Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Winter Feeding and Management of Rex Rabbits
The Rex rabbit is a rabbit breed raised specifically for its fur. Rex rabbits have relatively strong growth capacity, grow quickly, and have a short growth cycle. They are relatively easy to raise, and the farming cost is not high either. Now that winter has arrived, the feeding and management of Rex rabbits has reached a very important period. Improper management can affect the growth of Rex rabbits and reduce farming profits. So below, the editor has brought you the winter feeding and management techniques for Rex rabbits. Let's take a look together!
1. Cold protection and warmth preservation
Winter temperatures are relatively low, so the primary management task for Rex rabbits is to do a good job of cold protection and warmth preservation. In winter, the temperature of the rabbit house should be controlled at around 20 degrees. If the temperature is too low or too high, it will have a certain effect on the physiological functions of Rex rabbits, so try to keep the temperature within the range of 12-28 degrees. Appropriately increasing the breeding density, raising the body temperature of the Rex rabbits, and reducing the number of ventilations can effectively increase the temperature of the rabbit house. You can also cover the rabbit house with plastic film to improve the utilization of sunlight. If conditions permit, heating equipment such as stoves and electric blankets can be added to the rabbit house.
2. Supplementary lighting
Sufficient light of appropriate intensity is the key to ensuring the healthy growth of Rex rabbits. The daily lighting time for Rex rabbits should be maintained at around 14 hours, and their growth capacity and production performance will both improve. However, in winter the lighting time decreases, and the natural lighting time is less than 10 hours, which is not conducive to the growth of Rex rabbits or the secretion of reproductive hormones in female rabbits. Therefore, in order to improve the production performance of Rex rabbits, we need to carry out artificial supplementary lighting for Rex rabbits in winter, extending the lighting time to an appropriate level. Artificial supplementary lighting is needed at around 6 a.m. and around 6 p.m. every day to lengthen the lighting time.
3. Feeding management
The Rex rabbit is a herbivorous animal. In artificial breeding, feeding only green grass every day is completely insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of Rex rabbits. Therefore, in the daily feeding in winter, in addition to feeding fresh feed, it is also necessary to appropriately increase complete-price feed. Complete-price feed has strong storage capacity and comprehensive nutrition, and is very suitable for Rex rabbits to eat. In addition, Rex rabbits consume a lot of heat energy in winter, and energy production is much greater than in other seasons. So in winter, the feeding amount should be increased, and attention should be paid to increasing the proportion of vitamins in the feed. When feeding powdered feed, be careful to mix it with warm water, and mainly feed more times in small amounts. Feed should not remain in the trough, to prevent the feed from freezing and being accidentally eaten by the Rex rabbits.
4. Breeding management
Winter temperatures are low, and the activity of pathogens declines, especially some infectious bacteria, so diseases in Rex rabbits also decrease somewhat, and the survival rate of young rabbits will rise greatly. Therefore, we only need to ensure that temperature fluctuations are small, and off-season winter breeding can be carried out. Although the estrus symptoms of breeding rabbits are not obvious in winter, they can still ovulate normally, so we should carry out mating work at noon when the temperature is relatively high. Methods such as repeated or multiple matings can be used to improve the fertilization rate. About 10 days after mating, pregnancy should be checked promptly by palpation, and female rabbits found to be empty should be immediately mated again.
The above is a brief introduction to winter feeding and management techniques for Rex rabbits. Although the incidence of disease in Rex rabbits is relatively low in winter, disease prevention work still needs to be done well. Clean the rabbit cages promptly, disinfect the rabbit house, and wash the living utensils. During disinfection, at least two or more disinfectants should be used in rotation to prevent pathogens from developing resistance. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.