Top 5 Rabbit Farming Management Tips for Success
I. Key Management Points for Raising Rabbits
1. Ensure Adequate Feed Supply: While spring brings an abundance of wild herbs, it's crucial to manage rabbit feed carefully due to frequent rainy days and high humidity, which can lead to spoilage. During this period, owners must strictly monitor the quality of rabbit feed to avoid feeding their pets moldy, rotten, or contaminated greens. Early spring herbs may not be fully developed and of poor quality. To stimulate rabbit estrus and improve fertility, it's best to provide feed rich in vitamins, such as sprouted grains and malted barley.
2. Prepare for Spring Breeding Early: Spring breeding should commence as early as possible to ensure rabbits can reproduce twice. Ideally, rabbits should be bred from late February to early March. However, if a stud rabbit has not been used for breeding for an extended period, the vitality of its sperm may be low, with many dead or malformed sperm, which can affect fertility and litter size. Therefore, it's advisable to use a rebreeding method.
3. Be Prepared for Rapid Temperature Changes: Spring temperatures can fluctuate greatly, making it essential to guard against late spring cold spells, especially in March. Cold winds or snow can cause sudden temperature drops, leading to frequent cases of rabbit colds and pneumonia, particularly in young rabbits that have just been weaned and have low resistance. During this time, owners must manage their rabbits with extra care.
4. Maintain Rabbit Caging Hygiene: In southern China, spring brings abundant rain and high humidity, which can lead to a surge in pathogenic microorganisms and increase the incidence of rabbit diseases, especially coccidiosis. This disease can have severe consequences. Therefore, it's vital for owners to maintain clean and disinfected rabbit pens, cleaning and disinfecting regularly.
5. Prevent Feed Poisoning: Statistics show that feed poisoning in rabbits during spring is quite common, often caused by the accidental consumption of toxic wild herbs, damp and moldy feed, sprouting potatoes, or tubers with black spots. Therefore, owners should prevent feed spoilage and strictly select wild herbs, ensuring none are toxic to rabbits.
Tip from Oxygen Pet Doctor: Preventing moisture in the rabbit shed is crucial for providing a good living environment. Moisture can lead to feed spoilage and increase the risk of rabbit diseases. When constructing the rabbit shed, pay attention to this aspect, and keeping the shed dry is of utmost importance.