Breeding rabbits is considered to be quite profitable. They are kept both for personal needs and for the further sale of meat, skins and fur. It is recommended to start with a few individuals, choosing the most unpretentious breeds (for example, dwarf rabbits), and then gradually increase their number. 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 investment will pay off quickly enough, because the purchase price of a rabbit is small, which cannot be said about meat, rabbit fur and skin, so we can confidently say that such an activity is very profitable. Today we will talk about the basic aspects that any person involved in breeding rabbits should know. It will be about rabbit breeding for beginners and all the related information about running a business from scratch.
How to choose a place to keep rabbits
Starting a new business is not easy. To avoid mistakes, there are many factors to consider. For example, before starting to purchase rabbits, you should take care of where they will live in advance. 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. A summer cottage or a private house is considered an ideal place. Those who do not own such wealth will have to rent a place. As for the requirements for the area, it should not be too windy and humid there, as this will negatively affect the health of rabbits and rabbits.
Rabbit keeping 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 as to how pets can be kept. These technologies will be discussed further. Let's start with those that are used on home farms and have up to a hundred heads.
The pit method of breeding rabbits
The first method, which will be discussed, is growing in pits. Experienced breeders do not recommend using it, despite the fact that it is the most financially beneficial for running a business. What is this placement? 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, rabbits will breed and break holes to accommodate their offspring.
The disadvantages of the pit method are that you will have to constantly depend on the weather, and the animals will be kept in mud, since the pit does not imply any flooring. For the same reason, skin breeds and those that are grown because of the fluff are not bred using the pit method, because the quality of fur in this situation will be much worse than if the pet was 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, the rabbits living in the pit will get sick more often, because the ground is damp, and this also causes a lot of trouble for the owner of the rabbit base and slows down the development of business.
Cages in 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 ready-made 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 Zolotukhin's drawings. 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 designing can reproduce it.
Subject to industrial content, other methods are used. Let's see where the eared ones live on large-scale rabbit farms with their detailed description.
Shedovy way 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 shed method it is possible to save space, so it can be safely called the most compact of all available. The cages are arranged in several tiers, most often in 2. You have probably seen such farms in the photo or video.
Thanks to the use of the shed method, it is possible for 12 sq. 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 Sheds, it is better to switch to them in the process of increasing the number of rabbits, if things go well.
Mikhailov's method
Only Mikhailov's system can be compared with the cost of shed placement: this method is the most expensive of all the existing ones. However, the high price is justified, since the method allows you to breed any variety of breed, is the most practical and fastest, which is also important in raising rabbits and building an effective business.
Mikhailov's system involves the arrangement of so-called minifarms, 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 from a small rabbit, since all the conditions have been created for this. This is due to the fact that here Mikhailov applied the technology of growing rabbits with accelerators (acceleration growing), which will maximize the speed of the mass gain process. 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 a 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 birds as well.
- If you choose to breed rabbits outdoors, you need to ensure that the area 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 allows, then trees should 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 inventory is required
Now that the place for breeding rabbits has been chosen and the breeding method has been determined, you need to start manufacturing and purchasing the necessary equipment and implements that will be required to care for the 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 food and water.
- 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 regularly clean the cages, and then dispose of the manure.
- A broom for cleaning the farm area.
- The rules on which the rabbit skin is pulled. They are needed by those who plan to deal with the processing of skins.
- Tools needed to drive livestock. Moreover, it is necessary to equip a special room in which the slaughter of animals will take place, it is called a butcher shop.
- Logs for keeping records of animals (they record the number of feedings, data on vaccinations, norms for the development of young animals, and so on).
It should also be said that as the number of rabbits grows and the farm develops, helpers will be needed, since it will no longer be possible to cope alone. Many cope with the participation of the whole family, that is, rabbit breeding at home becomes a family business. 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 rodent care, feeding, reproduction and treatment.
If you cannot find such people as assistants, then you can turn to amateur videos and photo lessons that rabbit husbandry people post on the Internet for help.
Rabbit breeding for beginners - 50 tips for the breeder!
rabbit breeding for beginners
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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 food, and it must be taken into account that it should be varied:
- The composition of feed for rabbits should include compound 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 have branches in their diet? This is necessary so that the eared ears grind their teeth, and the animals themselves chew wood with pleasure.
- Vegetables. Rabbits love vegetables, and they also contain a lot of vitamins. The exceptions are potatoes, ordinary cabbage and beetweed. All of these components can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems.
- Rodents need greenery and are good for the health of rabbits. There are also herbs that need to be discarded: spurge, buttercup and lilies of the valley.
Features of rabbit breeding
If you are planning to breed rabbits, then you should be aware of the breeding habits 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 crawl. 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 an inseminating rabbit in the female company. It is important not to lodge them together on an ongoing basis: adult individuals can trample young growth.
How does mating happen
Only healthy individuals are allowed to mate or mate. In rabbits, inbreeding is allowed, that is, the 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 is 4-5 months. Fertility lasts about 4 years for females, although there are exceptions to the rule in some breeds.
It is correct to mate on the territory of the male: so 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 to mate? This will be indicated by the following signs:
- palpation of the ears becomes hot;
- there is a noticeable swelling of the genitals, transparent discharge from the genital slit may appear;
- the female can make a semblance of a nest from her own fluff, which she herself plucked from herself.
As for 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 he 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 is trying in every possible way to get away from him, then most likely she is pregnant, and after 30-40 days you can wait for the appearance of little rabbits.
What should be the care of newborn rabbits
After birth, about 7 new little rabbits are born. They look very tiny, as evidenced by their weight: about 60 g. You can also say 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 remains, with a high degree of probability can be rejected by the rabbit, after which imminent death awaits him. After the rabbits reach the age of 1 month, they need to be removed from the mother and settled in separate cages. At this age, the stocking density can be about 12-18 heads per cage.
As a conclusion
Domestic and industrial rabbit breeding is considered one of the simplest and most understandable branches of animal husbandry, which is why many livestock breeders 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 and skin, fur, down, and so on) and start your own business on rabbits, especially since in Russia there is an opportunity to get a subsidy for the development of your own rabbit farm, it's a sin not to take this chance.