Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbits are bred by humans not only for decorative purposes, but also on farms, for meat and skins. The representatives of the meat breed should include the gray giant, which stands out among the rest of the individuals with its size and taste of meat, for which it has gained popularity among breeders.

Description

Most often, rabbits in the human mind are associated with miniature fluffy animals that fit easily in the palm of your hand. But the existing variety of breeds of these animals can surprise the layman with rather large rabbits, actively grown on farms. Such a representative is the gray giant, who owes his appearance to Ukrainian breeders.

The breed arose due to the crossing of meat flanders and outbred hares, whose offspring acquired unique external features.

Rabbit Gray Giant

These include the impressive weight and size of animals. In addition to characteristics regarding size, large rabbits adapt very quickly to any climatic nuances, and female rabbits of this breed are famous for their fertility.

Permissible variations in the color of the gray giant’s fur coat will be:

  • black and white;

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

  • gray hare;

Rabbit Gray Giant

  • dark grey;

Rabbit Gray Giant

  • iron grey.

Rabbit Gray Giant

The color of the fur will vary at the base and at the ends, in addition, the flow of shades can be observed on the stomach and paws. All color variants are valued among breeders, so all color types without exception are bred equally often. As a rule, the quality of the skin does not depend on the color, and the taste of meat products remains unchanged. The standard features of the breed are:

  • a purebred gray giant will have a strong body and bones;
  • the head of the animal should have a rounded shape;
  • you can distinguish the animal by long erect ears with a rounded edge;
  • as a rule, an adult rabbit reaches a length of 60-67 centimeters;
  • the chest is massive, the dewlap is visualized;
  • the back is straight and wide;
  • the mass of a rabbit varies between 5-10 kilograms;
  • wool is quite dense;
  • legs are straight.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

The breed stands out for its resistance to various diseases. As a rule, a female rabbit brings about 8-10 cubs in one round.

The breed is considered meat-skinned, the meat is popular due to its taste and minimal fat, in the light of which it is considered a dietary product. The fur is dense, which is its undeniable advantage, in addition, animal skins are in demand due to their size. Fluffy giants, despite their size, have a docile nature, however, rabbits and rabbits can be restless during the hunting period. Therefore, animals that are not planned to be used for breeding are recommended to be castrated or sterilized.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other breed, the gray giant has strengths and weaknesses. Consider the advantages of large rabbits.

  • Rabbits of this breed are distinguished by their milkiness, as well as highly developed maternal instincts. In addition, hybrids show good fecundity.
  • Animals very quickly get used to the new conditions of detention. Individuals are able to endure temperature drops to -30 degrees, provided that enclosures or cages are not placed in a draft.
  • Growing large rabbits does not require the breeder to select any specific diet. The gray giant is able to build up mass on different types of food.
  • Rabbits are mostly calm, with a balanced nervous system.
  • Hybrids are distinguished by immunity to many infectious diseases. Therefore, under the right conditions, they rarely get sick, which reduces the overall mortality rate among adults and newborn cubs.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

However, individuals are not without some disadvantages:

  • in rabbits, cubs with congenital paw defects can be born;
  • due to the large size of the rabbit, the breeder will need to have impressive amounts of feed in stock when breeding this breed.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Content

Growing large lagomorphs does not require the creation of specific conditions for growth and development. As a rule, the main points regarding the breeding of rabbits at home with a small number of individuals or on a farm are reduced to providing a balanced diet and caring for the cages.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

Feeding

Breed owners should be aware that excess feed, as well as its lack, can equally adversely affect the development of animals. It is especially worthwhile to carefully control the menu and daily norms of food eaten during puberty, since obese or, conversely, too thin females enter the hunting phase very poorly. In order for the animals to grow quickly and have no problems with reproductive function, it is recommended that the breeder adhere to some rules for feeding gray giants.

  • The amount of feed consumed. A characteristic feature of the digestive system of animals is the need for a new portion of food to free the intestines from old and processed food. Irregular feeding can lead to serious disorders and health problems in rabbits.
  • Balanced and varied diet. Monotonous food adversely affects the growth of individuals, and can also lead to a decrease in immunity and the development of non-communicable diseases. All feed and products used must be of good quality; it is prohibited to feed rabbits with stale vegetables or compound feed. Grain should only be given if the animals have adequate fresh water.
  • Feeding pregnant and lactating rabbits. In addition to introducing fortified cereals, hay and grass into the diet of animals, it is recommended that females be given mineral supplements to support the body of an adult and babies.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

The gray giant can be given absolutely all vegetables, as long as they are clean and fresh. As for grain crops, it is worth making a grain mixture out of them before serving. An excellent option would be the introduction of germinated cereals into the diet. The transfer of animals from a winter diet to a spring diet should be carried out progressively, adding juicy grass and plants to the menu a little over the course of a week. For large rabbits, it is worth stocking vegetables for the winter.

With succulent feed, rabbits should be offered hay. Compound feed is recommended to be made with your own hands using a grain crusher.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

In enclosures or cages, you need to equip feeders, install drinkers and a sennik. Rabbits should always have water, it is recommended to regularly replace the liquid with fresh, clean the drinkers from possible deposits and dirt.

Care

The best option for this hybrid will be a mild climate, so when growing such animals, you should take care to create conditions close to it. However, the geography of breeding large lagomorphs is gradually expanding, and, as practice shows, individuals quickly adapt to more severe areas, but subject to properly equipped cages. We can highlight the main points regarding the successful breeding of the gray giant breed.

  • It is necessary to choose the right place for the placement of enclosures or cages, the best option would be unshaded areas, but without direct sunlight, especially in the summer months. Drafts should also be avoided.
  • The cleanliness of animal dwellings is a guarantee of their health, active growth and fertility.
  • For rabbits that are planned to be used for subsequent breeding, it is necessary to equip a queen cell in the cages. Its optimal dimensions will be 30x60x35 centimeters.
  • The compartment with rabbits should have a mesh or lattice cover so that the breeder has the opportunity to observe animals and offspring. It is better to strengthen the floor with iron, this will help to avoid the penetration of rats into cages with rabbits.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

As for the cleaning procedures of the houses, in addition to the regular removal of waste products, it is also necessary to disinfect the cages. This can be done in several ways:

  • treatment with a solution of chlorine;
  • the use of freshly slaked lime;
  • processing with a blowtorch.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Mistakes regarding the maintenance and feeding of animals can cause them to develop some ailments. Most often, large rabbits suffer from the following diseases.

  • Ringworm. Characteristic signs of the disease are flaky areas on the skin of the animal. Lichen is treated with salicylic alcohol, and some breeders also treat lichen with iodine.
  • Worms. It is quite difficult to identify the presence of parasites in animals; for this, it is worth examining the feces of individuals from time to time. In the presence of parasites, rabbits will experience indigestion, as well as weight loss. Treatment is carried out with the help of specialized medicines, in addition, it is mandatory for the breeder to carry out a complete disinfection of the aviary or cage.
  • Fleas. Insects can be seen in the ears of rabbits and on the skin. To get rid of parasites, animals will need to be redeemed, with mandatory treatment with a specialized shampoo.
  • Stomatitis. Signs of the disease are changes in the behavior of the animal: the rabbit may refuse food, become more passive. Visually, the disease is manifested by sores on the tongue and gums of rabbits. The breeder is recommended to treat the animal’s oral cavity with a solution of copper sulphate.
  • Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Such problems will be accompanied by bloating, diarrhea, apathetic behavior of the animal. To help the rabbit, the breeder will need to go without food for a day, and then switch to soft, freshly prepared food. In order to stop diarrhea, the rabbit is drunk with a decoction based on oak bark, and when bloated, the animal is given an ichthyol solution.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

In severe frosts, animals can catch a cold and freeze their ears. For treatment, individuals are moved to heat, vitamins are prescribed, frostbitten areas are lubricated with fish oil. In intense heat, gray giants experience heatstroke. A sign of overheating is rapid breathing, the animal will lie in one place without moving.

To help the animal, it is covered with a damp cloth, transferred to a cool place.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Reproduction

As for procreation, the breed is famous for its high fertility and milkiness of rabbits. Breeding is not particularly difficult for the breeder. In this case, the issue of selecting purebred individuals for procreation remains important. Hunting in females disappears only with the advent of cold weather, but if the animals are kept in a warm room with good lighting, they will again show their activity.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbits grow very quickly, usually up to two months of age, weight and height gain will be visually noticeable to the owner of the animals. Rabbits become sexually mature closer to six months. If there are a large number of rabbits, the breeder should divide the adults into several families. Usually 4-5 rabbits are left for one male. It is possible to determine that the female has entered the hunting phase by her excited behavior, attempts to make a nest in the cage.

Hunting continues for a week, with an interval of 10-14 days. During this period, the female is planted with the male up to 4 times a day.

It is better for this to choose a time when the air temperature in the room or in the open air will be low.

Rabbits bear cubs for a month, before birth, the female builds a nest in the mother liquor, for this she plucks her hair.

Rabbit Gray Giant

Rabbit Gray Giant

Obrol takes place without human intervention, but after birth, the breeder needs to monitor small rabbits, as they may become too distant and crawl away from the mother, which will lead to the death of the brood. Newborn rabbits should not be touched with hands, in order to return the animal to the nest, it is necessary to operate in the mother liquor only with gloves.

After two weeks, rabbits open their eyes. At the age of three months, grown animals can already be separated from the rabbit. Further feeding takes place together with adult animals.

Rabbit Gray Giant

For information on how to properly care for a rabbit of this breed, see the following video.

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Anna Evans

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