Key Points and Methods of Belgian Rabbit Breeding Technology Explained

Belgian rabbits have large heads, robust physiques, gain weight quickly, have delicious meat, and fine fur quality. They are currently popular among many breeders in our country. Below is an introduction to Belgian rabbit breeding technology.

I. Rabbit house site selection

A site with high, dry terrain should be chosen for building the farm. The rabbit house must have a certain degree of thermal insulation and heat resistance, and be far from slaughterhouses, livestock markets, animal product processing plants, and major traffic routes. It is best to build it in a relatively quiet place more than 200 m from main traffic lines and more than 100 m from ordinary roads. There should be a distance of more than 200 m between the rabbit farm and residential areas, and it should be located downwind of the residential area. To facilitate drainage, the ground of the rabbit farm should be flat or slightly sloped.

II. Sanitation management

The feed troughs and water troughs of Belgian rabbits must be disinfected regularly, and the rabbits' feces must be cleaned up regularly. Sanitation should also be maintained to keep the rabbit house clean and hygienic, so as to prevent the breeding of bacteria and cause disease in the rabbits. The water in the rabbit house should be clean and odorless, without excessive impurities, bacteria, or parasites, without putrid and toxic substances, and its mineral content should be neither excessive nor insufficient.

III. Feeding

Belgian rabbits eat many kinds of food. Green forage grass, sweet potato vines, peanut vines, large-root vegetables, carrots, cabbage, green vegetables, and so on are also good feed suitable for feeding rabbits, and can be comprehensively utilized when raising rabbits. When feeding rabbits with fresh green forage grass, the amount used per rabbit per day is about 0.75 kg. In addition, rabbits must also be fed concentrated feed once a day, with an amount of about 70 grams per rabbit. In the concentrated feed, grains such as corn and wheat should account for 40%, bran and chaff should account for 40%, soybean cake should account for 15%, and fish meal should account for 3%, with an appropriate amount of salt, trace elements, and mineral feed added. The specific formula should be adjusted according to the needs of different rabbit breeds and different growth stages.

IV. Other management

Belgian rabbits are timid and easily startled, have poor resistance to animal pests, and are afraid of heat and humidity. Therefore, corresponding measures for rain protection, moisture protection, heat relief and cooling, protection against animal pests, and protection against severe cold are needed in the buildings. Vaccinations and inspections must also be carried out regularly to avoid the emergence of some infectious diseases that affect the healthy growth of the rabbits.

Raising Belgian rabbits should be determined according to market scale. If too few are raised, the benefits may be relatively low; if too many are raised, there is also a certain risk. Therefore, before breeding Belgian rabbits, a market investigation should be conducted.