Rabbits are
popular because they breed quickly and healthy doe can produce eight litters of
six rabbits each year. That is about 90 kilograms of meat a year at an average
of 2kg per rabbit. The meat, when cooked taste likes poultry meat. ‘’Rabbit
Curry’’ and ‘’chicken curry’` taste similar and Rabbits are a good source of
low-fat protein.
It is
essential to keep the buck and does in clean, dry, safe hutches before you
begin breeding them. To breed a doe, put a female into the cage with the
buck-male. Mating is good especially early
in morning or evening when it is cool. Watch her carefully to make sure she
mates. It should take only two or three minutes. If she does not mate you can
try again later. After she has mated, put her back in her own apartment.
Thirty-one days after mating, her litter
will be born- ‘’Kindling’’ (the process of giving birth in rabbits). Three days
before the baby rabbits are doe, give the mother a nest box where she can give
birth. Put a litter soft, dry grass
in the box and the mother will mix it with her own fur. There are usually six
to ten (6-10) babies in litter. In some special breed cases, it is possible to
find up to 12 babies. It is necessary to compare these with the nipple number
on the doe. Once it is insufficiently less than that of the litter number, then
it is best to ‘SHED’ i.e. reducing the babies in the litter so as to tally with
the nipple number of the doe’s breast.
The baby rabbit will not open their eyes
for about two weeks. Do not touch any of them, you will affect their body odor
and the mother will not feed them. If you must touch them, rub your hands over
the mothers first. That way, you will not change the odor of the young ones.
The rabbits will be ready to eat in only
four months time. You can wean them at two months of age. When the baby rabbits
are weaned, it is time to cross the doe again. Though mating can be carried out
immediately after kindling because of their unique ovulation nature. Feed them
for four more months and, when they weight two kilo (2kg), they are big enough
to eat.
Feeding: Rabbits eat almost anything and you can cut
grass or gather weeds. If the forage is wet when you cut it, let it get dry
for a few hours before using it. Otherwise the rabbits may contact diarrhea
and may even die. Kitchen scraps, sweet potatoes vines, bread crusts, and
carrot tops. It is important to note that Potato Tops are poisonous to rabbits
and to most animals.
Compounded feeds in good rations are good for the rabbit.
An example of Compounded feed ration is the Growers’ mash. It makes them to
grow faster and stronger than when placed on grass alone. It is especially good
for does producing milk.
