Content

• Steps

Usually, raising rabbits at home means getting low-calorie meat, as well as wool. These animals can be kept both in small numbers, satisfying the needs of the family, and to organize an entire farm. This is not so difficult, and no special labor costs are required. If you are determined to raise rabbits, this article will give you general information.

Steps

1. 1 Before buying a particular breed, decide for what purpose you want to raise rabbits. Depending on this, a choice is already made towards meat, meat-skinned or downy breeds. In order to breed and raise rabbits in your backyard, you need to buy only healthy animals and with those characteristics that are inherent in a particular breed. When buying a rabbit, you need to pay attention to its eyes, skin, body. If the animal is healthy, then this can be judged by its mobility, as well as fatness.
2. 2 Consider rabbit cages in advance. If you want to breed them, then you should also take care of the cages for the young. Of course, the most profitable option for cells would be to make them yourself.
   • Whatever the design of the cage, the main conditions should be dryness, cleanliness, and adequate lighting. The health of your animals will depend on these indicators.
   • The cages can be placed both outdoors and indoors. If kept outdoors, the floor and walls must be insulated.
   • When making cages yourself, the floor must be made of wooden slats. Do not use a mesh floor as rabbits can develop paw inflammation.
3. 3 Equip feeders and drinkers. Bunker feeders and a hay nursery should be installed in rabbit cages. Thanks to the hopper feeders, the feed will be constantly clean. This, in turn, will prevent disease in animals. Drinking bowls must be secured firmly so that the animals do not turn them over. You should also make sure that the cages have water at all times.
4. 4 Decide where the cells will be located. Despite the fact that the outdoor keeping of rabbits has its advantages - animals grow up with strong immunity - it is preferable to raise rabbits at home indoors. In severe frosts, animals can simply get frostbite.
5. 5 Feed your rabbits properly. The quality of the meat and the skin and, of course, the health of the rabbits depend on how correct the diet will be for feeding the rabbits. Don't worry about overfeeding your rabbit. They know how much food they need and they will not eat too much. In summer, the variety of herbs is very large. But at the same time, not every grass is good for a rabbit. So, let's dwell on what to feed the rabbits.
   • The most nutritious are cereals, perennial and annual legumes. Accordingly, they will have a positive effect on the growth of the animal. Of course, grasses are not the only food for rabbits. It should include bran, compound feed, cereals and legumes. Only oat grains can be given in dry form. All others need to be ground.
   • Also, juicy feed should be present in the diet. These include cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, beets, potatoes, and you should not forget about silage. To avoid indigestion in rabbits, cabbage and beets should be given in limited quantities.
   • If you have table scraps, you can also feed them to rabbits. If it is bread, then it must be dried up. Soups can be made into mixtures that are nutritious enough. At the same time, crushed grain is added to them.
   • The diet of rabbits should be varied every day, and you should try to feed them at the same time.
   • Water is equally important. The rabbits should be given water before feeding in the morning and evening. If this is a hot time of the year, then the liquid should be given three times a day.
6. 6 Take care of the health of your rabbits. When raising rabbits at home, you need to know about diseases such as HBV (viral hemorrhagic disease of rabbits) and myxomatosis. Take care of timely vaccinations, as these diseases cannot be treated.
   • Rabbits are vaccinated for the first time when they reach the age of 4-6 weeks. Then they should be repeated every six months. Only through timely vaccination will you prevent the spread of animal diseases and thereby save the livestock.
7. 7 Control breeding. Everyone knows that rabbits are distinguished by their fertility. From an early age, you need to control their reproduction. Since puberty occurs at the age of 3 months, females and males by this age will need to be seated in different cells.
   • To make animals happen, a female at the age of 6 months is placed next to the male for literally a few minutes, after which she is transferred back to her cage. The date of mating and the male must be marked.
   • For breeding rabbits, one male for five females will be enough.