Rules for raising rabbits for meat at home

Raising rabbits at home is aimed at producing meat with high dietary and taste qualities, and skins. Meat animals are raised somewhat differently than fur animals; the differences lie in the composition of the diet. It is important to feed rabbits so that they gain sufficient weight before slaughter and remain healthy, so the diet is varied and balanced, and includes dietary supplements and vitamins.

Popular breeds

Breeds that are raised for meat should be those whose representatives are distinguished by their large build and significant muscle mass:

1. The New Zealand breed is the most popular of the meat breeds. Individuals already 3 months old and weighing more than 5 kg are sent for slaughter. Meat relative to live weight is about 60%.
2. Californian 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, reaching 6-7 kg by the age of 3 months. But the taste of the meat is average.
4. The Soviet chinchilla is a breed whose representatives are distinguished not only by their rapid weight gain, but also by their valuable fur coat. An adult animal weighs 6-8 kg.

Methods of raising rabbits for meat

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

Cells

The most popular option, optimal for beginning farmers. The cages are easy to clean, insulate, and move. To start breeding rabbits for meat, you need to make cages of the optimal size:

• 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. 6-8 young individuals of the same sex are kept in one structure.The young are left with their mother until they are 2 months old, and the 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 fine mesh to prevent rabbits from chewing on their home. The roof is made of slate or ondulin; it must be sloped so that rainwater flows to the back wall. Sawdust, foam plates, dry leaves, and building thermal insulation materials are used as insulation.

Aviaries

Areas fenced with mesh with the following parameters:

• area – 1 m² per animal;
• mesh height – 1.5 m;
• groundwater – deeper than 2 m;
• the depth of the fence from undermining is at least 60 cm;
• territory – elevated with the presence of runoff;
• weather protection – canopy;
• shelters - houses;
• draft protection – one blank wall out of four.

With the enclosure method of rearing, less effort and time is required to care for pets. But there is a drawback - the difficulty of monitoring the health of animals (it is enough for one rabbit to get sick for the entire population to catch the infection).

Pits

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

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

The advantage of this content is ventilation in the absence of drafts. The downside is the overcrowding 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 uninsulated long frame structures with a roof. The rabbit houses are in a row, and in the middle there is a long corridor. The design is convenient and simple, saving space.

Mini farms

The cages are placed in 2 or 3 rows inside a room that is ventilated and heated 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 humans, rabbits are less stressed and grow faster.

Diet of rabbits when fattening for meat

The diet of rabbits includes food:

• green – herbs and twigs;
• juicy – ​​silage, root crops 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 drinking bowls.

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 food should already be 500 g, and after 2 weeks – 1 kg. Animals should not be suddenly switched from dry to green food, otherwise life-threatening flatulence may occur.

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

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

Winter nutrition

The basis of winter nutrition for rabbits is hay. The diet includes animal products (fish oil, bone meal). They supplement the winter diet with juicy root vegetables (potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes); they contain many nutrients and beneficial substances, thanks to which rabbits grow faster.

Approximate percentage distribution of feed in the winter diet:

• hay – 40%;
• mixed feed – 30%;
• succulent food – 20%;
• concentrates – 10%.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

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

Stimulants recommended:

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

Farmers also use vitamin and mineral complexes:

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

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

Feed for slaughter

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

1. Preparation stage. The basis is the highest calorie food. Add greens and succulent feed and increase the portion of feed by 1.5 times. In winter, reduce the portion of hay and twigs. Recommended products are grain concentrates, carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, clover, legumes.
2. Fattening stage for meat. Select a diet that promotes the rapid deposition of fat mass. Minimize the portion of hay and twigs. Vegetables are excluded, leaving only boiled potatoes, which are mixed with animal feed, bran, and cake. They provide peas, corn, barley and oat grains.
3. Weight maintenance stage. Hay and greens are excluded, they will make the rabbit meat tough. The basis of the diet is boiled potatoes with mixed feed, grain, and bran. They give a few twigs.To stimulate appetite, use parsley, dill, caraway seeds, and add salt to drinking water (a pinch per 1 liter).

Annual feed requirement

The table shows the annual feed requirement for combined feeding, which allows you to calculate the cost of rabbit meat. The indicators need to be multiplied by feed prices. The requirement is given for a female rabbit that gave birth to 4 offspring (24 cubs) per year for meat.

What not to feed

Rabbits can be fed cabbage, but only feed cabbage, and not fresh, but slightly lethargic, so that the pets do not have digestive problems.

It is strictly forbidden to include in the diet:

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

Possible diseases

Raising rabbits for meat is difficult, as they are susceptible to eating disorders associated with poor quality or poor choice of food. Symptoms: loose stools or constipation, bloating. Eating disorders are treated with a 12-hour fast, then gradually begin to give soft food. Digestion is improved with a small amount of castor oil. For diarrhea, give Sintomycin 2 times a day (tablet in 2 liters of water).

Got a 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 mite.

A veterinarian treats infectious diseases.The owner must isolate the sick pet and disinfect the cage.

Reproduction

Puberty begins at different times in different breeds. The earliest maturity is 4 months. But, on average, rabbits become ready to breed by 6-8 months. It is not worth breeding rabbits earlier, as a female that is too young may have problems producing milk or may have a miscarriage. Rabbits can be raised for meat all year round, but the strongest offspring are born in the cold months.

You should not choose individuals for mating:

• from the same litter;
• obese patients;
• those who were vaccinated less than 20 days ago;
• females prone to devour newborn cubs;
• 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 advisable to castrate males 2 weeks before slaughter. The rabbit is killed by hitting the nose, back of the head or forehead with a blunt, heavy object. 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. This is how the skull is separated from the cervical vertebrae. The carcass is hung on a strut, skinned, gutted, and bled.

How long do rabbits grow from birth to slaughter?

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

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

Profitability of cultivation

Raising rabbits for meat at home is cost-effective if you consider the following recommendations:

• vaccinate animals in a timely manner to prevent mortality;
• advertise products in any possible way;
• sell not only meat, but also skins;
• match females with males more often in order to buy young animals less often;
• buy new animals not on the market, but from experienced farmers, this way there is a lower chance of getting sick and defective animals;
• Before starting a business, make a plan and calculate the payback period.

Mistakes of inexperienced farmers

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

• they feed the animals inadequately, while exhausting them with frequent matings;
• they provide feed intended not for rabbits, but for pigs or cattle;
• rabbits are slaughtered untimely, which leads to a reduction in space in the cages and excessive consumption of feed;
• make the cages too spacious - rabbits move actively, which is why they gain weight poorly;
• they do not vaccinate animals or carry out preventive disinfection of premises;
• healthy and frail rabbits are improperly distributed in cages, causing some to receive more food than others.

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