Rabbits: breeding and keeping in Siberia, breed selection and what to feed

The rabbit organism is quite resistant to adverse weather conditions, but still not adapted to the extreme cold and winds observed in the Siberian regions. Therefore, the breeding and keeping of rabbits in Siberia requires a special approach: the construction of a closed insulated rabbitry, the use of high-calorie feed. Siberian farmers are trying to acquire more hardy, cold-resistant breeds.

Features of the region

The territory of Siberia lies in the temperate continental and subarctic climatic zones. The weather conditions here are severe: the amount of precipitation is plentiful, strong winds blow.In the wild nature of Siberia, a rabbit will not survive even without taking into account predators: it will simply die from the cold already in early November.

Rabbit breeding in this climate is more expensive, but still profitable. The female gives birth to 25-30 rabbits per year, as a result, the owner receives 40-50 kg of annual slaughter weight. An additional source of income is the sale of skins. Rabbit fur is used for winter haberdashery and footwear.

Rabbit breeding is done by farmers in the Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, and Omsk regions. The largest and most successful farms are Siberian Rabbit (Krasnoyarsk) and Tatyanin Khutor (Novosibirsk).

Breed selection

For cultivation in Siberia, hardy, disease-resistant breeds are suitable, which are distinguished by voluminous and dense wool, which reliably keeps heat. Of these breeds, the bulk is bred in Russia. Russian rabbits are able to survive in winter even with open cages. But to preserve the he alth of animals, it is better to build a closed rabbitry.In Siberia, you can raise rabbits for both dietary meat and valuable fur.

Meat

Meat rabbits have a massive physique, rapid growth of muscle mass. Siberian farmers should pay attention to the following breeds:

1. California - a breed that has gained popularity for its rapid growth. By the age of 5 months, the animal reaches 5.5 kg and must be slaughtered. Females are fertile, bring 8-10 rabbits. The soles of the paws are covered with thick hair, so the cold mesh coating does not cause discomfort.
2. The New Zealand Red is an ideal breed for cage keeping. Strong, heavy, well-fed rabbits grow up to 4.5 kg by 5 months. The fur on the soles keeps the paws from getting cold on the mesh floor. Harsh climatic conditions are unaffected, but the breed is sensitive to drafts.
3. The gray giant is a hardy, unpretentious, fast growing rabbit with impressive dimensions. By the age of 5 months, it reaches 6 kg.

On skins

The body size of these rabbits is small, but the fur is of high quality. The climate of Siberia is optimal for fur rabbit breeding. Rabbit fur in warm and humid conditions has a short service life, and when animals are raised in Siberia, it does not lose quality for 3-4 years, it is not inferior to mink fur in wear.

Siberian farmers should buy the following breeds:

1. The white giant is a large rabbit weighing up to 5.5 kg. It develops slowly, reaches maturity only by 7 months, but it has a luxurious snow-white coat. Therefore, the breed is used mainly for fur production, although meat production is also quite profitable.
2. The black-brown Kazan rabbit is distinguished by an unusually dense coat, reaching 24 thousand hairs per 1 cm^{2, and a unique color that resembles the hair of a black fox. The hairs are transversely divided: the base is brown, the tips are black.}
3. Russian Ermine - a small rabbit of English origin, weighing 4 kg. Valuable rabbit fur in color resembles a white ermine coat with black spots.

For meat and fur

Rabbits of this type are less massive than meat relatives, but have a quality coat that is valued in the market.

Suitable for growing in Siberia:

1. Soviet chinchilla is an ideal breed for a Siberian farm, resistant to severe frosts. Pets grow rapidly, are not capricious, by 6 months they reach 4.5 kg. Rabbits give birth to 8-10 cubs.
2. Rex is a French rabbit with a luxurious, softly iridescent coat, suitable for imitation of expensive furs. A mature individual weighs 4.5-5.5 kg.
3. The Viennese Blue is an Austrian rabbit with excellent climate adaptability. Early maturity is low, but fertility reaches 8-10 rabbits at a time. Wool is unusually soft, voluminous, 1 cm^{2 of the body fits 21 thousand hairs.}
4. Silver - a rabbit with a beautiful, very dense coat. Weighs 5-6 kg. Dark gray and white hairs grow intermixed, creating a silvery hue. The fur is so decorative that it does not need to be dyed.

How to keep rabbits in Siberia

Rabbits live in Siberia in cages, inside insulated rabbitries, equipped with paddocks. When the temperature outside is minus 30 °C, the barn should be at least +5 °C. In winter, the heating system is turned on, the optimum temperature is about +15 °C.

Many farmers make cages with a mesh floor, which is undesirable. Contact of paw pads with a cold grill will result in pododermatitis.

Some farmers don't clean their cages until the spring thaw, and for good reason. In winter, the ventilation of a closed rabbitry is reduced, and decomposing manure fills the air with ammonia, making it more damp. As a result, rabbits develop fatal lung diseases, including pneumonia.

In conditions of Siberia, you can breed rabbits in pits. It is necessary to dig a hole 1.5 m deep, with an area of 2 × 2 m. Dig holes in the walls where pets will breed. The pit dwelling is regularly cleaned of dirt and manure. They are well insulated for the winter, covered with insulating material so that the animals breathe.

What to feed?

The diet of rabbits bred in Siberia differs little from the diet of their southern relatives. However, during the winter months, when the animal spends more energy to maintain body temperature, the food should be more nutritious, especially if the breed is meat. A balanced diet consists of:

• fresh grass (summer), hay (winter);
• tree twigs;
• grains (preferably barley);
• root crops - potatoes, beets, carrots;
• compound feed;
• s alt.

In winter, pets are given more hay. And put in the feeder in small portions, so that the food does not stale. Individuals selected for slaughter are given concentrates: grain, meal, cake, bone meal.

Breeding rules

In Siberia, rabbits are bred according to slightly different rules than in the southern regions, while taking into account the breed, the purpose of rearing and material possibilities:

• set up a rabbitry on a hill;
• the building is made of durable wood, the inner walls are upholstered with metal plates, the outside is covered with insulating material;
• do not allow drafts and sudden temperature changes, otherwise the young will die;
• install a heating system or connect the rabbitry to central heating;
• keep the temperature in the rabbit dwelling from +10 to +20 °C, humidity 70%;
• provide animals with constant access to feed;
• produce interbreeding to improve the he alth of offspring;
• leave baby rabbits longer with their mother to increase their chance of survival.

Farmers note that the main problem of rabbit breeding in Siberia is not so much the high mortality of rabbits born in winter, but the refusal of rabbits to breed in winter. This is easy to explain: females intuitively understand that the offspring have a negligible chance of surviving in harsh winter conditions, so they drive away the male, and when forced mating refuses to feed the cubs, throwing them out of the nest into the cold.

Such a nuisance is unlikely to happen if the rabbitry is insulated and modernized as much as possible so that the animals feel comfortable in it in any weather.

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