarian. There is no need to try to treat pregnant rabbits on your own: very many drugs cannot be taken in one dosage or another. In order not to put the animal at risk of contracting a disease during this difficult period of life, you should adhere to a number of simple rules:
- do not introduce new products into complementary foods;
- comply with sanitary standards, clean the cage twice a day;
- increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in the pet's diet;
- to plant pregnant females in a separate enclosure;
- rabbits should not be allowed to come into contact with other pets.
So, the fecundity of the fluffy does not last 30 days. The gestation period depends on the number of rabbits in one litter. During this period of time, the female needs increased human attention.
The body of the animal at this time is especially sensitive to infections and various diseases. It is necessary to try to keep the felted animals in a separate enclosure, to provide them with full care. The cage for future offspring must be free and contain a queen cell.
Conclusion
The diet of animals should contain all complexes of vitamins and minerals. It is the proper nutrition of the expectant mother that is the key to healthy and strong rabbits.
The goal of the owner is to make sure that the female avoids stress. Do not allow cats, dogs or poultry to approach her. You need to try to disturb her or take her in your arms as little as possible. These and other simple rules will allow the rabbit to survive the okrol without loss of health.