Growing rabbits for meat at home: how much and how to breed

Cultivation of rabbits at home is aimed at obtaining meat with high dietary and taste qualities, and skins. Meat animals are raised somewhat differently than fur animals, the differences are in the composition of the diet. It is important to feed rabbits in such a way that they gain sufficient weight and remain he althy before slaughter, so the diet is varied and balanced, including dietary supplements and vitamins.

Popular breeds

Growing for meat should be breeds whose representatives are distinguished by a large physique and significant muscle mass:

1. The New Zealand breed is the most popular of the meat breeds. Already 3-month-old individuals weighing more than 5 kg are sent for slaughter. Meat relative to live weight is about 60%.
2. California is a young breed. The weight of 3-month-old rabbits reaches 4 kg. Meat weight is 55% of live weight.
3. The gray giant is a popular breed all over the world. Animals grow rapidly, by the age of 3 months they reach 6-7 kg. But the taste of the meat is average.
4. Soviet chinchilla is a breed whose representatives are distinguished not only by rapid weight gain, but also by a valuable fur coat. An adult animal weighs 6-8 kg.

Methods of raising rabbits for meat

How to keep animals, the owner chooses, taking into account the climatic conditions in the region where the farm is located. Rabbits feel great outdoors, but in summer they can get a sunstroke without a canopy, and in winter, with frost down to -20 ° C, they can freeze without insulation.The best option for placing rabbitries is in a bright area where there is no strong wind, but there is ventilation and diversion paths for pet waste.

Cells

The most popular option, best for beginner farmers. Cells are convenient to clean, insulate, move. To start breeding rabbits for meat, you need to make cages according to the optimal sizes:

• length - 120 cm;
• height - 40 cm;
• width - 60 cm;
• distance from the ground - 60 cm.

One rabbit has enough space of 0.08-0.1 m². In one design, 6-8 young individuals of the same sex are kept. Young animals are left with their mother until 2 months of age, and males are kept separately one at a time.

Cages are made from wood, fiberboard, plywood. The material is covered from the inside with metal plates or a fine mesh so that the rabbits do not gnaw their dwelling.The roof is made of slate or ondulin, be sure to make a slope so that rainwater flows to the back wall. Sawdust, foam plates, dry leaves, building heat-insulating materials are used as insulation.

Aviaries

Meshed areas with the following parameters:

• area - 1 m^{2 per animal;}
• mesh height - 1.5 m;
• ground water - deeper than 2 m;
• deepening of the fence from undermining - not less than 60 cm;
• territory - elevated with runoff;
• weather protection - canopy;
• shelters - houses;
• draft protection - one blank wall out of four.

With the aviary method of growing, less time and effort is required to care for pets. But there is a drawback - the difficulty of monitoring the he alth of animals (it is enough for one rabbit to get sick for the whole livestock to catch the infection).

Pits

They dig holes up to 2 m deep, several rabbit families are launched into them. Parameters of such a dwelling:

• territory - elevated, shaded;
• size - 2×2 m per 100 individuals;
• bottom - sandy, to a depth of 20 cm covered with fine mesh, covered with straw;
• walls - slate, mesh or cement, with a single tunnel hole;
• the entrance to the hole is closed with a door that can block the exit from the hole;
• rainfall protection - canopy with slope;
• the distance between the pits is at least 20 m.

Plus this content - ventilation in the absence of drafts. Minus - the crowding of rabbits, creating the danger of an epidemic outbreak.

Sheds

The best option in regions with a mild climate and frost-free winters. Sheds are non-insulated long frame structures with a roof. Rabbit houses line up, and in the middle there is a long corridor. The design is convenient and simple, saving space.

Mini farms

Cages are placed in 2 or 3 rows inside a ventilated and heated room in winter. Feed and water supply, cleaning and ventilation are provided automatically, human work is minimized.

A big plus of such farms is that in the absence of a person, rabbits are less stressed, grow faster.

The diet of rabbits for fattening for meat

The diet of rabbits includes food:

• green - herbs and twigs;
• juicy - silage, root vegetables and vegetables;
• coarse - hay;
• concentrated - bran, grain, cake;
• animal - fish oil, bone meal.

Rabbits drink a lot, so there should always be clean water in the drinkers.

Summer Diet

After winter, rabbits are gradually transferred to summer food, dry food is replaced with green food.In the first days add 50 g of greens per individual. After 10 days, the amount of green fodder should be already 500 g, and after 2 weeks - 1 kg. Do not abruptly transfer animals from dry to green food, otherwise life-threatening flatulence may occur.

If the grass gets wet from dew or precipitation, then it must be dried before putting it in the feeder.

On hot days, rabbits eat mostly in the morning and evening. The summer daily serving for an adult rabbit should be 800 g grass and 30 g concentrates.

Winter food

The basis of winter food for rabbits is hay. The diet includes animal products (fish oil, bone meal). Supplement the winter diet with juicy root crops (potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke), they contain many nutrients and nutrients, thanks to which rabbits grow faster.

Approximate percentage distribution of feed in the winter diet:

• hay - 40%;
• compound feed - 30%;
• juicy food - 20%;
• concentrates - 10%.

Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

In order for rabbits to grow quickly for meat, they are given growth stimulants containing vitamins and bioactive substances. Drugs are added to grain mixtures.

Stimulants recommended:

• Fos-Bevit;
• Flavomycin;
• Nucleopeptide;
• E-selenium.

Farmers also use vitamin-mineral complexes:

• Yeshka;
• Chiktonik;
• Zdravur;
• Eleovit.

If a complete feed is used for feeding meat, then additional sources of vitamins and minerals are not needed, otherwise the animals will develop hypervitaminosis.

Food for slaughter

Fat for meat does not mean that rabbits need to be fed often and a lot. Strongly fatten animals begin a month before slaughter. Moreover, the fattening period is divided into three stages, differing in diet:

1. Preparation stage. The basis is the maximum calorie food. Add greens and succulent feed, increase the portion of feed by 1.5 times. In winter, reduce the portion of hay and twigs. Recommended products are cereal concentrates, carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, clover, legumes.
2. Stage fattening for meat. Choose a diet that promotes the rapid deposition of fat mass. Minimize the portion of hay and twigs. Vegetables are excluded, only boiled potatoes are left, which are mixed with animal feed, bran, cake. Give peas, corn, barley and oat grain.
3. The weight maintenance phase. Hay and greens are excluded, they will make rabbit meat tough. The basis of the diet is boiled potatoes with mixed fodder, grain, bran. Give some branches. To stimulate appetite, parsley, dill, cumin are used, s alt is added to drinking water (a pinch per 1 liter).

Annual feed requirement

The table shows the annual feed requirement for combined feeding, allowing you to calculate the cost of rabbit meat. The figures must be multiplied by the feed prices. The requirement is given for a rabbit who gave birth to 4 offspring (24 cubs) per year for meat.

feed	annual amount, kg
compound feed	340
hay	110
root crops	90
grass	420

What not to feed

Rabbits can be fed cabbage, but only fodder, and not fresh, but a little lethargic, so that pets do not have digestive problems.

Categorically not included in the diet:

• young green potatoes;
• sunflower seeds in large quantities (a few raw seeds are enough for a treat);
• high ester herbs (basil, mint, lavender);
• nuts;
• dairy products;
• meat;
• chocolate sweets, pastries.

Possible diseases

Rabbits are difficult to raise for meat, as they are prone to eating disorders associated with poor quality or the wrong choice of feed. Symptoms - loose stools or constipation, bloating. Treat eating disorders with a 12-hour fast, then gradually begin to give soft food. Digestion is improved with a small amount of castor oil. For diarrhea, 2 times a day, give Synthomycin (a tablet for 2 liters of water).

Cold rabbit sneezes, fluid flows from the nose. The sick animal is kept warm, Furacilin is instilled into the nose (1 g of the drug per 100 g of water).

Infectious diseases of rabbits include:

• myxomatosis;
• coccidiosis;
• hemorrhagic disease;
• ear mites.

Veterinarians treat infectious diseases. The owner must isolate the sick pet, disinfect the cage.

Reproduction

Puberty starts at different times for different breeds. The earliest maturity is 4 months. But, on average, rabbits become ready for breeding by 6-8 months. Previously, rabbits should not happen, as a too young female may have problems with the formation of milk or a miscarriage may occur. You can breed rabbits for meat all year round, but the strongest offspring are born in the cold months.

Do not choose for mating individuals:

• from the same litter;
• obese;
• vaccinated less than 20 days ago;
• females prone to devouring newborn babies;
• females with undeveloped or defective nipples.

Slaughter

The optimal time for slaughtering rabbits for meat is at the age of 7 months. To improve the quality of meat, it is desirable to castrate males 2 weeks before slaughter. The rabbit is killed by a blow with a blunt heavy object on the nose, back of the head or forehead. The animal is taken by the hind legs with the left hand, and with the right, with a strong swing, they hit the back of the head under the ears. So the skull is separated from the cervical vertebrae. The carcass is hung on a strut, skinned, gutted, bled.

How long do rabbits grow from birth to slaughter

Growth time to slaughter weight varies by breed, but on average, rabbits are fattened for meat 3-7 months from birth. New Zealand and California pets reach the desired weight faster.

Adult animals (old and no longer breeding) are fattened for meat for 5 weeks.

Profitability of cultivation

It is cost-effective to raise rabbits for meat at home, given the following recommendations:

• vaccinate animals in time to prevent death;
• promote products in any way possible;
• to sell not only meat, but also skins;
• make more females with males to buy young animals less often;
• buy new individuals not on the market, but from experienced farmers, so there is less chance of getting sick and defective animals;
• before starting a business, make a plan, calculate the payback period.

Mistakes of inexperienced farmers

The profitability of raising rabbits for meat is reduced when novice farmers make the following mistakes:

• the animals are inadequately fed, while exhausting them with frequent mating;
• give compound feed intended not for rabbits, but for pigs or cattle;
• rabbits are not slaughtered in time, which leads to a reduction in cage space and overspending of feed;
• make the cages too spacious - the rabbits are actively moving, which is why they do not gain weight;
• do not vaccinate animals, do not carry out preventive disinfection of premises;
• Incorrectly distribute he althy and frail rabbits in cages, causing some to get more food than others.

Rabbits raised for meat must receive high-quality and balanced feed, otherwise the farmer will face developmental delay and sickness of animals, which means losses.

Recommended