Breeding rabbits is considered a fairly profitable occupation. They are kept both for personal needs and for the further sale of meat, skins and fur. It is recommended to start with several individuals, choosing the most unpretentious breeds (for example, dwarf rabbits), and then gradually increase their numbers. When it becomes clear what’s what, you can move from the start (rabbit breeding for beginners) to a more profitable occupation, that is, to breed rabbits for profit.
Rabbit breeding for beginners
It is worth saying that all investments will pay off quickly enough, because the purchase price of a rabbit is low, which can not be said about meat, rabbit fur and skin, so it is safe to say that such an activity is very profitable. Today we will talk about the main aspects that any person involved in rabbit breeding should know. It will be about rabbit breeding for beginners and all related information on doing business from scratch.
How to choose a place to keep rabbits
Starting a new business is not easy. To avoid mistakes, it is necessary to study many factors. For example, before starting the purchase of rabbits, care should be taken in advance about where they will live. It is worth saying that this is not only the aesthetic part of the issue, but also a factor that will further contribute to the fact that rabbits reproduce faster, get less sick, etc.
First of all, you need to have a certain territory. An ideal place is a summer house or a private house. Those who do not own such wealth will have to rent a place. As for the requirements for the terrain, there should not be too windy and humid, as this will adversely affect the health status of rabbits and rabbits.
Rabbit housing options
Once the area has been determined, you need to choose the most suitable rabbit breeding technology. Cages and aviaries are considered ideal conditions, although there are some narrow divisions regarding how pets can be kept. These technologies will be discussed further. Let's start with those that are used on home farms and count to hundreds of goals.
Pit rabbit breeding method
The first method that will be discussed is cultivation in pits. Experienced rabbit farmers do not recommend using it, despite the fact that it is the most financially profitable for doing business. What is such an arrangement? These are the most common dug holes in which rodents are placed, after which they are covered with iron nets to prevent escape. Further, after some time, the rabbits will breed and burrow holes to accommodate their offspring.
The disadvantages of the pit method are that it will have to constantly depend on the weather, and the animals will be kept in the mud, since the pit does not imply any flooring. For the same reason, skin breeds and those grown because of fluff are not bred in a pit way, because the quality of the fur in this situation will be significantly worse than if the pet were kept, for example, in cages. For this reason, for successful business it is better to prefer other options and say no to the pit content.
Among other things, rabbits living in the pit will be sick more often, because damp is coming from the ground, and this also causes a lot of trouble to the owner of the rabbit base and slows down the development of the business.
Cage rabbits
This is the most common rabbit breeding method used by almost all rodent owners. Of course, you still have to spend money on the cage itself, and you can buy it already ready in the store or make it yourself with your own hands. In order to make a cell yourself, you will need the simplest materials, a little ingenuity and hard work.
Currently, the most popular are the drawings of Zolotukhin. They are used not only in Russia and other CIS countries, but also abroad, for example, in China and America. The fact is that the design proposed by Zolotukhin is as simple and understandable as possible, even a person who is far from constructing can reproduce it.
Subject to industrial content, other methods are used. Let's see where eared live on large-scale rabbit farms with their detailed description.
Shedova method of keeping rodents
This method of rabbit breeding is very popular among owners of large rabbit breeding farms. The fact is that with the help of the Shedov method it is possible to save space, so it can be safely called the most compact of all available. The cells are arranged in several tiers, most often in 2. You probably saw such farms in the photo or video.
Through the use of the shedovoy method, it is possible to 12 square meters m arrange about 45 cells.
Speaking about the Shedov method, one cannot but say about the main drawback: this is too high a cost, which scares away many breeders, especially those who deal with rabbits for the first time. For this reason, you should not try your hand at animal husbandry, starting with the Sheds, it is better to switch to them in the process of increasing the number of rabbits, if things go well.
Way of Mikhailov
Only the Mikhailov system can compare with the cost of a shed placement: this technique is the most expensive of all existing. However, the high price is justified, since the method allows you to breed any kind of breed, it is the most practical and fast, which is also important in raising rabbits and building an effective business.
Mikhailov's system involves the arrangement of the so-called minifarm, which are automatic or semi-automatic. The fact is that such mini-farms are designed so that human intervention is minimal. In the shortest possible time it will be possible to grow an adult rabbit out of a small rabbit, as all the conditions are created for this. This is due to the fact that here Mikhailov applied the technology of growing rabbits of accelerate (acceleration growing), which will allow to speed up the process of gaining mass. On average, the time is reduced by 1-3 months, which plays into the hands when calculating the business plan and increases the profitability of the project with a further perspective.
General recommendations for arranging rabbitry
Regardless of which method the farmer prefers, you need to follow these recommendations for keeping rabbits:
- It is advisable to place rabbits at a certain distance from other pets and including birds.
- If you choose street breeding of rabbits, you need to make sure that the territory with rodents is surrounded by trees. Of course, this recommendation is no longer relevant to small household farms, but to industrial farms. The most suitable tree is birch. If the territory and budget allow, then trees need to be planted on the territory of the farm itself. All this is necessary in order to create the necessary climate for animals. The crown of the trees will serve as protection from the scorching sun in the summer, and also protect it from the cold in winter.
What equipment will be required
Now that the place for breeding rabbits has been selected, and the breeding method has been determined, we need to proceed with the manufacture and purchase of the necessary equipment and supplies that will be required to care for rodents. This includes:
- Drinking bowls and feeders. They must be purchased at the rate of 1 pc. for 3 individuals.
- Plastic buckets. They are used as a temporary container for water and food.
- Carts, cars or baskets on wheels. They greatly simplify the transport of feed, in particular greens and hay. In addition, do not forget that it will be important to clean the cells regularly, and then dispose of the manure.
- Broom for cleaning the territory occupied by the farm.
- The rules for pulling the rabbit skin. They are needed for those who plan to process skins.
- Tools necessary for slaughtering livestock. Moreover, it is necessary to equip a special room in which the slaughter of animals will take place, it is called a meat shop
- Logs for keeping records of animals (they record the number of feedings, vaccination data, development rates of young animals, and so on).
It is worth mentioning that as the number of rabbits grows and the farm develops, helpers will be required, since it will not be possible to cope alone. Many cope with the participation of the whole family, that is, rabbit husbandry at home becomes a family affair. However, it is better if in the process of breeding rabbits those people who are specialists in this matter will be involved. They will be able to share their experience in the care, feeding, reproduction and treatment of rodents.
If you can’t find such people as helpers, then you can turn to amateur video and photo lessons that rabbit breeding workers post on the Internet for help.
Feeding rabbits
An important issue is feeding. It is important to understand which food is suitable for rodents. Despite the fact that rabbits are miniature animals, everyone can envy their appetite. They need a huge amount of feed, and it must be taken into account that it must be varied:
- The composition of feed for rabbits should include feed. This item makes up a large half of the animal's diet.
- Hay. This component of the menu improves the digestion of food in the digestive tract of rabbits.
- Branches of fruit trees, as well as oak and birch. At the same time, needles are strictly prohibited for introduction into the diet. Why should rabbits eat branches? This is necessary so that the eared teeth grind their teeth, and the animals themselves chew the wood with pleasure.
- Vegetables. Rabbits love vegetables, and there are also lots of vitamins in their composition. An exception is potatoes, ordinary cabbage and beetweed. All of these components can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems.
- Rodents need greenery; it is also good for rabbit health. There are also herbs to be discarded: euphorbia, buttercup and lilies of the valley.
Features of rabbit breeding
If you plan to breed rabbits, then you should be aware of the peculiarities of breeding of these animals. Despite their fertility, in order to increase the number of livestock, it is necessary to create certain conditions for mating, as well as to balance the percentage ratio of males and females.
In order to create the most acceptable conditions, there should be about 5 rabbits per 1 rabbit. If there are more males, then there is a high probability that there will be quarrels and fights between males. The easiest way to resettle rabbits in groups, in one such group will be about 5 females. Then you need to periodically plant a rabbit-inseminator in the female company. It is important not to lodge them together on an ongoing basis: adult individuals can trample young growth.
How is mating
Only healthy individuals are allowed to mate or mate. In rabbits, inbreeding is allowed, that is, mating of closely related individuals. To select these, you need to carefully examine them for external signs of the disease, as well as conduct a superficial analysis of behavior. If the crawl is healthy, then its appearance will be well-fed, and its behavior will be alert. The approximate age that is optimal for the first mating: it is 4-5 months. The fertility period in females lasts about 4 years, although there are exceptions to the rules in some breeds.
It is correct to mate in the male: this way the crawl will feel as confident as possible. Only females that are currently on the hunt should be selected. How to determine if a female is ready for mating? The following symptoms will indicate this:
- palpation of the ears becomes hot;
- noticeable swelling of the genital organs appears, transparent discharge from the genital gap may appear;
- the female can make a semblance of a nest from her own fluff, which she herself plucked from herself.
As for the time, early morning or late evening is considered ideal, it is best to test the male 2 times at the previously indicated time intervals. To understand whether the mating has been successful, you need to carefully observe how the male behaves immediately after mating. If it freezes and remains motionless for some time, then with a high degree of probability it can be argued that everything went well.
To understand at an early stage whether a female is pregnant, you need to see how she reacts to a rabbit in the immediate vicinity. If she tries to kick off of him in every possible way, then most likely she is pregnant, and after 30-40 days you can wait for the appearance of small rabbits.
What should be the care of newborn rabbits
After the rounding, about 7 new little rabbits are born. They look very tiny, and this is evidenced by their weight: about 60 g. It can also be said that at first, newborn babies are completely defenseless, as they are born completely blind and without fur. In order for the rabbit to have enough milk, it is necessary to provide her with constant access to water. If this is not done, there is a high probability that the young will be eaten by their own mother.
During breastfeeding, it is necessary to intervene minimally in the natural process, because the rabbit, on which the smell of a person has remained, with a high degree of probability can be rejected by the rabbit, after which he will inevitably die. After the rabbits have reached the age of 1 month, you need to pick them up from their mother and settle them in separate cages. At this age, planting density can be about 12-18 goals per cage.
In conclusion
Domestic and industrial rabbit breeding is considered one of the simplest and most understandable branches of animal husbandry, which is why many livestock farmers prefer to start raising domestic animals with rabbits.
Now you know the basics of rabbit breeding and understand many issues. It's time to decide on the breed (meat, meat-skins, fur, down and so on) and start your own business on rabbits, especially since in Russia there is an opportunity to receive a subsidy for the development of your own rabbit farm, it’s a sin not to take this chance.
