In this article we will discuss about the breeding management of rabbit.
Breeding Practices:
For producing small sized breeds, females or does are selected at the age of 5.5 months and for medium sized breed, 6 months old females are selected. For all cases, male or buck should be at least 6 months old.
Mating:
The doe is always introduced into the buck’s cage for mating, because if a buck is put into the doe’s cage, she might fight with him to protect her cage. If the doe is on heat, she will let the buck mate her. After mating the doe is returned to her hutch/cage.
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They should not be left together, even if mating has not occurred. It is better to return the doe to her hutch and to bring her back again to the buck after few hours or on the next day. Breeding is normally done in early morning or late afternoon.
Breeding Hazards and Management:
Breeding Failures:
A doe may occasionally fail to become pregnant.
The causes of such failure are listed below:
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(1) Age:
The buck or the doe may be too young or too old. Such rabbits should not be selected for breeding.
(2) On Heat:
The doe may not be on heat. So, after four days she might be tried again.
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(3) False pregnancy:
If the doe starts to pull her fur out, 16 to 20 days after mating, she has probably developed a false pregnancy.
(4) Physical Condition:
A rabbit which is too fat or too thin is less likely to breed than a normal rabbit. In such cases, feeding schedule should be changed.
(5) Disease or Injury:
A rabbit showing signs of disease or injury should not be used for breeding. It should be treated or culled depending on the condition and may be used for breeding after complete recovery.
(6) Moulting:
Rabbits which are moulting (renewal of hair) are less likely to breed successfully.
(7) Sterility:
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Sometimes a buck or doe may be completely sterile. Records can be used to find out which rabbit is sterile.
(8) Hot Weather:
During very hot weather when temperatures reach above 30°C, especially when relative humidity is also high, breeding can be impaired. These conditions cause stress and can cause temporary sterility in bucks.
(9) Disturbance to Doe:
If the doe is disturbed, she may kindle on the hutch floor (without a nest) and the litter may die from exposure. If she is disturbed after the litter is born and jumps into the nest box, she may stamp with her back feet and injure or kill the new born.
Selection of Reproduction Method:
For successful rabbit production, the choice of reproduction method must be preceded by careful study and planning. There are three basic methods of reproduction – (1) extensive, (2) semi-intensive, and (3) intensive.
(1) Extensive Reproduction Method:
In this system, the breeder fully utilizes the does’ maternal instincts by allowing them to nurse their young for 5-6 weeks, and rebreeding them soon after weaning. Does are, therefore, serviced once every two and a half months.
(2) Semi-intensive Method:
Here the does are serviced 10-20 days after kindling and the young are weaned for 4-5 weeks. So the doe is pregnant while still nursing. The most important phase of embryo development takes place during the slump in milk production, which may have even ceased.
So there is no real competition between the demands of gestation and lactation. As these does never have a resting period they need sufficient and balanced concentrate feed.
(3) Intensive Method:
Here the does are re-serviced just after kindling, taking advantage of the fact that they are then in the heat. Weaning should take place 4 weeks at the latest (usually 26-28 days).
Considering the greater nutritional needs of the pregnant doe, especially one which is lactating, semi- intensive and intensive reproduction systems are only suitable where does get the right quantity and quality of feed. If these conditions are not met, the does will usually accept the male, but will abort.
Abortion extends the interval between litters to make it as long as the extensive breeding interval. In wet tropical climate, with balanced feeding, it is possible for a doe to produce 40 -50 young a year by a combination of intensive and semi-intensive methods of reproduction.
Management of Pregnant Doe:
If the pregnant doe has no previous litter, she can be kept in a smaller, single size hutch/cage for the first three weeks. At least a week before kindling, the doe should be placed into a breeding hutch/cage where she will give birth.
At the same time a nest box and suitable soft materials for making a nest, such as grass, hay or straw should be kept ready. Twenty-eight days after breeding, the nest box is placed in the doe’s hutch. Few days before kindling she starts to make the nest. The day before kindling, the doe will pull out some of her fur from her belly around her teats. She will use this to give a fine lining to the nest.
Feeding the Pregnant Doe:
During pregnancy, feeding of the doe should be gradually increased during the last 10-14 days of pregnancy to fulfill the demand of growing embryos. Good feeding at this time is likely to increase the birth weight of the young rabbits and the milk yield of the mother.
Management during Kindling:
The birth of the babies or bunnies is known as ‘kindling’ or littering. Kindling often takes place in the evening or at night. It lasts for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the litter. As each bunny is born, the mother licks it and allows it to suckle.
A doe cannot successfully rear more than eight young, because she has only eight teats. So if more than eight bunnies are born, strongest eight young rabbits from the litter are kept with the doe. Others are taken away and either fostered or culled.
Sometimes due to some disturbances, a doe may not make a nest at all and simply gives birth on the floor of the hutch. Such bunnies are likely to die from cold or due to negligence. If they are placed in the nest box with some soft material, there is a chance that the doe will accept them. If not, the only alternative is fostering.
Sometimes a doe may kill her young (cannibalism) or abandon them for no apparent reason. If it happens twice with the same doe, she can be classed as ‘bad mother’ and should be separated from the herd and culled, because this characteristic can pass on to her offsprings.
The nest box and the bunnies should be protected from predators, otherwise, the doe may get upset or frightened and may kill or abandon the bunnies. Again, during the kindling time, except the caretaker, other persons should not be allowed to enter the rabbitry
Management of Young Litter:
A few hours after kindling, the nest box is removed from the cage and the litters are checked carefully. Few bunnies from a large litter can be transferred to a foster mother to ensure uniform growth and development at weaning time.
To facilitate acceptance by the foster mother, Vicks Vaporab can be rubbed on the nose of mother as well as the bunnies to deaden their sense of smell. This will enable a successful acceptance by the doe.
Caring during Lactation:
Doe’s milk is the only feed for the bunnies during the first two or three weeks of their lives. Their development during this important period depends on the mother’s milk supply. So doe should be well fed during the last half of pregnancy and lactation.
On the other hand, a doe may occasionally fail to produce milk. In such cases, the young will starve to death within 2 or 3 days unless the condition is noted and the young are transferred to foster mothers.
Management during Weaning:
Weaning is the time when the young are separated from the doe. Normal weaning time is at 4 to 6 weeks of age when the young rabbit’s live weight is over 500 gm. During the weaning period the young gradually give up milk for solid feed.
During weaning young rabbits in the litter are withdrawn at the same time and placed 6 to 8 per cage in the area set aside for fattening. Alternatively, the doe (mother) may be removed from the young rabbits.
The young rabbits begin to eat solid feed supplied to them at 18th to 20th days and at 30th day the doe’s milk provides no more than 20% of the daily dry-matter intake. In this time they are more susceptible to diseases. Cooled boiled drinking water and hydrogen peroxide at the rate of 1 ml per litre of water can be used for disinfection. From weaning time, males and females are kept as well as reared separately.