Increasingly popular with farmers is the breeding of rabbits. These beautiful and fluffy animals very quickly multiply and grow, bringing its owner a tasty dietary meat. In our country today there are more than 20 breeds of rabbits. Half of them belong to the beef.
Many managers of cafes and restaurants will gladly work with the owners of farms whose main line – breeding. After all, this fluffy animal meat very juicy and tender to the taste with excellent nutritional properties.
Very conditional breed of these animals can be divided into meat, meat korkovye and korkovye. But really, any meat of a rabbit is quite a successful person is used for food, and skins are widely used in the fur industry.
The need to increase rabbit meat production in modern conditions has led to a change of the technological process of growing rabbits. If before the meat was considered the only large breed of rabbits, now the preference is given to growing rabbits for meat production – broilers. Such rocks, despite their much lesser weight of the carcass, actively replacing giants. The increase of production is due to the fast turnover of breeding animals.
As you can see the division of meat rabbits in large and early, it will be considered more accurate than the division in the directions of the resulting product.
Large rabbits or giants
These include:
Flandr. The roots of Belgian. Has a long body, broad chest, slightly roach back. The fur is thick and beautiful. Color – dark-gray, yellow-gray, hare. Meat yield of 80%. The weight of an adult is 12 kg, body length of 65-70 cm At the age of three months, weighs 2.5 kg. Fertility is high. Females in the offspring give baby rabbits from 7-8 to 15.- The German giant (risen). The weight of an adult animal from 12 to 15 kg. body Length of 75 cm, the Ears long and straight. Fur with thick fur. Color – black, camel, grey, blue. Meat yield is 83%.
- White giant. There was a rock in the nineteenth century, is of German-Belgian roots. Body elongate, strong. The chest is well developed. The back is long and straight. Fur is pure white, thick. For white giants average weight is 5-5. 5 kg, some specimens can reach a weight of 8 kg. the Female, on average, yields of 7-8 rabbits in one breeding. Meat yield is 83%.
- The grey giant. Rapidly gaining weight, are easy to care for. The torso of these rabbits down, strong. The output of meat from one carcass to 83%. The female has a good maternal instinct, maybe even bring up other people’s rabbits. The size and fecundity roughly comparable to the rabbits of breed a white giant. Color – grey, that’s why it got the name of the breed.
General characteristics of the giants
Representatives of these breeds are very similar to each other. Average meat yield is 60%, and live weight starts from 5 kg. to Rabbits less weight from the breeding flock shall be rejected. Mostly giants weigh 6-7 kg, but sometimes can reach 8-12 lbs.
All giants have a well-developed croup with powerful rear paws, in these places and the bulk of the body. Torso length from 60 cm to 75 cm. the Head is large and wide, has the proportional characteristics against the body. Cheeks are brightly expressed, well developed, well marked.
Some inexperienced breeders believe that the breed of giants is more profitable because of their large size.
However, this opinion is erroneous, because these rabbits have a number of drawbacks:
- Late puberty (mostly in 6-7 months, but the Flemish giants even at 8 months).
- Because of the large weight, there are problems with diseases of the extremities.
- The need for maintenance spacious cages with hardwood floors.
- Rabbits are the giants more and more greedy. They need large amounts of feed with increased protein content.
- A litter of 7-8 rabbits are considered small compared to other breeds.
- Problems in the breeding of the heavy weight of rabbits.
- Babies are often born with limb defects.
The positive qualities of giants is their calm disposition, good survival of bucks, excellent maternal qualities.
The contents of the giants
Paws from the giants poorly protected by hair and therefore, when a large weight, perhaps the appearance of foot to me. Because of these problems the giants rabbits can live in cages with mesh floors.
Optimal content of giant rabbits is considered to be the outdoor enclosure, the size of the usable area of such enclosure should be more than normal rabbits. For good living conditions for animals of large breeds, they require a living area of 100×110 cm on one rabbit, and that rabbit with the kids cage area is necessary to increase 1.5 times.
The owners of the farms growing giants in their content in the shedov (a certain number of cells, arranged in a bunk battery) should care to protect the paws of the rabbits from scuffs. For these purposes often are created on the floors of wooden planks. Besides the increased size of the cells, their height should be not less than 60 cm.
It is very important to regularly clean the cage from dirty bedding and to carry out its disinfection that helps prevent diseases in the rabbit hutches.
Food giants
A balanced diet enriched with protein and carbohydrates, is an essential source of nutrition for building muscle animals. Youngsters, grown for breeding purposes, intensive feeding is optional, therefore, the basis of their diet is hay, consisting of herbs rich in phosphorus and calcium. But for beef herds is necessary in the diet to include concentrates, i.e. grain.
Some farmers prefer to include in the diet whole grain is the richest in carbohydrates (corn, barley). But many breeders prefer a balanced feed that can be cooked on their own.
The composition of feed it is necessary to dignify the following components:
- Not less than 40% cereals (oats, barley, wheat, legumes, corn).
- Necessary vitamins and minerals.
- Protein-rich nutrients (meat and bone meal, oil cake of sunflower, wheat bran, soybean meal).
- The root vegetables.
- Grass.
- Salt.
The hay in the feeder, the rabbit should be constant. The most calcium rich alfalfa hay.
The breeding of giant rabbits
All members of giant rabbits are late. Therefore to reproduce their permit until age 8 months. In the case of rabbits kept for the development of the breeding herd, cases, they are preferably from 10 months of age.
The average one breeding female rabbits of these breeds are worth 10-12 bucks. If the captive breeding of rabbits of meat breeds on the floor, you must lay a thick layer of hay, because hay and build nests rabbit to output offspring. The ideal option is a mixed litter, when the top layer of sawdust is spread a layer of hay or straw.
The rabbits breed gray giant , or white giant more suited to life in the Russian climate. Although European breeds are much larger, you need to consider when breeding the need to create more comfortable conditions of detention, which, of course, affects the cost increases. European breeds are much worse tolerate the cold.
Broiler breeds of rabbits
To broiler breeds are rabbits strictly for meat. The breeding of broilers is very easy and today it is the best meat breed rabbits.
The broilers are:
- The new Zealand breed (white and red). This breed was grown in the result of crossing the Flemish giant with the giant Belgian hare. Color – white and red. Representatives of this species have a broad chest, a cylindrical torso with rounded back, sturdy straight legs and muscular rump. The muzzle and ears may have a small dark border. At the age of 3 months young animals reach weight of 3 kg.
- California breed. To breed this breed of rabbits in Europe began about 40 years ago. Three breeds of rabbits (new Zealand white, chinchilla and Himalayan) used in crossing, to obtain this breed. The white suit is the basis for Californian rabbits. Perfect animals of this breed for industrial cultivation, because it can survive even in poor conditions. With good nutrition, young individuals are already by two months of age can reach a weight of 2.2 kg.
- White Pannon. The breed was obtained by crossing three breeds: California breed, new Zealand white and giant white. Pannon has a white furry pelt. The breed includes all the positive qualities of rabbit meat breeds.
Features of the content and the diet of broiler rabbit breeds
Rabbits broiler breeds can live in any climatic conditions. They are considered hardy, so they can be kept year-round outdoors in a cage.
Broiler rabbit breeds can have 3-5 year of kindling, bring 8-10 bucks for one breeding. Females have well-developed maternal instinct. The presence of a large amount of milk for rearing young allows the female broiler breeds grow even other people’s rabbits.
Rabbits of broiler breeds are undemanding to feed. But to satisfy their meat quality the full diet should be balanced. It needs to include complete feed, hay and water. The hay should be applied to power year-round to eliminate the transitions from one food to another in the offseason. This diet allows you to avoid frequent gastric diseases. In addition to the feed you need to give the oil meals, oil cakes, meat and fish meal.
Broiler rabbits are perfectly suitable for cultivation in the country. The optimal option of breeding if you have females of the new Zealand or California red breed and the male is white or grey giant. Each female during the summer season are able to give two offspring. The youngsters in the three months from birth can already start to slaughter.
Remember, that purchasing of rabbits for breeding should preferably take place at specialised breeding farms or from experienced rabbit breeders.
