Cage rabbits for beginners

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Keeping rabbits in a personal plot is an interesting and at the same time very profitable business. These animals grow and multiply quickly, besides, they are not particularly whimsical in care. There are three main ways to raise rabbits: in aviaries, free-range and in cages. On personal plots, the latter is usually practiced.

Pros of cage content

Compared to the rest, this method has a lot of advantages. The content of rabbits in cages allows you to accurately normalize the amount of food they eat and make sure that they receive all the vitamins and minerals necessary for normal development. Also, when breeding rabbits in cages, the possibility of uncontrolled mating is completely excluded.

These animals often get sick with infectious diseases. At the same time, the lunge in the herd can be very large, since the infection spreads quickly. When caged, the animals contact each other less frequently. In addition, notice a sick animal and isolate it in time.it will be much easier.

Containing rabbits in cages has another plus. Since animals move little with this method of breeding, they gain weight faster. In addition, the meat of animals grown in this way is much more tender and tastier than that of captive ones.

What cells should be like

Of course, the dwellings for the animals should be prepared in advance. Cages for rabbits come in several varieties: for males, for grown-up young animals and for females with offspring. If animals are to be kept in very large numbers, housing for them will most likely have to be purchased. For a small livestock on a personal plot, cages can be made independently. Their walls and lid are usually made of boards. The floor is made of a metal mesh, under which a manure collection tray is installed. The entrance from the facade is closed with bars. Feeders and drinkers are placed outside the cage. The easiest way is to hang them in front of the door so that the animal can easily reach for food by sticking its head between the bars. Usually cages for outdoor rabbits have this design.

The floor of the "houses" for animals is sometimes done differently. For example, a farmer with twenty years of experience N. I. Zolotukhin advises making it slightly inclined towards the back wall and solid. At the same time, the tiers of cells are shifted relative to each other so that the manure can roll out into the hole closed by the grate. The content of rabbits in cages of this design has somecleanliness advantage. There is practically no manure on the floor, and animal dwellings have to be cleaned less frequently.

In cages for females, a place for a queen cell should be provided. In it, the rabbit will feed the cubs.

Optimal sizes

Designing spacious dwellings is one of the rules for successfully raising animals such as rabbits. Breeding and keeping (cells can be both purchased and homemade) in inappropriate conditions will lead to frequent diseases. Rabbits are mobile animals, they do not tolerate crowding very well. In addition, with high crowding, various kinds of infections spread faster. The specific dimensions of the cells depend primarily on the breed of animals. For small animals, you can make smaller cages. For large animals, accordingly, it will be necessary to make overall dwellings.

The minimum cage sizes for keeping rabbits are:

• width - 70 cm;
• height - 50 cm;
• length - 150 cm.

This option is suitable either for a female with offspring, or as a home for two teenage individuals. For a breeding rabbit, you will need a cage with a size of at least 70 x 50 x 100 cm. The length of the dwelling for young animals should not be less than 3 m (about 10-12 heads).

Ready-made cages: what to buy

Commercially, rabbit dwellings are often made entirely of galvanized mesh and sold in modular units. In such cages, rabbits will also be comfortable. But in this case, you will have to additionallybuild a special shed for them - shed. Keeping rabbits in winter in cages of a similar design right on the street is unlikely to be a good solution. Completely mesh cages are blown, and there is nowhere for the rabbit to hide from the wind. Animals can even just freeze. In summer, the rabbits will suffer from heat due to the lack of shade. Shed is a long shed where blocks are placed in rows along the walls.

Thus, keeping rabbits in mesh cages on the street is unacceptable. If you do not want to build a shed, you should look for and buy ordinary cages. They are also found on sale. Make such dwellings for rabbits and private traders. They are sold at the market - in the same place as the animals themselves. Don't buy used cages. In any case, they should be thoroughly disinfected before settling in.

Containing rabbits in cages: a detailed experience

Of course, for novice farmers, the advice of those who have been breeding these animals for a long time would be very useful. Therefore, below we present to your attention information about raising rabbits, collected on specialized forums and based on the recommendations of experienced fur breeders.

How to choose manufacturers

Experienced farmers advise beginners to buy rabbits and rabbits only in proven farms. In this case, you can be sure that the animals are vaccinated and he althy. For one male, 4-5 females are usually bought. The most popular breeds among domestic rabbit breeders at the moment are the Soviet chinchilla,flandre, rex, gray giant, california and some others.

Feeding rabbits

Such an activity as keeping rabbits in cages can be difficult for beginner breeders, so food must be given to each animal separately. In an aviary, for example, this is not necessary. But if there are few cells, this will not cause any special difficulties. Larger farms usually install automatic food lines and specially designed drinkers.

The ratio of types of feed for rabbits can be, for example, as follows: boiled potatoes and vegetables - 50%, concentrated feed (mainly crushed barley) - 35-40%, protein supplements (meat and bone meal, fish waste, whey etc.) - 10-15%. Carrots and grass can be given ad libitum. Cabbage is fed once a week and little by little. Fresh branches (willow, elm, elm, birch, etc.) must be included in the daily diet. In winter they give hay and dried brooms.

Reproduction

The first mating is carried out at the age of 6-8 months (depending on the breed). The female is always put in a cage with the male, and not vice versa. In this case, he will be more confident in himself and the chances of success will increase. Control mating is carried out in two weeks. At the same time, the behavior of the rabbit is monitored. If she snarls and does not let the gentleman, it means that soon she will have cubs.

The female rabbits bear about a month (28-32 days). The number of newborns also depends on the breed. There can be from four to 16. Young rabbits bring fewer cubs, experienced- more. Keeping rabbits in cages (see photo of newborn cubs below) also has the advantage that you can observe the female at the end of pregnancy and accurately determine the time of birth.

About a day before giving birth, the female begins to build a nest. She covers him with her own fluff. Therefore, if you notice his shreds on the floor of the cage, then, most likely, your livestock will be replenished by morning. During birth, the rabbit drinks a lot of water. This stimulates lactation. Therefore, it is desirable to put an additional drinker in the cage. If there is not enough water, the female can gnaw part of the litter. The mother liquor in the cage is placed a few days before birth.

Why does the female gnaw on baby rabbits

There are several reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon. The main ones, in addition to the lack of water during the round, include:

• Mastitis. To prevent the female from getting sick, the floor in the cage must be kept clean.
• Strange smell. It is advisable not to touch newborns with bare hands. Inspection of the nest after birth is carried out with rubber gloves.
• Lack of space. As already mentioned, space is what rabbits love very much. Breeding and maintenance (cells should not be small, especially in females with offspring) should be carried out according to the rules.
• Fright. Rabbits are generally very afraid of sharp noises, and in fear they behave unpredictably.

But the main reason for eating rabbits by females is still a lack of milk. If during the pregnancy of the animal are not respectedrecommendations of experts regarding the diet, the probability of loss of litter is very high.

Feeding baby rabbits

The cubs follow their mother from the nest approximately 3.5 weeks after birth. Mainly in order to eat herbs with her (it is better if she is slightly dried). Complementary foods can be started at this time. It can be, for example, crackers or bran. Gradually, crushed grains and root crops are introduced into the diet.

The rabbits are separated from the rabbit at 2-3 months (not earlier than one and a half). The next mating can be carried out in a month or two after that. The animal's body needs to rest.

Rabbit diseases

In terms of resistance to infections, most farm animals and poultry are significantly inferior to rabbits. They can get sick very easily. Moreover, the infection usually immediately affects a large part of the herd. Therefore, it is very important to carry out preventive measures - to be vaccinated on time, to clean the cages daily, to carry out disinfection at least once or twice a month. There are many diseases that rabbits are susceptible to, and they all have different symptoms. The most dangerous are:

• Typical form of pasteurellosis. At the beginning of the disease, the animal has a high temperature. The rabbit does not eat, and serous discharge comes from his nose. There is no cure for this disease.
• Cysticercosis. Symptoms in an animal with a disease begin to appear only after an intense damage to the body. The animal refuses to eat, its mucous membranes become icteric. On the sixth day the rabbitdies.
• Myxomatosis. Symptoms of this disease are swelling, the appearance of gelatinous nodules on the body. Pimples and red spots may form on the ears and eyelids.

Infected rabbits must be isolated. Carcasses of dead or slaughtered sick animals are most often burned.

Very often, the infection is transmitted to rabbits through infected feed. Therefore, you should not buy crushed stone at the bazaar. It is through it that all rabbit infections usually spread. It is better to buy more expensive feed, but from trusted suppliers with a good reputation. It is highly discouraged to keep rabbits near chickens and other poultry.

Often, rabbit infectious diseases affect the entire herd, and the farmer has to start all over again. Of course, it is expensive to throw away dwellings in which sick animals died. Especially if these are expensive modular mesh cages for the industrial keeping of rabbits. But in any case, a thorough disinfection should be carried out. This can be done with "Whiteness" or a strong solution of iodine. Metal grids should be additionally singed with a gas burner.

How the slaughter is done

Most often, rabbits are bred for meat. Animals under the age of three months cannot be slaughtered. By this time, their meat is not yet ripe and tasteless. Animals are slaughtered for skins in the cold season, after molting, and not earlier than they are 5-6 months old. The skin of younger animals is also not ripe. Slaughter can be done in several ways. ATprivate households most often use a stick with a piece of hose put on. The rabbit is taken by the hind legs and sharply hit on the back of the head.

You can't kill an animal by cutting off its head. The fact is that after that the nervous system of the rabbit continues to function for a long time. All this time he is in great pain. When hit with a stick, the nervous system is turned off immediately. Before slaughter, the animal is not fed or watered for 12 hours.

Flaying the carcass

Cutting is carried out by hanging the rabbit on some branch or pole. Tie the carcass with twine by the hind legs. For better drainage of blood immediately after killing, you need to cut the bridge of your nose. The skin is removed like a stocking, cut around the hind legs and cut along their inside.

All organs are removed from the carcass, except for the liver, from which the bile is carefully cut off. Before cooking, it is advisable to keep the carcass in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. During this time, partial protein breakdown will occur, and the meat will become tastier.

As you can see, keeping rabbits in cages is quite troublesome. However, if the feeding rules are followed, the most important thing is the cleanliness in the cages, and the success of this enterprise is guaranteed.