California rabbits weight by month. The best breeds of meat rabbits

Rabbit meat is a dietary product. It is very useful and easy to digest. Therefore, it can be consumed at any age.

Raising rabbits for meat is quite accessible both on a private farm and on a large farm.

How to raise a rabbit for meat and reduce the cost of breeding it?

First of all, you need to decide on the breed. Naturally, it is better to breed for meat meat breeds rabbits.

“Meat” breeds

The most common meat breeds include:

• New Zealand white;
• New Zealand red;
• Californian;
• Risen, or the German giant;
• French ram;
• Soviet chinchilla;
• gray giant;
• white giant;
• silver;
• Flanders;
• European silver;
• Poltava silver.

New Zealand white

The weight of the animals reaches 4-6 kilograms. A female rabbit gives birth to 7-12 babies. Rabbits are characterized by rapid growth: at 3 months their weight reaches 3 kilograms. The animals are well adapted for being kept on mesh floors: their soles are hairy.

New Zealand red

Weight is 4-6 kilograms, while females are larger than males. On average, there are 8-9 rabbits in a litter. Babies are characterized by rapid weight gain.

Risen

Rabbits of this breed reach 7 kilograms in weight, and some individuals reach 12-14 kilograms.

Gray giant

This breed was developed quite a long time ago, but is still widespread. The weight of rabbits is 5.3-6.8 kilograms. The female rabbit brings 7-8 young rabbits, which are characterized by early maturity, grow very quickly and gain weight. At 3 months, rabbits reach two kilograms in weight. The meat is of average quality. Together with the meat, you can get large and especially large skins.

White giant

Representatives of this breed weigh 5.5-8 kilograms. There are 7-8 rabbits in a litter.

Californian

Average weight– 4-5 kilograms. At the age of 3-4 months they are distinguished by high growth energy: per day the weight increases by 30-40 grams. At 3 months, rabbits weigh 2.7-3.4 kilograms, and at 5-4.2 kilograms. There are 8-10 babies in a litter. In a year, one female can produce 30-35 young individuals. Good qualities They also have a skin: their fur is thick and dense.

European silver

Representatives of the breed are becoming increasingly famous every year. The average weight of rabbits is 4.5 kilograms. Often there are specimens reaching 5.8-6.6 kilograms. On average, a female rabbit produces 8 young rabbits, which are highly precocious. At two months of age they weigh 2 kilograms, and at three months - 3. Rabbits of the European silver breed are unpretentious, require a minimum of feed, and easily survive very coldy. They have a calm character. The skin is characterized by thickness and softness.

Poltava silver

Rabbits weigh on average 4.5 kilograms, often reaching 5.8-6.6 kilograms. There are about 8 rabbits in the litter. Rabbit meat is very juicy and tasty. The fur is fluffy and valued for its original coloring. They are resistant to frost.

French ram

They weigh on average 5-5.5 kilograms, in some cases 7-8 kilograms, and sometimes even 12 kilograms.

Meat breeds of rabbits differ:

• early maturity - rabbits are slaughtered at 3.5-4 months;
• efficiency - for 1 kilogram of weight gain you need 3.5 kilograms of feed;
• fertility - a female rabbit gives birth to 7-9 young rabbits
• unpretentiousness;
• early puberty – they become sexually mature at the age of 4 months;
• genetic adaptation to mesh floors - the soles are pubescent.

Keeping and breeding at home

Although rabbits are herbivores, it is not possible to obtain high-quality meat on grass alone. Therefore, feed and grain are needed to feed them. Beetroot, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage will help diversify the diet and supply animals with vitamins. To meet the calcium needs of rabbits, chalk and meat should be added to the feed. bone meal. To ensure that rabbits' teeth can be ground down, tree branches and bark should be placed in the cages. Prerequisite breeding rabbits - constant availability of clean water.

Rabbits are allowed to mate at the age of 4-6 months with normal fatness: the weight of females must be more than 2.5 kilograms. The female's estrus lasts 3-5 days every 8-9 days. The resumption of estrus after birth occurs on the 1st-2nd day: the female rabbit can be covered immediately. In a year, you can get 4-5 litters from adult females, and 1-2 from young females. The rabbit should not be too thin, but she should not be allowed to become obese. For 8 females they usually leave one male. To increase the growth rate, females are crossed with males of other breeds. Pregnancy lasts about a month. In one litter, the female brings from 6 to 18 rabbits.

Rabbits are slaughtered for meat if they reach a weight of 2.8-3 kilograms at the age of 3-4 months. Further feeding of animals is unprofitable: they eat more feed and grow more slowly. In addition, the meat of young animals differs more delicate taste compared to meat from adult animals.

Feeding, breeding and caring for rabbits

Pregnant and lactating rabbits should receive an enhanced diet: it should be 10-15% higher than the usual diet.

There are 2 known methods of raising rabbits for meat:

1. ordinary;
2. broiler farming.

With normal breeding Rabbits are separated from their mother at the age of 40-45 days. They are fed with cereals and legumes, mixed feed and grain. In winter, it is recommended to add cake or meal, boiled potatoes, and bone meal to the diet. In the diet of rabbits raised for meat, concentrated feed should make up 50-60% of total number stern.

In broiler rearing The young animals are kept together with the female until slaughter at the age of 70-75 days. Sometimes broiler rabbits reach a weight of 1.8-2 kilograms already at the age of 60 days. But this is possible if the females have high milk production, the breed of animals is early maturing and the young animals receive high-quality feeding, including granulated feed containing proteins. With such breeding, the female must be fed generously with expensive concentrated feed to prevent her from “wearing out”. But it should be taken into account that broiler breeding deteriorates the quality of animal skins.

Raising rabbits for meat does not relieve the owner of the need to humanely care for the rabbit. In addition, if an animal develops into comfortable conditions, then his meat will be tastier and more tender.

Video

The precocity of rabbits is far superior to all types of animals bred in agriculture. Intensive growth is characteristic of the embryonic period and the next 120 days after birth. Animals reach sexual maturity by 4–5 months, and as a rule, at this time their average weight is 3.5 kg.

The young are born absolutely helpless, bare of hair and completely blind. The average weight of one rabbit, depending on the breed, can be 40–80 grams. By day 28, there is a noticeable tenfold increase in live weight. If the young begin to leave the nest from the 15th day and feed on the food of adult animals, it is necessary to pay attention to the milk supply of the female.

The highest growth energy is found in young New Zealand white and Californian rabbits. There is intensive growth in the meat sector, in which representatives are one step higher compared to meat-skinned animals.

The growth rate of the young largely depends on the milk performance of the female, but not only during suckling, but also in the future. The biological value of dairy products completely influences the growth rate. To ensure good performance, the following factors must be taken into account:

• how to keep females;
• age category;
• season;
• number of litters;
• belonging to one or another breed group;
• the number of young animals in a female;
• lactation period.

IN summer time The productivity of females is higher than in winter. Young female rabbits differ relatively low performance, which is associated with a growing organism. When physiological maturity occurs, the highest milk production indicators are recorded. Soviet chinchillas are considered to have higher milk production than white giants. In terms of meat, the Californian breed is in the lead, and the last place is occupied by the New Zealand White. This is how belonging to one or another breed group affects such an important indicator.

The growth of the rabbits will be ensured with an average milk production of 100 - 200 grams per day. The length of the lactation period depends on how intensively the female is used. The usual duration is up to 45 days, and if compacted litters are used, up to 27 - 28 days. Milk stops coming out a few days before birth, and appears again after the birth occurs. The rabbit had good milk production and produced 3.5 – 5 kg of milk during her lactation period.

From the moment of birth, the growth of young animals can be divided into three groups:

• 0 – 21 days;
• 21 – 49 days;
• 49 – 84 days.

The first is characterized by relatively high speed growth and moderate absolute growth. In the second group, absolute speed has the highest rate, and in the third group, absolute growth gradually decreases and relative speed drops sharply.

Today, most owners have come to the conclusion that it is most profitable to sell meat products from animals that have reached three months of age and an average weight of 2.5 kg. After rabbits gain a certain weight, their torso begins to grow noticeably slower. But this does not apply to large late-ripening breeds; their indicators are somewhat different.

To obtain meat products, it is important that the carcass contains a maximum of muscles, a minimum of bones and a fat layer of medium thickness. Skeletal development is slower compared to muscle tissue.

Different breed groups have completely different indicators for the amount of muscle in animals of the same age.

You can judge the growth rate from the following table

It is especially worth noting that in certain breeds, weight gain stops at certain times.

According to the observations of specialists, the highest development rates are in young animals born in winter months or the beginning of spring. Rabbits born in summer and autumn are characterized by slower growth. Almost all animals stop growing when they reach 8–10 months. Life expectancy is about 8 years, some representatives live up to 10. It is recommended to use rabbits for meat until the 80th day of life, otherwise the cost of feed consumption increases, and there is practically no weight gain.

The first evidence of rabbits as domestic animals was made a long time ago, back in ancient times. This was known in Ancient Rome approximately 2000 years ago.

Breeding these animals in industrial scale started only 2 centuries ago.

Today, science knows about 700 breeds of rabbits, but every year this number increases due to various natural mutations or amateur crossing of animals.

The classification of rabbits is based on the weight of the animal, the length of its coat, as well as productivity. It is not difficult to guess that those breeds that are bred for meat are called meat breeds. These are the ones we will talk about.

This breed was created by the hands of livestock specialists from Novosibirsk and Saratov on the basis research institute fur farming and rabbit breeding.

The entire process was supervised by N.S. Zusman. To create a new breed, white giants were crossed with the chinchilla breed using the method of reproductive crossing.

Scientists wanted to get an animal with a large body mass, excellent quality down, which can quickly adapt to a changing climate.

The body of Soviet chinchilla rabbits is slender and wide, the head is small compared to the body, the ears are erect and of medium length. The fur is soft, shiny, and bluish in color. Abdomen, neck, bottom of tail and inner side thighs - white.

Due to the excellent quality of the skins and their beautiful color, they are often used without modification.

An adult rabbit weighs on average 5 kg, the body reaches a length of 57-62 cm, and the chest girth is 37-38 cm. Fertility is good, the female rabbit gives at least 8 rabbits per litter. Young animals grow very actively; 120 days after birth they can already gain 3.5-4 kg of live weight. Meat yield is 56-63%.

White giant

These animals have German-Belgian roots. This breed appeared back in the 19th century.

It took a long time to carefully select the animals, and the result was purebred white giants.

These animals are large, their bodies are strong and elongated. Their back is straight and long, their chest is well developed. The head is relatively small, the ears are short and erect.

The constitution of these animals is strong, typically mesosomal, but there are rabbits with a narrower body - this is the leptosomal type. The fur is very thick, pure white, since these animals are albinos.

The average weight characteristic of white giants is set at 5-5.5 kg, but sometimes animals gained 8 kg. The body is long, 60-65 cm, girth in the chest area is 37-38 cm.

In one litter, the female gives birth to, on average, 7-8 rabbits. The young animals gain weight with average speed. A female rabbit produces 170-220 g of milk per day. They are good mothers.

For the white giants characterized by unpretentiousness. They quickly get used to weather conditions terrain.

The white giant is widely used to create new breeds of rabbits due to its excellent physical qualities.

Silver rabbit

To create a new breed, Champagne rabbits were carefully selected. In 1952, livestock specialists from the Tula and Poltava regions managed to develop a new breed. The number of “new” rabbits was greater than their predecessors. In addition, they had better viability.

In appearance, these animals are compact, the body is wide, expanding closer to the hips. The head is small, the ears are erect, the chest is voluminous, the back is straight, the croup is wide and slightly rounded.

The legs are strong, the muscles on them are well developed and positioned correctly. Eyes Brown. The constitution is of the mesosomal type, the body length reaches 57 cm, and the girth of the sternum is approximately 36 cm. The average weight is 4.5 kg, sometimes it can reach up to 6 kg.

Fertility is good, 8 rabbits at a time. Young animals gain weight at an accelerated pace, which is why they are bred for slaughter. The meat comes out very tasty and tender. Young rabbits fatten up well. From rabbits 120 days old, you can get 57-61% meat by weight.

The fur is thick, silver-gray in color. The guard hairs are white, the down is blue, and the guide hairs are black.

Initially, rabbits are born black; after a month, the fur begins to acquire a silvery tint. 4 months after birth, the color of the fur becomes the same as that of adults.

The older the rabbit gets, the more radically the coat color will change. The hairs will either lighten or turn brown. After processing, the color of the skin is quite distinctive, and also not very thick.

Viennese blue rabbit

These animals were bred in Austria from Moravian rabbits and Flanders. They are not too big, rather medium sized. The direction is meat-skin, but due to their decent weight they are often bred for slaughter.

The body is slender, oblong, the bones are strong, the legs are well muscled. Constitution of mesosomal type.

The average weight is 4.6 kg, the maximum weight remains at 5 kg. The body is 57-58 cm long, and the sternum girth is 36 cm. A female rabbit usually gives birth to 8-9 rabbits at a time, each weighing approximately 72 g.

Females have good milk production, they are caring mothers. In 2 months of life, young animals gain weight of 1.7 kg, in 3 months - 2.6 kg, in 4 - 3 kg. Viennese blue rabbits can withstand strong weather changes and can preserve their young in winter.

The skins from these animals are excellent, very beautiful color. The pile is very soft due to the large amount of fluff. This material is widely used in both natural and processed forms.

Rex rabbit breed

These animals are of French origin. They were introduced in the 20th century, but they came to the territory of the current CIS from Germany.

An adult animal is large - weighing 3-4.5 kg, with an oblong body 40-54 cm long. The body is not knocked down, of a delicate structure, the skeleton is light and thin. Rib cage deep, but tapered, there is a small dewlap.

The back is level, with a narrow croup. Legs are thin. Young animals gain weight at an average speed. In the first month of life they gain 700 g, in the second - 1.7 kg, in the third - 2.2 kg.

By the time they reach four months of age, animals have gained 2.4 kg of weight. Female rabbits are not particularly fertile; a single litter usually consists of 5 - 6 rabbits. The meat turns out to be dietary, very tasty and tender.

The skins of these animals are also valuable. The color can be very different - black, brown, white, blue. The size of the skin can also vary. Due to the short length of the hairs, it seems that the hairline has been trimmed. These skins do not require coloring.

Description of the Butterfly breed

This Belarusian breed was created by crossing English butterfly rabbits with local individuals.

The bred offspring were crossed with Flanders, and their animals were born and the Belarusian butterfly was bred. Thanks to the source material, female rabbits of this breed are capable of producing large offspring (up to 8 rabbits) and a lot of milk.

The body of these animals reaches a length of 54 cm, and the chest circumference is 36 cm.

Body of erysomal type. The average weight is 4.3 kg, the maximum is 4.9 kg. The body structure is strong, the head is of medium size, and the ears are of medium length. The chest is voluminous, sometimes there is a dewlap. The back is wide, oblong. The croup is wide and round in shape.

The limbs are strong, straight, muscular. The wool is thick. The body is white, with black, blue, chinchilla spots. The shape of the spots does not change: a symmetrical butterfly is formed on the cheeks and nose, there is an intermittent belt on the back, there is also a rim around the eyes, the top of the tail and black ears.

Rabbits of this breed are able to quickly get used to the climate of the area; they can be fed with local food.

California rabbit

From the name you can understand that the homeland of these animals is America. They were brought to Europe in the 1970s. California rabbits are able to quickly get used to poor conditions residence, and is also easily produced on an industrial scale.

Females of this breed very prolific and are excellent mothers, thanks to which the young are well preserved. The body of these animals is small but weighty - 5.5-6 kg. Females begin to breed at 5 months of age and can give birth to 9-10 rabbits at a time.

The meat of rabbits of this breed is very tender and tasty. They can quickly gain weight suitable for slaughter.

The muscles throughout the body of these rabbits are well developed, although the bones are thin and short. The neck is almost invisible, it is very short. The fur cover is very thick, rough, without fluff. The hair is white and shiny, the lower limbs, ears, tail and tip of the nose are very dark. The ears are small and stand straight.

Eyes of red-pink shades. The animals are calm but active.

By the age of 2 months, small rabbits can weigh 1.8 kg, and the most well-fed animals can weigh 2-2.3 kg. By three months, live weight can be 2.6-2.7 kg. Meat yield is 60%.

About the Flandre rabbits

These Belgian animals appeared in the 19th century. Their body is long and their bones are strong.

The head is large, round in shape. The ears are long and wide, diverging towards the end.

The sternum is well developed, the girth behind the shoulder blades is more than 37 cm. The back is wide, flat, sometimes there is a slight deflection. The croup is wide. The body reaches a length of 67 cm or more.

The average weight of an adult male is 5.5 cm, and the maximum is 8-8.5 kg. Fertility is average, 6-7 rabbits can be born at a time. A newborn animal weighs 60-65 g. 4 months after birth, the weight is 2.1-3.3 kg.

The fur comes in different colors. If the animal is agouti-colored, but has a red-gray body, the lower part of the tail and belly are white, the rim on the ears and the top of the tail are black. If the animal is dark gray, then the guard hairs throughout the body are uniformly colored black and gray colors, undercoat dark blue, belly light.

Thuringian rabbit

These animals are classified as skin-meat animals, but due to their decent weight of 3-5 kg, they are raised specifically for slaughter.

The meat is very tasty, healthy, and the skin is very soft and beautiful. The animals' homeland is German Thuringia, and they appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.

To develop a new breed, Russian ermine rabbits, Argents and Flanders were crossed.

The body is knitted, dense, the neck is short, the legs have a lot of muscles, and are medium in length. The coat is light brown in color, and there is a black veil on the nose, hips, ears and sides.

The fur is shiny and very smooth to the touch. Color may change throughout the year.

Breed "Black-brown"

The fur of these animals is dark brown, hence the name of the breed. In general, the color of the coat is very heterogeneous. The fur on the sides is black-brown, on the head and back it is black.

The fluff is light blue, the guard hair is gray-blue. To develop this breed in the mid-20th century, Flanders, the White Giant and the Viennese Pigeon were crossed.

Animals are characterized high productivity, actively gaining weight, mid-season. High quality wool and meat.

The average weight is 5 kg, but often a rabbit can eat 7 kg. The body is well-knit, strong, the head is large, the sternum is voluminous, the limbs are elongated and fleshy.

Small rabbits weigh about 80 g, and at three months of age they already weigh 3 kg. The female gives birth to 7-8 rabbits at a time. The fur is soft due to the large amount of fluff.

New Zealand white rabbits

These animals are medium in size and have pure white fur.

These albinos were selected from New Zealand red rabbits in America in the first half of the 20th century. Subsequent selection was aimed at highlighting more intensive growth and obtaining more high-quality meat.

To obtain greater meat yield, selected individuals were crossed with Flanders.

They acclimatize well. The weight of an adult rabbit ranges between 4 and 5 kg. The body constitution is strong, the body is proportional, short, the muscles are well developed, the back is wide, the legs are strong.

Young animals eat a lot very quickly, which is characteristic of this breed. Within 2 months, baby rabbits, which are born weighing 45 g, reach 2 kg, and 3 months after birth they weigh 2.7-3 kg.

The meat is low in calories due to its highly developed muscles. The fur is of the same quality as the meat. Hairline thick, white. Females give birth to 7 to 12 rabbits at a time. Often rabbits of this breed are raised as broiler animals.

It is better to raise rabbits yourself to obtain good meat than to buy it in a store. This way you will know that the meat product does not contain antibiotics or other chemicals that can only cause harm.

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Choosing a rabbit breed is the main question facing novice rabbit breeders. It is important that future pets are adapted to the conditions of the region where they will be bred, have good productivity and do not cause trouble in their maintenance.

The California rabbit fully meets the stated requirements, which is why these eared rabbits occupy one of the leading places among meat breeds. These charming animals were bred in California as a result of crossing the New Zealand white rabbit, the Soviet chinchilla and the Russian ermine. Having absorbed the advantages of their ancestors, these rabbits are perfect for growing on large specialized farms and for small farms; moreover, the docile nature and interesting color of Californians make them wonderful pets.

Description of the breed

Rabbits of the Californian breed are easily recognizable in the photo among other long-eared rabbits, largely due to their characteristic color. Their snow-white fur harmonizes beautifully with the dark brown or black color of their paws, ears and tail. There is also a dark spot on the animal’s nose. In high-breed rabbits, the spots have a clear outline and are clearly visible on the body. However, do not panic if newborn rabbits do not have these characteristic spots, since this is acceptable for young animals; they will definitely appear in a month and a half, when the rabbits have grown a little.

One more distinctive feature in the description of rabbits of the Californian breed is the bright red color of the eyes, which is clearly visible in the photo of the animals. The body shape fully complies with the standards of meat rabbits. Californians have a medium-sized head, short erect ears and a fleshy neck. The paws are short, but quite thick, the back part is rounded and large, since this is where the main meat and muscle mass is concentrated. The chest of rabbits is wide and deep, there is no dewlap.

For many rabbit breeders, when choosing a breed, it is important to know the density index. In Californian rabbits, this figure exceeds 60%, which indicates excellent productivity. The animals themselves look well built and strong. This breed belongs to medium-sized rabbits. For this category, the weight of an adult rabbit should not exceed 5 kg.

However, Californians rarely gain maximum weight; males often weigh 4-4.6 kg. Many may rightly note that the same white giants and rams are much larger, but one should not rush to final conclusions about the profitability of breeding giants. The effectiveness of rabbit breeding is determined not by the weight and size of the pets, but by the characteristics of their productivity, taking into account the spent feed. Precisely because large breeds consume much more feed per unit of weight gain, keeping medium-sized rabbits is much more profitable.

Amateur rabbit breeders usually rarely pursue the purity of the breed and pay attention to any non-compliance with standards. If you are planning to engage in breeding rabbit breeding in the future, then in this case it will be useful to know the unacceptable shortcomings of Californians:

• extra dark spots on the coat;
• drooping or too long ears;
• rare inelastic fur;
• uncharacteristic eye color;
• an elongated spot on the nose that reaches the eyes;
• the rabbit's weight is more than 5.5 kg or less than 3.5 kg.

Productivity characteristics

The California rabbit ranks second in prevalence, which indicates the effectiveness of breeding this breed. Despite the fact that these friendly animals are prominent representatives meat direction, white fur Californians can also be used in manufacturing. Breed this breed quite profitable, since animals quickly gain weight. Thus, the average weight of a newborn rabbit is only 46 grams. Below is a table in which you can track how a Californian gains weight by month.

Subsequently, the rabbits recover slowly or stop gaining weight altogether. Based on the data presented, we can conclude that keeping California rabbits after 5 months is not advisable. The weight of the carcass after slaughter is about 60% of the live weight of the animal, where the share of meat ranges from 80 to 86%. The fat content in the carcass depends entirely on the animal's diet and averages about 2.5%.

Rabbit breeding

Breeding Californian rabbits at home is not difficult for a beginner. Reviews from rabbit breeders say that it is best to purchase breeding pets at specialized rabbit farms in order to be sure of purebredness and the absence of family ties. The average price of one animal is 400-700 rubles; to begin with, you can purchase 4 females and one male, which in a fairly short period of time will multiply to the desired population. The animals reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 months, after which they can be mated. All sexually mature Californians must be selected for breeding.

Every breeder should know the rules for breeding rabbits, and most important question– age of the wards. You should not rush too much, since an immature animal is not capable of producing healthy and high-quality offspring.

Experienced rabbit breeders advise waiting a month before mating animals so that the body has time to get stronger. A few days before the expected mating, the animals need to be fed more nutritiously. The California rabbit's hunt usually lasts 4-6 days; during this period she becomes restless, tears up the fluff and rushes around the cage. If you are allowing a male to mate for the first time, then for successful breeding you should choose a calm and experienced female rabbit for him. Usually it is the female who is placed in the cage with the groom, and then observed for a while in order to react in time if the animals start a fight; This mating method allows the rabbit breeder to know for sure whether mating has occurred or not.

The female gives birth quickly and easily, one litter usually consists of 7-10 rabbits, and in a year you can get about 40 rabbits from one rabbit. Maternal instinct in female Californian rabbits it is well developed. They are highly milk-producing, so they are able to feed the entire brood on their own. On average, the life expectancy of Californian rabbits is about 10 years, and breeding animals used in breeding are 5 years.

Features of feeding

In terms of the rate of weight gain, Californian rabbits are often compared to broilers. Diet greatly influences the productivity and health of long-eared pets. To get maximum efficiency from breeding this unique breed, you need to carefully approach the animal menu. This is especially true for young animals. Most rabbit breeds need to be fattened immediately a month and a half before the intended slaughter, but with Californians things are a little different.

Breeding rabbits of the Californian breed in the private farm Kubik

I REFUSED Californian Rabbits...

How to distinguish a purebred rabbit from a mixed one

“American” rabbits need to be fed well immediately after the end of the suckling period, only then will you be able to make the most of all the advantages of this breed. To quickly increase the weight of rabbits, it is recommended to include protein feed in the menu. These can be dairy products, meat and fish flour, protein supplements. Don't forget that rabbits need constant access to fresh food. drinking water. In the cold season, the liquid should be slightly warmed up.

The basis of the diet of Californians should be hay, root vegetables, twig and green food, and compound feed. The summer menu is based on field and meadow herbs. After weaning, young animals need to be fed five times a day; with age, this figure is gradually increased to two times. The correctness of the selected menu is evidenced by the healthy appearance of the animal’s coat, good general state, normal behavior, normal stool.

California rabbits are unpretentious in keeping, so they do not require any special conditions. They are often kept in spacious cages, the height of which must be no less than the height of the animal if it stands on its hind legs. The cage size for one pet is about 0.3 square meters. m. When placing animals, try to place rabbits of the same age nearby, this will make it easier to provide care and organize feeding. A drinking bowl, a feeder and a house are placed in the cage, where the animal can hide from prying eyes, and during the pregnancy of the rabbit - a queen cell.

The tray of the pet cage is lined with sawdust or cat litter, which perfectly absorbs moisture and does not allow odors to pass through. Cages with rabbits should be placed in a place without drafts and direct sunlight. Many rabbit breeders prefer to breed Californians in pits. In this case, keeping the animals in their care is as close as possible to natural living conditions, and besides, caring for animals in pits is quite simple.

Setting up a rabbit pit does not require any special skills or knowledge, so the farmer can build a place for the rabbits to live himself using the video instructions. The rabbit breeder is required to dig a hole approximately 2x2x1 m and reinforce the walls with slate. The floor is usually made of planks or mesh. The “dwelling” needs to be fenced off and a roof made that will protect the animals from the sun and precipitation. The pets will do the rest of the work themselves: they will dig holes, begin to reproduce and raise rabbits.

Caring for Californians

The characteristics of Californian rabbits do not provide for any specific care. Like other breeds of rabbits, “Americans” need regular examination of their ears and eyes, monitoring the quality of their fur, and trimming their claws. All these activities are aimed not so much at maintaining a neat appearance, how much for timely detection possible problems and diagnosing the disease.

Skin and white fur are the main indicators of the animal’s well-being. Tousling, loss of shine, matting and the presence of bald spots on the coat are a reason to worry. A thorough examination of the skin should be carried out once a week; reasons for contacting a veterinarian may include scabs or pustules, rashes and redness.

If necessary, wipe the eyes with a cotton swab, which can be moistened with boiled water or strong tea. To care and clean the ears, it is recommended to use special lotions that are purchased at veterinary pharmacies. To prevent the occurrence of dangerous infectious diseases, rabbits must be vaccinated. Vaccinations can be done both in a veterinary clinic and at home.

Rabbit breeding in Lately gain popularity. How effective this activity is, as well as compliance with breed standards, can be shown by scales: the weight of the rabbit must correspond to certain parameters. Today, about 200 breeds of these animals are raised in the world, which are divided into three directions: meat, fur and decorative. The first two groups are farm animals that are bred in subsidiary farms and on industrial rabbit farms, and decorative ones are kept as pets in houses and apartments.

The weight of a rabbit depends on several things: nutrition, living conditions and breed of animal.

The weight of the animal depends on several factors. First of all, this is the breed, living conditions, and a properly selected diet.

Weight of meat animals

If the purpose of breeding is to obtain large quantity meat, attention should be paid to breeds that are classified as meat. They gain muscle mass very quickly, but their fur is of rather low quality. Belgian giants are considered one of the most popular and oldest meat breeds. The average weight of a Belgian rabbit reaches 6-7 kg. However, many of them often grow up to 10 kg, and the record holder of this breed managed to gain 22 kg.

California rabbits also deserve attention. They can be called record holders for growth speed: at the age of five months the animals weigh approximately 5 kg. In addition, female Californians are very fertile: there can be up to 12 rabbits in a litter. German sheep belong to the same group. Their meat has excellent taste qualities. An adult animal has a live weight on average of 5-7 kg. French and English sheep are bred for meat, but their weight is slightly less.

Domestic rabbit breeders most often give preference to white and gray giants. Grays are considered meat animals because their fur is a little thin, but white giants are distinguished by elastic, thick, beautiful fur. The weight of the animals is very good - up to 7 kg.

The following meat breeds have excellent characteristics: New Zealand White and New Zealand Red. Already at the age of 3 months, rabbits can weigh up to 3 kg, and adult animals - 4-6 kg. German giants (Riesen) grow up to 7 kg, and some specimens can even reach 12-14 kg.

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Weight of fur and meat animals

There are breeds that, in addition to rapid growth and delicious meat, have dense, beautiful and inexpensive fur. Due to the length of the pile, these animals are divided into two groups: short-haired and long-haired. The weight of a fur-meat rabbit can vary.

One of the most major representatives This species are white giants, whose weight reaches 7 kg. The domestic black-brown breed is quite popular; the fur of its representatives is similar to the fur of black-brown foxes. Rabbits grow very quickly, especially in the interval of 4-5 months. An adult animal weighs 5-7 kg. Another result of the work of domestic breeders - the Russian ermine - is valued for its fur, similar in color to the fur of an ermine. The average weight of such animals is 4 kg, and the meat is of high quality. Shorthaired Rexes have about the same weight. Although their offspring are small and the young growth is average, tender meat and beautiful “plush” fur compensate for these shortcomings.

Downy longhaired breeds are bred for their rabbit down, which is durable and heat-resistant. The weight of adults is within 3-4 kg. For example, an Angora down rabbit weighs only 2 kg at 6 months, and an adult animal reaches a live weight of 3 kg. Domestic white downy rabbits have an average weight of 4 kg.