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Why Rabbits?
There are many reasons for raising rabbits. For one, they are fairly easy to care for as long as you have the right setup. You can utilize a small area to raise them. They are quiet. And clean when raised in cages off the ground. You could produce them for show, pets, hobby, fertilizer, meat or fur, depending on your needs. They can produce allot of young in a very short amount of time. And they have less of a impact on the environment compared to other animals. Rabbits are also a great way to teach children about animals and the cycle of life. Rabbits along with allot of other animals are going extinct, just from the lack of people using them. You can go to www.ALBC.com to see the animals that we are losing. We will go into further detailed information and facts about raising rabbits below.
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Rabbit Language
- Buck: is a male rabbit.
- Doe: is a female rabbit.
- Kits: are baby rabbits.
- Sire: is a father rabbit.
- Dam: is a mother rabbit.
- Herd: is a group of rabbits.
- Binky: is when a rabbit jumps and twists.
- Warren: is a area where a group of rabbits live.
- Molting: Sheding or losing fur for the season.
- Breeding: is when mating two rabbits togeather.
- Nestbox: is a box for a nest, usualy filled with hay.
- Kindling: is when a female rabbit gives birth.
- Gestation Period: is the time between breeding and kindling.
- Litter: is when a female rabbit has a group of babies.
- Weaning: is when you take the babies away from the mother.
- Culling: is the act of getting rid of an unwated rabbit.
- And a rabbit is actually not a rodent they are considered Lagomorphs.
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Rabbit Breeding
- Smaller breeds only have 1-3 kits at a time.
- Larger breeds usualy have 8-10 kits at a time.
- The time to start breeding small breeds is 6 months of age.
- The time to start breeding large breeds is 8 months of age.
- When breeding take the doe to the bucks cage.
- Do not leave the two rabbits alone togeather when breeding.
- Breeding should only take a few minutes or less.
- The buck may fall to his side if breeding is successful.
- Rabbits gestation period is only 30 to 32 days.
- A nestbox with straw is recommended for the litter.
- The doe will pull fur for her nest befor kits are born.
- Dams only feed their kits for 6 minutes a day.
- Dams are rarely seen feeding there kits.
- Keep an eye on the kits to make sure there bellys are full.
- Kits are weaned at around 6-8 weeks of age.
- A Doe can be bred and have litters for 5-6 years of age.
- You should breed a doe befor she is a year old to avoid problums.
- Breeding two Does is a good idea for a foster mother if needed.
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Rabbits as Pets
- Rabbits can be house trained.
- And they can also purr, like a cat.
- There life span can be as long as 15 years old.
- They can scratch and Adult supervision is recommended.
- Getting a young rabbit is best so you can work with it.
- Find books on training your rabbit and work with them every day.
- Allot depends on the socialization you give your rabbit.
- Find and research your rabbit breed and the breeder thoroughly before buying.
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Rabbit Manure
- Rabbit manure can make an excellent garden fertilizer.
- We use this and chicken manure for our flowers and they come up beautiful.
- You can use a compost bin and combine the manure, worms, plant material and keep it mixed to create nice dark compost for the garden.
- The Manure alone has a content of 2.20% Nitrogen .87% Phosphorus 2.30% Potassium .36% Sulfur 1.26% Calcium .40% Magnesium
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Rabbit Meat
- Rabbits are known to have been used for meat as far back as 1500BC
- Rabbit meat is the highest in protein%. (U S D A circular # 549)
- Rabbits are raised up off the ground and is one of the cleanest meats.
- Rabbits can produce 6 pounds of meat on the same food and water as a cow will produce 1 pound of meat on the same food and water.
- A doe rabbit that weighs 10 pounds can produce 320 pounds of meat in a year.
- That is more than a cow and it takes around 2 acres to raise a cow.
- Rabbit has only 795 calories per pound. As compaired to Chicken 810, Veal 840, Turkey 1190, Lamb 1420, Beef 1440, Pork 2050. ( U S D A circular # 549 )
- The office of home economics, state relations of the U S Department of Agriculture has made extensive tests and have stated that domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man.
- Click Here for Recipes Using Rabbit from the Meatrabbits group.
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Rabbit Body
- A rabbit has 28 teeth.
- Rabbit teeth never stop growing.
- An 8-pound rabbit can drink as much water as a 40-pound dog.
- Make sure your rabbit has plenty of clean water at all times.
- A rabbit does not hibernate.
- Rabbits are most active at night.
- Larger rabbit breeds have been known to survive in -30 below temperatures.
- Rabbits produce night droppings called cecotropes, which they will eat.
- Cecotropes provide the rabbits with nutrients that the rabbit need to survive.
- Kits double their weight in 6 short days off of there mothers milk, compared to pigs at 14 days, calves 47 days, and humans 160 days.
- A rabbit can jump 38 inches in the air and higher.
- Most rabbits can suffer from heat stroke very easy.
- Rabbits can only sweat through the pads on its feet.
- A rabbits eyes are positioned to were they can see behind themselves.
- Rabbits can actually be scared to death.
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Rabbit Diseases
-To prevent rabbits from getting sick-
- Get rabbits from a known breeder.
- Feed them properly.
- Keep there stress levels down.
- Proper shelter from the elements.
- Keep there area sanitary.
- Keep in cages off the ground.
- Watch who handles them.
- Keep them away from unknown rabbits.
- Keep in wire cages that urin and manure can fall through.
-If your rabbit happens to become sick-
- If it is a Emergency please visit your local veterinary clinic.
- Always have a quarantine area ready, away from the rest of the herd.
- If you suspect a issue like sniffles, quarantine the infected rabbit immediatly.
- Here is a website that will go into allot of diseases. http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#rhd
- If you have a sick rabbit and are wondering what to do you can join with the Health and Veterinary Questions Group . They are a yahoo group dedicated to helping others with rabbit health problems.
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Rabbit Shelter
- Cages with trays can be used but must be cleaned often.
- Hanging cages will allow the waste to drop through and is easy to remove.
- Cedar chips or pine chips for bedding can cause respiratory problems.
- Aspen, corn cob husk and pine pellet bedding is reccomended.
- With rabbits outside, keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- In the winter have a nest box with hay for cold nights.
- In the summer a misting system can help with the heat.
- Also automatic watering systems can be applyed to your Rabbitry.
- Proper ventalation is very important to keeping all your rabbits healthy.
- Make sure you allow yourself room to work in your Rabbitry.
- Check out books for design ideas and join chat groups there are allot of ideas on rabbit shelters. Find one that best suits your needs. Having a proper setup is key to a happy Rabbitry.
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Rabbit Food
- Rabbits need clean water avalable to them at all times.
- Rabbits are considered monogastric which means single stomach.
- And rabbits are herbivorous which means they eat plant material.
- Rabbits need important nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids or fats, minerals and vitamins in the right amount to perform and grow their best.
- Wild, rabbits eat a variety of different grains, greens, roots, and roughage.
- Allot of domestic rabbits eat pellet feed made to meet their nutritional needs.
- The pellets consist of ingredients, mainly alfalfa meal and wheat middling’s.
- Our rabbits 9-12 pounds on average get 10oz of pellet feed a day.
- With rabbits that have a litter and rabbits 0-6months we free feed them.
- Rabbits as stated above need roughage such as hay.
- Hay helps there digestive system and rid them of hairballs expecialy during molting.
- Lettuce and carrots are not deadly to rabbits, if used sparingly as treats.However, if you feed a rabbit to much they can have diarrhea and become bloated that could lead to death.
- Remember that allot of vegetables if not grown organically may contain left over traces of pesticides and or different chemicals.
- There are a number of Poisonous Plants that can kill a rabbit.
- Befor cutting a feild next door, research your native plants and what is safe in your area for your rabbits.
- We recomend pellet feed over trying to create your own feed.
- There are allot of things needed for good diet and a good brand of pellet feed will have all the proper nutrition needs for your rabbit.
- When getting a new rabbit always ask the breeder for transition food. This will allow you to slowly transition the rabbit to the food your going to feed it.
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Rabbit Cage Sizes
For your rabbit cage the ideal wire for most breeds is:
Top and sides 1"x 2" 16 gage wire.
The bottom most use 1/2"x 1" 14 gage wire.
The minimum space for the rabbit is shown in the charts below.
Take your (length X width = total Sq. Inches)Rabbit Size in LBS / Space Requirement in Sq. inches.
3-5 lbs / 180 sq. in
6-8 lbs / 360 sq. in
9-11 lbs / 540 sq. in
12 or more lbs / 720 sq. in
Now for the Nursing Does you will need a larger space Rabbit Size in LBS / Space Requirement in Sq. inches
3-5 lbs / 576 sq. in
6-8 lbs / 720 sq.in
9-11 lbs / 864 sq. in
12 or more lbs / 1080 sq. in
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Rabbit General Care
- Feed at least once a day.
- Free feed Doe with litter and kits till 0-6 months old.
- Keep a full supply of water for them to drink at all times.
- Feed them hay as well as pellet feed because they need the roughage.
- You can also get a mineral block for them. Carful they rust cages quick.
- But a good pellet feed should have all the proper minerals and salt needed.
- The use of cedar chips or pine chips can cause respiratory problems.
- Aspen, corn cob husk or pine pellet bedding is reccomended.
- Trim the rabbit nails every 2 months and brush the rabbit every couple weeks.
- With other breeds such as the angora you might have to brush every day.
- Check there teeth, stool, ears, feet and nails often.
- Always watch to see that they are eating and drinking well.
- Make sure they have proper shelter from the elements.
- And of course give them loving attention.
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Rabbit Information Videos
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Designed By Travis 2010
