Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Raising Black Rabbits in Winter

    1. Cold-proofing and heat preservation work

    The normal body temperature of rabbits is 38.5-39.5°C, and the temperature suitable for rabbit growth and reproduction is between 15-25°C. Winter temperatures are mostly low, so cold-proofing and heat preservation are the key focus of winter feeding management.

    ① Inspect and repair the cages for cold-proofing and warmth. Rabbit housing should generally face south. At the beginning of winter, conduct a general inspection of the rabbit housing: install glass or nail up plastic film on windows, hang straw (cotton) curtains on doors, and repair any damage promptly to prevent cold winds from attacking the rabbits. Therefore, in winter, indoor airflow should be controlled to keep the rabbit housing temperature above 10°C, and the rabbits should be affected as little as possible by changes in outside temperature.

    ② Without affecting feeding management and internal sanitation, increasing stocking density is equivalent to adding a heat source and is an effective auxiliary measure for cold-proofing and heat preservation.

    ③ Add heating equipment, such as radiators, biogas stoves, fire stoves, heat-preservation lamps, and plastic greenhouses to raise the temperature.

    ④ Remove moisture and keep things dry. Dampness in rabbit housing in winter is not conducive to keeping warm and easily leads to respiratory diseases, skin diseases and other illnesses. Rabbits prefer a mild, dry environment. If the floor is damp, scatter some plant ash or quicklime to remove dampness, which also helps with disinfection and warmth.

    ⑤ Add bedding to raise the temperature of the bed?? Bedding has the functions of absorbing moisture, removing dampness, retaining heat for warmth, and absorbing harmful gases. In winter, to raise the temperature of the rabbit housing, add some soft bedding to the rabbit bed, and it should be frequently turned out to dry or replaced to help with cold-proofing and warmth.

    2. Adjust the feeding structure

    Adjust the diet and prepare sufficient forage. Low temperatures increase the rabbits' consumption of heat, so in winter the daily ration supply for rabbits should generally be increased by 20%-30%, especially increasing some high-energy feed such as cornmeal, wheat bran, sweet potato or potato, etc.; the number and amount of feedings should both be appropriately increased. After 9 p.m., it is advisable to feed concentrated feed once more to supplement the consumption for resisting the cold. Green feed should be no less than 30%, such as Chinese cabbage, carrots, radish leaves, etc., to provide more vitamins. At the same time, sufficient forage should be stored to guard against snow and freezing.

    3. Do a good job of winter breeding

    Winter breeding is one of the measures to increase the number of years rabbits can be used for breeding and to increase economic benefits. The key technology for achieving winter breeding is ensuring temperature and vitamin feed, because severe cold significantly reduces the activity of female rabbits, and estrus and mating are easily overlooked. To do a good job of winter breeding, the temperature of the breeding rabbit housing should be kept above 10°C if possible, and their feed should be diversified with wheat bran, rice bran, soybean cake, fish meal and bone meal, etc., avoiding a single feed as much as possible, and appropriately adding sprouted feed and vitamin C to promote normal estrus in female rabbits. The estrous cycle of rabbits is 7-17 days, and the duration of estrus is 1-3 days, so their patterns should be grasped for timely mating.

    The best time for mating in winter is after the 10th lunar month, chosen at noon on a clear, windless day or in the morning or evening. Some experiments report that in winter, before sunrise or after sunset is the period of strong sexual function in rabbits and also the best time for mating; mating at this time is most likely to result in fertilization. In addition, to help female rabbits conceive more and produce more offspring, mating methods such as "double mating" and "repeat mating" can be adopted to increase the chance of conception.

    4. Strengthen management

    ① In winter, the enclosure of rabbit housing is increased, ventilation is poor, and harmful gases increase, which easily induces respiratory diseases. Therefore, at noon on clear days, open the doors and windows to discharge stale air.

    ② Clean the nest boxes of young rabbits frequently and change the bedding frequently to keep them clean and dry.

    ③ When making a fire indoors for warmth, install a flue and ventilation holes to prevent gas poisoning.

    ④ Manage carefully to increase the survival rate of young rabbits. In winter, to increase the survival rate of young rabbits, methods such as plastic-film warm sheds, semi-underground rabbit housing, or separate management of does and young rabbits can be used. For example, placing the young rabbits' nest box at the warm end of a heated kang [kang] and nursing them at fixed times gives better results. It should be pointed out that newborn rabbits must receive colostrum within 4-6 hours of birth. If an individual doe does not nurse, forced nursing can be carried out: use human effort to restrain the doe, then place the young rabbits one by one beside her teats to let them suckle. After 1-2 days in this way, they can gradually form the habit and shift to normal nursing. For the few with insufficient milk, or whose doe has died, or young rabbits with weak constitutions, they can be fed cow's or goat's milk, or fostered in another litter by the "recognize a dry mother" method. Twenty days after giving birth, the doe's milk production has reached its peak, while the young rabbits grow and develop very quickly, and relying on breast milk alone is far from enough to meet their nutritional needs. Supplementary feeding should begin around 18 days after the young rabbits are born: for example, give some cooked soybeans, tofu residue, tender vegetable leaves, etc. It is advisable to give small amounts and supplement often, with 5-6 supplementary feedings per day.