How do rabbits happen correctly?

Rabbits are unusually fertile animals, for an adult female to give birth to 60-70 rabbits per year is the norm. But an uncontrolled increase in livestock is not required, the rabbitry needs healthy and strong rabbits with positive, stable traits.

In this article we will talk in more detail about at what age rabbits can occur, how to do it correctly and when to happen after birth.

Favorable age and season for the first mating

First, let's take a look at what age rabbits begin to breed and when you can happen for the first time. The rabbit reaches sexual maturity by 3 months after birth. Avoiding accidental coverings, from this age, animals are sorted and seated based on their gender.

However, to obtain healthy and strong offspring, 3 months is still an early age. Therefore, 4 month old rabbits are suitable for the planned mating of rabbits.

This age is not considered an exceptional rule. So, if the farm contains rabbits of meat breeds, then the first mating begins from 5, or even from 6 months.

However, you should not overexpose the rabbits. Animals not participating in reproduction gain excess weight, lose interest in a partner, and such okrols are few in number.

Okrol in natural conditions occur all year round. On average, a healthy female has 6-7 rounds annually. In late autumn and winter, their frequency is less frequent due to weather factors. October and November are considered unfavorable for coverings.

but the best offspring grows more often in winter surroundings... Rabbits born in the cold season are healthier, stronger than their summer relatives. If the purpose of raising rabbits is to obtain fur, then winter is the most favorable season for mating rabbits. It is also worth avoiding rabbits during active moulting.

For a successful mating, the time of day also matters. In summer, morning hours are best for mating, since it is not yet hot. In winter or in cold weather - the warmest hours of the day, that is, daytime.

Partner selection and pairing

When selecting males and females suitable for mating, one proceeds from the following criteria:

• Animals must be healthy and be in the right age and condition. Individuals older than 3 years, overweight rabbits, animals with underdeveloped or damaged genitals are not suitable for obtaining high-quality offspring;
• Rabbits must carry the best characteristics of their breed or their individual qualities are best suited to the breeder;
• For coverings, it is advisable to select winter rabbits, as well as those born in early litters from a rabbit. These rabbits are best suited for the role of producers;
• Mating of related individuals is not allowed... With a shortage of animals, they can always be found on the side. It is worth remembering the need for quarantine and thorough health checks for new animals entering the herd, especially when it comes to producers.

Experienced rabbitries, in addition to choosing active and strong individuals, also pay attention to the mother and brothers (sisters) of the future producer.If there were many weak or sick rabbits in the litter, and the mother also has shortcomings (frequent miscarriages, bad temperament), then there is a high probability of their recurrence.

In addition to the individual choice of partners, experienced breeders pay attention to pairing. The ideal option is to carry out several cases at the same time. In this case, the surplus (lack) of rabbits in litters can be mutually compensated, and the choice of future producers will be greater.

When forming a pair, the experience of the male and the female is also taken into account.

Culling animals

Situations are frequent when a manufacturer loses its status. There are several reasons:

• Rare or, conversely, too frequent mating leads to the loss of the positive properties of the producer;
• The onset of the "limiting" age. The best offspring in rabbits is 1-2 years old;
• The presence of a disease leading to frequent miscarriages. The death of several litters in a row indicates the presence of listeriosis in the rabbit, a dangerous disease that is inherited;
• The loss of the maternal instinct in the rabbit, reaching the destruction of her own offspring, is a clear sign of the unsuitability of the animal for further reproduction;

The fertility of rabbits gives their owner a wide range of breeding opportunities. Therefore, if, for some individual reason, doubts arise about the suitability of a rabbit for reproduction, then it is better to replace it.

Preparing your rabbit correctly for breeding

The key stage in preparing for mating is determining the rabbit's readiness for motherhood, otherwise called the hunting period. Its duration, depending on the season, 3-5 days.

Mating is unlikely between hunting periods. The intervals between the next hunt of the female also range from 5 to 10 days. In winter, they can last longer, since the sexual activity of animals decreases.

Determining the hunting period is quite simple. This is evidenced by:

• Increased activity of the rabbit;
• Plucking the fluff on the belly;
• Procurement of materials for the nest.

For persuasiveness, the condition of the rabbit's penis, called the loop, is checked. Its redness and swelling clearly indicate the onset of the hunting period in the female.

There are no such restrictions for males.

Immediately before mating, it is important to properly prepare the cage.

All unnecessary items are removed from the rabbit's cage, including the drinker and the feeder. The animals will have no time for food. The cage must be washed and disinfected. Only after this can the rabbit be hooked up to the partner.

Rabbit food

The diet of rabbits before mating should always be more nutritious. For this, it is desirable to increase the share of compound feed, oats, grain, legumes.

Steamed potatoes and oats are very useful for males. They begin to feed such products in 1.5-2 weeks. Sprouted wheat is very useful for females. Adequate nutrition increases the number of babies in the litter and makes them healthier.

Coating process

Now let's find out how to breed rabbits for the first and subsequent times. In small farms where it is not possible to carry out artificial insemination, two methods of mating are practiced:

• Raising the rabbit to the male for a long time - 5-7 days... In this situation, the animals themselves will determine the optimal mating option.At first, it is advisable to observe the animals. Cases of fights, if the partner does not like it, are not uncommon. If the partners are aggressive and the case ends in a fight, then the animals should be seated to avoid serious injury;
• The second option is a short-term replanting of a female for 2-3 hours... The disadvantage of this method is the need for constant monitoring and, possibly, the intervention of the rabbit breeder. Determining the moment of coverage visually is not difficult. It lasts for half a minute. After covering, the rabbit falls to one side and emits a characteristic squeak - a signal to the breeder that the partners can be seated. If the partners flirt too much and do not intercourse, then experienced rabbitries simply hold the rabbit with their hands, allowing the male to do his job faster.

Control mating

Covering a rabbit successfully does not guarantee pregnancy. Therefore, for fidelity, a control mating is carried out 5-6 days after the first mating. There are no special features for the control mating.

Often, a control mating is also a check on the results of the first mating.... If the rabbit shows aggression and does not allow a trusted partner in herself, you can be sure that there is no need for control mating.

If the mating takes place as usual, its date is noted, and, accordingly, another control mating is carried out after 5-6 days.

Checking mating results

You can be sure of the effectiveness of the mating within 15 days after it was carried out. For this, the belly of the rabbit is very carefully probed. There are videos showing this procedure on the Internet, so in order to avoid causing harm to the rabbit, it will be useful to watch them.

The presence of one or two chains of oblong lumps is unambiguous evidence of pregnancy.

The rabbit's refusal to mate

If the rabbit does not allow the rabbit, then rabbit breeders choose one of the following options:

• The animals are added to each other after a while, for example, after 2-3 hours. If the situation repeats, then the procedure is repeated every other day;
• If the first method did not work, then you can change the male. This is often the most successful option.

Forced or accidental inbreeding

Inbreeding, or, more simply, related crosses also occur among experienced rabbit breeders. When keeping the herd together (in a pit, aviary, etc.), occasional crosses occur periodically.

Another misfortune is the inability to find a pair for your own animals, suitable for health, external data or breed. Then inbreeding becomes forced.

Dozens of scientific papers have been written about the pros and cons of inbreeding, therefore, without going into unnecessary details, we will give an example from practice. Even the ancient pastoralists sought to exclude the crossing of closely related animals. It is empirically verified that regular inbreeding in the herd leads to degeneration. Although in laboratory conditions, inbreeding is practiced to breed new breeds.

If, for some reason, a related crossing nevertheless happened in your farm, then experienced rabbitries are guided by the following recommendations:

• They try in every possible way to prevent the crossing of the born rabbits with other relatives on the paternal or maternal side. Proceeding from what, in a small herd, all rabbits born from such a crossing are likely to go for meat, and in the future will not participate in reproduction;
• In case of forced inbreeding, they try to select a pair with the weakest possible family ties, that is, distant relatives.Given the fertility of rabbits, this is quite possible;
• All rabbits born with birth defects, and there will be more and more of them with each subsequent relative crossing, must be removed from the herd.

How can it happen during the cold season?

The breeder should not be afraid of winter intercourse. However, to prevent frostbite and death of animals, the following recommendations are followed:

• Winter mating is carried out in the warmth, in closed and heated rooms. A suitable temperature for rabbits is between 19-27 degrees Celsius. If it is impossible to achieve the desired temperature, then a decrease of 3-5 degrees is not critical. With proper warming of the cage, it is permissible to obtain healthy offspring even at 10 degrees Celsius. However, the worst enemy of rabbits is not a low temperature, but drafts and dampness, which must be excluded;
• Rabbits must be fed, and the diet is as varied as possible. Potatoes, legumes, oats, sprouted grains of wheat, corn and other cereals are suitable for winter feeding of future parents;
• For animals within 1-2 weeks before and during mating requires long daylight hours, at least 12 hours a day. Artificial light is also allowed. Insufficient lighting leads to extremely small number of mating (1-2 bunnies) or acts as the main obstacle to successful mating.

Now you know how and at what age rabbits happen. However, we note that experience comes to rabbit breeders with years and mistakes. However, a thorough study of the issue, the use of advice and help from experienced rabbitries will save you from many, often fatal mistakes and will allow you to get healthy rabbits with the necessary characteristics.

And finally, we suggest watching a short video from which you will learn when rabbits are covered: