Environmental Factors Influencing Meat Rabbit Feedlot G

Part 1: The Habits of Rabbits

It's a wellknown fact that the domesticated rabbits we raise today are descendants of wild rabbits that have been domesticated. Over time, through both natural selection and human breeding, the wild rabbits have undergone significant changes in size, appearance, and quality. However, even today, rabbits still retain certain traits from their wild ancestors, such as being timid, preferring to be active at night, and enjoying burrowing into holes. These habits of the wild rabbits are still present today. By understanding and utilizing these habits, we can greatly enhance the effectiveness of rabbit farming. For instance, taking advantage of rabbits' preference for a slightly dim environment can lead to better fattening results.

Part 2: The Impact of Light on Rabbit Fattening

Light plays a crucial role in the growth and reproduction of rabbits. Studies have shown that a lowlight or dark environment is more beneficial for rabbit fattening. In a dimly lit setting, rabbits can only see their food and water, which helps suppress their reproductive development, increase feed utilization, promote growth, reduce movement, and decrease fighting behaviors. Rabbits that live in a quieter and darker environment can alter their habits of sleeping during the day, eating less, and being active at night with a larger appetite. This encourages them to eat evenly throughout the day and night. Additionally, in a dimly lit environment, external noises, lights, and animal activity are less likely to disturb the rabbits, leading to a more stable mood and an increase in appetite and digestion rate, which in turn speeds up weight gain.

It is clear that maintaining a darker environment in rabbit farming can significantly improve fattening results. An experiment has even shown that under the same breeding management standards and feed conditions, rabbits raised in a dimly lit pen for six months weigh 250 to 350 grams more than those raised in a pen with abundant sunlight. Therefore, a dimly lit environment is highly beneficial for rabbit fattening, and it is an easy and effective measure that deserves to be promoted. However, since rabbits in such an environment do not receive sufficient sunlight, it is important to pay attention to the following two points to ensure their healthy growth: 1) Keep the rabbit pens clean and sanitized, increase the frequency of disinfection, and prevent the occurrence and spread of various rabbit diseases; 2) Ensure a balanced and nutritious diet for the rabbits, particularly by supplementing them with adequate vitamins and minerals.

This introduction to the impact of light on rabbit fattening is provided in the hope that it will help improve the fattening results of rabbits.