How to improve the conception rate of female rabbits? Practical methods shared
The conception rate of female rabbits is directly related to the level of production and economic benefits of a rabbit farm. To improve the conception rate of female rabbits, the following tasks must be done well:
1. Strengthen selection. Select healthy, disease-free female rabbits with strong libido that are neither too fat nor too thin to keep for breeding. Any with ovarian cysts, underdeveloped uterus or other reproductive tract diseases must be culled promptly. Breeding stock kittens are best selected from the 3rd to 5th litters of excellent female rabbits, and they should have more than 4 pairs of nipples. Female rabbits with small litters, low conception rates, poor mothering ability and poor lactation performance cannot be used for mating and breeding.
2. Choose a suitable season for breeding. Although rabbits can breed all year round, spring and autumn are best, when the temperature is suitable, rabbits have a strong appetite and active reproductive function, and the conception rate is high.
3. Mate at the right time. Pay attention to observing the estrus signs of female rabbits: restless and agitated, jumping and running in the cage, stamping their feet, reduced appetite, frequently raising the tail and mounting other rabbits, and actively approaching male rabbits, with the vulva swollen, moist and dark red; this is the most suitable time for mating. The female rabbit can be placed in the male rabbit's cage for mating. After mating, lift the female rabbit's hindquarters promptly and tap them lightly twice with the hand to promote contraction of the vagina and uterus and prevent semen from flowing out.
4. Repeat mating. Under normal circumstances, as long as the female rabbit is in normal estrus and the male rabbit's semen quality is good, one mating is enough for conception. However, to ensure pregnancy and prevent pseudopregnancy in the female rabbit, the same male rabbit can be used to mate again 6 to 8 hours after the first mating. The purpose of the first mating is to stimulate ovulation in the female rabbit, and the purpose of the second mating is formal conception. Experiments have shown that the conception rate of repeat mating can reach 95% to 100%, with 6 to 8 kittens per litter.
5. Double mating. One female rabbit is mated successively with 2 male rabbits of different bloodlines, with an interval of no more than 20 to 30 minutes between matings. The purpose is to use the mutual competition of sperm from different male rabbits to increase the selectivity of the eggs.
6. Intensive breeding. Intensive breeding, also known as "blood mating", generally involves weaning at 40 to 45 days of age on most rabbit farms and then mating again, so only 3 to 4 litters can be bred per year, and the breeding speed is very slow. With the intensive breeding method, the female rabbit is mated and conceives during the lactation period, and lactation and pregnancy proceed simultaneously, so 8 to 10 litters can be bred each year. After blood mating in female rabbits, because lactation and pregnancy proceed at the same time, the demand for nutrients is quite large, so the quantity and quality of feed must meet the needs of the female rabbit itself as well as lactation and fetal growth and development.
7. Increase light. Although rabbits are not demanding about light, insufficient light will significantly affect reproductive performance. According to experiments, under conditions of 20°C to 24°C and full sunshine, supplementing 1 watt of light per sq m for 2 hours gives female rabbits some fertility, but the conception rate is very low, with a conception rate of only about 30% for 1 mating. If the light is increased to 5 watts per sq m and the illumination time is extended to 12 hours, the conception rate for one mating can reach about 50%. Under the same light intensity, if irradiation continues for 16 hours, the conception rate of female rabbits can reach 65% to 70%, and the survival rate of kittens can also be significantly improved. Therefore, increasing light intensity and duration can significantly improve the conception rate of female rabbits and the survival rate of kittens.
Chang Fuyun, Changzhuang Livestock and Poultry Institute, Qingxu County, Shanxi Province