About breeding rabbits on a farm. Breeding rabbits as a business: organizing a farm

Rabbits are found in almost all private households. How to grow these animals? How to make winter and summer diets? How to organize the breeding of rabbits?

If you decide to start raising and breeding rabbits, you need to prepare a place where the animals will live. Set aside a separate room for them, in which there will be no drafts and humidity, equip cages of sufficient size. Prepare bedding and food in advance.

Ways to keep rabbits

There are several ways to keep and raise rabbits on farms:

• cells;
• enclosures;
• sheds;
• mini-farms.

cell culture

In one cage contain up to 8 same-sex rabbits at the same time. Young animals are weaned from their mothers at 45 days, males live separately on their own. The cage area is calculated as follows: one rabbit has 0.07-0.1 m2. Each cage is equipped with a drinking bowl and a feeder.

This type of rearing is similar to keeping animals in pits. Several females and one male live in one enclosure, where they breed. The aviary is fenced, protecting the animals from dogs and other animals, be sure to install a roof that will not allow precipitation to get inside.

Growing in pits

Many farmers use this type of keeping and raising rabbits. On the territory of the farm, a hole is dug up to a depth of 2 meters, the width and length can be 2-3 m. The walls around the entire perimeter are covered with slate, mesh or cement and several passages are left.

After that, a group of rabbits is populated in the pit. They dig long passages and burrows in which they live and breed. To catch animals, doors are made at the entrances to the holes. Feeders and drinkers are installed in the pit.

Maintenance in sheds and mini-farms

Sheds are unheated long sheds in which cages are placed in a row. The main advantage of this content is protection from rain and wind. In winter, heating is turned on in the nests.

Mini-farms are complex structures developed by Professor Mikhailov. They are difficult to transport, but for keeping a large number of rabbits, this type of rearing is very convenient. Cages are placed in two or three tiers, in which automatic systems for feeding, watering and cleaning the vital activity of rabbits are installed. This allows you to spend less time caring for the animals.

How to properly care for rabbits?

Rabbits are very sensitive to diet and care. Improper feeding and inappropriate keeping conditions will lead to the loss of livestock. Here are a few rules for raising rabbits:

• exclude drafts and direct sunlight;
• provide rabbits with a complete and proper diet;
• vaccinate livestock on time;
• transplant young at 45-60 days;
• observe the temperature regime, since rabbits grow more slowly at low temperatures;
• regularly clean the bedding and wash the feeders;
• change the water in the drinkers daily.

What to feed rabbits?

For good growth and well-being, rabbits must constantly eat (one animal approaches the feeder up to 60 times a day). The diet contains juicy, coarse and concentrated feed. Hay is given to rabbits in unlimited quantities.

Give animals fresh sprigs of raspberry, currant, birch, oak or elm. Do not feed stone fruit branches to rabbits. Juicy foods also include vegetables (cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, beets, etc.), which are given raw to animals. It is not recommended to feed white cabbage to rabbits, as it leads to bloating.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Mineral and vitamin supplements are essential for rabbits. Here is a table that shows the required dosages for animals of different groups:

Table 1. Vitamin and mineral supplements

Groups of rabbits	vitamins	vitamins	vitamins	vitamins	vitamins	vitamins
Groups of rabbits	A	D	E	B12	per head per day	per head per day
	For 1 gram of feed				Carotene, mg.	Fish oil, g
	thousand IU	thousand IU	mg	mcg	Carotene, mg.	Fish oil, g
Rabbits at rest	8	0,9-1	10-40	10	1,2	1-1,5
Baby rabbits	10	1	10-40	10-60	1,8	2-2,5

Vitamins A and D are found in fish oil. Vitamin E Rabbits get from good grass hay. Yeast contains vitamin B12, as well as protein and vitamin D2.

As mineral supplements, rabbits are fed chalk (up to 1% of the total diet), table salt (in the same dosage as chalk) and bone meal (it contains calcium and phosphorus, it is added to the feed at 2 g per one animal).

Winter and summer feeding schedules

In summer, animals are actively fed with juicy food, but rabbits should not be given a lot of freshly cut grass, as this leads to bloating. Let the plants dry for a couple of days before feeding. Here is a list of herbs that can be given to rabbits:

• sorrel and rhubarb;
• legumes and cereals;
• plantain;
• nettle;
• yarrow;
• wormwood;
• burdock;
• alfalfa;
• clover;
• dandelion.

In winter, the main food products are coarse, concentrated and combined feeds. Rabbits are fed grain (wheat, oats, barley, corn), legumes (in small volumes), cake, meal and bran. Compound feeds are used by any (except for birds), from which animals receive the necessary amount of protein and minerals.

In the cold period, the animals are given juicy food in the form of root crops. Rabbits are happy to eat zucchini, potatoes and beets (in small quantities), as well as pumpkin and carrots.

Video - the diet of rabbits in winter and summer

What should not be fed to rabbits?

Some foods are contraindicated for rabbits. They lead to indigestion, bloating and poisoning. Here is a list of such products:

• all legumes (they are fed in limited quantities and only together with other plants);
• nuts;
• potatoes and red beets in large quantities;
• cabbage (white and red);
• pasta, bread and other flour products;
• sausage, biscuits, chocolate and other human food are harmful to animals.

To poisonous plants, which are categorically contraindicated for rabbits, include tansy, dope, wild garlic, spurge, hemlock, bindweed, wormwood (in large volumes), larkspur. Carefully inspect hay and grass for the presence of these plants.

Many experienced farmers note that newcomers to rabbit breeding often forget to water the animals. This leads to indigestion and a decrease in appetite, which means that the animals do not grow well and slowly gain weight.

In the cold season, rabbits are watered after each meal. Warm water is poured into the drinkers, so it will not freeze longer. If it is not possible to fill the drinkers during the day, they put snow in them.

Inclusion of twigs and green fodder in the diet will reduce grain intake. Rabbits are given a variety of grass, as feeding one species will result in a decrease in appetite. Straw is not suitable for animal nutrition, it is used only as bedding.

How to start breeding rabbits?

Before you start breeding rabbits, familiarize yourself with the breeds and choose the one that is right for you. There are three areas of productivity of these animals: meat (California and New Zealand breeds), meat and skin and skin or down (Angora and white downy rabbits).

For beginner rabbit breeders, it is better to choose meat and skin breeds:

• Soviet chinchilla - rabbits with silver-blue fur, reach 7 kg, females bring up to 8 cubs;
• white giant - animals of white color, red eyes, adults gain up to 7-9 kg, the female gives birth to 8-9 rabbits, in rare cases - 12-13 each;
• gray giant - large rabbits with a variety of colors (the most popular is agouti), the weight of an adult animal reaches 7 kg, this breed is prolific, and females are highly milky;
• flanders are giants among rabbits, the weight of an adult male can reach 12 kg, females in rare cases give birth to up to 15 rabbits.

After preparing the premises in which the animals will live, you can start buying animals.

Pay attention to the appearance of the rabbit: his coat is soft and shiny, his eyes are clear and mobile, his physique is strong.

Breeding methods

After acquiring the rabbits, decide which breeding method you will use. There are purebred mating and crossbreeding of different breeds.

First breeding method

The first breeding method is used to improve breed qualities. Only the best representatives of the breed are allowed to breed. The female and the male are selected carefully, all the nuances are taken into account, they check whether the family lines are combined.

Lines are a large group of animals that have one male ancestor. If a female is at the head of the group, she is called a family. Lines are a very important link in the work of breeders, because thanks to them, specialists get purebred animals.

This breeding method involves the use of inbreeding (inbreeding). Rabbit breeders mate nieces and nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. With the right selection of pairs, the necessary breed qualities are fixed in the offspring. It is not recommended for inexperienced rabbit breeders to use inbreeding, since incorrect mating will lead to a decrease in viability, deformities and a deterioration in commercial qualities.

Second breeding method

The second method is called crossing, or hybridization. In this way, rabbit breeders get individuals with good growth and other necessary characteristics. With this method, representatives of different lines are paired.

Industrial breeding

Large production facilities contain a huge number of rabbits (tens of thousands). Here, animals are grown in special facilities, which are placed in large rooms with good ventilation and the required air temperature. Feeding, watering and cleaning are automated.

Breeding in such industries is carried out by breeders. Rabbits are regularly examined by veterinarians. Males, females and young animals are kept in different buildings. Large enterprises have their own workshops where they produce feed for rabbits.

Technical services monitor the operation of all systems. In separate rooms, rabbits are slaughtered, carcasses are cut and stored. Meat is supplied to chain stores, catering establishments and private farms. The purpose of such productions is to obtain certified and environmentally friendly products.

Breeding at home

Breeding rabbits at home will allow you to get a good income, because one female brings up to 30 cubs a year, which is almost 70 kg of expensive dietary meat. For keeping on private farms, it is better to purchase rabbits of meat breeds, as they are less whimsical to the conditions of detention, calm and prolific.

Breeding animals in winter

In the cold season, the premises where the animals are kept are insulated, the lighting is enhanced. The cages in which the round is planned are covered on all sides with mats stuffed with straw (they can be replaced with plywood). In severe frosts, females are transferred to the premises for okrol.

Here are a few more rules for breeding rabbits in the winter:

• give rabbits only high-quality and complete feed;
• include coniferous branches in the diet (they are rich in vitamins);
• feed more root crops (up to 200 g are added to the norm), this will increase the digestibility of feed and lactation;
• lactating females are given mineral supplements (4 g of a mixture of chalk and salt per rabbit);
• do not allow street rounds at temperatures below -10 degrees;
• mating of animals in winter is carried out in the middle of the day for 3-4 days.

Rabbits that were born in the cold season have stronger immunity. Such animals gain weight well, grow faster, and are also distinguished by high fertility.

Features of reproduction and mating of animals

In the autumn months, the animals begin an active molt, so during this period the animals breed worse. Sexual hunting in females lasts up to five days, in summer it is repeated every 5-6 days, in winter - every 8-9 days. At this time, the animals eat less, become more excited. The genital slit swells a little and acquires a rich pink color.

Mating of rabbits is carried out only in the male's cage, which is pre-cleaned and treated with a disinfectant. The mating is carried out in the morning and evening.

Animals that have reached the age of 4 months and weigh 2.5 kg are allowed to mate. One contact is enough for fertilization. One male is able to cover no more than two rabbits per day. After successful fertilization, the rabbit falls on its side and squeaks, the female is left for a few more minutes, after which they are placed in a separate cage.

A feature of the breeding of these animals is that the rabbits are able to combine pregnancy and rearing of the young, thanks to which the farmers receive compacted births (if there is adequate feeding and good care).

Pregnancy and birth

Not every mating results in fertilization. Pregnancy in a rabbit is determined by the following signs:

• the female becomes aggressive;
• when touching the wool, the rabbit growls and bites;
• the female begins to actively build a nest;
• before giving birth, the rabbit pulls out fluff from her chest and abdomen and lays out the floor in the nest for them.

A veterinarian can determine the presence of pregnancy by palpation. It is carried out a couple of weeks after mating. The doctor gently probes the female's abdomen for the presence of cubs, which are felt as small balls. It is impossible for an inexperienced rabbit breeder to palpate, this will harm future offspring.

The fertilized rabbit is placed in a separate cage with a compartment for okrol. For a few days, the female is given more hay. Before giving birth, the rabbit pulls fluff from her stomach and chest and lines the nest with it, it will warm the little cubs well.

Do not irritate the pregnant female, do not move her to a new room or another cage. Any noise should be excluded, strangers should not approach the rabbit. Do not disturb the female, provide her with good nutrition and clean water, only in this case the birth will be successful.

Okrol occurs 27-31 days after mating. The rabbit does not need the presence of a person during childbirth, but the farmer should control the entire process in order to prevent possible complications in time. Okrol lasts from several minutes to a day.

After giving birth, inspect the cage, if there are newborn rabbits outside the nest, remove the female, put on gloves and carefully transfer the cub to the nest. After 15-20 minutes, launch the rabbit into the cage. You can not disturb and annoy the female, because in the first days after birth, due to stress, she can destroy the offspring. Do not touch the rabbits until they are covered with fur.

Growing and breeding rabbits brings farmers not only a good income, but also a lot of positive emotions. Provide your animals with quality feed, follow the rules of care and breed rabbits responsibly.

Video - breeding and raising rabbits at home

There is when people equip a balcony or an entire room for this. However, living in the countryside or in the country during the summer, it is better to move the rabbit farm there. In a private house, rabbits can be kept in cages outside the premises, or cages with eared ones can be mounted in a shed - a special one, or kept in heated rabbitries. With any housing system for rabbits, constant access to fresh air is important, smoothing out weather factors such as extreme heat or, in summer, the absence of direct sunlight. In urban apartments, rabbits are usually kept in cramped cages in order to save space, which adversely affects both the health of adult animals and the condition of their offspring.

To get started, it's worth getting one or two mature male rabbits and a few rabbits, depending on what scale you are planning. Each rabbit can cover up to 15-18 females. It is recommended to purchase animals on rabbit farms or from experienced rabbit breeders.

Rabbits are extremely prolific: in one litter there are 12-15 rabbits (as a rule, 8-10 are left so that the mother can have them) and early maturing: 4 females are already ready. The duration of the female is from 28 to 32 days. Thus, for a year, an adult rabbit brings offspring on average 5 times.

Even if rabbits are kept on a balcony in a city apartment, it is necessary to purchase cages for rabbits more spacious, taking into account the fact that numerous offspring will have to live with them from time to time.

A household for 10-20 rabbits will require you only 2-3 hours a day, in your free time from your main job. However, for positive results from breeding rabbits, it is necessary to stock up on special knowledge. Although the care of the animals is simple, there are many nuances in it, which, in turn, will determine your success in rabbit breeding. Having mastered the subtleties, you can make rabbit breeding the main “dust-free” business or a source of additional income.

rabbit breeding- an interesting, profitable and profitable occupation. This type of activity in the household is very popular. Rabbits are distinguished by high precocity and growth intensity, increased fertility and the ability to breed throughout the year. They unpretentious in the content in cages, adapt well to the existing conditions, fully pay for the food spent on them. Breeding and caring for animals is not a difficult task if you know the most important things about rabbits. This article will show you where to start.

Rabbits are born blind, naked and completely dependent on the mother rabbit. feed on exclusively with milk. By the 10th - 14th day in rabbits eyes open, by the 16th - 20th they are already leave the nest and begin to taste adult food.

At the age of 1 month, cubs can do without a mother.. By this time, their primary hairline reaches full development and there is a change of milk teeth to molars. Newborn rabbits have 16 temporary teeth. From the 18th day of life their gradual replacement with permanent ones begins. Milk molars fall out on the 20-28th day. After the change, animals have 28 of them, less often 26 (a pair of small incisors in the upper jaw may be absent). By the age of 30 days, the live weight of rabbits increases by 8-10 times.

Rabbits are true vegetarians. They like to eat green grass and prefer high quality hay in winter. With pleasure they gnaw branches of trees and bushes, gobble up grain, vegetables and fruits. Under conditions of home keeping, animal feeds in the form of nutritional and mineral supplements are also included in the diet of animals.

Rabbit diet

The digestive system of rabbits is perfectly adapted for eating plant foods. Stomach in animals is single-chambered, has the shape of a horseshoe-shaped bag. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, pepsin and lipase, which quickly dissolve feed proteins, promote the digestion of fats, and protect food from decay. Intestines 8-10 times the body length. Rabbit urine is alkaline and contains a lot of nitrogen and sulfur. daytime feces- dry and hard, night - soft and wet. A feature of animal digestion is natural coprophagia.

Rabbit puberty comes early. Animals of medium breeds are capable of reproduction at the age of 3-3.5 months, large - at the age of 3.5-4 months. However, without harm to the health, growth and quality of offspring, they can occur no earlier than 5-6 months, when the period of intensive growth ends. The final development of the body in rabbits ends by 8 months.

Females bring numerous offspring. In one litter, usually 6 to 9 rabbits are born. The maximum number of newborns is 18. The animals do not have a pronounced seasonal hunting. Females are fertilized all year round, every 5 - 6 days in summer, and 7 - 10 days in winter. Rabbits perfectly combine lactation and pregnancy, they can accept, care for and feed both their cubs and those from another mother, if the rabbits are about the same age.

Animals perfectly adapt to living conditions in any climatic conditions, however, they are sensitive to excessively low and high temperatures, drafts, infections and polluted air. Rabbits live up to 10 years, after 3-4 years, the reproductive capacity of females and males drops sharply, which necessitates a change in the producing composition. Especially valuable animals are used for 5-6 years.

Rabbits are the only farm animals in which albino parent pairs produce strong, healthy, fertile offspring.

Rabbit breeding: where to start, the choice of breed for breeding - meat or skin

Animals are bred for meat and skins. Downy rabbit breeding is less common. Rabbit meat is delicious, nutritious and healthy. It contains a lot of easily digestible protein, 90% of which is easily digested in the human body. Delicate fat does not harden and does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. Rabbit meat is used in dietary and clinical nutrition.. Rabbit dishes are classified as delicacies worthy of the attention of real gourmets. The most tender meat is obtained from broilers, which are slaughtered at the age of 70 - 75 days when they reach 2 kg.

The following animal breeds are suitable for meat breeding:

• flandre;

• french sheep;

• Californian;

• white New Zealand;

• red New Zealand.

Listed young is fast growing, a good set of live weight, optimal feed costs for growth. Marketable products with intensive fattening are obtained by 4-6 months, the weight of rabbits at this point can reach 5 kg.

Animals are also raised for their skins.. They are used in the light industry for sewing hats, fur coats and in the form of trimming hoods of products made from synthetic and natural materials. Shoes can also be trimmed with rabbit fur. It is also used to imitate more expensive mink, arctic fox, sable, seal, etc.

High-quality skins are obtained from animal breeds:

• Soviet chinchilla;

• gray giant;

• white giant;

• silver;

• Viennese blue;

• black-brown;

• butterfly;

• Russian ermine.

Animals are distinguished thick, soft and beautiful fur with a short awn and strong undercoat. Large valuable skins are obtained from rabbits. Slaughter is carried out after 6 months, when the first adult molt ends.

When choosing animals for a tribe, attention is paid to the health and constitution of the animals. Appearance must match the description of the breed. The male must be energetic, strong, well developed, with a pronounced masculine type. You should not choose small, lethargic, passive, retarded animals. The selection criteria for females are more varied. The expectant mother should have a light head, strong but not coarse bones., straight back, wide ass, firm, firm belly, strong legs. She must have at least four pairs of evenly spaced and normally developed nipples. This is a guarantee that she can feed and raise numerous offspring.

When compiling a breeding core, it is correct to acquire males and females from different breeders in order to exclude inbreeding. Incorrect selection leads to shredding, the accumulation of diseases and the shredding of livestock.

Home rabbit farm: conditions of keeping, growing and care

In the conditions of personal farms, they practice both keeping in a barn and outdoor cage keeping of animals. The place for rabbit houses is chosen even, protected from the prevailing winds, with natural or artificial shading. Rabbits do not tolerate overheating, drafts and do not like moisture, so you should immediately create comfortable conditions for the livestock. The approach to the site should be free to ensure unimpeded distribution of feed and cleaning of cages. The breeding backbone and productive young animals are kept in different sections, although on small farms this is almost arbitrary. Separately, there is a cage for sick animals and a cage for quarantine, where newly purchased animals will be temporarily kept, which cannot be immediately placed in the main herd.

1. The best are considered cages made of metal mesh and wood. The back wall and ends are made of boards, nailing the parts without gaps, tightly to each other. From the inside, the corners are sheathed with metal so that the rabbits do not spoil the cages. Part of the floor, the front wall and, if desired, the door are made mesh. For these purposes, a chain-link mesh and a fine-mesh construction mesh are suitable. The size is selected so that it is convenient for the animals to walk without falling into the cells with their paws. Part of the floor is made of solid boards. This is a resting place for rabbits, they can fully relax there, lie down, gnaw on a twig, etc.
2. Roofing material is slate, ondulin, profiled sheet. It is practical to make a roof with a slight slope towards the back wall to allow rainwater to drain if the cages are located in the open. The hinged and reclining design makes it easy to clean the rabbit housing when changing stock.
3. Feeders are made removable or stationary, they are placed on the front wall inside or outside the cells. Be sure to put a drinker, preferably automatic, so that the rabbits have constant access to water.
4. In winter, in severe frosts, the cells are insulated. They use both improvised materials and building thermal insulation. At critically low temperatures, the outer perimeter of the cage can be sheathed with foam plastic, and the facade can be covered with grass mats. In regions where there is a lot of snow, you can simply cover the cages with it, but do not forget to remove it during the thaw. Keep warm in the cages and plentiful litter of dry leaves, hay or straw, sawdust.
5. On small farms cells are arranged in a row e. With a large number of livestock, for ease of maintenance, they are installed in 3 floors one on top of the other. Under each tier there is a tray for collecting feces, urine and feed waste.

Animal cages are made differently, taking into account the specification of the use of the premises and the needs of the rabbits.

Cages for young animals

Rabbits after weaning kept in groups in large spacious cages. Up to 3 months, animals are not divided by gender, then they are transplanted separately. Pugnacious, aggressive animals are isolated from the herd. Fattening and fur young stock contain 6-12 heads in one cage. Replacement animals intended to replace the producing composition are kept 3 in one house. Living space for a normal rabbit should be 0.12 m², and for reproductive young animals - 0.17 m².

For summer keeping of rabbits use a design with two grids on the back and front wall. In such a cage, young animals are comfortable and safe, animals breathe fresh air and harmful gases do not accumulate inside. In winter, it is correct to keep rabbits in a closed cage, latticed only from the facade.

Queen cells for rabbits

For each female on home farms, a separate cage is allocated. In it she lives and gives offspring. Before the birth of the cubs, housing is supplemented with a mother liquor- a closed box with a hole in which the rabbit makes a nest. They make it from wooden slats and sheathe it with plywood. The size of the box is 300 x 500 x 300 mm. The diameter of the manhole is 150 mm. The lid is made hinged for ease of revision in the nest. Queen cells are placed either inside the cage at the level of the door, or taken out, providing free passage for the animal. In such an imitation of a mink, it is convenient for a female to raise rabbits. They grow healthy, strong and strong, quickly gaining weight.

Cages for mating

There are no special facilities for crossing animals at home. Everything is done simply - the female in the hunt for the time of mating is transferred to the cage of the male. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes. Mating must be observed. Immediately after its completion, the female is removed from the cage so as not to torment the male. After 5 days, control mating is carried out. If the rabbit does not allow the male to approach her, she is considered conditionally covered.

Rabbit care consists of distributing food and cleaning the cells of their waste products. Feed is given 2 or 3 times a day. Hygiene procedures combined with morning or evening feeding. On a mesh floor, it is permissible to remove feces once a day.

Growth and development of rabbits

Childbirth in rabbits occurs at night, lasting from 10 minutes to 1 hour. After the female eats the placenta and stillborn cubs. Generic activity causes a feeling of thirst, therefore cells must be constantly watered so that the animal does not make up for the lack of fluid due to the offspring. The same situation can arise if the mother's body lacks vitamins and minerals.

Young rabbits can scatter babies, so you have to watch around but do not interfere with the process. The rabbits outside the nest are folded manually. If the situation repeats, the animal is culled.

Females feed rabbits 1 time per day, less often twice. Rabbits drink up to 200 gr. milk per day. Well-fed rabbits lie peacefully in the nest, hungry rabbits squeak and try to get out of it. If they climb out of the nest before 14 days, then this means that they do not have enough food. The maximum level of milk production in a rabbit falls on the 20th - 25th day of feeding. The mother herself cleans the nest, without the need for a person to make adjustments there is not necessary.

Feed females during lactation ad libitum, ideally, if there is always food in the feeder, the animal itself will choose when and what it needs. The mother will teach the grown children to eat adult food.

Young animals are beaten off at the age of 30 days. Breeding animals can be left under the mother for up to 45 days. During this period of life, the weight of babies increases up to 10 times.

The first selection of animals is carried out at the age of 2-3 months. They are evaluated according to the degree of development, compliance with the breed standard, health, desirable traits. Bonitation consists in inspection, comparison with standard indicators. Sick, frail, weakened, atypical animals are culled. Rabbits with a rough and loose constitution are also to be excluded. For further breeding, the most promising young animals are left, the rest of the animals are allowed for meat and skins. The last revision of the future breeding composition is carried out at 6 months.

Rabbits grow rapidly up to 4 months. This is the ideal age for slaughtering beef animals, as the profitability of feeding livestock drops sharply afterwards. To obtain marketable skins, you will have to wait for an adult molt. In rabbits, this period is not pronounced. Usually animals molt from March to April, in autumn from October to November. In summer, partial loss of the awn is observed. Approximate time for slaughtering rabbits for skins- after 6 months. It is not recommended to keep commercial young animals for more than 8 months.

What do rabbits eat, proper feeding

A good forage base is the key to the prosperity of a rabbit farm. Animals eat a variety of food of plant origin.. Greens include:

• meadow forbs;
• wheatgrass;
• sagebrush;
• corn;
• sainfoin;
• peas;
• thistle;
• burdock;
• yarrow;
• nettle;
• colza.

The green mass is dried before distribution, it is never given wet from rain. It causes indigestion in animals, sometimes fatal.

Rough foods include:

• hay;
• herbal flour;
• branch feed;
• dry leaf of fruit trees.

Hay is harvested during the budding period, forbs and legumes are considered the best in composition. From branch feed, rabbits prefer aspen, willow, mountain ash, maple, acacia. From the garden - apple, pear, raspberry, cherry.

The succulent food menu includes:

• fodder beets;
• potato;
• carrot;
• pumpkin;
• Jerusalem artichoke;
• cabbage;
• fruits.

Sugar beet is fed in limited quantities mixed with bran. Vegetables are a seasonal crop, so the diet can be varied throughout the year.

Juicy rabbit food

Rabbits also need grain feed. They willingly eat:

• oats;
• wheat
• barley;
• corn;
• peas.

Additionally, bran, cake are included in the diet.

As a top dressing, rabbits are given:

• salt;
• meat and bone meal;
• blood and fish meal;
• milk;
• serum;
• yeast.

A complete diet is also provided by granulated food. It is bought ready-made in the markets or in specialized stores. The pressed lumps contain everything necessary for the rabbit's body.

Periodic distribution of onions and garlic to animals ensures the supply of additional vitamins, and the phytoncides contained in the products prevent the development of infectious and viral diseases.

For one year a female with an average brood eats up to 1 ton of grass, succulent feed 200 kg, hay 150 kg, concentrates 200 kg and mineral feed 10-12 kg. The data may differ in one direction or the other, it all depends on the climatic conditions in the region, the breed of animals and the diet menu.

Features of rabbit breeding - how to keep, care for and feed

The first time breeding animals are allowed to mate at the age of 5 - 11 months. Disposable females can be used at the age of 5 - 6 months. In healthy, strong, well-fed animals, hunting occurs every 5-6 days, somewhat less often in winter, so it is easy for a rabbit breeder to plan the time of birth of young animals. 2 weeks before the start of mating, they increase the diet with protein and vitamin feeds.. Males are offered oats, milk, eggs, which increase spermatogenesis and increase the activity of animals. By the time of mating, the producers should look strong, knocked down, in the body, but not greasy.

Mating of animals takes place quickly. For one cage, the male releases up to 2 ml. sperm. 20 minutes after mating, sperm enter the female's oviducts. Fertilization occurs 10-12 hours later.

Pregnancy in rabbits lasts 26 - 35 days. By the time of their birth, the cubs reach a weight of 50 to 90 g. The mass depends on the breed and the number of rabbits in the offspring. In multiple litters, rabbits are born small.

2 - 3 days before birth, the rabbit becomes restless, runs around the cage, arranges a nest and lines it with fluff. A sign of an approaching birth is and the drooping belly of the female, as well as the swollen nipples in which the milk resides. At this time, the supply of succulent feed is limited and hay is offered to animals. A few days after okrol, the diet is restored. Lack of milk can be stimulated by giving vegetables and fruits.

Rabbits can bring offspring 4 times a year. With compacted births, combined with feeding - up to 6-7 times. Often giving birth animals wear out quickly and have to be replaced more frequently.

With multiple births, it is recommended that part of the cubs be transferred to the upbringing of females who have few rabbits in the litter. To do this, it is better to isolate the foster mother for a while, put other rabbits in the nest interspersed with her own, and after a while return the rabbit to the nest.

Prevention of diseases, vaccinations

Rabbits are susceptible to disease. Vaccination of animals helps to strengthen the immune system and the body's resistance to infections.. The vaccinated livestock get sick less often, and disease outbreaks never end in an epidemic.

Vaccination against myxomatosis carried out when the young are 28 days old. Live vaccine B 82 is used. The form of administration is an intramuscular injection at a dose of 1 cube per head. Re-vaccination is done at the age of 120 days.

Vaccination against HBV do when the babies are 45 days old. Use tissue hydroaluminum formol vaccine. 0.5 cube of the drug is administered to animals intramuscularly. At 6 months, the procedure is repeated.

Another option to rid rabbits of disease is to use an associated vaccine. It works immediately for myxomatosis and VGBK. Rabbits are vaccinated at 45 days old. Use 0.5 cube of the drug per head. The form of administration is intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.

The fight against pasurellosis begins at 2.5 months. Give piperazine, which is administered through the oral cavity. The dose of the drug is 0.5 g per kilogram of rabbit weight.

At 3 months the time comes take action against coccidiosis. Use Baycox, Amprolium. Dilute Amprolium in a liter of water 1.4 g of the drug. The dosage of Baycox is 1 cube per liter. Drink the medicine at one time.

These activities reduce the risk of developing infectious diseases and keep rabbits healthy throughout their lives.

Vaccination is carried out only in healthy animals. The frail, sick and weakened are first treated, and then vaccinated.

Breeding and raising rabbits is an addictive business. They are interesting and instructive. For some, it becomes a lifelong passion. Everything is easy to learn. For beginners, the main thing is to try, delve into, experiment. And then - everything will work out.

Each of us knows that "rabbits are not only valuable fur ...", it is also dietary meat that has been, is and will be in great demand on the market. Breeding these pets is very simple, and at the same time profitable.

That is why most start-up entrepreneurs prefer this type of business.

You can grow useful fluffy animals both in the country house and in the apartment, equipping a balcony or a separate room for this. For the summer, of course, it is better to move your mini-crole farm closer to nature - to the dacha or to the village.

Animals can be kept in separate cages outdoors, a special hole can be dug for their keeping, cages can be mounted in a special shed.

Wherever you keep rabbits, it is important to remember a few simple rules. First, animals need to provide a constant supply of fresh air. Secondly, when keeping rabbits, large temperature fluctuations, extreme heat and cold must be excluded. These animals do not like direct sunlight. There should be enough space in the cages for both adults and young animals.

You need to start breeding eared pets by buying 1-2 males and several females on the market (this depends on the planned volume of your farm). One male covers 15-18 females. Rabbits are very prolific: on average, there can be from 12 to 15 rabbits in one litter. Of these, we recommend that you leave 8-10 for the rabbit to feed them. Rabbits are also precocious: after 4 months, the female will be ready for mating. The gestation period is 28-32 days. It turns out that one female per year brings offspring up to 5 times, and this is 50-60 rabbits. From this we can draw a very important conclusion: the cage with the rabbit should be as spacious as possible.
Caring for a rabbit farm takes a little time. So, if you have 10-20 rabbits, then it will be enough to give the farm 2 hours of free time after work. Rabbit care is simple, but it has many subtleties that must be taken into account, otherwise, instead of profits, only losses await you.

We select male and female

When breeding rabbits, you need to carefully choose both the male and the female - the health of the offspring directly depends on this. Only healthy rabbits that do not have any defects in breeding condition should be left. The male must be mobile, have a good appetite, and be not picky about food. Here's how to select a breeding male for external signs: a wide, rough head, a flat and long back, powerful muscles on the hips and lower back. Paws - correctly placed in relation to the body and well lowered.
They do not leave for breeding individuals that have a light and pampered head, a fold on the neck, as well as a long and thin neck.

Naturally, when selecting males for a tribe, you should examine their genitals, especially the testicles. The male should have 2 strong and elastic testicles, in no case should they be loose or soft.
If the male is young, then his testicles may be poorly visible. In this case, you need to massage the back of the rabbit's abdomen, and the testicles become visible again.

When choosing a rabbit for breeding, you need to pay attention to its exterior. In breeding females, the exterior should be especially feminine. So, the head should be longer and lighter than typical representatives of this breed. Unlike males, females have a skin fold in the neck area. A breeding rabbit should have a correct physique: she should have a wide and long back, a wide croup, a wide and deep pelvis.

Oddly enough, but when selecting rabbits for breeding, you need to pay attention to the nature of the individual. Wayward and angry rabbits may well lead to problems in maintaining the nest. That is why, when selecting rabbits for a tribe, it is better to reject these individuals. While cleaning the cage, the rabbit may attack you, scratch and bite. Quite often, such rabbits attack males during mating. The result is deplorable: the male is frightened, and then refuses to fertilize other females. In addition, an evil rabbit is likely to be a bad mother, and the brood will die.

When choosing a rabbit, look at her mammary glands: they must be healthy, normally developed, have at least 4 pairs of nipples. If the rabbit has enough milk, she will feed at least 6-8 cubs.

The health of the rabbit population depends not only on the feed itself, but also on the order of feeding. The rabbit digests root crops in 2-3 hours, grass - in 3-4 hours, silage - in 4-5 hours, it takes from 5 to 8 hours to digest concentrated feeds, rough - from 8 to 12 hours. Given the above, we conclude that in the morning you need to feed the rabbits with juicy feed, then give concentrated feed, and at night - roughage.

Adults, as well as young rabbits after 3 months, need to be fed 2-3 times a day. Lactating rabbits, as well as young animals up to 3 months old, are fed three times a day.

Feeding rabbits depends on the time of year. In winter, in the morning, rabbits are given root crops and silage, as well as half the daily norm of hay and concentrates. In the summer morning, animals should be given less than half of the daily norm of concentrates and grass, and in the evening they give the rest of the feed.

If rabbits are given different foods at the same time, then the order of their issuance should be as follows: first concentrates, then succulent food, and at the very end hay or grass. By breaking the sequence, you can cause digestive upset in rabbits. Indigestion can also be caused by too much silage being fed. Therefore, before giving silage to rabbits, you need to feed them root crops, which neutralize excess acid in the stomach of animals.

When feeding with grass, it is imperative to monitor its composition - if grass poisonous to an animal comes across, then this, as a rule, ends in death. The list of poisonous plants is quite large, so rabbits should only be fed plants that are familiar to you. For example, ivy, spurge, caladium, periwinkle, meadow saffron, etc. should not be given. Steamed foods, wet mash, and boiled vegetables should be given immediately after preparing these foods. So, in the summer, bacteria in feed are bred in just a few hours.

Separately, it should be mentioned how to accustom rabbits to new feeds. It is necessary to transfer rabbits from the "summer" diet to the "winter" diet gradually, over a period of about 5-7 days. If you are not sure about the quality of the feed, then it is better not to risk the whole livestock, but to test the feed of more than a few animals. If these rabbits feel good, then the feed can be introduced into the diet of other animals.

What will we feed

In the diet of rabbits, concentrated feed should be at least 50-70%. Compound feeds are a separate type of concentrated feed - they contain the same components, but only in a crushed state. It has been scientifically proven that rabbits absorb compound feed much better than each of its components separately. Compound feeds consist not only of cereals, but also of vitamins and minerals, that is, they are nutritionally balanced.

There are two types of combined feed: in granular and loose form. Complete feed, which can replace the main food, can only be granulated.

If you have a small number of rabbits and have your own land, then it is much more profitable to feed the animals with grain and root crops, and add feed to the mash. You can feed rabbits with any compound feed, but not the one intended for birds (since it includes shells).

In a mechanized farm, granulated feed is the main source of nutrition. The amount and composition of feed should be appropriate for the age of the animals and their physiological state, while the animals must have enough water. Granulated feed should be nutritious and contain 16-20 g of protein per 100 g.

The approximate composition of the compound feed is as follows: 40% - alfalfa flour, 15% - soybean or sunflower meal, 15% - wheat bran, 30% - barley, 15% - oats. Also, the feed should contain chalk (1%) and premix (1%).

Disease prevention

A very important point in breeding rabbits is the prevention of diseases of these animals. Sick animals spend feed uneconomically, give weak offspring. Treatment of sick animals requires a lot of time, effort and money. So the motto of any rabbit breeder should be the prevention of diseases, which consists in preventing the conditions for their appearance.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the content of animals. Cells should be placed in a dry place, where water does not stagnate. Standing puddles under the cells are ideal for the development of viruses and bacteria. Cages need to be well ventilated, but this does not mean that drafts can walk in rabbit habitats.

When buying rabbits on the market for breeding, they must first be kept “in quarantine” for at least three weeks, in separate cages. If no signs of the disease are found, "newcomers" can be transplanted to "old-timers".
Cages containing rabbits must be kept clean at all times. In the shed where the cages are, mice or rats should not be allowed to appear - they carry dangerous infections. Thus, one cleaning of the premises will not be enough: it is necessary to periodically disinfect the cells. At the same time, it must be remembered that the metal parts of the cells are not processed by aggressive liquids: alkalis and acids. For this, a blowtorch or boiling water is used.

When an infection occurs, it is urgent to disinfect the cells and the room where they are located. The choice of a specific agent depends on the type of infection - not all bacteria and viruses react equally to disinfectant solutions.

In case of animal illness or death, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian. If the disease is contagious, then it is better to kill infected rabbits - this measure is the most effective.
Artificial feeding of rabbits

Force majeure situations

When breeding rabbits, you need to be prepared for a variety of force majeure. What if the rabbit, having given birth to offspring, died, or she suddenly ran out of milk? It is not necessary to kill all or part of the litter: the offspring can be fed artificially.

Rabbit milk is more nutritious and valuable than goat milk, and even more so than cow milk. However, this does not mean that cow or goat milk is unsuitable for feeding rabbits. The longer the rabbits have lived with their own mother, the more likely you are to save them and get healthy young as a result.

So, get fresh cow's milk (preferably fresh milk). For a liter of milk, you should add Vitasol, or vitamins A, D3 and E instead. The mixture should be warm, about 37-40 degrees. For feeding, you need to use a bottle with a nipple, from which to feed the rabbits every 4 hours, or 6 times a day. 5-6 days after the start of "soldering" the rabbits, oatmeal should be added to the nutrient mixture.

Slowly teach your kids to drink from a saucer - this way you will only make your task easier. Keep the container in which you prepare the formula clean, as well as the cleanliness of the drinker and teat. The mixture cannot be prepared for the future - it is allowed to cook for one day. Store your rabbit food in the refrigerator and warm it up before feeding your rabbits. After about 16-18 days, you can already begin to transfer rabbits to regular feed.

We look at the video how to feed orphans.

For artificial feeding of rabbits, some owners use condensed milk slightly diluted with water. The advantage of condensed milk over regular milk is that it can be given to rabbits not after 4 hours, but after 6. Baby food also shows good results in feeding rabbits. In such mixtures there are vitamins and trace elements. The concentration of nutrients in the mixture is adjusted by adding water. Baby food contains a lot of sugar, and this must be taken into account when feeding rabbits.

Today, rabbits have become record holders for breeding at home due to their fecundity and precocity. In addition, their meat is very dietary. Therefore, it is very important to know all the subtleties of their cultivation.

Meat, skins, fluff and fertilizer are products that can be obtained by breeding rabbits. This occupation is less expensive than, for example, raising pigs or cows. During the year, a healthy female reproduces offspring 6 times. The result will be more than 25 cubs and close to 70 kg of meat when they grow up.

Biological features of rabbits

Three rabbits in a cage

Rabbit is a rodent mammal belonging to the Zaitsev family. The domestic rabbit is descended from the wild South European. By mating a domestic and wild rabbit, you can get good offspring. Crossing a rabbit with a hare is impossible, because they have different biological characteristics.

Cubs can do without the help of a rabbit at 3-4 weeks of age. They begin to eat food on their own, without stopping drinking milk. The time that the rabbits spend in the mother liquor depends on the amount of milk the mother has. You can determine milkiness by the type of cubs. If they have smooth skin, without wrinkles, they lie quietly, then milk production is high. The highest happens after 4 births.

Obesity and low physical activity of the animal can reduce milk production. An obese female cannot get pregnant. To avoid this problem, you need to reconsider her diet: increase the amount of greenery, limit the use of grain and animal feed. And give her more space to move around.

Rabbits see much worse than they distinguish smells. If the rabbit throws someone else's cub, then she will determine it by smell, regardless of color. She will not accept strangers. Rabbits also get used to new foods by sniffing for a long time.

Breeding rabbits at home

The rabbit gnaws exclusively on plant foods, so it has a peculiar structure of teeth. He has molars and incisors that grow throughout his life. The animal has no fangs. The incisors in front are covered with a ball of enamel, and in the process of eating food they are sharpened.

The digestive system in rabbits is well developed. The stomach is voluminous and is characterized by high digestibility of food due to the high acidity of the gastric secretion. Feed can be in the animal's stomach for 3-10 hours. The intestines of a rabbit are 10 times longer than the length of the animal (up to 6 meters).

Another feature of rabbits is that they eat their nightly excrement. They have a large amount of protein and vitamin B. So the rabbits have adapted to replenish the required trace elements by the body.

Growth and development of rabbits

The cubs are born blind, and after 10 days they are already able to see. Down in rabbits appears on the 7th day. They are completely covered with full-fledged wool closer to a month. Then they start eating on their own.

Replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones occurs from the 18th day. It ends in a month. Rabbits shed all year round. In the first month - the first, at 4 months - the second, at 7.5 - the third. In addition, there are seasonal molts.

At birth, the cub has a weight of 40 - 60 g, and after 2 days it is already twice as much. In a month it already increases 10 times. This is due to the high content of useful components in rabbit milk.

After 3-5 months, the weight of a healthy rabbit becomes 2-3.5 kg. The most accelerated growth occurs between 3 and 4 months of age.

Rabbits have a delicate backbone and thin tubular bones of the limbs. This feature leads to injuries, especially rabbits. A spinal injury or a broken leg can paralyze a rabbit.

On average, a rabbit lives 8 years. For divorce, the animal can be used for a maximum of 4 years.

Even before the rabbits appear, they already need to be taken care of. In advance, you should take care of the organization of the premises for cultivation, the necessary equipment.

Breeding preparation

The essence of preparing for mating is to select healthy rabbits with high milk production for it. Individuals that eat rabbits are taken from the herd.

If there are a lot of rabbits, then all the information about them is difficult to keep in mind. To do this, on each cage it is better to nail a plate with the date of birth of the rabbit, and from which parents she was born. This information is important to prevent mating of related individuals. It is necessary to record the dates of mating, the number of cubs, including stillborns. All the necessary records are also made on the male's plate (date of birth, parents, whether the rabbits eat).

Male and female, which are intended for mating, must have good fatness. Weakly well-fed females are poorly fertilized, and cubs are born weak and develop slowly. In order for underweight animals to become well-fed, 3 weeks before mating they are fed with oats, hay, bran with potatoes. But individuals with obesity become less active in the genital area and are poorly fertilized. They, on the contrary, need to reduce the amount of feed.

A pregnant female needs to be well fed. The food should be the same as in the diet of an ordinary rabbit, only its quantity is larger.

Before preparing rabbits for mating, all individuals with defects are culled. One male is assigned to 8 females.

Features of reproduction in rabbits

There is no seasonal breeding in rabbits. They can breed all year round. An unfertilized female rabbit shows signs of estrus every 5-6 days. In summer, estrus lasts about 9 days, in winter - about 6. During the hunting period, females have a poor appetite, they are in an excited state. At mating, 3-9 eggs are released from each ovary. The number of cubs during birth can be 6-12 pieces. A day or two after giving birth, the female can already be fertilized.

Male spermatozoa are produced in the testes. When the testes are retracted into the abdominal cavity, if they do not descend into the scrotum, the rabbit is considered infertile. During mating, the male produces up to 1.5 cm 3 of sperm. In the genital tract of a rabbit, sperm is active for no more than 24 hours.

The first mating in rabbits is best done at 4-6 months after birth. Previously, it is not recommended so as not to harm the health of parents and their future offspring.

Cages for young animals

The cage for young animals should consist of 2 compartments: the first is for walking, the second is as a shelter where the animal gets through the manholes. The flooring should be mesh with cells 18x18 mm. You can make it wooden from slats. Feeders, drinkers and nurseries are placed in the cage. The roof can be made single-pitched. On the front wall, the height is 60-70 cm, on the back - 30-40 cm.

For growing young on skins, the cage design may differ. Its dimensions reach 3x0.7m. It is divided in half by a wooden partition. In each half, 12 individuals are kept up to 3.5 months of age of the same sex, age and weight. Then they make more partitions so that each rabbit has a separate compartment. The width of each is 25 cm. Animals are kept in such compartments until slaughter.

Queen cells for rabbits

When birthing and during the period of rearing the cubs, a queen cell is placed in a cage with the female, the dimensions of which are 50x30x27 cm. The dimensions of the loophole are 18x18 cm. The mother cell should be easily removed from the cage, which makes it possible to easily examine the rabbits. It also maintains a constant temperature. The lid of the mother liquor should also be easily removed and fixed with locks so that the female cannot open it.

It is necessary to provide for the possibility of warming the floor in winter. For this, a special film is laid with built-in heaters of low power. You can install a temperature control sensor. If it is not there, then you need to carefully heat the floor, since an excessive increase in temperature can lead to the death of the cubs.

Cages for mating rabbits

The cage intended for mating must be disinfected and cleaned in advance. From it you need to remove the feeder, drinker and other items. Basically, mating takes place in the morning on the territory of the male. If you place him in the female's cage, he will develop the territory for a long time, which will delay the mating procedure.

When the male rolls off the female rabbit to the side or back and purrs, the mating can be considered successful. It is necessary to make an appropriate entry in the notebook about the time of mating, and which male it was made.

Feeding rabbits

Rabbits need to be fed in a balanced way so that they can produce good offspring, meat and wool. A rabbit can eat continuously throughout the day. First, it is better to feed the animal with ready-made compound feed, in which all the necessary trace elements are balanced.

rabbits eat

In summer, the basis of the diet is greens - branches, foliage, grass, etc. Branches of fruit trees, acacia, birch, and willow are especially useful for rabbits. You can also give tops of garden crops. The animal loves bitter and fragrant herbs: wormwood, chicory, dill. In addition, they protect against worms and improve appetite. For young animals, dried garlic stalks are recommended for the prevention of stomatitis and gastrointestinal diseases.

Nettle is rich in vitamins, which is collected before flowering and dried in the shade. It is recommended to give it as the first spring greens. Since it can sting an animal, it must first be crushed and chopped. Willow branches are also useful for young growth, as they protect against diarrhea. They are fed to rabbits before switching to greens.

In winter and early spring, rabbits are given fortified top dressing., which are contained mainly in root crops. This is especially important for lactating rabbits. Rowan berries are rich in vitamins.

In late autumn, rabbits can eat vegetable tops, dry flower stems. In early November, when the green leaves, the animals are transferred to mineral feed in granules. During this period, rabbits are fattened, giving a lot of compound feed and feed grains.

In winter, tree branches can be added to hay for forage. They replace half of the hay in the diet. Grain can be replaced with potato peelings or grain waste.

It should also be borne in mind that rabbits have difficulty adapting to new foods. Therefore, they need to be accustomed to it gradually, increasing the dose over time.

Annual feed requirement per adult rabbit

To determine the annual feed requirement of rabbits, a number of factors must be taken into account:

• duration of feeding in summer and winter;
• the number of rounds per year;
• age of sale of young animals (slaughter, sale or replenishment of the herd);
• live weight of rabbits;
• diet in different seasons.

Average amount of feed per year in kilograms for adults:

• rough: for a female 35-40, for a male 23-35;
• juicy: for a female 50-60, for a male 40-50;
• green: for a female 200-250, for a male 150-160;
• concentrated feed: for a female 35-35, for a male 22-25.

Vaccinations for rabbits at home

To eliminate possible infections, rabbits are vaccinated. The most common diseases And . They are not treated and in almost 100% of cases lead to death. It is necessary against them. Before, you need to make sure that the animal is completely healthy, otherwise it may not survive the vaccination. In addition, it is necessary to carry out prevention from worms. To do this, use means that are harmless to the body of a rodent: Parasicide-suspension or Dirofen-paste.

Vaccinate a rabbit

A vaccinated rabbit retains immunity against infection for 6-9 months. The best age for vaccination is the seventh week of life, when rabbits tolerate the procedure most easily. Body weight must be more than 0.5 kg. It is better not to vaccinate a pregnant or lactating female.

A vaccinated rabbit must be isolated from others for 2 weeks to avoid catching an infection from a sick animal. After this time, the risk of infection disappears. Feeding remains the same, it is only necessary to increase the amount of water.

Conditional vaccination schedule:

• the first (for viral hemorrhagic disease) is carried out in 45 days;
• the second (from myxomatosis) after 14 days;
• the third (repeated from myxomatosis) after 3 months (not earlier) from the previous one;
• the fourth (for viral hemorrhagic disease) 14 days after the third.

Re-vaccinations are carried out throughout the life of rabbits every six months. Alternately vaccinated against myxomatosis, and after 2 weeks from viral hemorrhagic disease.