Key Measures for Improving the Economic Benefits of Rex Rabbit Farming

(1) Moderate stocking scale: How large a scale of Rex rabbit farming is needed to achieve low costs and high benefits is the issue farmers care about most. In terms of output per unit of breeding rabbits, there is a trend of gradual decline as the number of foundation female rabbits increases. Small rabbit farms (part-time type) with 30-50 foundation female rabbits have the highest benefits, while medium-sized rabbit farms with a foundation scale of about 300-500 foundation female rabbits have better results.

(2) Implement the supporting technology of "two plantings, three collections, four promotions": Broadly opening up feed sources and reducing rabbit farming costs are prerequisites for improving the economic benefits of Rex rabbit farming. In rabbit farming production, adopting the comprehensive supporting farming technology of "two plantings, three collections, four promotions" can significantly improve the economic benefits of Rex rabbit farming.

1. Two plantings: First, forage grass. From among many kinds of cultivated forage grasses, choose Silphium perfoliatum, ryegrass, and Mexican corn types, which have high yields, good palatability, and are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, for planting. These grasses save labor in planting and management, have strong disease resistance, and have high yields, making them very suitable for the needs of rabbit farming development. Second, medicinal herbs. Using grasses instead of medicines to prevent and treat rabbit diseases, planting Chinese medicinal herbs such as kudzu root and honeysuckle, and using them as rabbit additives not only provides nutrition but also helps regulate the immune capacity of Rex rabbits.

2. Three collections: The first collection refers to harvesting cultivated forage grass at the right time, feeding it fresh or drying it for storage, and strictly preventing mold and spoilage. The second collection is collecting various wild grasses, tree leaves, and crops at the right time, and reasonably combining them with cultivated forage grass to make complete compound feed. The third collection is gathering commonly seen local medicinal herbs and regularly adding appropriate amounts to the feed to prevent the occurrence of rabbit diseases.

3. Four promotions: First, promote stage-specific feed for Rex rabbits, formulating and adjusting stage-specific feed formulas according to the nutritional needs of Rex rabbits at different growth stages and the differences among seasons. Second, promote slaughtering for pelts at the appropriate body weight, based on the growth pattern of Rex rabbits and determinations of fur quality; when body weight reaches more than 2.75 kg, the rabbit is healthy, the molting period has passed, and the fur has grown in fully, it can be slaughtered for its pelt. Third, promote timely weaning; timely weaning of young rabbits is directly proportional to post-weaning growth speed and survival rate. Generally, weaning is carried out at 40-50 days of age, and the survival rate is above 90%. Fourth, promote appropriate breeding density; the breeding density of breeding rabbits is related to the service life of breeding rabbits and the quality of offspring. Generally, mating is carried out about 28 days after kindling, with 6--7 litters per year, and each female rabbit can produce more than 35 young per year. By further adopting scientific feeding methods and management models, good economic benefits will certainly be achieved.