Technical Strategies and Economic Benefit Analysis of Growing Grass to Raise Rabbits

I. Economic Value of Growing Grass to Raise Rabbits

1. Significant income-boosting effect. Planting Winter Grazer 70 rye in idle winter fields, with a whole growth period of 5-6 months and 3-4 harvests, yields 3-5 tons of fresh grass per mu, equivalent to 600-800 kg of hay. Each mu can support 200 rabbits. Calculated at market prices, after deducting production costs such as grass seed, rabbit breeding stock and fertilizer, each rabbit yields a profit of more than 10 yuan, and the net income per mu can increase by more than 1,500 yuan.

2. Outstanding cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing effect. Forage grass can promote rabbit growth and development, increase the rabbit reproduction rate and improve fur quality. Planted forage grass can be fed to rabbits fresh, or processed into grass meal and mixed into feed; grass meal can account for 20% of the mixed feed, greatly reducing feed costs.

II. Selection of Forage Grass Varieties in Growing Grass to Raise Rabbits

Three conditions should be met: it should be a forage grass variety that rabbits like to eat; it should adapt to the local natural conditions and be suitable for local production and planting conditions; and it should have relatively high yield and excellent quality.

Among the high-quality forage grasses suitable for planting in our province, those that rabbits like to eat mainly include Mexican corn, sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid, Winter Grazer 70 rye, annual ryegrass, bitter lettuce, chicory and alfalfa, etc. Feeding rabbits with these forage grasses has the following advantages: (1) High nutritional value. (2) Long utilization period. Annual forage grasses can be mowed multiple times, and perennial forage grasses can be used continuously for many years after one planting. (3) Good palatability of fresh grass. (4) Strong resistance to pests and diseases. These forage grasses generally do not suffer from serious diseases or pests, which can reduce production costs and reduce pesticide residues.

III. Production Models of Growing Grass to Raise Rabbits Worth Promoting

1. Production model of raising rabbits with a single forage grass species: generally, forage grass varieties with a large leaf proportion, excellent quality and high yield should be selected for raising rabbits. The main production models are as follows:

(1) Model of raising rabbits by planting gramineous forage grasses. Mainly choose to plant tall gramineous forage grasses such as Mexican corn, sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid, Sudan grass and sweet sorghum, and feed them directly to rabbits as green feed. Generally, they should be mowed for use when the growth height is 80-120 cm; when harvesting and sun-drying hay, the mowing height of the grass can reach 120-150 cm. Raising one rabbit requires 18 kg of gramineous forage grass (dry matter); to raise 100 rabbits, generally 2-3 mu of Mexican corn, or 2-3 mu of sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid, or 3-4 mu of sweet sorghum and Sudan grass need to be planted.

(2) Model of raising rabbits by planting leguminous forage grasses. Mainly choose to plant leguminous forage grasses such as alfalfa and sainfoin, and start mowing fresh grass to feed rabbits at the budding stage; or harvest from the early flowering stage to the full flowering stage and sun-dry hay to feed rabbits. Each rabbit requires 20 kg of leguminous forage grass (dry matter); the hay can also be processed into grass meal and added to compound feed. Generally, the suitable proportion of grass meal added is 30%-50% of the daily ration. To raise 100 rabbits, 4-5 mu of alfalfa or sainfoin, etc. need to be planted.

(3) Model of raising rabbits by planting leafy vegetable-type forage grasses. The main forage grasses chosen for planting include chicory, cup plant, bitter lettuce and grain amaranth, etc., which are suitable for use as green feed. The daily feeding amount can reach 50%-60% of the daily ration, and each rabbit requires 30 kg of leafy vegetable-type forage grass (dry matter). To raise 100 rabbits, 1-1.5 mu of leafy vegetable-type forage grass need to be planted.

(4) Model of raising rabbits by mixed sowing of leguminous forage grasses + gramineous forage grasses. This model can improve the forage utilization rate of rabbits; generally, the leguminous forage grass varieties planted include alfalfa, white clover, red clover and sainfoin, etc., and the gramineous forage grasses are mainly perennial ryegrass, fescue and orchardgrass, etc. The mixing ratio of leguminous forage grasses to gramineous forage grasses is 1:2-3. When mixed planting, the harvested forage grass fed fresh to rabbits can account for 70%-80% of the daily ration. To raise 100 rabbits, the area for mixed planting of leguminous forage grasses and gramineous forage grasses needs to be 6-8 mu.

(5) Model of raising rabbits by mixed planting of leafy vegetable-type forage grasses + tall gramineous forage grasses. For the forage grass varieties planted in this model, the leafy vegetable-type forage grasses include chicory, cup plant, bitter lettuce and grain amaranth, etc., and the gramineous forage grasses include Mexican corn, sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid, Sudan grass and sweet sorghum, etc. These two types of forage grasses can be intercropped on the same plot, or planted separately and mixed after harvest to feed rabbits. The matching ratio of leafy vegetable-type and gramineous forage grasses is 2:3. This mixed forage grass can account for 70%-75% of the rabbit daily ration. To raise 100 rabbits, the area for intercropping leafy vegetable-type forage grasses and tall gramineous forage grasses needs to be 2-3 mu, or 1 mu of leafy vegetable-type forage grass and 1.5 mu of tall gramineous forage grass.

2. Model of compound planting of forage grasses and grain crops to produce forage grass for raising rabbits:

(1) Wheat-forage grass rotation. The forage grasses cultivated are mainly Mexican corn, grain amaranth and Sudan grass, etc. After the wheat harvest, sow these forage grasses in the wheat field to raise rabbits. When utilization reaches late September to early October, all are mowed, and wheat is sown, completing one rotation cycle.

(2) Intercropping forage grasses in reserved rows of wheat. Generally, in mid-to-late May, forage grasses are planted in the reserved rows of wheat fields. The forage grasses cultivated are mainly Mexican corn, sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid and Sudan grass, etc., and can be directly mowed for use after the wheat harvest. These forage grasses are generally sown by dibbling.