Rabbit Care

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Rabbit Care

In many states and countries it is illegal to keep rabbits as pets. Potentialpet rabbit owners should enquire from local government or Department ofAgriculture offices whether any restrictions apply in their area.

Rabbits have been pets and laboratory animals for many years. They canbe playful and very tame, but only rarely can they be house-trained. Despitethis, they are very clean animals and are most unlikely to transmit diseaseto humans.

Rabbits, like mice, have been developed with many interesting and variedcoat colours, but the most popular, as with mice, is the white albino. Therange of colours is white albino, white with black extremities. silver withblack under, silver with yellow under, black, blue, grey, red or varied.

When handling a rabbit be firm but gentle. A rabbit that feels insecureyou are holding it is more likely to struggle. Young rabbits can be lifte.f rgrasping them firmly over the loins, your fingers on one side and your on the other. Larger animals can be lifted or carried by holding a fel .skin over the shoulder with the right hand while the left hand isunder the rump to support the animal's weight. Rabbits can breakbacks unless held firmly, if they struggle or are released quickly.

Feeding Rabbit

Under natural conditions the rabbit's diet consists mainly of green vegetables,and other plant material. Natural diets include cereals, freshly cut lucerne, vetches, cabbage, carrots, herbs and hay according to the season and availability.

Pelleted balanced diets are produced commercially (usually going by the name of rabbit pellets) and are the most sensible form of feed for the re..owner. They have been fed for long periods with no ill effects and only -_-_eztto be supplemented by green feed three to four times per week. Pellets not sufficient to maintain lactating does in good condition.

Rabbits can be groomed just like a dog or cat. Brush with a soft hairand smooth the hair afterwards to add extra lustre. If claws are sharpannoying they can be trimmed as you would a cat.

Fresh water shouldbe available to the rabbit at all times. This canbe provided through a plastic bottle fitted witha special dewdrop nozzle or by an ordinary watering trough. Whatever type of system isused, it is necessary to change the water daily.

Rabbit feed should be placed in an all-metal container and fastened to the side of thecage. Special hoppers can be purchased fromsupply houses or, the homesteader may preferto make his own from an old coffee can. Cutdown one side of the can to within two inchesof the bottom, then continue cutting halfwayaround the body of the can. Fold this cut partflat across the opening and fasten it in placewith rivets or a piece of fine wire. Crimp allsharp edges. This leaves a two-inch-deep, semi-circular dish attached to a closed, half-cylinder.It can be attached to the cage with heavy wireand, if desired, painted with nontoxic paint.

Rabbits, like all other livestock, requiregrains in their diet. The belief that rabbits loveleafy, green vegetables and thrive on them is only a half-truth. An overabundance ccwater-rich, leafy vegetables will cause bloscours in the herd.
Pelletized or commercial feeds mayeasier to manage, but they are much lesstious than homegrown natural foodstuffs.best results, mix your own rabbit feedreadily available materials. In this way,can guarantee a feed that is specifically tailsto the needs of the rabbits during specificriods in their life cycles.

The tendency to overfeed is a big probin rabbit care. Each rabbit's needs are difleand are best recognized by closely watchinganimal's feeding habits for a period of se:days. Remember that when root crops orfeed are fed to the herd, the ration of dryshould be reduced. Dry does in breedingditions consume 3.8 percent of their live weight daily. Bucks and young does consume about 6.7 percent of their live weight daily.

Housing Rabbit

Each rabbit should be kept in a cage made of wood or metal, measuring atleast 1 metre by 2 metres by 0.3 metres in height. The cage should preferablybe made of wire mesh. One end of the cage should be enclosed, with woodenroof, floor and walls. With a small doorway onto the rest of the cage, suchan enclosure ensures that the rabbit has somewhere to nestle away from coldwinds and rain. For long-term use, metal cages might be better than woodbecause the rabbit will chew at wood. However, as rabbit urine is verycorrosive, iron must be galvanised in order to avoid rapid corrosion.

The whole cage can be set on the ground and periodically moved aroundso that the rabbit can eat fresh grass. Faeces and urine will pass through thewire mesh on to the grass, leaving the cage hygienic.

Additional food should be kept in pellet hoppers affixed to the cage sothat small quantities are always available to the rabbit without risk of theirbeing soiled or spoiled. Rabbits are watered using nipples attached to 600millilitre water bottles.

In this type of cage, bedding is not necessary except in the wooden nestingbox. Sawdust and hay are satisfactory there. Cages should be disinfectedwith lysol each three months or between litters.

Although rabbits respond to fairly wide fluctuations in temperature, thedesired range is between 10°C and 18°C.

Transporting Rabbit

Rabbits are quite robust animals and no special care is needed whenporting them. A wire cage with a raised mesh floor (1-centimetre squarmwhich allows urine and faeces to fall through is ideal. A cat-carrying is perfect.

In an emergency, the rabbit can be carried in a pillowslip or a hessian bagwith a small hole for the head. Always avoid carrying the rabbit looseunfamiliar places. If it is frightened, it will use its claws to make even 6cmost determined person release it—and rabbits can run!

Rabbits show no desire to mate. Bucks and does can be first mated at four to fivemonths of age. The gestation period of the rabbit is thirty days. One buckmated with four or five does will breed 200 or more rabbits per year.

The doe ovulates only after copulation with the male. It takes 10 hoursfor ovulation to occur after mating. This peculiar aspect of rabbit repro-duction has made it popular as a laboratory animal because it is then poss-ible to time fertilisation within an hour. When the female is in oestrus, thevulva may become swollen and slightly purple; however, there are no con-sistent external signs of oestrus. The doe becomes listless, nervous, and rubsher head and body against the cage.

If you are not interested in breeding a large number of rabbits, it will bewise to separate the sexes. When the female is ready to breed, she can betaken to the male's pen. The buck has defined this territory, and if he istaken to the doe he will be more interested in defining and exploring thenew territory than in mating. If the doe is in oestrus, mating usually occursimmediately she is placed in the cage. The mating is successful if the buckfalls on his side during coitus. One mating is sufficient to ensure fertilisationand the female should be removed after copulation has been completed.

Rabbits usually have their young without any problems. The newbornkittens may be handled at birth, and may be transferred to foster motherswithin the first forty-eight hours after birth. The mother will suckle theyoung ones for up to six weeks and may then fall pregnant again. Does willmate readily shortly after giving birth, but if their feed intake is not sufficientto support lactation and pregnancy the pregnancy will fail about seven daysafter mating. They can have up to eight young ones per litter.

Breeding is most successful in the spring if the rabbits are kept out ofdoors. In some species the female may remain receptive during the coldwinter months, but others will not.

All young stock should be separated into sex groups before three monthsof age, when males may need to be moved into individual cages. To deter-mine the sex of a rabbit, simply press open the genital opening with thumband forefinger. If the opening is a long slit, the rabbit is female (a doe). Ifthe opening is round with a tiny penis, the rabbit is male (a buck).

Caring for the Sick Rabbit

The sick rabbit needs a draught-free clean hutch, preferably separated fromthe others. Provide fresh clean water daily together with fresh rabbit pelletsand a good source of greens. Carrots and green lettuce are ideal, but inexcess may cause diarrhoea.

Greens are essential for the sick rabbit as they are a good source of vita-mins A and C. Supply them fresh in the late afternoon or evening as rabbitsare more active at night. Sometimes oats will perk up a rabbit who is un-willing to eat. if the rabbit's complaint cannot be easily diagnosed, be sureto see your vet.

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