October Focus: Essential Rabbit Care & Management Tips

Section 1: The Prime Task of Ensuring Healthy Pregnancy and Birth in Breeding Rabbits

October marks the peak month for rabbit breeders to prioritize the reproductive assistance of their rabbits. During this time, owners must act swiftly to mate rabbits that meet the criteria for breeding, ensuring that nonpregnant females reach the reproductive age and become pregnant.

1. Prepregnancy Preparation: Within the first 10 days after mating, it's crucial to focus on maintaining the pregnancy in the female rabbits. Continue with their usual proper feeding methods and allow for light exercise, but be cautious to avoid startling the rabbits.

2. MidPregnancy Preparation: From the 11th to the 20th day after conception, the emphasis shifts to nurturing the pregnancy. Gradually introduce highquality, nutrientrich green and juicy forage to the diet of the pregnant rabbits, along with supplementary feed and minerals. This period is particularly susceptible to miscarriage, so avoid handling the rabbits roughly and causing distress.

3. Late Pregnancy Preparation: Starting from the 21st day of pregnancy until the day of birth, it's essential to strengthen the pregnancy. Feeding should be frequent with small portions, ensuring a balanced diet rich in nutrients, especially not lacking in trace elements and vitamins.

Rabbit gestation typically lasts between 28 to 32 days. Five days before the expected birth, prepare the birthing box for the mother rabbit, disinfect it, and place it in her cage. Line the box with clean, soft, short straw. During this time, the rabbit usually pulls out her own fur to create a nest. If she doesn't, gently remove some fur from her belly and place it in the birthing box. Provide ample fresh saltwater and green feed to prevent the mother from drinking her offspring after giving birth.

Section 2: Preparing Feed for Rabbits

October is the season when crops and rabbit forage are ripe. Owners should harvest and dry the appropriate crops and forage for rabbits, such as peanut vines and soybean plants, which are excellent feed options. These can be mixed with concentrated feed to create a balanced diet. This month can be quite busy, but it's important to feed the rabbits regularly to prevent them from experiencing hunger and overeating, which can lead to unnecessary losses.

Section 3: Disease Prevention

The late autumn and early winter are peak times for serious rabbit infectious diseases, such as rabbit fever. Therefore, it's essential for owners to take proactive measures for rabbit vaccination. Due to the significant temperature fluctuations during this period, rabbits are prone to colds and secondary pneumonia. It's important to maintain a stable temperature in the rabbit shed, and if temperatures drop at night, use plastic film to insulate the shed's exterior to protect the rabbits from cold drafts. Regularly disinfect the shed, ideally once a week.

In case any rabbits show symptoms of colds or diarrhea, immediate treatment is necessary. For colds, owners can administer analgesic injections to the affected rabbits, 0.5ml per dose, and provide them with paracetamol tablets, one tablet per dose, with half the dose for young rabbits. If the rabbits do not recover after three days, antibiotics should be added to the treatment, administered via nasal drops. For diarrhea, flufenamic acid tablets can be given internally, one tablet per large rabbit, and half a tablet for small rabbits.

This summary by Oxygen Pet Doctor highlights the key points for raising rabbits in October. We hope this information is helpful to you!