Rabbit Strokach

Animal husbandry is a popular branch of agriculture, which is aimed at meeting the needs of the population in food products. Large farms and small farmsteads are engaged in breeding not only cattle, sheep and poultry, but also rabbits.

Rabbit breeding is a popular and profitable direction. Rabbit meat is in high demand and has unique dietary characteristics, and the resulting fur is widely used in the textile industry. The long and painstaking work of breeders has led to the emergence of a huge number of breeds that differ in weight, size and color. Experts recommend paying attention to the stroke rabbit.

Rabbit Strokach

Characterization

Stroke rabbits are a popular breed that is distinguished by its unusual color and high performance. This breed is called the German Butterfly or the Pied Rabbit because of its color.

A feature of such an animal is a dark spot in the form of a butterfly on the muzzle, as well as the presence of a contrasting stripe on the back.

The breed gained great popularity at the beginning of the XNUMXth century due to its high productivity and excellent taste.

The maximum size of an adult is about 70 cm, and the weight can reach 10 kg. With a balanced and high-calorie diet, young animals can gain about 1 kg of weight every month. Rapid weight gain is due to low activity and slowness of animals.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

The animal has large and powerful auricles covered with fur, the length of which can reach 20 cm.

The fur is dense, long, smooth and shiny. The length of the pile exceeds 3 cm.

Rabbits have a small head, brown eyeballs, a short neck that extends into the body, a powerful back and muscular legs.

An animal can have several color shades, but the presence of distinctive spots is a must for each individual. In addition to the butterfly, the muzzle should have dark identical spots around the eyes. Mandatory conditions – color in the same color of the auricles, an even stripe along the center of the back, which starts from the back of the head and ends in the tail zone, and the presence of small spots on the back.

Rabbit Strokach

There are three most popular descriptions of color combinations:

  • White black;
  • white-blue;
  • white-brown.

Rabbits reach their maximum meat productivity at the age of 8,5 months. Longer feeding will not bring a significant increase in weight, but will require large financial costs.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other pet, rabbits have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Among the huge number of advantages, experts distinguish the following:

  • high taste indicators of meat products;
  • the use of fur in the textile industry;
  • early puberty;
  • fast weight gain;
  • fertility;
  • high level of profitability;
  • unpretentiousness;
  • calm and good-natured character;
  • the survival rate of most of the litter;
  • high immunity;
  • unpretentiousness to food;
  • long-term milk feeding of young animals.

Rabbit Strokach

Disadvantages:

  • growing in large rooms;
  • instability of genetic characteristics;
  • intolerance to drafts and dampness;
  • regular vaccination;
  • high price range.

Rabbit Strokach

Characteristics of character

Purebred rabbits have a calm, adequate and balanced character. Aggression, inadequacy and nervousness are signs of genetic disorders.

A developed maternal instinct and a pronounced concern for offspring are characteristic features of female individuals.

Good-natured animals can often be seen in the company of children who enjoy playing with young animals and walking them on a leash.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

When communicating with pets, it is strictly forbidden to use perfumes, drink alcohol and smoke, as these smells can provoke nervousness of animals.

How to choose?

Breeders recommend purchasing animals only from trusted breeders who have documents confirming the pedigree of the animal. A rabbit bought on the market often has low genetic values.

The optimal age for buying young animals is 3 months.

Rabbit Strokach

When choosing an animal, it is necessary to pay attention to the genetically correct color.

Breeders identify several acceptable deviations from the color norm:

  • white spots on black wool;
  • small black spots on the head;
  • jagged edge on the muzzle;
  • different intensity of lateral spots;
  • multi-colored nail plates.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Signs of an unclean breed:

  • uneven fur surface;
  • the complete absence of characteristic patterns;
  • unfinished butterfly shape and string;
  • connection of eye spots;
  • the presence of two chain spots.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Signs of a healthy animal:

  • strong and well-fed physique;
  • mobility and activity;
  • lack of mucus and pus in the eyes;
  • lack of bald patches on the skin and other signs of disease;
  • shiny and dense coat.

Rabbit Strokach

Content

Before acquiring young animals, it is necessary to carefully study the intricacies of caring for the breed and the characteristics of the diet.

The most comfortable temperature regime is 20 degrees Celsius.

Humidity in the room should not exceed 70%.

Rabbit Strokach

In summer, the room with animals must be ventilated to prevent the death of livestock from suffocation.

The presence of windows is a prerequisite for sheds.

Animals should be housed in enclosures based on gender and age.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Dwelling place

Stroke rabbits feel better in large aviaries than in cramped cages. Being in a large room has a beneficial effect on the quality of the fur layer and does not affect the rate of weight gain due to the low activity of the animals.

With mass breeding of the breed, cells can be installed on several floors. The floor covering of the room must be wooden. Modern manufacturers produce special plastic nets for the floor, which not only do not absorb odors and wash quickly, but also cannot cause injury to the paws. The use of iron mesh will cause damage to the limbs.

The optimal height between the cage and the floor is 50 cm.

Rabbit Strokach

Despite endurance and strong immunity, rabbits do not tolerate cold air currents, dampness and shaded rooms.

Cleanliness of the cage is the key to the health of animals. It is possible to clean the enclosures only in a special dressing gown, boots and rubber gloves. After completion of work, hands and working tools must be washed and treated with disinfectants.

Often, farmers are approached by buyers who want to purchase a rabbit as a pet. This event is a pointless undertaking due to the large weight of the pet and the need to purchase a large amount of food. If the above reasons do not frighten the owners, then you need to prepare an appropriate cage for him in advance, protect the pet from dangerous objects and wires, and also think over the diet and recreational activities.

Rabbit Strokach

Food

The diet of animals has a direct impact on the quality of wool and the taste of meat.

In summer, the basis of the animal menu is juicy and young grass. During the period of cold weather, along with dry grass and granular feed, vitamins and mineral supplements must be added to the diet.

In winter, rabbits like to eat dried sage, sedge, alfalfa, tansy, clover and dandelions, as well as fruit and coniferous branches.

Corn, millet, wheat, rye, peas and beans can be used as grain top dressing.

Delicious and healthy treats for a rabbit are fresh vegetables and fruits, parsley leaves, dill and sorrel.

Root crops and fruits must be thoroughly washed and cut into small pieces before serving.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Feeding young animals should begin with bran, milk and crushed grain mixtures.

Experts recommend limiting the amount of cabbage, beets and lettuce in the diet.

It is strictly forbidden to feed animals with sour, dirty, moldy and rancid food that contains poisonous microorganisms. Dangerous bacteria can provoke the development of salmonellosis and colibacillosis.

Canned foods, as well as hay, which contains dust, should not be present in the diet of animals. Hay dust accumulates in the nasal passages and after a while can completely block breathing.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

Drinkers with clean water should always be in the cage. In winter, melted water can be used for drinking.

Animals that are fattening need round-the-clock food. For constant access of animals to the feeder, automatic feeders should be installed, the feed supply in which should be enough for at least 3 days.

Breeding females and males need to significantly reduce the amount of grain mixtures, the use of which can provoke the formation of a large fat layer. Excess weight has a negative impact on the reproductive functions of pets.

Rabbit Strokach

Hygiene

Rabbits are clean animals that require a minimum amount of care and attention.

Experienced farmers recommend combing the animals twice a week with special hard combs. During the molting period, the number of combing must be increased. Combing wool should begin with the head. This procedure will help to clean the wool of dirt, remove the old pile and remove parasites and insects from the fur layer.

Bedding should be changed every two days, and washing of drinkers and water changes should be done daily.

Experts recommend monitoring the length of the claws. In case of a significant increase in their size, their length should be reduced with special wire cutters.

Rabbit Strokach

Walking

For walks in the summer, it is necessary to build a spacious paddock with a covered canopy that can protect the animals from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

In early spring, it is advisable to sow the walking area with special grass, which rabbits can later feast on. The place for a walk should be cleared of foreign debris, which the animals can get hurt on. Chewing paper or polyethylene can cause the death of the animal.

Rabbit Strokach

Breeding

The peculiarity of the breed is the presence of a unique color, to obtain which it is necessary to cross only the brightest and strongest representatives. Before starting the process of breeding young stock, novice farmers should learn the basics of genetics – this information will help to get purebred young stock.

Puberty of row rabbits occurs at 6 months, but experts recommend holding a beam closer to 8 months.

The number of young animals in one litter can reach 10 pcs. Due to the genetic characteristics of the breed, young animals with different colors can be in one litter.

Rabbit Strokach

Before the birth of the offspring, the rabbit must be isolated from other animals, put dry hay and a paper box in the cage, in which the female will begin to make a warm and cozy nest on her own.

Long and uncircumcised nail plates can cause mechanical damage to young animals.

Females of this breed are caring and patient mothers who do not need outside help while caring for their offspring. The rabbits are milk-fed for a long period of time and have an almost 100% survival rate.

Two weeks after birth, the young can already leave the nest on their own. Moving rabbits to a separate cage occurs at the age of 3,5 months. Earlier weaning from the mother can lead to the development of depression in rabbits and provoke their death.

Rabbit Strokach

During the breastfeeding period, rabbits especially need constant access to fresh water.

To prevent the occurrence of dangerous diseases, it is necessary, starting from the age of 6 months, to vaccinate every six months.

Reviews

Calm and large rabbits are popular with both professional rabbit breeders and owners of small farmsteads.

Livestock breeders note the calm and non-aggressive nature of the animals, which greatly simplifies the process of feeding and caring for them. The high level of fertility and the onset of early puberty allows breeders to quickly increase the number of livestock.

Inexperienced farmers note increased maternal instincts of females, who independently care for offspring and feed them for a long period of time. This feature minimizes the care of the owners of the young.

Rabbit Strokach

Rabbit Strokach

    Large farms choose this breed because of its rapid weight gain and the ability to make a stable income.

    Often you can find negative reviews. Users note that it is required to construct large cages, financial costs are needed to purchase a large amount of feed and to study the basics of genetics to obtain high-quality fur.

    See below for string rabbits.

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    Anna Evans

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