RABBIT BREEDING (PART 1)

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS TO NOTE

A female rabbit is called a doe.

A male rabbit is called a buck.

If referring to the parents of a rabbit, the mother is called the dam, and the father is called the sire.

When you mate two rabbits together, this is called breeding.

When you check to see if the doe is pregnant, this is called testing or palpating.

When you put a box in the hutch and the doe begins to line it with hay,her fur,paper or anything, this is called nesting.

When the doe gives birth, this is called kindling.

The period of time between breeding and kindling is called the gestation period.

She gives birth to a bunch of baby bunnies called kits. This bunch of bunnies is called a litter.

When you separate the young rabbits from the mother, this is called weaning.

A box put in the doe's hutch when she is about to give birth is called a nest-box

Introduction

A small and medium breed doe is normally ready to mate when she is 5 or 6 months old, and a buck is ready at 6 months (in some cases are ready to breed at 5 months. The heavy breed doe is ready at 7 to 8 months and the buck is ready at 8 months.(in some cases are ready at 7 months)It's usually a good idea to select rabbits to breed whose ancestry has evidence of good productivity and good traits.

You may keep a ratio of one buck to 5 or 10 does if you wish. The buck may be bred up to 5 times a week effectively. Sometimes, you can use the buck twice in one day.Keep the following principles in mind when you want to breed your rabbits:Do not keep more than one rabbit in each cage when the rabbit is 3 months or older. Rabbits mature faster when alone.

Before breeding, check the bottom of the cage of both the doe and buck for evidence of diarrhea.Do not breed the rabbit having this condition until it has been adequately treated. Also check the genitals of both rabbits for any signs of disease or infection (for example, extreme redness, discharge, sores or scabbies).
When ready to breed the doe, take it to the buck's cage. Never bring the buck to the doe's cage. The reason for this is that the buck has less tendency to breed in the doe's cage. He'll be engrossed in sniffing around the cage.Some leave the doe with the buck overnight. Others put the doe in, watch it, and when they have mated, remove the doe. If you do the latter, put the doe back in with the buck 1 to 12 hours after the initial breeding. This will increase the likelihood of pregnancy and may increase the number of offsprings.
Keep a calendar and accurate records of the day you breed the doe. You should test her for pregnancy between the 10th and 14th day after the initial breeding. There are two ways to do this. The overall preferred method is to palpate the lower abdomen of the doe with your thumb and forefinger checking for small balls that are about the size of a grape or lime. The other method is not only more risky but also inaccurate. This method is to mate the doe with the buck again. This can cause problems because the doe has two uterine horns, each of which can carry babies. It is possible for one horn to be fertilized on the first mating and the second to be fertilized on the second mating. This will create a hormonal imbalance and cause the babies in both uteri to not form right, causing her to pass blobs instead of babies at the date of kindling. There is also a chance these "mummified" blobs could cause complications leading to the death of the doe.You should place a nest box in her cage on the 29th day after breeding. Thirty-one days after breeding, she should kindle her litter.

Who Can Be Bred To Whom?

Never breed brothers to sisters. Other combinations are fine: father-to-daughter, mother-to-son, cousins, etc. Until you gain some knowledge as to how genetics works with inbreeding, I would recommend you not to breed closely related pairs.

And mate the same breeds together unless you are trying to get meat rabbits with certain characteristics or you are doing genetic experiments or you don't care about the fate of the offspring.You cannot sell the offspring as pedigree if their ancestry is not of the same breed going back four generations.You may mate rabbits of the same breed having different colors. Keep in mind, though, that there are many combinations of possibilities when mixing colors.

Avoid breeding rabbits that have genetic defects such as tooth malocclusion (wolf teeth) or moon eye (cloudy cornea), Determine whether the sire or dam is responsible for passing the genetic defect and eliminate it for breeding purposes.

Evaluating A Rabbit's Reproductive Life

A rabbit may normally start breeding at the age of 5 months for the small to medium size breeds and 7 to 8 months for the heavy breeds. The gestation period (time between breeding and kindling) is between 29 to 31 days. After the doe has kindled, I normally re-breed her at 6 weeks and wean the litter at 4 - 5 weeks. This cycle continues until she is about 4 years old or until her production is unsatisfactory.

I review the herd records every 3 months to determine which rabbits are not producing up to par and eliminate them.

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Tips To Consider When Breeding Rabbits

If you are planning to launch a commercial rabbit farming enterprise, then there are few things you will need to know about how to successfully breed rabbits. That is because commercial rabbit production needs to be predictable and manageable. Fundamentally, you need to plan.

The first thing you need to know is that rabbits can only be bred once they reach physical and sexual maturity. Depending on the breed, you choose to breed, that could be anything from four to seven months old. That is why it is sometimes better to invest in an older breeding pair than to buy baby rabbits, and wait for them to mature.

You will also need to consider the type of rabbit breeding you want to be involved in. Farmers who breed for meat purposes don't have to be overly concerned about the appearance of their breeding stock, their lineage or their physical attributes, but those who are breeding for pet purposes, or for wool production (as is the case with angora rabbits) will need to consider genetics and more when deciding on their breeding schedule.

The average doe that is being bred to produce a litter for meat production will be bred on a thirty-five or forty two day schedule, which allows enough time for recovery after a litter of kits, and ensures that she will be receptive to her mate. It is usually a good idea to check your breeding does for general health before mating them again, as rabbits that are in ill-health will not produce a quality litter.

Bucks that are used for stud purposes are usually mated once a day, although they are able to mate more often than this. It's usually also a good idea to rest a stud buck in between mating, if he will be required to perform more than once a day.

The mating process itself is fairly simple. A doe is selected, and then moved to the buck's cage. This is done because does tend to be territorial, and are less likely to mate in their own cage. Mating should occur almost instantly if the doe is ready to breed, and many farmers allow their breeding pairs to mate twice, to ensure that the mating really happens.

Around twenty-eight to thirty-two days after the mating, the doe will produce a litter, which may include as many as a dozen kits, and those kits will mature enough to eat on their own within ten days of birth.

Even in the wild, a single doe can produce up to eight hundred children, grand children and great grand children in just a year.

It can now be understood that 5 to 10 quality-breeding pairs can stock a commercial rabbitry on their own in less than a year.

The secret to successful, commercially viable rabbit production is usually a good rabbit breeding program, which allows your breeding pairs enough rest in between litters.

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10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EAT RABBIT MEAT!

Below are some cogent reasons i compiled together after extensive researches of why you should consider adding rabbit meat to your diet. Raise some rabbits in your yards. Become closer to your food supply know what you eat!

1. It is one of the best white meats available on the market today.

2. The meat has a high percentage of easily digestible protein.

3. It contains the least amount of fat among all the other available meats.

4. Rabbit meat contains less calorie value than other meats.

5. Rabbit meat contains the least value of cholesterol amongst other meat and therefore is considered heart patient friendly.

6. The sodium content of rabbit meat is comparatively less than other meats.

7. The calcium and phosphorus contents of this meat is more than any other meat.

8. The ratio of meat to bone is high; meaning there is more edible meat on the carcass than even a chicken.

9. Rabbit meat with the many health benefits does not have a strong flavor and is comparable to chicken but not identical.

10. Rabbits are one of the most productive domestic livestock animal there is. Rabbits can produce up to 3 kgs of meat on the same feed and water as the cow will produce 0.5 kg of meat on the same feed and water.

So as you can see there are many health benefits to eating rabbit meat. It is healthy for you and cheap to produce. Why not try to incorporate some rabbit meat into your diet today! Try it you’ll love it! Use rabbit as a replacment for chicken in any chicken recipe.

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Having A Pet Rabbit Might Just Be Another Good Source Of Extra Income

Aside from the fact that rabbits are also among the animals that are suitable to be made as pets, there is another reason why there are people who choose to raise them. It is because they can also make money through raising rabbits. In this world, money-making is what most people think of in order to survive and live a better life. So, if you are into raising rabbits or hoping to raise them, why not use your passion to make some money?

Because many people can easily get attracted to a very cute, calm and adorable animal, you can expect that you will not be the only one who will want to raise a rabbit. If you already have so many rabbits of different breeds, you can then consider breeding them. This is one way of making money from your animals. However, before you can actually make money, you have to consider the do's and dont's when breeding rabbits. You  have to follow some rules for proper breeding and so that you will be able to come up with the best result. You should not consider this as a simple task that you can just complete in an instant.

You have to understand that female rabbits are ready for breeding when they are about 5 months old and male rabbits should be around 5 to 6 months old depending on their body weight. Rabbits that are not in the right age should not be considered for breeding and this is among the basic considerations that should be looked into. Only mate the rabbits that are of the same breed so that people who are interested with them will be able to trace their backgrounds. But if you are thinking of selling their meat, you can have different breeds of rabbits to mate, it does not really matter. You just have to take a female rabbit/doe to a male rabbit's/buck's cage when you think that they are ready for breeding. Remember to not do it the other way. You should also carefully consider the breed of rabbits that you are going to raise.

 There are rabbits that love to dig and you should not keep this kind of rabbits. Because they love to dig, they might dig their feeders and waste the food in it. Only a small amount of food will be wasted but it would definitely be an outright waste of money.

On the other hand, you should never assume that you can make a lot of money from raising and breeding in a short period of time. Yes, you will be able to make money but you should eliminate the mentality that it will make you rich immediately. Before you can make money, you should have all the necessary equipments like rabbit hutches, feeders, watering system, nestboxes for new born rabbits and more. You should expect to experience some problems in the raising and breeding process. And, with enough time and knowledge, you will be able to get everything RIGHT..

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Tips to know if having a pet rabbit is a good option for you

If you are considering purchasing a pet rabbit, you should first give careful consideration to the demands and rewards of these very special pets. Countless homes have been brightened by the presence of a long-eared lodger, and diligent rabbit keepers have many years of fulfilling interaction and bonding to look forward to. Here you can find the basic information needed to answer the question: Is a rabbit right for me?Rabbits require daily and weekly care and maintenance, as well as a significant monetary investment. When well-cared for, rabbits typically live 9-12 years, so this is a long-term commitment. Just think- if you buy a pet rabbit for your 12 year-old, the rabbit will likely still be alive when that child moves out of the home. If you simply want a pet that will amuse a young child for a little while, consider a guinea pig or other shorter-lived creature.Beginning with financial costs, here is a brief summary of the requirements of rabbit ownership.

Initial costs:

The Rabbit Itself: It will usually cost you nothing more than #10000 depending on the breed and age you want, *****NOTE: A list of all the rabbit breeds available in Nigeria will be uploaded on the site soonest*****

The Rabbit Cage: These come in a wide range of prices depending on size and many other factors, but you should not skimp on this purchase, as it will likely need to last a long time. Even if you can comfortably house an immature rabbit in a smaller cage, remember that it will continue to grow up to the age of 6-8 months. A typical cage costs between #5000 to #10000 already made and if you are the DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) type you can check up designs and build it yourself, *****NOTE: A list of rabbit cage designs will be available on this site soonest*****

The Litter Pan: Rabbits are some of the easiest pets to litter-train, and the alternative to a litter pan is constant cleaning of their cage. YOU CAN GET IT FROM A RABBIT BREEDER OR YOU IMPROVISE ONE.

A Water Bottle or Dish: As much as you might like to save some money, don't bother putting a plastic cereal bowl or something similar into the rabbit cage. The rabbit is guaranteed to flip the bowl over, not only depriving the rabbit of water, but also soaking the floor, which will become unhygienic. Use either a commercial pet drinker, or a heavy crock that cannot be tipped over by the rabbit

Rabbit feeder: Again, you need either a heavy crock, or (preferably) a bin feeder that will attach to the side of the cage. Price is around #500 to #1000

Rabbit brush: Brushing of your rabbits fur is important to prevent potentially lethal hairballs from forming in its gut.You could get this from pet stores Price is around #1000 - #2500.

Rabbit nail trimmers: Unless your rabbit is going to have lots of time to dig and run over hard, rough surfaces, which is unlikely, you'll need to occassionally trim its nails to prevent scratches when picking them up.

Toys: Rabbits are lively, intelligent animals that need stimulation and exercise. There are a wide variety of household items that can be converted into rabbit toys with little effort, but there are also many commercial toys available. These usually run a couple bucks each. *****NOTE: Ideas on how to make different types of homemade rabbit toys will be available on the site soonest*****.

Total initial cost: #20000  or more.

In addition to these start-up costs, there are various supplies and consumables that you will need to purchase on an ongoing basis.

Pellets: Matured rabbits should eat between 150 grams of food to 200 grams of dry pellets per day, depending on size. A 5 kilograms bag of food should last about 7 to 8 weeks, give or take. A 5kg bag of food should vary around #2000 to #2500.

Grass: Grass is an also an important element of your rabbit's nutrition, and should be  available occassionally to balance out the consumption of dry Pellets and if you have free unlimited access to grasses you could make it your No.1 choice of food for your rabbit. The amount your rabbit will eat will depend to a large degree on the size, breed, individual temperament, and other factors.

Fresh fruits and vegetables: A small amount of fresh plant matter should be part of each rabbit's diet from time to time. You can plan on feeding them some vegetables and fruits once or twice in a week or as much as you can.

Occasional check-ups: Your rabbit should be checked by a reputable rabbit breeder or taken to a vet who specializes in exotic pet thrice in a year or any time you suspect any signs of sicknesses to safeguard against health problems that might not be immediately apparent. If taken to a rabbit breeder it shouldn't cost you more than #2000 to #5000 per check up depending on the type of action taken by the breeder.

Starting to rethink rabbit ownership yet? It is important that you be prepared for these non-optional costs. Everything listed above is an absolute necessity for a healthy pet rabbit, and unless you are able to harvest your own hay or construct your own cage, you won't be able to cut any of these costs.

In addition to the financial outlay, rabbit care will require an investment of time. Here is a breakdown of the tasks regularly associated with rabbit ownership.

Daily tasks:

Change food and water and clean bowls: Any food pellets that remain uneaten from the previous day should be disposed of and replaced, and the same applies to water. Water or food that is allowed to sit and spoil or stagnate will become a vector for disease. Food bowl and water bowl/bottle should also be cleaned daily. Clean with mild soap, and rinse thoroughly with clean water. this should cost you 10 minutes or less.

Check the litterbox: Depending on how much litter you place in the litterbox at a time, you will need to change it more or less frequently. Once a week is typical, but you'll want to check it daily to make sure it isn't heavily soiled, is not drawing flies, and that there are no signs of health problems evident in the rabbit's waste, such as misformed cecotrophes. this should cost you nothing more than than 3 minutes.

Clean out any type of dirt in the rabbit's cage. If  dirts are allowed to degrade in the cage, they will quickly become sources of disease and discomfort for your rabbit. This should cost you less than 5 minutes.

Most importantly: Spend time with your rabbit! Just as much as any dog, rabbits are social, communicative animals that require daily interaction for their mental and physical health.

While your rabbit should have at least an hour or 2 hours per day to roam freely, you'll want to spend an hour or so of that time interacting with it. Try rolling a ball or cardboard tube with it, or tossing a roped toy to it- some rabbits are very good "catch" players! Apart from the entertainment and satisfaction you and your rabbits will derive from playtime, this is a good opportunity to observe your rabbit for any signs of health problems. This should be at least 45 minutes or more.

Total time per day: this should be about 1 hour 10 minutes per day.

Weekly tasks:

Change litterbox: Remove used litter and replace. This should cost you about 5  to 10 minutes.

Thorough cage cleaning: This should be done during the rabbits normal "playtime", when it is out of the cage. Thoroughly wipe down all surfaces. Rinse thoroughly with clean or hot water and allow to dry. 1 hour or less.

Groom rabbit: Rabbits require two kinds of regular grooming: brushing and nail trimming. The importance of regularly brushing your rabbit cannot be overstated, as it will prevent the rabbit from forming hairballs in its gut that may cause a fatal blockage. Use a rabbit petting brush or gentle brush- rabbits have extremely sensitive skin. This is a good way to promote bonding between you and your rabbit, as mutual grooming is an important social activity for rabbits in the wild.

Nail trimming should be done every week or two, but will be easier if done more frequently. Use nail clippers made for small pets. Remember never to restrain a struggling rabbit, as their fragile spines and legs may break. *****Note: an article on how to groom rabbits and how to trim their nails will be out soon on the blog*****. 

Total time per week: 1-2 hours.

These guidelines should give you a good idea of how much time you'll need to devote to caring for your rabbit. Although you might be able to get away with cutting a few corners, this is highly inadvisable. Your rabbit's health and happiness will suffer, not to mention that doing so will defeat the point of owning a rabbit. If any of these requirements strike you as overly burdensome, you may want to reconsider purchasing a rabbit. Otherwise, you can look forward to years of wonder and joy as you watch your furry companion grow, learn, and develop a bond with you that few other pets can match. We wish you the best in your adventures in rabbitry!

When it comes to the health and happiness of your pet rabbit, choosing a quality living environment should be on the top of your list. Whether you choose quality Rabbit Cages or opt for larger Rabbit Hutches, the quality of the materials and the construction of the dwelling will determine how well it works for your particular furry friend.

WELCOME NOTE

Hy everyone,welcome to this unique world of blogging,yeah unique coz it focuses on one of the world's most unique animal,THE RABBITS,follow me in making this exciting,and if you wanna know more about us,you could just click on the following link,,,,,,,,,:Dollybunnies Rabbit Planet