Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Autumn Rex Rabbit Breeding Technology

Autumn Rex rabbit feeding and management is very important. The quality of Rex rabbit breeding and reproduction in early autumn is related to the breeding profit before the New Year. In autumn, the sky is high and the air is crisp, the climate is dry, and the weather slowly becomes cooler. It is a great season for raising Rex rabbits, but how should Rex rabbit breeding be done in autumn, and what needs to be done well?

1. Do a good job in autumn breeding work. Nutrition should be strengthened and feeding should be careful so that breeding bucks adapt to the environment and their physique is enhanced for autumn breeding. The initial mating age is 7 to 8 months for bucks and over 6 months for does, and the initial mating body weight should reach over 3.5 kg. In late autumn, does reach the peak of mating. The conception rate of mating reaches 70% to 80%, with an average of 5 to 7 kits per litter.

2. Do a good job in feed formula work. Feed more green and succulent feed with good palatability, and appropriately add some roughage with higher protein. The compound feed should be based on crude fiber content that helps maintain the normal physiological functions and digestion and absorption of Rex rabbits. Make full use of locally commonly used feed resources that are rich in nutrients and low in price, especially protein feed, such as alfalfa hay, pagoda tree leaf meal, etc. Note: do not feed dew-covered grass, cotton leaves, or other toxic green feed; do not feed any moldy feed; control feed with high nitrite content such as carrot leaves.

3. Do a good job in careful management work. Cold, pneumonia, enteritis, and pasteurellosis must be prevented. When the weather turns cooler, doors and windows should be closed well and outdoor activities should be stopped. Open-air rabbit houses should be equipped with plastic greenhouses for warmth. Rabbit houses should be disinfected with 3% caustic soda and 10% limewater once a week. At the same time, manure in the rabbit house should be cleaned up in time to maintain environmental hygiene inside the house.

4. Do a good job in feed storage work. Winter feed should be stored in time, such as carrots, pagoda tree leaves, sweet potato vines, bean straw, peanut vines, alfalfa, etc.

5. Do a good job in disease prevention work. (1) Do a good job in vaccination against rabbit plague, pasteurellosis, and Clostridium welchii. (2) For each month-old rabbit, inject 1 ml subcutaneously, or use the triple vaccine twice a year. To prevent outbreaks of coccidiosis, add anticoccidial drugs such as chlorobenzoguanidine to the compound feed.

After enduring the long, hot summer, the disease resistance of Rex rabbits has declined somewhat. Autumn is also the period when Rex rabbits molt and does give birth, and in addition the temperature difference between day and night is relatively large, so doing a good job in epidemic prevention is very important.

1. Do a good job in disinfection of rabbit houses and environmental hygiene. A good sanitary environment can enhance the physique of Rex rabbits. In the morning and evening, do a good job in keeping warm and pay attention to air circulation. Never feed Rex rabbits forage with dew or frost, and persist in regularly washing and disinfecting rabbit houses, feed boxes, cages, and utensils.

2. Promptly inject vaccines. Injecting vaccines into Rex rabbits in autumn can enable the rabbit body to develop immunity and achieve the purpose of preventing and treating diseases. At present, the main vaccines used for immunization of Rex rabbits are the following:

1. Rabbit plague vaccine: the effect is very good. Each rabbit is injected subcutaneously with 1 ml, and a very strong immunity can be produced in 5 to 7 days, with an immune duration of 6 months.

2. Rabbit plague and pasteurellosis dual vaccine: this dual vaccine prevents two diseases with 1 injection and can reduce epidemic prevention costs. Each rabbit is injected subcutaneously with 1 ml. After immunization, it is protected from rabbit plague infection for at least 6 months, and within 4 months 80% of Rex rabbits are protected from pasteurellosis infection.

3. Type A Clostridium welchii inactivated vaccine: each rabbit is injected subcutaneously with 2 ml, and the protection period can reach as long as 6 months. This vaccine can prevent and treat Rex rabbit diarrhea caused by Type A Clostridium welchii. At present, apart from Type A Clostridium welchii, there is still no other vaccine in China for preventing and treating Rex rabbit diarrhea.

4. Pasteurella, small potato bacillus, and gastric tuberculosis bacillus inactivated vaccine: each Rex rabbit is injected subcutaneously with 1 ml, and the protection period can last 4 to 6 months.

Note: when injecting vaccines into Rex rabbits, be sure to follow the bottle label instructions. The injection dose must be sufficient, the injection site must be accurate, and it is required to change one needle for each rabbit injected. Rabbits immunized in spring must be immunized again in autumn.

3. Do a good job in preventing Rex rabbit coccidiosis. The coccidiosis infection rate of adult Rex rabbits is relatively low, while the coccidiosis infection rate of young Rex rabbits is extremely high, especially for young rabbits before and after weaning. After coccidiosis infection, the mortality rate is very high. When the temperature inside the rabbit house is above 10°C, the disease may occur at any time. To prevent and treat Rex rabbit coccidiosis, commonly used anticoccidial drugs include chlorobenzoguanidine, rabbit coccidiosis spirit, coccidiosis killer, sulfadimidine, etc. When using anticoccidial drugs, pay attention to mastering the method and dose of use to avoid accidents such as poisoning.

Attachment: Rex rabbit immunization program

1. Escherichia coli polyvalent inactivated vaccine

When young rabbits are 20 days old, inject 1.2 to 2 ml subcutaneously per rabbit.

2. Rabbit plague propolis vaccine, namely rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease (rabbit plague) inactivated vaccine -- prevents rabbit plague

(1) When young rabbits are 40 days old, inject 1.5 ml subcutaneously per rabbit. (Initial immunization)

(2) When young rabbits are 60 days old, inject 1.0 ml subcutaneously per rabbit. (As booster immunization)

(3) Afterward, every 6 months inject 1.5 ml subcutaneously (including does and breeding-class bucks), or use the triple vaccine (rabbit plague, Pasteurella, Clostridium welchii) and inject 2 ml subcutaneously per rabbit.

3. Rabbit Pasteurella multocida disease inactivated vaccine -- prevents pasteurellosis

When young rabbits are 40 days old, inject 1 ml subcutaneously per rabbit, or 2 ml of the Pasteurella and Bordetella dual vaccine, and afterward inject once every 4 months (including breeding bucks and breeding does, with the same dose as above). Note: during epidemic prevention, it should be injected separately from rabbit plague vaccine, generally with an interval of 7 to 10 days.

4. Rabbit Clostridium perfringens inactivated vaccine -- prevents Clostridium welchii disease

When young rabbits are 70 days old, inject 2 ml subcutaneously per rabbit, and afterward inject once every 6 months, 2 ml each time.

5. Staphylococcal inactivated vaccine -- prevents staphylococcosis

When breeding rabbits are 80 days old, inject 2 ml subcutaneously per rabbit, and afterward inject once every 6 months (mainly breeding bucks and breeding does).