Rabbit Rearing Methods and Breeding Techniques
Size: total body length 40-45cm
Origin: native to south of central Europe
Diet: herbivorous
Although they are all commonly called rabbits, what general @#@211@#@ sell are domestic rabbits improved from wild European rabbits through selective breeding. There are many breeds; the most familiar to the public is the all-white Japanese White breed. In recent years, rabbits of other coat colors have gradually increased on the market and are also very popular. There is also a breed called the mini rabbit; in fact, it is not a true mini rabbit, but a cross between small rabbits such as the Dutch breed and the Belgian breed and the white Japanese rabbit. What is seen in shops are young rabbits, and their body size will certainly increase after they grow up. Only a purebred Belgian breed, with a total length of about 30cm, can truly be called a mini rabbit.
Rearing Methods
Food: rabbits are almost completely herbivorous animals. They very much like eating vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and radish leaves, as well as dandelion and plantain. The Japanese market has recently introduced pelleted artificial feed for rabbits, which has the advantages of balanced nutrition and hardness that is good for the teeth. In the future, artificial feed can be used as the staple food, with a small amount of vegetables or wild grass provided as well.
Even today some people still believe the superstition that "giving a rabbit water to drink will kill it immediately," and even pet shops will tell owners that it is best not to give drinking water. But rabbits, like other animals, will certainly die if they do not drink water. However, because in the past they were fed vegetables and wild grass containing a large amount of moisture, the water contained in these foods was enough for their needs; if too much moisture is given, it will affect the health of the digestive tract, cause diarrhea, and a wet cage easily makes rabbits sick. This is the reason it is said rabbits cannot drink water. If dry artificial feed is used as the staple food, then of course they need to drink water.
Rabbit droppings are usually hard, round black pellets, and occasionally soft feces also appear. If one is not careful, the rabbit in the cage may immediately eat these soft feces. These soft feces contain plant fiber that cannot be digested from the food. After being eaten again and the nutrients needed by the body absorbed, they are excreted as round droppings. If these feces are not eaten, some rabbits may die from insufficient nutrition. Rabbits eating their own feces is not, like cats and dogs, due to a mental disorder, so there is no need for special worry.
On average, a cage with each side about 50-60cm can house 1-2 rabbits. Squirrel cages, large bird cages and cat cages sold on the market can all be used. When making a cage yourself, make sure the wood is hard enough to avoid its being bitten through. Use wooden slats at the bottom of the cage to help filth pass out and avoid the cage becoming overly damp. It is best to use wire mesh for the front and sides so that ventilation inside the cage is good.
If kept outdoors, with the ground used directly as the floor of the hutch, rabbits may dig holes and escape, so special attention should be paid. In addition, because rabbits cannot tolerate stuffiness, heat or dampness, if kept outdoors, when going out during the rainy season and hot summer, be careful not to place the cage in a closed room or on a balcony exposed to the sun.
About 8 months after birth, rabbits reach sexual maturity. When a female rabbit appears restless and agitated, it is a sign of estrus. After mating, the male rabbit will let out a high-pitched cry and collapse. After the female rabbit becomes pregnant, she should be separated from the male rabbit. Spread straw or other dry grass inside the cage, and surround the cage with cloth, trying not to touch it, so as to keep the female rabbit quiet and stable. The female rabbit will use hair from her abdomen to make a nest. From pregnancy to birth, the female rabbit will become very neurotic; with excessive contact, the mother rabbit may bite the owner, or bite to death the young rabbits she has given birth to. A litter can produce 5-6 young rabbits; when food or water is insufficient, the mother rabbit may eat the young rabbits, so the amount provided should be slightly more than usual. After about 30 days the young rabbits can leave the nest; at this time the young rabbits can be separated from the mother rabbit and fed bread soaked in milk and soft vegetables, and they can easily be tamed. If care is difficult, wait until the young rabbits can eat adult rabbit food before separating them from the mother rabbit.
Diseases
5. Hairball disease
When grooming itself, it swallows too much hair, which forms a ball-like mass in the stomach and causes symptoms in the digestive system, such as poor appetite and diarrhea. When the hairball is too large, it may block the intestines and cause death. When palpation can detect the presence of a hairball, surgery should be performed to remove it. Long-haired breeds are especially prone to this disease, and owners should regularly help comb their fur to prevent the disease from occurring.
6. Pasteurellosis (snuffles)
Although Pasteurella is the causative agent, environmental stress or other diseases may also trigger acute symptoms. Symptoms include rhinitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, otitis media and many others, and cases of infection in the heart and reproductive organs also occur; if it worsens into severe septicemia, it may also cause death. When mild respiratory infection appears, treatment should begin. If treated, it will turn into a chronic disease. After this disease turns into a chronic condition, inappropriate stress will trigger more severe symptoms. The stress referred to here includes excessively high humidity, a narrow cage, foul air, improper food, and so on. Antibiotics can be used appropriately for treatment.
7. Coccidiosis
In the feces of most rabbits, this protozoan called coccidium is present. Symptoms in the early stage of infection are not obvious; if health is poor, it is one of the reasons symptoms appear. If examination of the feces reveals a large number of coccidial oocysts, sulfonamide preparations should be taken for treatment.