Understanding Domestic Rabbit Growth, Development, and

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Section 1: Characteristics of Rabbit Growth and Development

1. Rapid Late Embryonic Development

Rabbits exhibit a unique pattern of growth during their embryonic stage. Initially, the rate of development is slow, but it accelerates significantly towards the end. The weight of the fetus is primarily influenced by the number of offspring and the mother's nutritional status, rather than the sex of the offspring.

2. Swift Growth in Kits

Newborn kits are born hairless, blind, and with closed ear canals. However, their growth is astonishingly rapid. Within 3 to 4 days, they start to grow fur, and by 10 to 12 days, their eyes open. Around 20 days, they begin to eat solid food, and their coat is fully formed by about a month. Most rabbit breeds weigh only about 50g at birth, but they can double their weight by one week and reach 10 times their birth weight by four weeks. By eight weeks, they can weigh up to 40% of their adult size.

3. Growth Rate Influenced by Lactation

The number of kits and the mother's milk production significantly affect the growth rate. If the number of kits is high and the milk supply is low, the growth of the kits can be severely limited.

4. High Growth and Feed Conversion Rates in Young Rabbits

Young rabbits continue to gain weight as they age. For New Zealand White rabbits, the peak growth rate is at eight weeks, after which it gradually slows down. The feed conversion rate is highest at three weeks, at a ratio of 2:1, and it decreases over time. By eight weeks, the ratio is 3:1, and by ten weeks, it is 4:1. It's crucial for owners to manage the feeding of young rabbits effectively, taking advantage of their rapid growth and high feed conversion rates.

5. Variations in Growth Among Different Rabbits

Growth rates vary between male and female kits, which becomes more pronounced after eight weeks of age. Initially, male kits grow slower than females. Under the same conditions, male rabbits tend to weigh less than females of the same breed.

Section 2: Rabbit Moulting Characteristics

Rabbits are born without fur and begin to grow fur after 3 to 4 days. They shed their natal fur around one month of age and then enter a regular cycle of agerelated and seasonal molting.

1. AgeRelated Moulting

Kits undergo two major molting periods in their lives. The first occurs between 30 to 100 days of age, and the second between 130 to 190 days. The timing of these molts can vary depending on the breed, nutrition, and environmental temperature.

2. Seasonal Moulting

Adult rabbits shed their fur twice a year, typically in spring and autumn. Spring molting occurs from March to April, as days lengthen and temperatures warm, prompting rabbits to shed their "winter coat" for a "summer coat." Autumn molting happens from August to September, as days shorten and temperatures cool, necessitating the shedding of the "summer coat" for a "winter coat." The timing and duration of molting can also be affected by age, sex, health, nutrition, and climate. During this period, it's important to provide rabbits with a rich diet to support their normal metabolic processes.

We hope this information on rabbit growth and development, as well as molting characteristics, provides you with a deeper understanding of these delightful creatures.