Raising rabbits in the country over the summer. Breeding rabbits. Meat breed Sheep

Rabbit farming is a type of animal husbandry that involves raising rabbits for food and profit.

Rabbit breeding at home is an interesting activity. Eared representatives of the hare family are distinguished by high fertility, growth intensity and early maturity. As for the conditions of detention, in this the animals are not whimsical, even for beginners, the process of arranging a cage and selecting food will not be difficult.

Raising rabbits allows you to get low-calorie meat, the quality of which will depend directly on the feeding of the animal.

As a result of rabbit breeding, the following products are obtained:

About 5 kg of meat per crawl.
Skin.

You can breed rabbits in the country and in your garden. With good skills, you can make a cage for animals with your own hands. It is best to practice this summer as winter is difficult for rabbits.

Where to start breeding

Before starting the process of breeding rabbits, it is very important to carry out the preparatory stage, which consists of the following points:

Choose a breed of rabbits for breeding.
Select technology for maintenance and equipment.
Learn the rules of caring for animals.

For breeding, you need to select rabbits that can bring a high-quality product at home. First of all, you need to select one of the categories:

Meat rabbits.
Meat-skinned.
Skinny.

Having decided on the category, you can proceed to the selection of the species of animals, of which there are about 200. When purchasing rabbits, you need to carefully monitor external characteristics and the behavior of young animals:

The pile is dense and glossy.
The eyes are clear.
The body is strong.
Mobility and fatness are at the proper level.

If there are disadvantages, manifested in the form of falling hair, drooping ears, an elongated head, then it is necessary to refuse to acquire such young animals. Animals bought for breeding must be healthy and robust.

When deciding on the cultivation technology and equipment, you need to pay attention to the already established types of conditions: closed and open. If the animals live on a farm or summer cottage, then they can be placed both in closed rabbitries and in open enclosures, cages and pits.

In winter, it is better to use closed rooms, and in summer and spring to allow animals to breathe clean air.

The rules for caring for rabbits are as follows:

It is necessary to regularly clean up in the habitat of animals, to exclude the appearance of drafts and moisture.
Children over two months old should be moved to separate rooms from their parents.
Keep feed and water containers clean at all times.
It is extremely important to timely conduct injections that protect animals from (viral and myxomatosis).

Rabbit breeds for home breeding

There are three main types of rabbits: meat, downy and combined. The best rabbits of meat breeds allow you to get a sufficient amount of dietary meat, due to the fact that they have good weight and fatness. Profitable breeds of rabbits for breeding are determined by experienced rabbit breeders.

California breed of rabbits

They are small in size, but a good weight up to 5 kg. External indicators: white color, nose, ears, legs and tail are dark brown.

To breed rabbits of this breed, you must first create their family. On average, there are from 5 to 10 females per male. In the conditions of such a family, up to 5 sprinkles can be obtained in one year.

Animals of this breed are unpretentious regarding the conditions of detention, they can easily withstand both cold and heat.

Rabbits ram

These are the largest representatives of fold rabbits, females of which can weigh over 5 kg, and males up to 4.5. The skin and fillets of this breed are of excellent quality, so this type of family is quite common on different continents.

Breeding rabbits Rams are mostly needed to get tasty and healthy meat. For animals to develop and reproduce comfortably, it is best to build a spacious cage or aviary for them.

From one litter, you can get up to 12 rabbits, despite the fact that the rabbit is able to bear cubs when her age does not even reach one year.

Breeding Rex Rabbits

This breed appeared in a French city. The Rex rabbit weighs up to 4 kilograms, but it does not differ in abundant fertility. The female rabbit can bring up to 5 young rabbits (in one birth).

Rex rabbit

Despite the shortcomings, it is impossible not to appreciate the taste of the meat of this breed of rabbits. It contains a minimum amount of fat, therefore it does not affect the condition of the figure in any way. In addition, the skin is highly valued, therefore it is used in the manufacture of high-quality products.

Rabbits Butterflies

They are a Belarusian breed. A female can bear about 8 rabbits at a time. An adult has a mass of up to 4.5 kg. The skin is appreciated because it has an interesting pattern.

Animals are able to adapt to the harsh climate, which is why they are quite popular in Russian latitudes.

Breeding rabbits of the Flandre breed

This breed is the most suitable for breeding meat rabbits. Animals are also used for breeding purposes, to improve other breeds.

Rabbits can quickly gain weight up to 25 kg. The body of animals is long, covered with beautiful and thick fur.

Rabbits breed gray giant

They belong to meat breeds, because in adulthood they reach a weight of about 7 kg. At one time, females are able to bring up to 10 rabbits, which after three months gain about 3 kg of weight.

Rizen Giant Rabbits

The weight of the animals can be 15 kg. Under the right feeding conditions, slaughter yield can be around 83%.

The most unpretentious breeds of rabbits for breeding: Californian, white and gray giant. When choosing an animal, it is very important to pay attention to its size, physique and ability to gain weight (especially when it comes to meat rabbits).

Each animal differs in the conditions of their breeding, adaptation to the existing climatic features.

Rabbit breeding conditions

Breeding rabbits at home has its own characteristics. First of all, it is necessary to create a favorable habitat for them. It is worth remembering that in winter, keeping animals can be more expensive and more difficult, since it is important to protect them from cold weather and temperature extremes.

When rabbits live on a farm or summer cottage, it is necessary to constantly adhere to cleanliness in their cages or pits in order to eliminate the risk of developing various diseases that can adversely affect their productivity and growth.

Equally important is a properly selected feeding diet. Rabbits eat food of plant origin: wormwood, sow thistle, rape, nettle, corn and others. In order not to cause an upset stomach in the animal, you need to dry the greens (especially after rain).

The basic rules that a breeder should remember when creating a habitat:

In winter, create cages that can protect against frost and icy wind by insulating them with straw.
In summer, place cells in semi-shaded areas.
Stationary structures should be covered with awnings or awnings.

Breeding rabbits in aviaries

Aviaries are structures that are located in the open space of the earth, and are fenced with a chain-link or mesh. This type of construction must be covered to protect the animals from direct sunlight.

The main advantages of aviaries:

Minimal time spent on cleaning the territory.
Feeding takes place in general order, so there is no need to conduct it individually for everyone.
Waste from the activity of the rabbits is mixed with the soil, compacting it (as a result, the mixture can be used as fertilizer).
Rabbits move more, so they get sick less.
Animals can be fed with brushwood made from twigs.
Females take care of the born cubs, do not divide them into strangers and their own.

However, there are some drawbacks:

The penetrated infection can provoke the death of all animals.
The meat of rabbits that grow in an aviary can be rougher due to the developed muscles. Also, the product may have a more reddish tint (instead of marbled) due to which its sales on the market will decrease.

Aviaries should be placed on a hill. This will keep the animals alive during rains and melting snows. As a material for the walls of the enclosure, you can use slate, wood, tin, mesh with small cells.

Rabbit breeding cages should have two compartments: for walking and for shelter for young animals. The floors need to be made of mesh, and feeders for feed should be installed inside. In the warm season, it is better to place the cages outdoors so that the rabbits breathe fresh air.

It is impossible to do without cages in winter, as they allow the animals to maintain their usual living conditions, but already in a closed room. To mate rabbits, you need to clean the entire perimeter of the cage in advance, disinfect, remove all unnecessary items and feeders.

Breeding rabbits in the pit

Among the main advantages of breeding animals in a pit, it should be noted:

Lack of high costs for the construction of the pit and its repair.
Not too high requirements for cleaning the perimeter in which animals live.
By digging a 2x2 hole, it is possible to save space while keeping up to 200 animals.

Since the pit is considered a natural habitat, rabbits reproduce faster and rabbits give birth to more cubs.

The meat of the animals turns out to be tasty and healthy, since activity has a beneficial effect on the state of health in general.

In addition to positive feedback, the pits for the rabbits were also negative. They consist in the fact that when a large number of animals are in one space, they can be susceptible to infection, respectively, this will lead to the death of a whole genus. Cleaning the pit is not often required, but when this need arises, problems can arise. It is more difficult to catch a rabbit in a hole, but this cannot be called the main disadvantage of such living conditions.

If the cleaning is carried out in a timely manner, and in winter it is insulated, it is possible to create a fairly good microclimate for the animals, in which sexual activity will increase, respectively, it will be possible to get more offspring.

The only problem that rabbit breeders may face is the correct arrangement of the feeder. So that animals can eat peacefully, and a person replenish food supplies, you need to place it at a short distance. A roof should be built over the pit to protect animals from bad weather and disease.

Rabbit breeding as a business

Rabbit farming is a great chance to start your own commercial rabbit breeding business. Many people wonder whether it is profitable or not to invest in the purchase of animals, the construction of favorable living conditions for them. Based on the experience of many rabbit breeders, we can confidently say that it is quite cost-effective to engage in this area.

Of course, in order for everything to be correct, you must first draw up a business plan and evaluate all sorts of pros and cons. Depending on the breed of rabbits, you can sell meat, fur or young animals. It is no less profitable to breed decorative rabbits. However, this may be needed only when you have a pet store and connections with many retail outlets cities.

Among the one-time waste that may be needed for breeding rabbits for meat or fur, experienced experts note:

The cost of acquiring or building cages (average about $ 300).
Construction of a special shed.
Purchase of rabbits (from $ 5 per one).

In addition, there are monthly costs that are required to purchase feed, pay utility bills, veterinarian consultations and transport services.

Having decided on the calculations, you can understand that without start-up capital, starting this kind of business is quite difficult, so it is worth considering and weighing everything in advance in order to make the correct and effective decision. If you find out where to buy profitable rabbits for breeding, build a canopy and a cage yourself, then you can do profitable business, which will generate income throughout the year, regardless of the season.

The appropriate age for mating animals is 4-6 months. Different rabbits can have a flow from 3 to 9 days, depending on the characteristics of the breed and climatic conditions a habitat.

During the period when sexual heat begins, the rabbit's appetite decreases, and excitability increases. Before mating, it is important to check the presence of a genital loop in the rabbit, if it is swollen and pink, it means that there is already a hunt. The breeding season is 10 or 11 months old.

In terms of speed, rabbits are considered fast animals, the rabbits of which can bear up to 9 cubs in one year, in 5-6 hatches.

Reproduction of rabbits at home should be carried out under sterile conditions so that the resulting offspring are healthy and have all the opportunities for fruitful development.

This article will be useful for novice rabbit breeders. After all, breeding rabbits is interesting and profitable - it is not only valuable fur, but also several kilograms of dietary, very tasty meat. To keep your rabbit farm as profitable as possible, there are many interesting things you need to know. In this article, you will learn how to grow and maintain them, fight diseases, take preventive measures, methods of treatment and the peculiarities of their biology.

Rice / Photo 1 to the article: Breeding rabbits in the country

In household plots and on farms, rabbits are raised both for meat and for using skins for fur. There are about 200 breeds of rabbits. Breeds such as white giant, gray giant, Californian breed, rizen - German giant, Belgian giant, chinchilla, silver are large, grow quickly, give good fur.

Rabbits are bred not only in the country and in rural areas, suburban areas, but also in cities. Rabbits must be kept in cages. This allows breeding work conduct correctly, calculate feed, treat and carry out prevention, new breeds were bred. Nowadays, many undertake to raise rabbits, some for themselves and some for business.

Legends are made about their incredible fertility. In one Riga village, a resident raised so many eared ears that he could not count them. A very strong fertility of rabbits was noted on the Australian continent, where they multiplied very quickly, due to the lack of predators. The Americans made the rabbit the symbol of the men's magazine "Playboy" because of the speed of reproduction. Rabbits are very fertile; they can bring up to 80 or more rabbits per season. Rabbits at the age of 4-6 months are already capable of giving offspring 4-5 offspring per year, in each of 5-6 rabbits. Experienced rabbit breeders receive offspring from one female to 60-70 heads. About 1-1.5 kg of valuable down is obtained from the Angora breed.

Rice / Photo 2 to the article: Breeding rabbits in the country

What and how to feed rabbits properly? They feed rabbits with hay, fresh grass, root crops, because they contain many vitamins they need.

Bounded rabbit feed.

The most useful is alfalfa hay. It is high in calcium and protein, which helps rabbits grow. Timothy grass hay and, of course, oats are also useful.

Rice / Photo 3 to the article: Breeding rabbits in the country

You should gradually add vegetables to the hay, such as carrots, parsley, lettuce, dandelion greens, grass - euphorbia. It is undesirable to feed rabbits with tomatoes, beans and even, as many people think, cabbage. It is better to feed rabbits with balanced food - vegetables and hay, vegetables should be given more than hay and chopped feed. In winter, you should add top dressing - chalk, salt, sprouted grain, bran. Lactating rabbits are fed according to a special regimen, and they begin to feed rabbits from the 16th day.

Fresh, green forages used for feeding are cereals, clover, burdock, plantain, dandelion, wormwood, euphorbia, thistle, yarrow, nettle, beet leaves and some trees. Before feeding, the grass should wilt in the sun. Grass, peas, vetch, clover should be given very carefully so as not to cause intestinal diseases. It is given no more than 60 g with cereal herbs per adult rabbit per day. The rapid transition from dry feed to fresh grasses causes flatulence in young animals, can cause death. Starting from 50 grams, gradually the amount of fresh grass is brought to 500 grams. yes 10 days, and then - and up to 1 - 1.5 kg per day. For young animals from 1 to 4 months, these norms are 100 - 800 grams. per day.

The need for water in rabbits.

An important place for proper nutrition rabbits, takes clear water. To keep rabbits healthy, they need to regularly get a certain amount of fresh, vitamin and probiotic-fortified water. This improves the metabolism and digestion of food. Protects against flatulence, dehydration and hypovitaminosis in rabbits. In summer and autumn, rabbits receive a lot of liquid along with juicy food, and as for winter and spring, rabbits need more water during these periods, especially in combination with dry food. If rabbits don't drink water, try changing the drinkers.

Rice / Photo 4 to the article: Breeding rabbits in the country

It is necessary to pour water into the feeders after each feeding, but so that it cannot become ice. It is better to use warm water, but you can also use snow.

A very convenient and low-cost method at home breeding rabbits in pits... This is only possible if the groundwater in your area is low enough to avoid flooding.

Giant bunnies don't fit this way the method of breeding in pits is effective for medium-sized rabbits... Rabbits can also be bred in the basement or cellar. To breed rabbits in pits, it is necessary that there are at least several dozen of them initially, then this will give a good result.

The first step is to prepare a pit 2x2 meters in size and at least 1 meter deep. The floor and walls of the pit should be lined, and in the lower part of the wall it is important to mark the beginning of the burrow with a shovel, which the rabbits will dig. It is important to make the entrance to the hole a few centimeters above the floor level to leave room for manure and earth. Making a burrow gate will make it easy to catch rabbits. It is important to install a roof over the pit to protect it from rain. The pit itself must be prudently protected from predators. Manure and soil must be removed periodically with a shovel. Feeders and drinkers should be placed along the wall. The large size of the drinkers will protect the rabbits from crushing. Rabbits will dig holes themselves, increasing their living space.

Diseases of rabbits.

According to statistics, an average of 10% of rabbits die annually from the herd, and 25% are culled due to diseases. Rabbits are sensitive to the presence of ammonia in the air, poor quality food, and infectious diseases.

Have healthy rabbit good appetite, the coat is shiny, smooth. No discharge from the nose and mouth, even breathing, normal temperature, mucous membranes without deviations.

Sick rabbits they may be worried at the sight of people, or they do not react to sound and are inactive, they may be lethargic, their coat is without shine, and disheveled. There may be purulent and mucous discharge from the eyes and nose. there may be constipation, diarrhea, vomiting. The most common diseases:

Some examples infectious diseases of rabbits :

Ear scabies in rabbits - posroptosis (caused by a scabies mite), the incubation period is 1-5 days, the disease is easily treatable with ointments, emulsions and aerosols.

Coccidiosis is a disease gastrointestinal tract... The incubation period is 2-3 days! For prevention purposes, it is not recommended to keep hay warm near the cages.

Cysticercosis is a disease of the liver of rabbits. For prevention purposes, keeping dogs on a rabbit farm is prohibited, except for a guard dog. There are homeopathic remedies for the prevention of this cysticercosis.

This is only a small part of the possible diseases of rabbits. It is necessary to focus on the prevention of all sorts of diseases and ensuring immunity to your pets, then you do not have to personally get acquainted with the huge list of possible diseases of rabbits.

For rabbit disease prevention, you should observe the hygiene of feeding, keeping, provide rabbits with ecological, varied food, rich in vitamins and minerals. Saturate feed with probiotic cultures. Inspect the herd for health abnormalities. If there are signs of illness, immediately contact your veterinarian. Examine rabbits and female mammary glands for staphylococcus. Isolate sick rabbits and process their cages, disinfecting the entire habitat, and quickly evacuate animal carcasses. Take the corpses of deceased rabbits for autopsy to the veterinarian for examination internal organs... Provide rabbits with thermal comfort, maintain normal humidity levels, ventilate the room and do regular cleaning, avoiding poisoning of rabbits with ammonia fumes. Examine the plantar surfaces of the rabbits' legs, maintain the floor of the cages in good condition. Avoid ingestion of poisonous herbs in rabbit feed - these are herbs such as dope, hemlock, field horsetail, caustic buttercup, beetroot and potato tops. Avoid bruises, and if bruised, keep the rabbit at rest. Insulate the cages of rabbits during severe frosts. At the first sign of frostbite, rabbits should be brought into a warm room.

Interview with Mikhail Kuryakhov, director general LLC "Ural-MIACRO"

General Director of Ural-MIACRO LLC Mikhail Alexandrovich Kuryakhov told the website about the intricacies of doing business for novice rabbit breeders.

- What is the main thing in this business and what aspects are less important? What is most often forgotten or overlooked?

First of all, a novice rabbit breeder must decide who will buy his products. The main thing in this business, and in many other types of business, is the ability to soberly assess your resources for initial stage... More often than not, people simply do not fully understand for whom their products are made, do not calculate all the costs, do not develop a strategy in detail, and on this they suffer losses and burn out.

- What profit can you get if you are engaged in breeding rabbits not just for the soul, but to master intensive technologies?

- The amount of profit can be estimated only when you know the size of your investment. With the introduction of advanced technologies, the profitability is over 70%.

How widespread is "domestic" rabbit breeding in our country now? And what is the average farm size (in terms of small ones)?

Farm rabbit breeding has been developing quite successfully in recent years. In my opinion, the average size of modern farms from 30 to 50 nesting rabbits.

- There is an opinion that it is possible to breed rabbits even in a city apartment if there is a desire and free space. Is it so?

Of course not ... rabbits can be kept, not bred in a city apartment, - says Mikhail Alexandrovich, - and it is decorative breeds. Raising rabbits is an agricultural business with many inconveniences. It is unlikely that your neighbors apartment building will be delighted with the smells of your pets' waste from the balcony. So land plot for such a business is a must.

Is it really possible to build a cage for rabbits with your own hands? Or is it not so much about the ability to make cells as about some special technology?

Cells can indeed be built by hand. Most farmers do this. Moreover, there is a certain stereotype of rabbit cage models. During construction, it is important to equip everything so that it would be convenient for the animal to live there, develop and reproduce, sums up Kuryakhov.

The best rabbit cages are the ones you made yourself

If you want to get a cheap rabbit cage, your best bet is to do it yourself. It is the simplicity of manufacture, low cost and ease of maintenance that should become the main criteria when choosing a blueprint for the construction of a rabbit cage.

Pay special attention to the cage floor arrangement!

In the feed compartment for rabbits of the main herd and replacement young animals, it is better to make floors with slatted floors, using hard types of wood (oak, maple, beech) or plastic. In the nest compartment and in the plug-in nest, solid wood floors can be made. In all other cases, cages with solid plank floors should be built, and even better, a double floor should be arranged.

It should be remembered that it is impossible to keep rabbits on a mesh floor for a long time - this leads to paws and the development of pododermatitis. The best solution in this case would be the organization of removable removable floors that can be regularly cleaned from dirt.

If you make solid plank floors in rabbit cages, they must necessarily have a slope towards the back wall. The floor height difference (slope) should be approximately 5 cm. The double floor can be arranged in several ways, for example, by placing a removable plank floor on the slatted or mesh floor. In the second case, the cage is the most hygienic.

“There are no ideal cells, to be honest,” believes Mikhail Aleksandrovich, “each child is closer to his own creation. Rabbit breeding technology includes, in addition to certain cage structures, a number of technological processes, the implementation of which together and gives very good results. "

Breeding rabbits is a profitable business that does not require large investments from the breeder. The productivity of livestock at home, the quality of meat (and other parameters) depends on adherence to simple maintenance rules and the absence of errors, and the income received also depends on established trade relations. People begin to breed rabbits at home (on the balcony), in the country or on a farm in the village.

Rabbits can be bred even on the balcony

If the breeder correctly approaches the keeping and reproduction of animals, then the result will be a variety of products. From one specimen, the owner receives meat with a low cholesterol level (net yield is 4.5 kg per head), skin and fluff (more than a kilogram annually from a lactating rabbit). Another source of income is young growth, which is sold to other breeders.

Choice of direction

The breeder has more than two hundred animal breeds at his disposal. A better place to start is by prioritizing your goal - why are you going to breed rabbits? Depending on the chosen direction, the owners acquire the following breeds:

meat (the best indicators by carcass weight);
meat and skin (they give both meat and skins);
pelt (downy) - grown for fluff or skins.

Rabbit breeders are advised to choose meat varieties - they are characterized by calm behavior, caring for them is easier, meat productivity is better. Having decided on the direction, acquire young growth. Do not buy rabbits younger than a month old - babies weaned too early are characterized by low immunity and poor performance in the future. Look for the following signs in healthy animals:

the coat grows densely and shines;
the eyes are clear, without discharge;
the body is strong;
fatness (not exhaustion and not overfed);
activity, mobility.

A healthy rabbit should be active

Future breeders meet breed standards. Do not take animals that have faults:

twisted limbs;
elongated head;
prominent hip joints;
hanging tips of the ears;
sagging belly, uneven ridge;
coat problems (tousled or falling out).

Choose the type of rabbit breeding at home. Content technology is divided into two types. The animals are bred in a country house or farm in closed rabbitries or outdoors (in cages, pits, aviaries).

If you don't know where to start, combine both methods: keep pets indoors in winter, and take them outside in spring and summer. Daylight hours last at least 16 hours.

Remember that animals get sick with excessive moisture and drafts. Clean, lighted, dry rooms are suitable for them. Regular cleaning required. Cubs from two months old are kept separately from adult representatives. Leave the litter together until they are three months old, then sex and plant. Provide females with a separate cage with a queen cell.

Rabbits can be kept in an aviary

Rabbit breeding cages are available at pet stores. Some breeders, in order to save money, make them on their own, for which you will need:

mesh mesh (2 by 2 cm);
slats, bars or boards made of wood;
metal corners.

For the manufacture of structures, it is not advisable to use plywood - it gets soaked. The boards fit tightly to each other to avoid drafts. Remember to reinforce the inner corners with metal fragments to prevent pets from chewing on the wood. To install the cages, choose a dry area of land on a hill, avoid direct sunlight.

Plant climbing plants around the cage complex to create both peace and addition to your rabbit's diet.

The advantages of homemade houses are their low cost and lightness. The owner himself determines the size, based on the number of future residents. The disadvantages of such cells are a cellular floor, which causes irritation and illness of the limbs. When kept outdoors in the country, insulate the walls and ceiling of the structures. In the premises for young animals, two sectors are made: walking and sleeping (nest).

Homemade rabbit cage

other methods

Aviaries are also used as a house. With this method of keeping pets easier to care for, they move more and breathe fresh air. Immunity is strengthened, the rate of disease is reduced.

At the dacha, breeding rabbits is possible in the pits. This type of breeding has several advantages:

high fertility;
great physical activity (digging holes);
rational feed consumption;
decreased incidence of disease;
saving space, materials, care efforts: in a pit two by two meters, up to 200 animals are kept.

This method is not suitable for rocky, clayey soils or where groundwater is present in the upper layers. It is characterized by the following disadvantages:

mating occurs immediately after childbirth, and this depletes the rabbit;
it is difficult to control closely related crossbreeding, and the livestock is degenerating;
some specimens outgrow deadlines;
the inhabitants of the pit run wild.

Rabbit pit

Winter period

With the onset of cold weather, transfer the pets to the barn. If you leave the cells on the street, then take measures to insulate: cover with a gable roof, tighten the aisles with foil. Insulate the floor and walls. Attach lifting glasses in frames to the door grille. When the frost hits, use an electric heater.

Keep indoor humidity up to 70% and temperature up to 20 degrees. Avoid drops, overheating and drafts.

Daylight hours last no more than ten hours. Monitor the operation of the ventilation system so that harmful emissions do not accumulate in the air.

In the cold season, the animals need a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Give high-quality compound feed (better made on your own), root vegetables (fodder beets, cabbage), green food. It is useful to feed with coniferous branches (up to 150 g per day). Don't forget about mineral supplements - bone meal, salt, crushed chalk.

In winter, rabbits are kept indoors.

Care rules

Breeding rabbits at home in a country house or farm requires hygiene and monitoring the condition of the wards, for which follow the rules:

clean the premises every day, wash the food and water containers;
after a week and a half, carry out a general disinfection of the inventory;
control the ventilation;
eliminate sources of drafts;
check animals regularly for changes in behavior and appetite;
keep pets free of stress (from children, dogs, cats and other sources of irritation).

Raising rabbits requires injections for diseases (myxomatosis, viral varieties). Vaccinations at home will be correctly done by a professional, for which breeders call a veterinarian.

Rabbits need vaccinations

The diet

A varied menu will ensure well-being and high productivity. In the village or at the dacha, it is easier to stock up on hay or fresh grass cut away from the highway (dried dandelions, clover, alfalfa). Add grains (oats, barley, wheat), wheat bran, and succulent root vegetables (carrots, kale, potatoes, and peels) to your diet.

During the year, a rabbit with cubs consumes (in kg):

forbs - 412;
hay - 107;
compound feed - 330;
root crops - 120.

If you are making compound feed (from a mixture of cereals, herbal flour, minerals) on their own, this will reduce food costs. Install feeders, and for hay, which is always in the cage, a nursery. Remember to add minerals and vitamins to your food 2-3 times a week. Specimens on the eve of mating, in the stage of fertility and after childbirth, feed more intensively.

Be careful not to overfeed the animals. This leads to obesity and decreased sexual activity.

Beefy females large breeds refuse to mate even during the hunt for a reason excess weight... Giants weighing 9 kg or more are rejected.

Place drinkers with clean fresh water in the cages and change it periodically. These containers are cleaned regularly. To prevent the inhabitants of the cages from spilling water, firmly fix the drinkers. Add iodine solution, potassium permanganate to the water to avoid coccidiosis. Give apple cider vinegar (two to three drops per liter of drink) to pregnant women. If you give the animals compound feed, the water consumption increases.

You can make compound feed yourself

Reproduction

Rabbit breeding continues all year round. Immediately after giving birth, the female is ready to start mating (to prevent this from happening, isolate the males). Conduct mating at the same time with several couples. This is convenient for calculating the timing of pregnancy and monitoring young animals. If the rabbit refuses to feed, the cubs are placed with another female.

Mating readiness table.

The hunting period for rabbits lasts up to five days, with a break of one and a half weeks. At this time, they behave agitatedly, lose their appetite, and the genitals enlarge and turn pink. A brood male covers up to four females at home every day, but make no mistake and let him rest (every other day).

Pick up specimens of the same color and breed (if bred for sale). Avoid closely related crossbreeding. Do not be sick, lethargic, defective and obese or malnourished.

The rabbit is placed next to the male (so as not to waste time while he gets used to the new environment). Before this, the room is disinfected, containers for food and water are hidden, freeing up space. After the completion of mating, the female is taken away and a control mating is carried out after a few days. If the female is succulent, she does not allow the male to approach her.

In a year, the rabbit gives birth to up to 30 heads of offspring (live weight - up to 70 kg). Within twelve months, the family of 3 females and 1 male will increase twenty-five times. But if you do not want the rabbit to quickly lose the ability to reproduce and die of exhaustion, do not allow more than two births per year.

The rabbit can bring up to 30 kits per year

Breeding methods

For purebred breeding, representatives of the same breed are selected with the best performance and with a stable transmission of traits by inheritance. Breeders-scientists bred a number of varieties and consolidated productive characteristics from ancestors to descendants, crossing in accordance with the compatibility of family lines (grandchildren with great-grandchildren, and so on).

At the amateur level, without appropriate conditions and special knowledge, such closely related ties often lead to degeneration, a decrease in breeding qualities.

If you want to start breeding animals in a country house or farm not for sale, but for experimental purposes over productivity, then cross-breed crossing is allowed. You will get hybrids that stand out for their early maturity, meat and skin quality. This method is also used on rabbit farms. However, such specimens are not suitable for further reproduction - the offspring of hybrids is characterized by a deterioration in performance.

The best individuals are selected for crossing

Castration

In order to grow rapidly and improve the gastronomic quality of meat, some specimens are castrated when they are 3 months old. The veterinarian will carry out the correct operation at home. The following removal technologies are used:

closed (the testis is removed without breaking the membranes);

open (the membranes are dissected, the spermatic cords are cut off).

Animals are not fed or given water 15 hours before the procedure. After the procedure, the wounds are sprinkled with streptocide.

Fattening and slaughter

For weight gain, rations are cereal-based (more protein). The animals gain mass faster if the daylight hours and the brightness of the illumination are reduced for them, and for this purpose the animals are castrated.

Grain allows rabbits to gain weight

Raising rabbits for meat and skins implies slaughter sooner or later. Breeders do it themselves. To kill the animal, they take it by the hind legs with one hand, lift it into the air and strike with a heavy object on the head, in the area of \ u200b \ u200bthe ears.

To obtain meat products, animals are killed when they are 4 months old. For skins, the owners wait until the molt is over (from six months to 8 months old).

If you take care of your pets properly, avoiding mistakes, breeding rabbits will be an interesting activity that brings additional income. Unpretentious productive animals are versatile for keeping in the country or private backyard. At home, subject to the rules of care, they multiply well and produce high-quality meat, downy and skin products.

Rabbits in the country are a great alternative for those who live in an apartment and cannot organize a household right in their yard, as is possible in a private house. Also, breeding rabbits in the country is an excellent opportunity to make a profit and provide your family with high-quality meat products.

However, like other branches of farming, rabbit breeding has its own nuances. Therefore, before purchasing animals, you will need to study the recommendations for their maintenance. Today we will talk about how to keep rabbits in a summer cottage.

First, you need to decide on the purpose of breeding animals, because all breeds of rabbits are divided into the following groups:

pelt - they are grown only to obtain valuable skins (fluff);
meat - are characterized by rapid growth in a short period;
meat and skin - versatile breeds of rabbits.

Often, farmers start breeding with several rabbits, it is not necessary to immediately purchase a large number of animals. You can gradually replenish the farm with new pets.

Rabbit breeds for initial breeding

For breeding individuals in the country, it is advisable to choose the most unpretentious breeds. Such animals are in good health and have a good survival rate. Below we will tell you about which rabbits are recommended for beginners in the country.

New Zealand white meat breed

Grown up individuals of this breed have an average body size, their weight reaches about 4.5 kilograms. Representatives of this breed do not have excess fat deposits, and therefore their meat is very tender and is considered dietary.

External features:

short neck;
tight ears;
Red eyes;
massive back;
snow-white wool.

Females of this breed are quite fertile - there are up to 12 rabbits in one litter, and each weighs about 46 grams. Therefore, it is extremely profitable to breed such rabbits - from two or three females you can get all the other inhabitants of the mini-farm.

Meat breed french ram

The cages will need to be prepared according to the following rules:

It is advisable to place the front of the cage to the east - this will protect individuals from unwanted sun exposure.
The air temperature should be from 16 to 19 degrees, it is unacceptable to leave animals in frost or heat.
The humidity in the cells should be around 65-67%. Excessive dampness leads to the development of various infections that provoke the death of animals.
It is recommended to install the cages in a place protected from constant drafts.

It is important to provide optimal space for each individual. You should not keep the livestock in close quarters, otherwise it will negatively affect their productivity. In addition, due to such errors, rodents can develop joint problems.

If in the summer and in the off-season rabbits feel good in street cages, then for the winter they need to provide them with a warm room - a rabbitry.

Accommodation options for animals

There are the following ways of keeping rabbits:

floor;
cellular.

The first option is convenient for those who do not have to spend money on the creation and arrangement of cells. Livestock is placed in any barn, aviary. However, the premises will have to be carefully prepared, protected from external enemies.

However, this method has its downsides:

a high probability of closely related crossing (males and females are kept in different rabbitries);
the rapid spread of diseases during an epidemic;
conflicts over territory between individuals.

Most breeders prefer to keep animals in cages. You can choose both stationary and portable structures. Portable cages are especially convenient for winter keeping, they can be placed in a heated room at any time.

The following advantages of cellular content are distinguished:

rational consumption of feed mixtures;
the possibility of breeding selection of individuals;
there is no massive spread of diseases.

Therefore, saving on the construction of cells is impractical. The best option for summer cottage maintenance is a cell battery in several tiers.

Cell battery dimensions

The frame of rabbit cages is a massive structure, which has the following dimensions:

length - 6.8 meters;
width - 60 centimeters;
front wall in height - 2 meters;
rear wall in height - 1.8 meters.

The area on the front of the cages should be 35 cm higher than the floor. This will help ease the cleaning of the top row.

For the manufacture of cells, timber and metal are used. The second option is the most wear-resistant, besides, metal structures are much easier to clean from contamination.

In the middle part of the frame, there are boards for fixing the cells:

1st row - 30 cm from floor level;
2nd row - 50 cm from floor level;
3rd row - 50 cm from floor level.

Install the cage battery on a foundation or iron racks. The foundation can be built from bricks, stones. You will need to build cages of different sizes - for young rabbits - 50x70x30 centimeters, for females giving birth - 50x100x30 centimeters.

Arrangement of the cell

The internal arrangement of the cages includes straw or hay bedding, as well as a feeder and drinker. For females, the cages should be more spacious, each of them has a "room" for walking and a nest for childbirth with a blank front wall. A maternity room must be provided in all cages where rabbits and young animals are kept - animals like to hide in such a cubicle from various dangers.

For each tier, pallets are usually provided with an inclination - periodically they are taken out and cleaned out of contamination. Feeders and drinkers are also located in the cages. There are many ready-made commercial options for this utensil, and the simplest feeder can be made by hand.

Table 1. Sewer pipe feeder for rabbits: step by step instructions

Illustration	Description
	Step one: pick up PVC pipe required diameter and trimmed to the desired length.
	Step two: plugs are installed on both sides of the pipe (they can be purchased in the same department, next to the pipes).
	Step three: in one of the longitudinal sides, a piece of plastic is cut out in such a way that the pipe resembles a gutter - the food will be located in it.
	Step four: the pipe is screwed to the wooden base legs with self-tapping screws so that the feeder is stable and the rabbits cannot turn it over.

Feeding rabbits

Providing the right diet, you can achieve high productivity of individuals. Usually the rodent menu consists of the following products:

concentrates: grain crops, combined feed, protein production wastes;
roughage: dry grass, branches of birch, poplar, willow;
green fodder: fresh herbs, including nettle, dandelion, yarrow, root vegetable tops;
juicy feed: boiled and raw potatoes, sugar beets, cabbage, Jerusalem artichoke.

When feeding livestock with green fodder, it is important to take into account that there are grasses that are hazardous to the health of rodents. These include:

elder;
larkspur;
celandine;
horse dill;
wild rosemary.

Rabbits need plenty of water to grow properly. But there are certain nuances of supplying liquid to the drinking bowl:

water must be changed at each feeding;
it is advisable to give individuals water heated to 30 degrees, especially small rabbits;
it is not recommended to give pets water from the tap, it should stand for several hours.

Animals must receive all the nutrients in the right amount all year round, so it is important to take into account the peculiarities of the summer and winter diet. In winter, when the animals do not have enough fresh greens, you need to "enhance" the menu with vegetables and fruits.

Summer feeding

In the warm season, the diet of rabbits is green food, tree branches, and root crops. The exact amount of feed is calculated individually, depending on the age of the individual.

Table 2. Calculation of the summer diet for each group of individuals

An important point! If the diet of rabbits contains a large amount of succulent food and twigs, then the consumption of grass should be reduced. In addition, it is recommended to dry the herbs a little before feeding.

Winter feeding

In the winter season, rabbits have to spend energy on heating their own bodies, which is why more concentrates and roughage are included in the diet.

Table 3. Calculation of the winter diet for each group of individuals

You can buy ready-made mixed feed for rabbits at a veterinary pharmacy, but some farmers prefer to prepare their own mixtures. We offer a simple recipe for a universal compound feed for adult rabbits below.

Table 3. Ingredients for rabbit feed

Ingredient / proportion	Illustration
Barley flour - 20%
Chopped corn - 10%
Crushed wheat - 10%
Herbal flour - 40%
Oilseed cake - 10%
Chopped soybeans - 5%
Meat and bone meal - 2.7%
Fodder yeast - 2%
Salt - 0.3%

The ingredients must be thoroughly mixed and filled with water. It is advisable to add warm water to the mixture, because the steamed food is better absorbed in the rabbit's body.

An important point! Animals should have constant access to a drinking bowl with water, especially if there is dry food in the diet.

Video - Feeding rabbits

Rabbit care

To provide the animals with a comfortable environment, it is important to regularly clean the cages or enclosures. Such measures will avoid the spread of various infections.

Cleaning involves performing the following actions:

daily cleaning of pallets;
bedding replacement;
complete disinfection of the premises every 60 days.

To protect rodents from various infections, veterinarians recommend vaccinating the entire herd. The first vaccination of rabbits is given at the age of 1.5 months, because before this period, young animals have strong immunity, which rodents receive through breast milk.

Despite the fact that rabbits are quite unpretentious to negative changes environment, as a result of the epidemic, all livestock may die. Sick individuals or rabbits with suspicion of any ailment should be immediately placed in a separate cage for quarantine and a veterinarian should be invited to them.

Reproduction of individuals

Sexual maturity in rabbits is rapid. Closer to 5 months of age, they are ready to bear offspring on their own. The degree of fertility of females depends on the breed; they usually bring from 6 to 12 young rabbits (some rabbits have 15 cubs in a litter).

In suburban conditions, it is advisable to start breeding individuals from the end of winter. So during the warm period of the year it will be possible to raise individuals. Rabbits do an excellent job of mating on their own - you just need to plant sexually mature males and females together.

Should you breed rabbits in the country?

Can be distinguished obvious advantages breeding rabbits in your summer cottage:

opportunity to have additional income from the sale of meat products and skins;
high demand for farm products;
minimum feed costs in the summer season;
high fertility in females.

Rabbit breeding also has its negative aspects:

predisposition of animals of some breeds to infections;
costs for the purchase of feed, equipment, vaccines;
high mortality rate among young animals;
costs of calling a veterinarian.

It is important to calculate the profitability of the farm in advance, and only then purchase the first rabbits. Experts advise giving preference to highly productive breeds. However, some summer residents keep a small number of rabbits just as a hobby - then they become full-fledged pets.

Summing up

Everyone without special skills will be able to breed animals such as rabbits in the country. It is only important to prepare a room for keeping rabbits in accordance with all the rules and calculate how much feed they will need in order to provide them with comfortable conditions.

Video - Features of breeding rabbits in the country

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