Sexing is usually done at weaning along with tattooing. Young rabbits can be lifted by grasping them firmly over the loins, the fingers on one side and thumb on the other.
A rabbit should be picked up by a firm grip on the loose skin over the scruff of the neck with one hand and the other hand supporting the hindquarters. The rabbits should always be handled firmly but gently. Animals who attain 2 kg body weight at lower age are assumed to be better converters of feed and are selected as breeding animal. Hence the number of days taken to attain 2 kg body weight is taken as a yardstick for feed conversion efficiency. It is practically impossible to record daily the feed given to each and every rabbit.
The basic principle of broiler rabbit industry is to exploit the feed efficiency of broiler rabbits. If five to six bunnies are available for weaning from each litter and if five litters are produced by the doe per year, the number of weaned bunnies from the doe per year should be 25. This is another economically important trait. Number of weaned bunnies per year per doe. So if weaning is practiced at thirty days, there should be five litters for weaning from each breeding doe. Under our conditions it is advisable to breed the does within a week of weaning. Number of kindling’s from a doe per year depends on many factors like weaning age, time of maturing, etc. The gestation period of does is thirty days. More number of weaned bunnies are always advantageous for the farmer. Litter weight at weaning must be more than 3 kg.Ītleast 5-6 bunnies should be available from each litter at the time of weaning. At the time of weaning the body weight of bunnies should be more than 450 gm. The weaning weight of the litter is an important selection criteria. The young bunnies are weaned between 30 days and 45 days. The does selected for breeding must have atleast six bunnies in the litter at 21st day. This trait is also equally important in measuring the mothering ability of doe. The optimum value for litter weight at 21 days age is 1.2 - 1.5 kg. The litter weight at three weeks age is taken as criteria for measurement of mothering ability of the doe. If the doe is good in it’s mothering ability the survivability and growth of bunnies will be more.
At this time their eyes are not open and the sole feed is mother’s milk. The young kits depend fully on their mother for first 10-12 days of their life. Litter weight at 21-day age (three weeks) Average birth weight of kits of a litter in broiler rabbits should be 40-50 g or more. For survivability of the kits, it should have atleast 40 g body weight at the time of birth. Usually birth weight of kits will be less, if number of kits in the litter is more and vice-versa. Some of the kits will be born dead and that should be considered. Litter size at birth for the doe is one of the characters which contributes for the economic returns from rabbit rearing.
These traits are:Īll the young ones of a kindling constitute a litter. The performance of rabbits in these traits is the basis for selection of breeding animals. The traits of rabbit, which are instrumental in giving financial benefits to the farmer, are called as economic traits of rabbits. Colour of fur is not uniform.Įconomic traits in rabbits used for selection The adult weighs 4 to 4.5 kg and breeds all through the year. They are found to be highly adaptive to Kerala conditions. The crosses between the above mentioned breeds and local types have been produced. Annual wool yield recorded is between 300-1000g in 3 to 4 clippings. The length of hind limbs as well as body size is larger than that of New Zealand White.Īngora is a very ancient breed of small rabbit weighing around 3 kilograms. Colour of the fur is white while that of the eyes and skin is red. It is almost similar in appearance to Newzealand White. White Giant also originated in the erstwhile Soviet Union. The eye colour is red due to the absence of melanin pigment. Due to the resemblance of its fur with that of hare, it is often mistaken as hare. This breed is also a native of erstwhile USSR. Though this breed is reared for meat its fur is a fancy in fur crafts. This breed was evolved in erstwhile USSR. Rabbit is also utilized for show and exhibition purposesīreed and description of rabbits available in India Breeds