The fiery red color of the Burgundy rabbit immediately attracts attention. This distinguishes representatives of this breed from other rabbits, since they have no specific features in terms of constitution and body weight. Burgundy rabbits are promising for breeding because they are fertile and unpretentious to living conditions. The only thing that owners will need to learn experimentally is the wishes of their pets in choosing food.
History of the breed
These beautiful rabbits were bred in France, in the province of Burgundy, from which they got their name. The breed is young, up to a hundred years old. Compared to others, this is a “childish” age. Obtained by crossing two other breeds - Californian and New Zealand red rabbits.
Both maternal sources of material for hybridization belong to the meat sector, therefore Burgundy rabbits are also bred to produce dietary tender meat without coarse fibers. But their rich red skin is also not wasted, although the animals are not raised for it.
These rabbits came to the countries of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation in particular relatively recently, in the 80s-90s of the last century, so they are rare. Animals are bred on a sufficient scale in a dozen farms across the country.
Description of the Burgundy rabbit
The only expressive feature that distinguishes Burgundians from representatives of other breeds is the extremely rich, intense color of the coat. At the same time, the fur is a warm red tone, evenly colored, without spots or tan marks, a rich, expressive color. By this principle, the Burgundy rabbit can be easily distinguished from any other red fellow.
The detailed description includes the following characteristics:
- Elongated body proportions.
- “Athletic”, well-built physique.
- Volume rear.
- Ears of medium length.
- The eyes are brown.
- The average body weight is from 3.5 to 5 kilograms (males weigh more, females less).
- High fertility. There can be up to 12 rabbits in a litter. For a meat breed, this is an important indicator of productivity.
- Unpretentiousness to living conditions.
- Pickiness in food, to which the attentive owner quickly adapts.
These beautiful rabbits are beneficial for homestead and industrial breeding.
Advantages and disadvantages
The undoubted advantages of this breed include the following qualities:
- Unpretentiousness. Burgundy rabbits do not cause any problems and can live indoors or outdoors in cages.
- Fertility, ensuring high meat yield.
- Precocity. Animals quickly enter puberty.
- Resistance of young animals to intestinal diseases.
- Fast weight gain. Rabbits reach their maximum weight at 7-8 months and are ready for slaughter.
- Excellent taste characteristics of meat, making this breed the most popular among all meat rabbits.
- Despite the fact that Burgundy rabbits are not used for breeding for fur, their skin is valued due to its unusual coloring. Their fur is not the thickest and densest, so they cannot make expensive products from it, but because of its color, they are happy to use it to create designer models.
Disadvantages include pickiness in food, but this can be overcome if the owner takes care of offering the animals different types of food. This way he will understand what is best for Burgundy rabbits.
Animal care and maintenance
The optimal content for Burgundy rabbits is cages with a mesh bottom and bedding made of straw and/or hay. In the warm season, animals can be released into enclosures, but always with a canopy from the strong sun. Eating wet grass should not be allowed, as this will lead to heaving and can kill animals.
Rabbits need to be protected from drafts, dampness, hypothermia and stale air.Because of this, they can get sick and die, although they can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature without problems. Cleanliness is also important. All food remnants and waste products must be carefully and regularly removed; old bedding should be replaced with fresh and clean straw or hay.
The cages are disinfected 1-2 times a week, and the rabbits themselves are given a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for preventive purposes.
A male and two or three females are kept in one cage. In this case, you need to monitor the level of aggression. If the animals are fighting, it means that the cage is overcrowded, and at least one, the most aggressive female, needs to be moved to another cage.
What to feed a rabbit?
Burgundian rabbits are meat breeds, so you need to feed them abundantly and in a balanced manner. It is not recommended to overfeed with grains, as this makes the meat coarser, but adding grains and especially legumes is necessary for successful weight gain.
Animals are fed succulent food: raw or cooked root vegetables, dried grass, in winter - hay, grains (wheat, barley, oats), always alfalfa, peas, soybeans and other legumes. Burgundy rabbits should have clean drinking water available at all times.
How to breed correctly?
Burgundy rabbits quickly gain weight with proper and sufficiently plentiful feeding. At the same time, they reach their maximum weight by the age of 7 or 8 months. After this, they no longer grow, so further maintenance becomes unprofitable. Future breeders are selected from the grown rabbits, the rest are sold or slaughtered. If, in addition to meat, you want to get skins, it is better to slaughter in winter - then the fur is the most dense, strong and shiny.
Breeding Features
Like California rabbits, Burgundy rabbits enter sexual maturity at five months of age for females and six months for males. Pregnancy lasts up to a month, the litter is large - 9-12 rabbits, depending on the age of the female. Already one to two weeks after giving birth, the female is ready for another mating. In this case, the rabbits are separated from her a week before the next birth.
Burgundy rabbits are good mothers. They are dairy animals and can accept rabbits even of other breeds that are left without a wet nurse.
As with rabbits of other breeds, pregnant Burgundian females are placed in a cage with a queen cell; the male is also removed, since he will irritate the female and can kill the offspring. A female rabbit, in a nervous environment, especially a first-time mother, can kill her babies, so she needs to be provided with peace, comfort, warmth and a balanced diet.
How to choose a rabbit and how much does it cost?
Burgundy rabbits are rare in Russia; Californians are often passed off as them, so you only need to buy branded animals with a pedigree for brood, from trusted and responsible producers.
Rabbits and young animals must be strong, healthy and vigorous. They have clean eyes and ears, no discharge, strong and smooth skin without bald spots or damage, strong bones and an excellent appetite. Beginning rabbit breeders will definitely need to consult a veterinarian.
If the rules of breeding, care and feeding are followed, Burgundy rabbits quickly reproduce and actively gain weight, bringing the owner a substantial profit.
