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Commercial
RABBIT RAISING
Agriculture Handbook No. 309
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Agricultural Research Service
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
From the collection of the
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INTRODUCTION 1
CHOOSING A BREED 2
SELECTING FOUNDATION
STOCK 4
SYSTEMS OF BREEDING 4
THE RABBITRY AND ITS
EQUIPMENT 8
Buildings 8
Hutches 8
Feeding equipment 14
Equipment for watering 17
Nest boxes 18
FEEDS AND FEEDING 21
Feed requirements 21
Hay 23
Green feed and root crops 24
Grains and milled feeds 24
Protein supplements 24
Miscellaneous feeds 25
Pelleted rations 25
Salt 25
Water 26
Preparing and storing feeds 26
Methods of feeding 26
Feeding dry does, herd bucks,
and juniors 27
Feeding pregnant and nvirsing
does 27
COPROPHAGY 28
REPRODUCTION 28
Germ cells and fertilization 28
Gestation period 29
Age to breed 29
Breeding schedule 30
Lactation 30
Factors that limit conception 31
Artificial insemination 32
MANAGING THE HERD 33
Methods of handling rabbits 33
Making matings 34
Determining pregnancy 35
Kindling 36
Complications at kindling time. 37
Care of young litter 38
Causes of losses in newborn
litters 39
Page
MANAGING THE HERD—
Continued
Weaning 39
Determining the sex of young
rabbits 39
Marking for identification 40
Castration 40
Care of herd during extreme
temperatures 41
F*r eventing injuries 43
Preventing sore dewlaps 43
Sanitation and disease control. . 43
Fur-eating habit 48
Preventing fur block 48
Gnawing wooden parts of the
hutch 49
Disposal of rabbit manure 49
Earthworms in the rabbitry 49
Records and recordkeeping 49
TYPES OF PRODUCTION 52
Fryer production 52
Roaster production 54
ANGORA RABBIT WOOL
PRODUCTION 55
Equipment for grooming and
shearing 56
Grading, preparing, and mar-
keting wool 57
MARKETING 58
Slaughtering and skinning 58
Cutting and packaging rabbit
meat 60
Crating and shipping live
rabbits 60
RABBITSKINS 63
Curing 63
Marketing 64
Grades 64
Packing and shipping 65
ECONOMICS OF RABBIT
PRODUCTION 66
Records 66
Labor 66
Investment 67
Returns and expenses 67
LITERATURE CITED 69
Washington, D.C.
Issued July 1966
Slightly revised October 1971
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Goverrunent Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 35 cents
Stock Number 0100-1376
Commercial
RABBIT RAISING
R. B. Casady, p. B. Sawin, and J. Van Dam »
INTRODUCTION
Americans eat 25 to 30 million
pounds of domestic rabbit meat
each year. The rabbits come from
small rabbitries with three or four
hutches and from large commercial
producers. Rabbit raising lends
itself to both types of production.
Rabbit meat is pearly white, fine-
grained, palatable, and nutritious.
It is a convenient source of high-
quality protein and is low in fat
and caloric content.
Rabbitskins also have some com-
mercial value. Better grades of
rabbitskins may be dressed, dyed,
sheared, and made into fur gar-
ments and trimmings. Some skins
are used for slipper and glove lin-
ings, for toys, and in making felt.
Fine shreds of the flesh part of the
dried skins, which are often left
after separating the fur for mak-
ing felt, are used for making glue.
Because of the relatively low value
of skins from meat rabbits, a large
^ Dr. Casady was formerly with the
Sheep and Fur Animal Research
Branch, Animal Science Research Di-
vision, Agricultural Research Service.
Dr. Sawin is responsible for the section
on Systems of Breeding ; he was with the
Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory,
Hamilton Station, Bar Harbor, Maine,
and is now retired.
Mr. Van Dam is responsible for the sec-
tion on Economics of Rabbit Production ;
he is farm adviser, Los Angeles County,
University of California Agricultural Ex-
tension Service.
volume is necessary to market them
satisfactorily.
An increasing demand for rab-
bits for laboratory and biological
purposes offers opportunities to
breeders living near medical
schools, hospitals, and laboratories.
Rabbits have made large contribu-
tions to researcli in venereal dis-
ease, cardiac surgery, hypertension,
and virology, and are important
tools in pregnancy diagnosis, in-
fectious disease research, the devel-
opment of hyperimmune sera, de-
velopment of toxins and antitoxins,
and the teaching of anatomy and
physiology. A recent development
in the rabbit industry has been
the increased use by scientific per-
sonnel of various rabbit organs and
tissues in specialized research. The
availability of these byproducts
has greatly facilitated many basic
research programs.
The recommendations in this
bulletin are based largely on stud-
ies at the U.S. Rabbit Experiment
Station formerly maintained at
Fontana, Calif., by the Sheep and
Fur Animal Research Branch,
Animal Science Research Di-
vision, Agricultural Research Serv-
ice. At this station, improved
methods were developed for pro-
ducing rabbits for meat, fur, and
wool of fine quality, for insuring
2 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
sanitary surroundings, and for pre-
venting outbreaks of parasitic and
other diseases.
This handbook is being issued
to help county agricuUural agents,
State colleges of agriculture, and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
answer the many thousands of re-
quests received each year from
commercial and professional rabbit
producers for information about
rabbits.
CHOOSING A BREED
Whether you raise rabbits for
meat and fur, wool, laboratory ani-
mals, or show stock — select the
breeds best adapted to the purpose.
The American Rabbit Breeders
Association lists standards for 28
different breeds, and approxi-
mately 77 varieties of these breeds
of rabbits, to cover characteristics
such as type, color, and size; dis-
qualifications also are listed. Table
1 lists some common breeds of
rabbits.
Mature animals of the smaller
breeds weigh 3 to 4 pounds each;
those of the medium breeds, 9 to
12 pounds; and those of the larger
breeds 14 to IG pounds. They also
vary widely in color.
Rabbits best suited in size and
conformation for producing meat
and fur are such medium and large
Table 1 . — Some common breeds oj rabbits
Approx-
Breed
Color
imate
Principal
mature
uses
weight
Pounds
American
Resembles the true chinchilla,
9-12
Show and fur.
Chinchilla.
{Chinchilla laniger).
CaUfornian
White body; colored nose, ears,
feet, and tail.
8-10).^2
Show and meat.
Champagne
Undercolor a dark slate blue;
9-12
Show and meat.
d' Argent.
surface color a blue-white or
silver with a hberal sprin-
khng of long black guard hairs.
Checkered Giant .
White with black spots on cheek,
sides of body, and on hind-
quarters; wide spine stripe;
black ears and nose with
black circles around the eye.
11 or over..
Show and fur.
Dutch
Black, blue, chocolate, tortoise,
3^-5^2
Show and labo-
steel gray, and gray; white
ratory.
saddle, or band over the
shoulder carrying down under
the neck and over the front
legs and hind feet.
English Spot
Basic body color white; colors
5-8
Show, meat, and
of spots: black, blue, choc-
laboratory.
olate, tortoise, steel gray, lilac,
and gray; nose, ears, and eye
circles and cheek spots; spine
stripe from base of ears to
end of tail; side spots from
base of ears to middle of
hindquarter.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
Table 1. — Some common breeds oj rabbits — Continued
Approx-
Breed
Color
imate
Principal
mature
uses
weight
Flemish Giant
Steel gray, Hght gray, sandy,
black, blue, white, and fawn.
No two colors allowed on
solids.
13 or over_.
Show and meat.
Himalayan
New Zealand
Same as Californian _ _ _
2H-5
Show and meat.
W hite, red, or black
9-12
Show, meat, and
laboratory.
Polish
White, black, or chocolate;
ruby-red eyes or blue eyes.
m
Show and labo-
ratory.
Rex -
Representative of any breed
Black, blue, Havana brown,
red, chinchilla, copper, Cal-
7 or over
8-11
Show and fur.
Satins
Show and fur.
ifornian, and white.
Silver Martens
Black, blue, chocolate, or sable,
with silver-tipped guard
hairs.
6^2-9^2
Show and fur.
breeds as the New Zealand, Cali-
fornian, Champagne d' Ardent,
Chinchilla and Flemish Giant.
White breeds of rabbits, such as
the New Zealand White and Cali-
fornian, are the most desirable for
commercial and fur production be-
cause white skins usually bring
higher prices. Preference among
the white breeds is largely a mat-
ter of personal choice. Skins are
a byproduct of meat production.
If you raise rabbits for labora-
tory purposes, check with nearby
hospitals, laboratories, and city
and county health offices to find
out the type, age, and size of ani-
mals desired.
BN 21010
Figure 1. — Representative breeds of meat rabbits. Left — New Zealand white.
Right^Californian.
4 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SELECTING FOUNDATION STOCK
When you use young rabbits for
foundation stock, you have an op-
portunity to become acquainted
with them and with their habits be-
fore they reach the production
stage. An inexperienced producer
should begin on a small scale, with
2 or 3 bucks and 20 to 30 does, and
expand operations as he gains ex-
perience and as market demands
justify.
When buying breeding stock,
deal directly with reliable breeders.
Brokers handling live rabbits sel-
dom are able to vouch for the con-
ditions under which their animals
were produced. Reliable breeders
stand behind the stock they offer
and will give references. National,
State, and local rabbit breeders'
organizations can furnish names
and addresses of breeders from
whom you can buy stock.
The essential requirements of
good foundation stock are health
and vigor, longevity, ability to re-
produce, and a body type consist-
ent with ability to produce market-
able offspring of the desired quality
and size.
SYSTEMS OF BREEDING
In planning a breeding program
for rabbits, attention should be
given to the concepts winch have
been shown by long years of study
to be relatively constant in do-
mesticated mammals. These con-
cepts are described in a number of
textbooks of genetics in greater
detail than space will permit here.
Such books are in college, univer-
sity, and most of the large city
libraries. A breeder today, who
attempts to develop a strain with-
out recourse to such material, would
be at a distinct disadvantage. It
should be understood that this
brief article can be only a sum-
mary of the sort of information
which a breeder needs.
The first concept is that of the
gene pool. Any breed or other
foundation stock selected for breed-
ing constitutes a pool or group of
many, perhaps thousands, of hered-
itary units, commonly referred to
as genes. The genes are specifi-
cally located in the chromosomes,
very small thread-like bodies found
in every cell of the body. In the
rabbit there are 22 pairs, and their
segregation (one member of each
pair going to each egg or sperm)
in the production of eggs or sperm,
plus the ultimate union of ^gg and
sperm at mating and conception,
provides the mechanism for trans-
mission of hereditary characteris-
tics from one generation to the
next. It also provides the mecha-
nism which in nature insures suffi-
cient variability for adaptation of
the species to minor changes in the
environment and for its perpetua-
tion.
The gene pool of the rabbit has
been modified in many ways dur-
ing domestication and by selection
to establish the different breeds.
This pool, in the rabbits at hand,
is the breeder's capital stock, and
intelligent breeding depends on
knowing as much as possible about
that iDool. How well does it per-
petuate itself? How much varia-
tion does it transmit that is either
good, bad, or indifferent, particu-
larly with respect to reproductive
capacity? How much of it is ap-
parent to the breeder, and how
much can be revealed onl^ by
breeding experience? In spite of
all man knows about genetics and
reproduction, nature is still the
most successful breeder. If this
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
were not so, we would not have
the infinite number and variety of
species that exist in the world,
many of which are known to have
existed for mau}^, many centuries.
But even nature slips. Species are
known to have been lost as a result
of circumstances with which they
were unable to cope, and mal-
formed offspring are known to oc-
cur sometimes in the wild. Na-
ture's success is essentially due to
the size of the gene pools of each
species, plus the ruthless elimina-
tion of the unfit as they appear.
These combine to insure a high
proportion of successful individ-
uals, and some individuals adapt-
able to any ordinary change which
may occur in the environment in
which they live. Ability to adapt
to differing environments is the
feature which makes for survival
and is the mechanism by which
species have evolved.
When man steps in, success or
failure of his breeding system de-
pends on the genes maintained in
the pool and his ability to select
those genes intelligently. The
first task of the breeder becomes
one of devising methods of ascer-
taining the sort of genes his ani-
mals possess and the second is the
elimination of undesirables. To
accomplish these objectives there
are tools at his disposal, the use
of which must be clearly under-
stood. Such tools are: selection,
outbreeding or outcrossing, and
inbreeding.
Selection has been called the key-
stone of the arch of animal breed-
ing. It has been practiced in the
wild since the beginning of life on
this earth. In free-roaming ani-
mals, such as the rabbit, where the
chances of uniting between closely
related animals are small, unfavor-
able recessive genes seemingly are
rare. Actually, there are many but
they tend to be covered up by domi-
nant favorable genes and by their
interrelations in the gene pool.
Over a long period of time, a wild
population continually- mating in
this way appears to achieve a rela-
tively high degree of homeostasis,
or stability, in a variable environ-
ment, Avith seemingly a minimum
of variation. "When man steps in
with artificial selection under do-
mestication, and an artificial small
environment the chances of un-
favorable recessive genes coming
together in any one mating are
greatly increased. In standard-
bred strains, selection over a long
period of years by one breeder un-
der one type of breeding may also
lead to homeostasis, but when such
a strain is put in inexperienced
hands, or under a different system
of breeding, it may not produce
the same results. Selection, al-
though in itself something of a
breeding system without the ruth-
less objectivity found in the wild,
becomes highly dependent upon
other factors only controllable by
the skill and understanding of the
breeder. Two factors are of ma-
jor importance. First is the quality
of the gene pool when selection is
first started. It is obviously im-
possible to select for a characteris-
tic, such as high performance, if
the genes for this characteristic
are not there in the first place.
Second is a good environment
which will allow the results of the
genetic selection to be fully ex-
pressed. Feed, housing, and man-
agerial practices are most impor-
tant. Overfeeding and pampering,
however, may cover up poor genes
and thus not lead to permanent
improvement or stability.
The supports of the keystone at
the two outer extremes of the
breeding arch are outbreeding and
inbreeding.
Outbreeding, or the mating of
unrelated rabbits, differs from na-
ture's usual procedure in no way
except in the degree of selection.
6 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
In the wild, natural selection oc-
curs through the survival of the
fittest based upon function in the
environment available. Selection
b}' the rabbit l)reeder, if done in-
telligently, often proves superior in
many ways. Outbreeding with
careful selection is generally ac-
cepted as a satisfactory procedure
for commercial purposes and, with
due attention to reproductive ca-
pacity, accounts for a moderate de-
gree of improvement of breeds,
particularly when carried out ac-
cording to the breed standards. It
cannot produce permanently a high
degree of uniformity, even in the
hands of the most skilled breeder,
nor can it lead to establishment
of an outstanding strain with
recognizably uniform dependable
improvement.
Outcrossing, or hybridization,
consists of wide matings between
unrelated rabbits. It is usually
done between breeds for special
purposes. It is the initial step in
the establishment of new breeds,
because by bringing together a
maximum number of unlike genes
of the two breeds (or gene pools),
a maximum range of variation
from which to select is provided.
Because of the extreme degree of
relationship, such matings in the
first one or two generations fre-
quently manifest a maximum
amount of fertility, vigor, and
growth, commonly referred to as
hybrid vigor or heterosis. The
first generation is thus often a
highly desirable commercial ani-
mal especially for meat production.
Later generations, however, be-
cause or their great variation are
of little value commercially. Their
breeding value lies only in the
range of variation which they pro-
vide in a selection program extend-
ing over a number of generations
in which the aim is selection for
the most desirable characteristics
of both breeds. Some breeders
have capitalized on the advantages
of outcrossing by involving three
breeds, each of which contributes
especially desirable characteristics.
However, such crosses may be ex-
pected to involve a longer period
of selection to arrive at the ulti-
mate objectives.
Inbreeding in contrast to out-
breeding, is the mating of closely
related individuals. The closest
form is brother-sister or parent-
offspring mating. Carried on for
20 generations or more it leads to
genetic uniformity. Opinion varies
with regard to its use. In general,
it is in bad repute because it usu-
ally is initiated with a stock pre-
viously outbred for many genera-
tions; such a stock is likely to carry
a large pool of undesirable reces-
sive genes covered up by tlie proc-
ess of outbreeding. Some of these
genes may be lethal, thus reducing
viability and reproductive fitness
as they are brought together by
successive generations of inbreed-
ing. However, as these recessive
genes are observed and ruthlessly
discarded, the strain in each gen-
eration tends to become more and
more uniform. Inbreeding in it-
self does not create harmful genes;
it only exposes those that are al-
ready present. At the same time,
careful selection fixes favorable
and desirable dominant and reces-
sive characters so that uniformity
is progressively increased. In the
smaller laboratory animals which
reproduce more rapidly than rab-
bits, a number of successfully iso-
genic (as alike as identical twins
in man) strains have been success-
fully established for research pur-
poses. This means lines which are
so much alike that skin and other
tissues can be successfully grafted
or transplanted among them. The
procedure followed is simple and
straightforward if no complica-
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
tions arise. It consists of strict
brother-sister matings usually done
without selection (since successful
reproduction and uniformity are
the major objectives) for at least
20 generations. This leads to the
complete set of many genes of the
breed being alike, pair for pair,
except for that part which deter-
mines sex. It will continue to be
so as long as such breeding is con-
tinued except for possible occa-
sional mutations which under nor-
mal environmental situations rarely
occur. New genes must never be
introduced or the 20-generation
procedure must be repeated and
then the chances of having the
identical gene pool are very small.
The major difficulty with in-
breeding, and this the breeder must
weigh carefully before undertaking
such a program, is that during the
first 10 to 12 generations sterility,
mortality, and undesirable abnor-
mal variations are certain to be
high, rendering the undertaking
economically costly and even vul-
nerable to complete loss. Unless
sufficient offspring are produced in
each generation to insure that only
the absolute best are retained (that
is, some selection is exercised), the
program may be hazardous. Where
selection is practiced, inbreeding
progresses more slowly from gen-
eration to generation, but more
safely. Once deleterious genes are
fixed in an inbred generation the
damage can be repaired only by
some form of outbreeding. Once
the program is initiated, new genes
cannot be added in any generation
without undoing all uniformity
previously achieved. It is there-
fore most important that the ini-
tial stock be of the highest quality,
that is, contain the maximum num-
ber of favorable genes. Should
there be any question as to this
quality of foundation stock or its
ability to produce, line breeding
(the mating of animals of less close
relationship) may be desirable for
a few generations. This will ac-
quaint the breeder with his un-
known recessive gene pool and at
the same time, by selection, pro-
vide some form of concentration
of the best genes. It can be done
most rapidly by keeping the rela-
tionship to some one desirable an-
cestor high. Because a prolific
male can affect many more off-
spring than a female in a given
time period, several generations of
backcrosses to any exceptionally
vigorous and prolific male may do
much to strengthen the initial gene
pool before full brother-sister
mating is begun.
It should be pointed out that a
number of attempts have been
made to inbreed the rabbit in this
country and abroad over the past
25 years but thus far no completely
isogenic strain exists. Achieve-
ment of inbred lines is the onl^
means of securing genetic uni-
formity and, although it is a hazard-
ous undertaking, the breeder who
has obtained some degree of suc-
cess by any system of close breed-
ing will find inbreeding a chal-
lenging approach to further breed
improvement. With the increas-
ing usefulness of the rabbit in
medical and biological research,
the demand for truly isogenic
strains is almost certain to become
greater and greater; and breeders
who do undertake production of
such might find it not only a pro-
fitable investment, but would ren-
der a most valuable service to
medical and biological science. In
such an undertaking the value and
importance of some training in
genetics, nutrition, animal hus-
bandry, and health cannot be over-
emphasized. Young people who
are interested in such efforts will
do well to seek such training as
early in their education as possible.
424-402 O - 71 - 2
8 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
THE RABBITRY AND ITS EQUIPMENT
Select rabbitry equipment that
is adapted to your local conditions
and to your proposed operations
by reviewing the literature on the
subject. // possible^ visit rahhitries
and discuss problems with success-
ful breeders. Have your equip-
ment ready when the first rabbits
arrive.
Buildings
The type of building you need
for housing the hutches will be de-
termined by local building regula-
tions, climatic conditions, and the
amount of money you can invest.
In planning your building and its
equipment, emphasize comfort of
the rabbits and convenience of the
caretaker. The building should
have a simple design, protect the
rabbits from winds, rain, and
bright sun, and provide light and
fresh air (figs. 2, 3). Where mild
climates prevail, hutches may be
placed in the open but should have
individual roofs and protection
from the weather.
Sunlight helps maintain a sani-
tary condition in the rabbitry but
whether it actually helps the rab-
bits themselves has not been deter-
mined. Rabbits apparently enjoy
being in the sun where tempera-
tures are low or moderate but it is
not necessary that they receive di-
rect sunlight. In fact, exposure
to direct hot sun may have serious
deleterious effects on rabbits.
In mild climates, hutches may be
placed in the shade of trees or
buildings or under a lath super-
structure (fig. 2).
In hot climates, some cooling
measures must be provided in ad-
dition to shade. This can be ac-
complished by the use of overhead
sprinklers, or foggers placed within
the building. Make sure that the
building is adequately ventilated
and that the rabbits receive the
benefit of prevailing breezes. In
areas where strong winds and
stormy weather prevail, you can
put up hutches in a building that
is open to the south and east; use
curtains or panels to close up the
building during inclement weather.
Where you have extremely cold
weather, more protection will be
needed (figs. 4, 5).
Hutches
Provide individual hutches for
mature rabbits. The hutches should
be no more than 21/2 feet deep so
you can easily reach the rabbits,
and 2 feet high. Make the
hutches 3 feet long for small
breeds, 3 or 4 feet for medium-size
breeds, and 4 to 6 feet for giant
breeds. All figures are for inside
measurement. Whether you ar-
range the hutches in single, dou-
ble, or triple tiers depends upon
how much room is available. If
you have enough room, waist-high,
single-tier hutches are preferable
as thev are most convenient for
observing the rabbits and will also
save time and labor in feeding
and management. The two- or
three-tier hutches, necessary when
space is limited, are not entirely
satisfactory for caring for and ob-
serving the animals in the bottom
and top tiers. The inconvenience
of squatting or stooping to feed
and care for rabbits in the bottom
tier and of having to use a stool
or ladder for the top row of a
three-tier arrangement results in
additional labor and time as com-
pared to a single-tier arrangement.
Rabbits are more easily cared for
in well-built hutches than in poorly
constructed temporary ones. Self-
cleaning, all-wire hutches (fig. 6)
need no bedding and you can easily
keep them in good condition.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
9
BN 26084
N 45961
Figure 2. — Typical buildings used in areas of mild climate.
10 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 3. — Typical rabbitry in areas where the climate is hot.
(Courtesy of Small Stock Magazine.)
(81331 B)
Figure 4. — Outdoor hutches used in Central States.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
11
Metal Hutches. — Several designs
of wire hutches are available com-
mercially or you can build your
own. Plans and specifications may
be obtained from commercial firms
who advertise in the various rabbit
journals. A metal hutch that saves
labor in caring for animals and is
simply designed and economical to
build is a combination two-compart-
ment all- wire hutch.
An all-wire quonset-shaped hutch
(fig. 6) has several advantages. It
is easy to clean, neat in appearance,
and requires less wire than a stand-
ard rectangular hutch.
The hutch features a door that
opens up over the top. When open,
the door does not occupy aisle
space or interfere with feeding and
cleaning operations. In addition,
when this type of hutch is single-
tiered at waist height, you can
reach all the corners without plac-
ing your head and shoulders inside
the door opening.
Quonset-shaped hutches can be
adapted to fit any type of rabbitry
where hutches are protected. They
are most easily constructed in
units — two hutches per unit.
BILL OF MATERIAL FOR TWO QUONSET-
SHAPED HUTCHES IN ONE UNIT
The following material will be
needed to build one unit containing
two hutches — each hutch will be
3 feet long and 21/^ feet wide:
Floor :
One piece of welded, 16-gage
galvanized wire, 1- by l/^-
inch mesh, 3 feet wide by 6
feet long.
Top:
One piece of welded, 14-gage
galvanized wire, 1- by 2-
inch mesh, 4 feet wide by 6
feet long.
Ends and partition:
Three pieces of welded, 14-
gage galvanized wire, 1- by
2-inch mesh, IV^ feet wide
by 21/2 feet long.
11527-D
FIGURE 5. — Semienclosed hutches for use in cold climates.
12 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
N4593g
Figure 6. — Quonset-shaped, all- wire hutches with counterset nest box
and hopper feeders.
Doors :
Two pieces of welded, 14-
gage galvanized wire, 1- by
2-inch mesh, li/^ feet wide by
1 foot 8 inches long.
Miscellaneous :
Steel rod. — 5/16-inch round
steel rod, 8 feet 11 inches.
Two pieces, 2 feet 61/^
inches long for nest
supports.
One piece, 3 feet 10
inches long, for rein-
forcing the front of
the hutch.
Wire. — No. 12 galvanized, 21
feet 71/^ inches.
Three pieces, 4 feet long,
for edging around
ends and partition.
Two pieces, 914 inches
long, for vertical nest
support.
Two pieces, 1 foot 41^,
inches long, for hori-
zontal nest support.
Two pieces, 2 feet long,
for feeder yokes.
Wire. — No. 9 galvanized, 7
feet 4 inches.
Two pieces, 1 foot 8
inches long, for ad-
ditional support at
the ends of the hutch.
Two pieces, 2 feet long,
for reinforcing the
door openings.
Fasteners :
100 hen -cage clips, small
size, for fastening the
floor, top ends, and parti-
tion.
25 hen-cage clips, large size,
for door hinges and for
fastening the No. 9 wire.
30 hog rings. No. 101, for
fastening the 5/16 inch
steel rod to the floor.
Door latches. — Any standard
latch, or fastener, may be
used.
In constructing a unit of two
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISESTG
13
hutches, it is recommended that the
floor be laid out first, 3 inches to
be bent up on either side (the front
and rear of the hutches), and
openings cut for the counterset
nest boxes. The 3 inches can be
bent up on the sides with a metal
brake or improvised homemade
tooling. In cutting openings for
the nest boxes be sure to leave ap-
proximately IV^ inches of flooring
at the front of the hutch for
suspension of the nest boxes.
The partition and ends should
then be shaped from 1-inch by 2-
inch wire by using a template.
Allow %-inch protrusion beyond
the edge of the template and bend
these wires around the No. 12 edg-
ing wire. At this time, some No.
12 wire may be fastened to the
bottom of the ends and partitions
for reinforcement. The ends and
partitions can then be laid in posi-
tion on the floor, and fastened to
the floor with hen-cage clips.
Next make the top from 1-inch
by 2-inch wire, cutting openings
for the doors and feeders. Lay the
top over the floor, ends, and par-
titions, and fasten at the rear with
hen-cage clips spaced approxi-
mately every 5 inches. Raise the
front edge of the top until it is
even with the 3-inch raised front
edge of the flooring and fasten
with hen-cage clips. Now, reach
in one end and raise one end en-
closure into position, fastening it
to the top with hen cage clips. Re-
peat this process with the center
partition and other end enclosure.
This will automatically form the
quonset-shape top over the ends
and partition. The raised front
edge can then be cut for installa-
tion of the feeders, the doors and
nest boxes can be installed, and
the hutch is ready for use.
When two or more units (four
or more hutches) are built and
placed end to end, a saving of one
end enclosure can be made for each
unit built by using the following
procedure :
1. Cut the wire mesh for the
floor and top of the first unit 6
feet, 1 inch long.
2. On the first unit, fasten the
partition 3 feet from the left-end
enclosure — fasten the right-end en-
closure 3 feet to the right of the
partition. This will leave a 1-inch
overhang to connect to the next
unit.
3. On all additional units, cut
the floor and top wire 6 feet long
and fasten the partition 35 inches
from the left end ; fasten the right-
end enclosure 3 feet to the right
of the partition, leaving 1 inch of
floor and top extending beyond the
right-end enclosure. These end en-
closures become partitions when
units are added.
4. Use hen-cage clips to fasten
the units into one continuous line.
The hutches can be installed in
several ways. Suspension from the
rafters or ceiling of a shed is the
most practical method because it
eliminates all supports beneath the
hutches. Heavy wire or light lum-
ber can be used to hang the hutches.
If a dewdrop water system is used in
the rabbitry, the hutches can be
fastened to the water pipe for rear
support.
If they are not placed within a
shed, the hutches can be supported
by a frame on legs. However, the
hutches will require some type of
cover to protect the rabbits from
rain, sun, and wind.
Wooden -Frame Wire Hutches.^
Though not so durable as the all-
wire hutch, the wooden hutch with
woven-wire sides and ends permits
good circulation of air. It is more
sanitary than a solid hutch.
Hutches may be supported in sev-
eral ways. If you use corner posts,
make them long enough so that you
can clean underneath and do other
work around the hutch. You can
support a hutch by resting it on a
14 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
crosspiece nailed between the studs
that support the shed, or you can
hang it from the rafters or ceiling
of the shed with heavy wire or light
lumber.
Semienclosed Hutches. — The
semienclosed hutch is constructed
with ends and back of wood (figs. 4,
5). An extended roof gives added
protection. You can use this hutch
in outdoor rabbitries in cold cUmates.
Another satisfactory type of
hutch, which is light, movable, and
inexpensive, is shown in figure 7.
Rabbits kept in hutches made of
wooden frames and wire need addi-
tional protection in cold climates.
Hutch Floors. — Several types of
floors are used in hutches, and each
has its particular merit.
Wire mesh floors are used ex-
tensively where a self-cleaning type
is desired. They are a necessity
in commercial herds, where it would
be impossible to provide enough
labor to keep solid floors in a sani-
tary condition. In installing this
type of floor, examine the wire for
sharp points which result sometimes
from the galvanizing process. Al-
ways put the smooth surface on
top. Solid floors should slope
slightly from the front of the hutch
to the rear to provide proper
drainage. You can use hardwood
slats, 1-inch wide and spaced %-inch
or %-inch apart. A combination of
solid floor at the front part of the
hutch and a strip of mesh wire or
slats at the back may be used.
Feedins Equipment
It is desirable to use feed crocks,
troughs, hoppers, and hay mangers
that are large enough to hold
several feedings, to save time in
filling. Use a type that will prevent
waste and contamination of the
feed.
Crocks. — Crocks especially de-
signed for rabbit feeding, which are
not easily tipped over, have a lip
that prevents the animals from
scratching out and wasting their
feed. The chief objection to these
is that the young rabbits get into
them and contaminate the feed.
6otjyl-B'
Figure 7. — An economical hutch of light construction, which
can be moved from place to place.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISESTG
15
Hay Mangers and Troughs. —
Hay mangers with troughs to pre-
vent wastage may be incorporated
into hutches, where hays or green
feeds form a part of the diet. The
troughs also can be used for supple-
mental grains or home-grown feeds.
The troughs may be constructed
so that they can be pulled out of
the hutch for cleaning, filling, and
disinfecting. Guards placed on the
feed troughs and spaced just far
enough apart to allow mature
animals to feed, will help keep
young rabbits out of the troughs
and from contaminating the feed.
Hoppers. — Feed hoppers of the
proper design and size save con-
siderable time and labor. These
can be constructed from metal,
wood, masonite, or other readily
available materials. They should
hold at least several days' suppl}^
of feed and be placed within the
hutch or suspended on the outside
(fig. 6). The opening through
which the rabbits obtain feed should
be not more than 4 inches above
the hutch floor so that 3^oung rabbits
can readily obtain feed. An in-
expensive feed hopper that will hold
about 15 pounds of pellets or grain
can be made from a common square
5-gallon can (figs. 8, 9). First, cut
off the top. Then cut holes in two
opposite sides. If the hopper is to
be hung on the side of the hutch,
cut a hole on one side onlj^ The
holes should be 4 inches high, 4
inches from the bottom, and 1 inch
from each side. Bend the rough
edges inward to give a smooth edge
all around and to add rigidity.
Take a 1- by 4- by 13}2-inch board
and cut it diagonally into two equal
triangular pieces. Use these as
supports to the baffle boards, which
are nailed to them.
The baffle boards, of l/2-ii^cli Ply-
wood, should extend 1 inch below
the bottom of the side openings of
the can. The space between the
lower ends of the baffle boards
permits the grain or pellets to flow
N45944
Figure 8. — Feed hopper (self-feeder) constructed from 5-gallon can.
424-402 O - 71 - 3
16 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 0 9, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Metal \" Board ^ Gallon Can Cover
13'/2"
Front & Reor
,Nail
2 Sid(
/
lO'A"
Metal
from
Feeder
Opening
10 d V
Nail/
- 9'/4"-
Boffle
'/4" 3 Ply or
Other Light
Moterial
r'x 4"
Board Cut
Diagonally
Baffle
Figure 9. — Details of feed hopper made from 5-gallon can.
down as the rabbits eat. Make the
baffle boards to fit snugly against
the sides of the can so feed cannot
sHp by. Mount the top corners
of the baffles so that each baffle
will rest against the top edge of
the can.
Cover the exposed edges of
boards with tin to prevent gnaw-
ing. Put a finishing nail in the
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISn^TG
17
outer edge of the triangular piece
supporting the baffle, and bend the
nail to hook over the lower lip
of the opening to hold it and the
baffle in place.
You can save hutch floor space
by using a hopper with a feed
opening on one side only and by
placing the hopper only part way
into the hutch. Cut an opening
large enough to accommodate the
hopper in the side of the hutch.
Then wire the top of the hopper
to the hutch for support. One
short baffle on the side opposite the
hopper opening will keep feed out
of the rear corners.
A one-compartment feed hopper
is used when only one kind of feed
is given. When mixed feed that
the rabbits can separate is offered
in the hopper, the feed will be
selectively consumed. The rabbits
scratch out and waste the part they
prefer not to eat. You can prevent
this waste by using a hopper with
individual compartments for each
feed.
Equipment (or Waterins
Rabbits should have clean, fresh
water at all times.
Crocks.^ — Half-gallon water crocks
are still used rather extensively.
Fasten them in the hutches so that
the rabbits will not tip them over.
If a part of the crock extends
through the front wall of the hutch,
you can refill it without opening
the hutch door. Clean and dis-
infect the crocks periodicall}^.
Coffee Cans. — Coffee cans are es-
pecially useful for watering rabbits
during cold weather because you
can easily break and remove the ice.
Cans are, however, easily tipped
over unless you fasten them to a
board.
Automatic Watering System.—
Automatic watering systems are
widely used in commercial rabbit-
ries (fig. 10). They are better than
w^ater crocks or coffee cans. They
eliminate the tedious and time-
consuming chores of washing, dis-
infecting, rinsing, and filling. They
supply fresh, clean water for the
rabbits at all times. When an auto-
matic watering system is properly
installed, dirt and fur will not collect
in it and plug it up. In cold cli-
mates, an automatic watering sys-
tem must be protected against
winter freezing unless the hutches
are in a heated enclosure. Protec-
tion may be obtained through the
use of heating cables wrapped
around, or running through the
water pipe. If winter temperatures
are not too severe, protection
against freezing can be obtained by
having valves at the ends of the
water lines and allowing water to
dribble throught the pipes during
short periods of subfreezing tem-
peratures.
12767A
Figure 10. — Young rabbit drinking from
an automatic waterer.
If you can cut and thread pipe,
you can install an automatic water-
ing system. Conventional systems
sold by rabbit and poultry supply
houses consist of a pressure-reduc-
ing tank equipped with a float
valve, a lA-inch supply pipe, a
watering unit for each hutch, and
18 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
valves. The valves are used to
bleed out air bubbles, to drain the
system as needed, or to shut off the
water. If the water contains sedi-
ment, a half -barrel can be advan-
tageously used instead of the stand-
ard pressure-reducing tank. The
outlet for the supply pipe can be
installed several inches above the
bottom of the barrel. The sedi-
ment will then collect below the
outlet pipe and will not get into
the system and clog it. Other sedi-
ment traps, installed between the
tank and the supply pipe to the
hutches, can be used with any type
of tank.
One-gallon tanks or smaller
tanks sometimes are used where the
weather is warm. Such tanks are
emptied more often. The constant
flow of water in and out of the
tank keeps fresh cool water before
the rabbits at all times.
Install the pressure tank 1 foot
or more above the highest hutch.
If the supply pipe is raised to clear
the feeding alleys, then install the
tank about 1 foot above this high-
est point.
Raised supply pipes may require
vent pipes to keep air bubbles out
of the system. Install the vent
pipe at the highest point in the
supply line. See that the open end
is at least 1 foot above the water
level in the tank. If it is necessary
to change the level of the supply
line from one row of hutches to
another, use a piece of rubber hose
to make the connection.
Determine the correct height for
the tank by fastening a rubber hose
to the tank outlet and then to the
supply pipe. Raise or lower the
tank until the valves, or dewdrops,
from which the rabbits drink have
the proper tension. If there is too
much tension or pressure on the
valves, the rabbits will not be able
to trip them. Under too little
tension, the valves will drip.
The proper height for the water
valve is 9 inches from the hutch
floor for medium and heavy breeds
and 7 inches for the smaller breeds.
The pipe may be hung on the out-
side and at the back of the hutch
so no water drips on the rabbits
and the hutch floor. An opening
in the back of the hutch will per-
mit the rabbit to use the valve
(fig. 10).
When hutches are back to back
use one pipe for supplying w^ater
to both luitches. Use a four-way
outlet and short nipples for in-
stalling the valves.
You can install one drinking
valve for each hutch by drilling
and tapping the supply pipe and
screwing the valve into it.
If you are not equipped to make
the plumbing installation, substi-
tute a 34-inch rubber hose for the
1/2 -inch supply pipe. Cut a hole in
tlie hose and screw in the valve.
Plastic pipe may be used in a simi-
lar manner. If a rubber hose or
plastic pipe is used it should be
hung on the outside of the hutch
to minimize possibilities of dam-
age due to chewing or gnawing.
Check the automatic watering
system periodically, especially
when you put a rabbit in a hutch
that has been unoccupied for sev-
eral days. When valves are not
used — even for a few^ days — min-
erals in the water may cause them
to stick.
Rabbits learn to use the system
readily, even young just out of the
nest box.
Nest Boxes
No one type of nest box is best
suited for all conditions, but all
should provide seclusion for the
doe at kindling and comfort and
protection for the young. Nest
boxes should be large enough to
prevent crowding and small enough
to keep the young together. All
types should provide good drainage
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
19
and proper ventilation. Two gen-
eral kinds have been used exten-
sively—the box type and the nail-
keg type. If a nail keg is used,
nail a 1- by 6-inch board across
the open end of the keg, so that
it covers one-third to one-half of
the opening. To keep the keg from
rolling, extend the board a few
inches beyond the sides of the open-
ing. Drill several 1-inch holes in
the closed end of the keg for venti-
lation, and some 14-inch holes in the
bottom for drainage.
Since nail kegs have become dif-
ficult to obtain, apple and pear
boxes are frequently used. These
may be fitted with tops or left
open. In either event, an opening
should be cut in one end at the
top, or a portion of one end re-
moved, to provide easy access for
the doe and young. As an alterna-
tive, one end may be fitted with re-
movable boards, or slats, so that as
the young begin leaving the nest,
panels may be removed to allow the
young to reenter the nest box.
Metal nest boxes also are available
but have the disadvahtage, in some
climates, of being cold or collecting
condensation of water vapor.
Another type of nest box in-
creasing in popularity is the coun-
terset type, where the box is re-
cessed below the hutch floor (figs.
6, 11). These may be placed at the
front of the cage and fitted with
drawers for access from the ex-
terior of the hutch. They have
the advantages of providing a
more natural environment, since
rabbits are burrowing animals, and
of allowing the young easier ac-
cess if they should be displaced
from the nest at an early age. The
young can jump out of the stand-
ard nail-keg or apple-box nest, but
they often cannot jump or climb
back in. This means that some of
the young may go hungry when
the litter becomes divided. The
doe usually nurses her young at
night or in the early evening and
morning hours. If the litter is
divided, the doe will either nurse
the young in the nest or those on
the hutch floor. She will not nurse
N 45948
Figure 11. — Counterset nest box and drawer as illustrated in figure 6.
20 AGRICXILTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
both groups, nor will she pick up
the young and return them to the
nest.
The counterset nest boxes are
easier to keep clean than the apple-
box and nailkeg nest boxes because
the inner drawers of the counterset
nest box can be slipped out for wash-
ing and disinfecting. These draw-
ers also can be interchanged from
one hutch to another. When the
young no longer need the inner
drawer, it can be left out to provide
more space in the hutch.
BILL OF MATERIAL FOR NEST BOX AND
DRAWER
Nest box:
Sides. — Two pieces of lumber,^
1 by 12 by 17 inches.
End. — One piece of lumber, 1 by
8 by 1214 inches.
Door. — One piece of lumber, 1
by 121/4, inches.
Winter enclosure. — One piece of
lumber, 1 by 8 by 12 14 inches.
Cover. — One piece of l^-inch
hardboard, 12 by 121/4, inches.
Bottom. — One piece of 16-gage
galvanized wire, 1- by l/^-inch
mesh, 12 by 18 inches.
Nest drawer:
Sides. — Two pieces of Vs'iiich
hardboard (tempered), 71/4
by 16% inches.
Ends. — Two pieces of lumber, 1
by 8 by 10 inches.
Bottom. — One piece of i^-inch
hardboard (tempered), 81/^ by
16% inches.
Miscellaneous :
Nails. — ^Use sixpenny or eight-
penny nails to fasten the end,
top, and sides of the nest box,
eightpenny to fasten the nest
drawer, and lV4-inch roofing
nails (large head) to fasten
*No. 2 construction knotty pine or
1-inch box lumber.
the wire bottom to the nest
box.
Protecting strips. — To prevent
chewing and splintering, nail
30-gage galvanized sheet metal,
bent to form a I/2- by %-inch
angle, to the exposed edges of
the nest box and drawer.
Hinges. — T wo 1-inch strap
hinges for the door.
In shaping the sides of the nest
box for the slanted roof, you can
use the piece of lumber cut from
the rear of each side to build up
the front. The completed sides
should be 17 inches long, and
should slant from 16 inches tall in
the front to 8 inches tall at the
rear (fig. 6).
Suspend the completed nest box
in the hutch by the cradle of No. 12
wire at the rear and the three re-
maining strands of hutch flooring
in the front. The cradle of No. 12
wire can be made in three sections
to fit down each side of the box
and under the bottom, or in one
long piece. In either case it is
merely hooked onto the hutch
flooring next to the nest box on
one side, passed down and across
beneath the box and up the other
side to a^ain hook on the hutch
floor. This provides adequate sup-
port for the rear of the nest box.
Slip the three strands of flooring
into notches cut into the front end
of the nest box just above the door.
To prevent the nest box from
slipping to the rear so that the
floor wire at the front end no
longer acts as a support, the side
boards of the nest box can be cut
so as to extend a little above the
back board of the nest box. Then
as the back board comes up under
the hutch floor, these side boards
project a little above the floor and
prevent the nest from being pushed
to the rear.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
21
To help keep the nest dry, cut
some 1/4, -inch drain holes on the
bottom of the nest-box drawer.
Losses of young rabbits kindled
in winter can be largely prevented
if you furnish proper nesting ac-
commodations. If a doe reacts
normally to her newborn litter by
pulling enough wool to make a
warm nest and feeding her young,
and if the nest box is well insu-
lated, the young can survive tem-
peratures as low as 15° to 20° be-
low zero.
You can make a good type of
winter nest box by placing a stand-
ard size nest box inside a larger
box. Pack straw into the space of
3 inches or so on all sides except
entrance and top. A lid of ordi-
nary box wood covered on the
under side with two thicknesses of
paper will supply the necessary top
insulation. Make two or three
holes, 1/^- to %-inch in diameter,
in the lid at the end opposite the
opening to the nest box, for venti-
lation and to prevent condensation
within the nest box. On the bot-
tom of the inner box, put one or
two layers of corrugated cardboard
or several thicknesses of paper to
keep the newborn litter from com-
ing in contact with the cold boards.
Fill the nest box so completely
with new, clean straw that the doe
will have to burrow into it to form
a cavity for a nest. Inspect the
box daily for the first 3 or 4 days.
If the cardboard or paper becomes
damp from accumulated moisture,
remove it promptly. Replace it if
cold weather continues. A simpler
nest box for use in winter consists
of a single box lined completely
with one or two layers of corru-
gated cardboard and filled with
straw.
FEEDS AND FEEDING
Success in raising rabbits is im-
possible if you do not give enough
attention to diets and provide
wholesome feeds in adequate quan-
tity each day.
Feed is one of the biggest items
of expense in raising rabbits and
each herd presents an individual
problem. Select diets that are
suited to the needs of your rabbits,
whether you buy commercially
prepared mixtures or pellets, or
mix feeds yourself.
Feed Requirements
Rations for dry does, herd bucks,
and developing young should pro-
vide the following:
Percent
of ration
Crude protein 12 to 15
Fat 2 to 3.5
Fiber 20 to 27
Nitrogen-free extract 43 to 47
Ash or mineral 5 to 6.5
Rations for pregnant does and
does with litters should contain
more protein. Their rations should
include :
Percent
of ration
Crude protein 16 to 20
Fat 3 to 5.5
Fiber 15 to 20
Nitrogen-free extract 44 to 50
Ash or mineral 4.5 to 6.5
Tlie nutrient contents of common
rabbit feeds are shown in table 2,
and daily requirements for various
weights of rabbits are shown in
table 3. Further information on
nutrient contents may be obtained
from Morrison's Feeds and Feed-
ing {lOy and National Research
Council Publication No. 1194 {12).
The protein content of rations
is important in development of
^ Italic numbers in parentheses refer
to the Literature Cited, p. 69.
22 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Table 2. — Digestible protein and total digestible nutrients of some
common rabbit feeds
[Dry roughages and concentrates on an air-dry basis]
Feed
Dry matter
Digestible
crude
protein
Total
digestible
nutrient
DRY ROUGHAGES
Alfalfa hay, common
Alfalfa hay, very leafy
Bluegrass hay
Clover hay, red
Lespedeza hay, annual
Sorghum fodder, milo
Oat hay
Peanut hay, without nuts.
Soj^bean hay
Sudangrass hay
Timothy hay
Vetch hay (common)
GREEN ROUGHAGES, ROOTS, AND TUBERS
Alfalfa
Cabbage, aerial portion.
Carrots, roots
Clover
Rutabagas, roots
Sweet potatoes, roots
Turnips, roots
CONCENTRATES
Barley grain
Beet pulp, dried
Bread, dried
Brewers' grains, dried.
Buckwheat grain
Corn, grain dent #2...
Cottonseed meal
Linseed meal
Milk, cows
Milk, dried
Oats, grain
Peanut meal
Sorghum grain, milo..
Soybcan meal
Soybean seed
Wheat grain
Wheat bran
Percent
of ration
90
90
92
88
89
91
88
89
89
89
21
9
12
20
11
32
9
89
90
64
93
88
85
92
91
13
96
90
93
89
91
90
89
90
Percent
of ration
11
16
6
5
6
10
6
3
10
10
4
8
23
7
7
32
31
3
26
9
39
8
40
33
11
14
Percent
of ration
40
58
31
43
39
35
26
46
43
43
32
46
15
9
10
13
10
28
8
70
70
65
58
70
82
66
70
16
117
65
85
84
82
98
79
57
young, for maintaming the breed-
ing herd, and for wool production.
It also is a factor in the quantity
of food required for a certain gain
in live weight. Adding the proper
quantity of protein supplement to
a ration composed of grains and
hay increases the rate of growth of
young rabbits 13 to 20 percent and
effects a saving of 20 to 25 percent
in the quantity of feed required
for a unit of gain.
Protein is the most expensive
part of the feed, but the propor-
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
23
Table 3. — Daily nutrient requirements oj rabbits per animal
[All feeds or rations are based on air-dry weights]
Phase of production and body weight
Total
feed
Total
digestible
nutrients
Total
protein
Digestible
protein
Normal growth, does or bucks, 4 to 9 lb.,
average 6.5 lb - - -
Lb.
0. 32
.25
.30
.34
. 38
. 20
.33
. 45
.25
. 41
.56
Lb.
0. 19
. i6
. 19
. 22
.25
. 11
. 18
. 25
. 15
.24
.33
Lb.
0.05
.04
. 05
. 05
.06
.03
.04
.05
. 04
.06
.08
Lb.
0.03
Normal growth and fattening, does or
bucks:
4 lb
. 03
5 lb . _ . _ -
.04
6 lb
. 04
7 lb -
.05
Maintenance, does or bucks:
5 lb
. 02
1 0 lb - - -
.03
15 lb --
. 01
Pregnant docs:
5 lb -
. 03
10 lb -
. 05
15 lb .
.06
tions recommended are those that
have proved most economical. The
upper limits suggested give better
results than the lower. There is
no danger in feeding higher levels
of protein than recommended pro-
vided the ration is adequate in all
other ingredients. Thus, if your
herd is small or if it would be dif-
ficult to feed two rations, you can
give feed intended for pregnant
does and for does with suckling
litters to the entire herd.
j\Iany rabbit raisers will have
homegrown grains and hay or will
be able to purchase them locally.
These feeds in their natural form
are satisfactory if you use addi-
tional protein to balance them
properly. Feed them in separate
compartments of a self-feeder or
use the plant - protein supple-
ments— soybean, peanut, sesame,
cottonseed, and linseed meals in the
pea-size cake, flake, or pelleted
form — with whole grain to make
up the concentrate part of the ra-
tion. If you hand-feed the mix-
ture, use a container that prevents
the rabbits from scratching: out
and Avasting the feed. If you use
finely ground mill products in the
mixture, dampen the feed just be-
fore feeding to prevent the fine
meals from settling out and being
wasted.
Hay
For your rabbits, choose hay
that is fine stemed, leafy, green,
well cured, and free from mildew
or mold.
If you feed whole, coarse hay,
a good deal will be wasted. The
rabbits will pull a stem out of the
hay manger, eat part of it, and
drop the rest. To prevent some of
this waste and to put the hay in a
more convenient form for feeding,
cut it into 3- or 4-inch lengths.
The legume hays, such as alfalfa,
clover, lespedeza, cowpea, vetch,
kudzu, and peanut are palatable
and make good feed for rabbits.
The carbonaceous liays, such as
timothy and prairie, and hays made
from johnsongrass, sudangrass, or
dallisgrass, are less pahitable than
legume hays, but are valuable for
24 AGRICUXTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
feeding where legume hays are not
readily available.
The grass hays ordinarily con-
tain only about half as much pro-
tein as legume hays. If you
feed them, include more pro-
tein supplement in the diet. If
they are cut before the plants are
in bloom, when the stems are fine
and there is a high proportion of
leaf, the grass hays are much more
suitable for feeding. They have
a higher protein content at this
time but they never contain as
much protein as legume hays.
Hays furnish bulk or fiber in
addition to nutrients. Rabbits fed
insufficient bulk have soft drop-
pings that mash on the hutch floor
and cause increased labor in keep-
ing the hutch clean. They also may
chew their fur. If you feed young
rabbits too much bulk they will
not get enough nutrients for rapid
growth and market finish.
Green Feed and Root Crops
Rapid-growing plants, such as
grasses, palatable weeds, cereal
grains, and leafy garden vegetables
free from insecticides, are high in
vitamins, minerals, and proteins,
and make excellent feeds, espe-
cially for the breeding herd. Use
them in the diet when they fit into
the management program.
Root crops, such as carrots,
sweetpotatoes, turnips, mangels,
beets, and Jerusalem- artichokes,
are desirable feeds throughout the
year, and are particularly good in
winter when green feeds are not
available.
Fresh green feeds and root crops
should be used as supplements to
the concentrate part of the diet.
You will get best results when you
use variety. Fresh feeds contain
90 percent or more of water. Use
them only as supplements to grain
or pellets when choice carcasses are
desired. You can use them to
maintain mature animals that are
not in production.
Feed root crops and green feed
sparingly to rabbits that are un-
accustomed to them. There is no
danger in feeding fresh green feed
that is wet with dew or rain. Do
not use feed that has been piled
and become heated.
Place green feed in a hay man-
ger; never throw it on the floor of
the hutch. Contaminated feed
may cause digestive disturbances
or re-infect rabbits with internal
parasites. Remove any feed that
is not readily consumed.
Grains and Milled Feeds
Use oats, wheat, barley, the grain
sorghums, buckwheat, and rye as
whole grains or as milled products.
You can feed the softer varieties
of corn whole, but there will be
considerable waste of the flinty
varieties unless you feed them in
meal or cracked form. The grains
are quite similar in their food
values and you can substitute one
for another on a pound-for-pound
basis without materially altering
the nutritive value of the ration.
Milled-wheat products such as
bran, middlings, shorts, and red-
dog flour, and byproducts from
manufacturing foods from other
grains for human use may be in-
cluded in mash mixtures and
pellets.
Rabbits eat sunflower seeds read-
ily, but because they have a much
higher value for other uses they
seldom are included in rabbit diets.
Protein Supplements
Soybean, peanut, sesame, cotton-
seed, and linseed meals are rich in
protein and desirable for balancing
rabbit rations. These feeds in meal
form are used in mashes and pel-
leted rations but are unsatisfactory
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
25
for mixing with grains. They will
settle out of the grain mixture and
be largely wasted. The pea-size
cake, the flake form, or the meals
made into a pellet are satisfactory
for use with whole grains. If their
protein content is the same, the
meals in pea-size cake, flake, or
pelleted form provide approxi-
mately the same nutritive value.
Make your selection on availability
and cost. Use fresh plant -protein
supplements.
Although soj^bean seeds contain
approximately 36 percent protein
and 18 percent fat, the meal from
the seeds, with fat extracted, has
as much as 4.5 percent protein and
1 to 5 percent fat. If there is an
oil mill nearby, you may be able
to exchange homegrown soybeans
for the meal. Rabbits do not eat
the seeds readily — feed only about
1 pound of them for each 10
pounds of grain. Using this pro-
portion of soybeans in a whole-
grain legume hay diet will improve
the protein content slightly but not
enough for maximum growth.
Some caution should be observed
in using cottonseed meal as a pro-
tein supplement. Untreated cot-
tonseed meal contains gossypol, a
substance which is toxic to rab-
bits. Therefore, only degossypol-
ized meal should be used. Recent
evidence from the U.S. Rabbit P]x-
periment Station indicates that
degossypolized cottonseed meal is
a suitable replacement for soybean
meal at levels up to 7 percent of
the diet.
Miscellaneous Feeds
Dry bread or other table and
kitchen waste (except meat and
greasy or sour foods) are accept-
able to most rabbits. TVlien used
as supplements to grain and rough-
age or pelleted rations, they add
variety to the diet. When the cost
is not prohibitive, cow's or goat's
milk may be used in the diet. If
the milk is not sour or contami-
nated, it will not cause digestive
troubles. Dry bread mixed with
milk is a satisfactoiy feed for does
with young litters and for rabbits
being conditioned for shows.
Pelleted Rations
Many brands of pelleted rations
are on the market. Ingredients
and proportions vary but they are
usually made according to recom-
mended specifications of nutrient
or feed content. Follow the ad-
vice of the manufacturer.
Pelleted rations require little
storage space and are easily fed.
In some localities they are the only
rabbit feeds available.
There are two types of pelleted
diets — the all-grain pellet to be fed
with hay and the complete pellet
(green pellet). The complete pel-
let usually contains all the food
elements necessary for a balanced
diet.
The choice between a home-
mixed feed or a pelleted feed will
depend on the availability and
relative cost, and how much time
you have for preparing the ration
and feeding the herd.
Pellets should be. i/g- to %q-
inch in diameter and %- to I/4-
inch long. If pellets are too large,
small rabbits cannot get them in
their mouths. The rabbits bite off
a part of the pellet and drop the
rest. The discarded part is lost
through the wire hutch floor or is
left to become contaminated on
solid floors.
It is usually impractical for you
to pellet your own rations.
Salt
Salt is necessary in the diet.
Put small blocks or salt spools in
the hutch so the animals can feed
26 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
at will, or add 0.5 to 1.0 percent
salt to mixed feed or pellets. Salt
blocks or spools will cause corro-
sion of any metal with which they
are in contact, so it is not advis-
able to use them in all-wire hutches.
In areas where the soil is deficient
in certain mineral elements, use
mineralized salts, as fed to other
farm animals, in rabbit rations.
Water
Rabbits need ready access to
fresh, pure water at all times. In
summer, they require large quanti-
ties. A 10- to 12-pound doe and
her 8-week old litter of seven will
drink about a gallon of water in
24 hours.
Preparins and Storing Feeds
Wliole grains are satisfactory
for feeding rabbits. Milled prod-
ucts, whether rolled, cracked, or
ground, lose some of their food
value and apparently become less
palatable if stored for any length
of time, especially during the sum-
mer. Coarse hay is more conveni-
ent to feed and less wasteful if you
cut it into 3- or 4-inch lengths.
Cutting the hay you feed to An-
gora rabbits helps keep the wool
clean.
Sometimes you can save money
by storing home-grown . feed or
feed purchased as it is harvested.
Store it in rodent- and insect-proof
containers.
Protect grains, pellets, hay, or
other feeds and bedding materials
from contamination by cats or
dogs; otherwise the rabbits may
become infested with a cat or dog
tapeworm.
Methods of Feeding
Two methods of feeding are in
general practice. One entails plac-
ing a measured amount of feed in
feed crocks or troughs each day,
and is referred to as "hand feed-
ing." The other utilizes a hopper,
or self-feeder, which holds several
days' supply of feed, and is re-
ferred to as "self-feeding" or "full-
feeding," since feed is available to
the rabbits at all times and they
can feed at will. Crocks or troughs
may be used for full-feeding, but
will have to be filled more fre-
quently than hoppers and are more
susceptible to waste and contami-
nation. The hopper feeding sys-
tem saves time and labor and pre-
\ents waste and contamination if
the hop])er is properly constructed.
Full-feeding in crocks or troughs
produces about the same results as
hopper feeding, provided you feed
the animals all they will consume
each day without waste. If you
cannot give close attention, hopper
feeding will give better results.
^Vliether, in hand feeding, a herd
of rabbits should be fed 1, 2, or
3 times a day is largely a matter
of personal preference and con-
venience. Regularity is more im-
portant than the number of feed-
ings. Rabbits eat more at night
than during the day, especially in
warm weather.
Full feeding insures rapid
growth and economical develop-
ment of young to weaning. Full-
fed rabbits generally require less
feed than hand-fed rabbits to
produce each pound of live weight
because they eat frequently and
slowly and chew their food thor-
oughly.
Occasionally a rabbit goes "off
feed." "Wlien this happens, reduce
the quantity of the ration. The
offer of a tempting morsel of car-
rot, bread and milk, or fresh green
feed may induce the rabbit to be-
gin eating again.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
27
Feeding Dry Does^ Herd Bucks,
and Juniors
You can maintain mature dry
does and herd bucks not in service
on hay alone if you freely feed a
Hue stemmed, leafy, green-colored,
legume hay. If you feed coarse
legume hays or carbonaceous hays,
feed each 8-pound animal 2 ounces
(I/3 cup) of a grain-protein mix-
ture or an all-grain pellet several
times each week. For rabbits of
other weights, adjust the quantity.
For example, feed 3 ounces to a
12-pound animal.
Feed herd bucks in service the
same quantity of concentrates and
give them free access to choice
hay; or provide them with 4 to 6
ounces of a complete pellet daily.
RegiUate the amount to keep them
in good condition and to assure
that they do not become too fat.
For developing junior does and
bucks, regulate the concentrate
portion of the diet so that the
animals will grow and be in good
condition when they are ready for
breeding. With the medium-
weight breeds (9 to 12 pounds at
maturity), hold the grain-protein
mixture or the all-grain pellet on
a daily level of 2 to 4 ounces and
allow free access to a good-quality
hay. As the rabbits develop, they
will eat more hay to get the addi-
tional nutrients required for
growth. "When using a complete
pellet, -4 to 6 ounces daily should
be sufficient. Take precautions to
prevent juniors from becoming too
fat when they are fed concentrates
or a complete pellet.
An alfalfa pellet, consisting of
99 percent No. 2 leafy, or better
grade, alfalfa meal (15 to 16 per-
cent protein) and 1 percent salt,
may be full fed to developing
junior does and bucks as the only
feed from weaning until they are
to be placed in the breeding herd.
In the event that alfalfa pellets
are unavailable through local mills,
a coarse crumble or turkey-grind
crumble, composed entirely of al-
falfa, may serve as a satisfactory
feed for developing stock. If a
crumble is used it might be ad-
visable to place a small salt block
or spool in the hutch, though there
is evidence from trials at the U.S.
Rabbit Experiment Station that
the animals may do without the
extra salt for the few months be-
fore they are placed in the breed-
ing herd.
Note: Nutritive value of diets,
and daily feed requirements of in-
dividual rabbits, vary. Observe
the condition of your individual
rabbits and increase or decrease
quantities of feed to obtain de-
sired physical condition.
Feeding Pregnant and Nursing
Does
To feed a doe properly, it is nec-
essary to know definitely whether
she has conceived. Palpating (feel-
ing for the developing young in
the uteri) at 12 to 14 days follow-
ing breeding is a quick and accu-
rate method of determining preg-
nancy (see p. 35).
After mating, you may maintain
junior and mature does in breed-
ing condition on good-quality hay
or hay pellets until you have de-
termined that they are pregnant.
If your herd is receiving only com-
plete pellets, restrict the amount
that bred does receive daily to that
quantity which will keep them in
the desired physical condition un-
til pregnancy is determined. Full-
feeding complete pellets to a bred
doe will cause her to put on too
much flesh if she fails to conceive.
If a doe fails to conceive as deter-
min'3d by palpation, breed her
again and feed only hay, or re-
stricted amounts of complete pel-
28 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
lets, until she is pregnant. Wlien
she is diagnosed as pregnant, give
her all the concentrates she will
eat plus good-quality hay, or all
the complete pellets she will eat
for the remainder of the gestation
period. You can provide the con-
centrates in the form of grain and
a protein pellet or all-grain pellets.
All-grain pellets have the neces-
sary amount of plant-protein sup-
plement incorporated with grain
and salt to make a complete feed
when fed with a good quality hay.
The general practice is to feed
pelleted complete feed.
Sudden changes in rations fed
during the gestation period may
cause some does to go "otf feed."
If they fail to eat necessary nu-
trients for too long a period of
time, abortion or young that are
dead at birth may result. Gradu-
ally change over a new ration by
feeding one-fourth new ration and
three-fourths old ration for 3 to 4
days, one-half new ration and one-
half old ration for 3 to 4 days, and
then three-fourths new ration and
one- fourth old ration for 3 to 4
days.
After the doe kindles, she can
be fed in the same manner as be-
fore, until the young are weaned
when about 2 months old. From
the day of kindling feed her all
she readily will consume without
waste, or a grain-protein mixture
and hay, an all-grain pellet and
hay, or a complete pelleted feed
until the litter leaves the nest box.
As the litter develops, feed the doe
and litter greater quantities or full-
feed them to insure maximum
growth of the young. If you use
a feed hopper and the hutch is
small (less than 10 square feet of
floor space for a 10- to 12-pound
doe), placing a hopper in it with
the nest box may make it too
crowded. Full-feed the doe using
a crock or trough until the nest
box is removed, then introduce the
hopper. Inspect the hopper occa-
sionally to make sure that feed is
always available.
COPROPHAGY
Rabbits re-ingest part of their
food, usuall}' in the early morning,
when they are unobserved. They
re-ingest only the soft matter that
has passed through the digestive
tract. Investigators have called
this trait "pseudo - rumination,"
from the characteristic of rumi-
nants (cows, sheep, and others) of
chewing the cud, which is food
regurgitated and chewed again.
Most rabbit breeders are unaware
of this practice. Some who have
observed it believe it indicates a
nutritional deficiency. It is, how-
ever, normal in rabbits and may
actually enhance the nutritive
value of the feed by virtue of a
second passage through the diges-
tive tract.
REPRODUCTION
Germ Cells and Fertilization
Rabbits do not show regular
estrous cycles, that is, recurrent
periods of sexual desire. During
the breeding season the doe re-
mains in heat for long periods of
time. If she is not bred, the fol-
licles in the ovary remain large
and active for a period of 12 to 16
days. After this time they begin
to regress. Meanwhile, new fol-
licles grow to replace them. As a
result, active follicles are present
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
29
at all times during the breeding
season. There may be a transi-
tional period, while the new set of
follicles is growing and the old
set is retrogressing, when the doe
lacks interest in the male and i3
temporarily sterile.
Ovulation usually does not occur
in the female unless she is mated
to a male. Following mating, the
large follicles in the ovary begin
to grow rapidly. These break
about 10 hours after mating. This
process of shedding the egg is
called ovulation. In the meantime
the sperm from the male move
through the female tract to the
upper part of the tubes so that
when the eggs are shed from the
follicles, the sperm enter and fer-
tilize them. These fertilized eggs
then undergo a number of changes
and grow to become the develop-
ing fetuses. The young fetuses
grow and develop in the uterus
and this period of development
usually takes 30 to 32 days. After
the eggs are shed, the cells that
line the follicles begin to grow and
form small yellow bodies in the
ovary, called the corpora lutea.
These bodies secrete a hormone
called progesterone, which is nec-
essary to cause the uteri to grow
and secrete substances that feed
the developing young.
The practical method for meas-
uring fertility in does is to deter-
mine the total number of live
young born from each gestation.
The litter size varies with the
strain or breed, and the more fer-
tile strains will produce an aver-
age of about eight young per preg-
nancy. Many factors, such as nu-
trition, heredity, and environment,
affect fertility. Does that are un-
derfed will not come in heat, and
the quality of semen from starved
bucks is lowered. Also, though
experimental proof is lacking,
there is a widespread opinion that
does and bucks which are exces-
sively fat have lowered reproduc-
tive capacities due to decreased
sexual urge, or libido, or inter-
ference with the passage of eggs
and sperm in the small reproduc-
tive tubules. Hereditary charac-
ters that affect fertility in does are
number of eggs shed and fetal mor-
tality. In highly fertile strains,
the number of eggs shed averages
about 10, while in low strains, the
number may only be 4 or 5. In
some low-fertility strains, normal
numbers of ova are shed but an
abnormally large number of em-
bryos die during gestation. In
fertile strains, about 15 to 20 per-
cent of the fetuses die in the uterus
during gestation. In some low-
fertility strains, 80 percent of the
fetuses die during the gestation
period.
Gestation Period
The gestation period, or the pe-
riod from mating to kindling, is
31 or 32 days. Some litters may
be kindled as early as the 28th or
29th day, or as late as the 35th, but
98 percent of the normal litters
will be kindled between the 30th
and 33d day. If kindling is de-
layed 2 or 3 days, generally one
or more of the fetuses is unusually
large.
Age to Breed
The proper age of bucks and
does for the first mating depends
on breed and individual develop-
ment. Smaller breeds develop
more rapidly and are sexually ma-
ture at a much younger age than
medium-weight or giant breeds.
Does should be mated when they
reach maturity; some difficulty
may be experienced if mating is
too long delayed. On the average,
the smaller breeds may be bred
when the bucks and does are 4 to
30 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
5 months old, the medium-weight
breeds at 5 to 6 months, and the
giant breeds at 8 to 10 months.
Some individual rabbits within a
breed develop more rapidly than
others, and does usually mature
earlier than bucks. In commercial
production, it is the general prac-
tice -to hold bucks a month longer
than does before breeding for the
first time, though there is no ex-
perimental proof that this is nec-
essary.
Breeding Schedule
The breeding schedule you should
follow is determined by the type
of production. It probably would
be better not to attempt to produce
more than two or three litters a
year in raising animals for show
purposes. Arrange time of mat-
ings so that the offspring will be
of proper age and development for
the show classification desired. In
commercial production for meat
and fur, work breeding animals
throughout the year if possible.
With a gestation period of 31
or 32 days and a nursing period
of 8 weeks, a doe can produce four
litters in a 12-month period if no
failures or "passes" occur. Does
of heavy producing strains can be
mated 6 weeks after kindling, and,
if no failures occur, will produce
five litters in a year. Many com-
mercial breeders are using breeding
intervals of 21, 28, or 35 days after
kindling to further increase the
meat production of their herds.
The general feeling is that for
most efficient production, does
should be worked to the extent of
their genetic reproductive capaci-
ties. Experimental evidence is
lacking as to what effect these
rapid breeding schedules may have
on the reproductive life of the doe,
fryer development, feed conversion
as measured by the pounds of feed
necessary to produce a pound of
meat, mortality, and carcass
quality.
Wliere extreme temperatures
make it undesirable to have litters
kindled during 2 or 3 months of
the year, does may be rebred 42
days after kindling and still pro-
duce four litters.
If a doe is full-fed a properly
balanced ration during the suckl-
ing period, she should be in con-
dition for breeding before the lit-
ter is weaned. If, however, the
doe is not in good physical condi-
tion at the scheduled breeding
time, she should not be bred until
she is. If the litter is lost at kin-
dling, or the size of the litter is
materially reduced for other rea-
sons, and the doe is in good con-
dition, she may be rebred earlier
than called for by the regular
schedule, but not earlier than 3 or
4 days after kindling.
Lactation
During the last week of preg-
nancy the mammary glands de-
velop rapidly. Though milk may
be produced before kindling, and
actually leak from the glands of
high-producing does, the actual let-
down and production is usually
delayed until kindling, and is initi-
ated under hormonal and nervous
stimuli induced by the action of
suckling. Maximum milk produc-
tion is usually reached by the third
week, after which production grad-
ually declines. The duration of
lactation varies depending upon
diet, number of suckling young,
and the leng-th of time the young
are left with the doe. Ordinarily,
milk production is negligible after
the sixth or seventh week, though
in well-nourished, high-producing
does with a litter of eight or nine,
milk production may last for 8
weeks or longer. Milk has been
observed in the stomachs of young
weaned from the doe at 8 weeks of
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
31
age, and milk can be expressed
from the glands for several days
thereafter.
The amount of milk produced
depends upon several factors such
as breed, strain, diet, and genetic
constitution. Various studies of
milk production in the rabbit in-
dicate that during the height of
lactation, milk yield may reach 35
grams per kilogram of live weight.
On this basis, a 10-pound doe
would produce approximately 140
grams (5 ounces) of milk per day.
Contrary to popular belief, the
doe does not nurse her young
throughout the 24-hour period.
For the very young in the nest
box, nursing is usually performed
during the night or early morning.
It may consist of a single feeding
of only a few minutes. After the
young leave the nest box and are
consuming solid food they will try
to nurse several times during the
day. However, the doe will usu-
ally push them aside and restrict
their nursing to the nighttime.
Occasionally, does will allow the
young to nurse during the day, as
most rabbit breeders will agree.
Students of animal behavior at-
tribute the nursing habits of the
doe to the fact that rabbits in their
natural habitat are extensively
preyed upon and rather helpless to
defend their young. Therefore, it
is advantageous for the doe to stay
away from the young as much as
possible.
Factors That Limit Conception
Among the causes of failure to
conceive, or low conception rates,
are false pregnancy (pseudopreg-
nancy), season of the year, age,
poor physical condition, sore hocks,
injuries, and disease.
Pseudopregnancy. — Does may be
mated or stimulated sexually and
shed the egg cells, yet fail to become
pregnant. This false pregnancy
may be caused by an infertile
mating or sexual excitement when
one doe rides, or is ridden by,
another. Does which become pseu-
dopregnant are unable to conceive
until the false-pregnancy period,
which lasts 17 days, is over. After
18 to 22 days, the doe may give
evidence of the termination of false
pregnancy by pulling fur and at-
tempting to make a nest. When
false pregnancy has terminated,
doe will resume normal reproduc-
tive activity and may be bred.
Separate does that are to be
mated and put each in an individual
hutch 18 days before mating.
They will have passed through any
false pregnancy period by mating
time.
Season.' — Spring is the optimal
breeding season for the rabbit.
The percentage of conceptions is
higher at this time of year than at
others.
Extreme temperatures, especially
sudden changes to high tempera-
tures, may cause the rabbits to go
into a barren period that will con-
tinue for some time. Also, it is
not unusual for the percentage of
conceptions in a herd to show a
marked decrease during the late
summer and the fall. For example,
at the U.S. Rabbit Experiment
Station conception rates varied
from a high of about 85 percent in
March and April to a low of 50 per-
cent or less in September and Octo-
ber. This is commonly referred to
as the "fall breeding" problem in
rabbits. The ovaries of the does
may become inactive during the
barren period, fail to produce nor-
mal egg cells, and occasionally
shrivel. Where the bucks are not
settling the does, the sperm cells
may be inactive, low in vitality,
abnormal, or absent.
Individual rabbits vary mark-
edly as to duration of the barren
period. Some does and bucks are
fertile throughout the year for
424-402 O - 71 - 5
32 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
successive years. Others may go
through periods of 4, 8, or 10 weeks
when the does will not conceive or
the bucks are sterile. Extreme
cases in which no young are pro-
duced for 4 to 5 months may occur
in herds where bucks and does are
out of condition because the ration
has been inadequate in quality or
quantity, or both. If the herd has
been properly cared for, most bucks
and does should complete the bar-
ren period in 4 to 6 weeks.
Because does and bucks vary so
much with respect to breeding, you
may well consider this factor care-
fully. In selecting breeding stock,
make your choice from offspring
of parents that produce regularly.
Age. — Young does may not be
sexually mature at the time of serv-
ice, and old does may have passed
their period of usefulness and fail
to conceive. Do not attempt the
first mating until the does are sexually
mature and properly developed;
the proper age is discussed on
page 29.
Does should reproduce satisfac-
torily as long as they maintain good
physical condition and properly
nurse their litters. Retain them if
younger and better stock is not
available for replacements. In
commercial herds, does that are
properly cared for should produce
litters until they are 2K to 3 years
old. An occasional individual rab-
bit may reproduce satisfactorily 4
to 6 years, or longer.
Physical Condition. — Rabbits
that go "off feed," go into a pro-
longed or heavy molt, become
abnormally fat or thin, or become
out of condition for any reason,
may have their reproductive powers
impaired. The percentage that will
conceive will be low, since they may
become temporarily sterile.
Disease. — Never mate rabbits
when they show any symptoms of
disease. Remove such animals
from the herd and hold them in
quarantine until they recover.
Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination has been
practiced with rabbits for experi-
mental purposes, but has not been
applied to commercial breeding to
any extent.
The semen from bucks averages
about 0.5 cc. in volume, with a
range of 0.1 to 6 cc. It contains
about 700 million to 2 billion sperm
per cubic centimeter. The total
number of sperm per ejaculate
averages 250 million, which does not
mean a great deal, because of the
extreme variation. The total num-
ber of sperm per ejaculate may
range from 10 million to 12 billion.
Semen is collected from the
bucks by means of an artificial
vagina. After the artificial vagina
has been prepared, the collection
is made by using a doe for a
mounting animal. The doe is taken
to the buck's cage and when the
buck mounts, the artificial vagina
is placed between the buck and the
doe. "Wlien the buck locates the
artificial vagina, he will ejaculate
into the open end with the same
behavior as when breeding natu-
rally. The operator must be alert
to prevent the buck from breeding
the doe. After the buck has been
trained, a dummy made of a
stuffed rabbit skin may be sub-
stituted for the mounting doe. If
the ejaculate contains a clear gela-
tinous plug, it should be removed
from the liquid portion of the
semen.
A simple insemination tube has
been described for insemination of
the does. It consists of a glass
tube and rubber bulb similar to a
medicine dropper, with the last
half -inch bent at a 30° angle. The
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISIN<5
33
bent end of the tube should have a
diameter of %-inch and the tube
should be 3 to 31/2 inches long.
Droppers made from plastic tubes
would be superior to glass because
there is less danger from breakage.
The ends of the tubes should be
rounded to prevent damage to the
vaginal walls.
The number of does bred to a
buck depends on many factors, so
an extreme range is possible. For
an average buck, collections can
be made at least twice weekly and
the number of does bred will de-
pend on the motility, density, and
volume of the semen produced.
In general, artificial insemina-
tion is applicable to the rabbit in-
dustry, but not practical on a
large-scale basis at the present
time. Costs and technical prob-
lems associated with the establish-
ment of studs, the processing and
storage of semen, training and
maintaining technicians, and scarc-
ity of concentrated areas of pro-
duction, tend to prohibit the use of
artificial insemination as a practi-
cal tool of the industry. In addi-
tion, better means of evaluating
bucks, and the development of
more accurate selection indices, are
necessary before artificial insemi-
nation in rabbits can be operated
on a practical and profitable basis.
MANAGING THE HERD
Success in raising rabbits de-
pends on efficient management.
Become thoroughly acquainted
with your animals — their charac-
teristics and behavior, their likes'
and dislikes. Consideration for the
welfare of animals is always neces-
sary for success in raising them.
Proper arrangement of equipment,
hutches, and buildings is also essen-
tial to efficient management . When
you enter the rabbitry, do it
quietly and make your presence
known by speaking in a low^ tone.
Caution others to do the same.
Otherwise, the rabbits may become
f riglitened, race around in the hutch
and injure themselves, or jump
into the nest boxes and injure the
litters.
Methods of Hondlins Rabbits
Never lift rabbits by the ears or
legs. Handling in this manner may
injure them.
You can lift and comfortably
carry small rabbits by grasping the
loin region gently and firmly (fig.
12). Put the heel of the hand
toward the tail of the animal.
This method prevents bruising the
carcass or damaging the pelt.
N 45957
Figure 12. — Proper way to carry small
rabbits.
To lift and carry a medium-
weight rabbit, let the right hand
grasp the fold of skin over the rab-
bit's shoulder. Support the rabbit
by placing the left hand under its
rump (fig. 13).
34 AGRICITLTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 13. — Proper way to carry
medium-sized and large rabbits.
Lift and carry heavier rabbits
in a similar manner. If the rabbit
scratches and struggles, hold it
snugly under the left arm.
Making Matings
Does may give evidence of being
ready for mating by restlessness,
nervousness, efforts to join other
rabbits in nearby hutches, and by
rubbing their chin on feed man-
gers and water crocks. However,
it is not necessary to depend on
external signs to determine when a
doe is to be bred. Set up a definite
schedule and follow it, whether the
doe shows signs of being ready for
service or not.
Breed a large number of does
at one time to make fryers avail-
able at a certain season for the
trade, or utilize a breeding sched-
ule to produce a constant supply.
Always take the doe to the buck's
hutch for service. You may have
difficulty in service if you take the
buck to the doe. The doe is likely
to object to having another rabbit
in her hutch and may savagely at-
tack and injure the buck. Also,
some bucks are slow in performing
service in a strange hutch. Mating
should occur almost immediately
on placing the doe in the buck's
hutch. After the buck mounts and
falls over on his side, the mating
is accomplished. Return the doe
to her own hutch.
It is difficult to get some does
to accept service. Such does may
be restrained for mating. To re-
strain the doe (fig. 14), use the
right hand to hold the ears and a
fold of the skin over the shoulders,
and place the left hand under the
body and between the hind legs.
Place the thumb on the right side
of the vulva, the index finger on
the left side (you may prefer to
use the index and second finger),
and push the skin gently backward.
This procedure throws the tail up
over the back. Support the weight
of the body by the left hand, and
elevate the hindquarters only to
the normal height for service.
B S3066
Figure 14. — How to restrain a doe for
mating when service is not promptly
accepted. Shows position of hands
for holding the doe and supporting
and elevating the hindquarters.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
35
Bucks and does accustomed to
being handled will not object to
such assistance. It is well to hold
the doe in this way the first few
times a young buck is used. This
will expedite matings and insure
service m difficult cases.
With a little patience and prac-
tice you can develop this teclinique
to procure nearly 100-percent mat-
ings. This does not necessarily
mean that all of the restrained will
kindle, but the technique will help
in increasing the number of kin-
dlings.
Whether it is worthwhile to
force-breed for increased preg-
nancies depends largely upon the
number oi does in production.
Owners of large commercial rab-
bitries generally do not force-mate
their does due to the increased
labor and time involved. For
small rabbitries a few extra litters
could be worth the effort, and for
breeders of pedigreed show stock,
where animals are removed from
production part of the year, forced
breeding will help maintain a sup-
ply of replacements and stock for
sale.
Maintain 1 buck for approxi-
mately each 10 breeding does. You
can use mature, vigorous bucks
several times a day for a short
period.
Keep a breeding record showing
date of mating and name or num-
ber of buck and doe.
Determining Pregnancy
It is not accurate to determine
pregnancy by "test mating" (plac-
ing the doe in the buck's hutch
periodically). Some does will ac-
cept service when pregnant and
others will refuse service when
they are not pregnant. Diagnos-
ing pregnancy by noting the de-
velopment of the abdominal region
and gain in flesh is not dependable
until late in pregnancy.
You can quickly and accurately
determine pregnancy by palpating,
after 12 to 14 days from mating,
but you must handle the doe
gently. The method for restrain-
ing the doe for palpating is illus-
trated in figure 15. The doe may
be palpated in her own hutch or if
it is more convenient she may be
placed on a table covered with feed
sacks or carpeting to prevent slip-
ping. The ears and a fold of skm
over the shoulders are held in the
right or left hand; the other hand
is placed under the shoulder be-
tween the hind legs and slightly
m front of the pelvis; the thumb
is placed on the right" side and
the fingers on the left side of the
two uteri for palpating the fetuses.
At 12 to 14 days following mating,
the fetuses have developed into
marble-shaped forms that are easy
to distinguish as they slip between
the thumb and fingers when the
hand is gently moved forward and
backward and a slight pressure is
exerted (fig. 16). Caution must be
used in this operation, because if
too much pressure is exerted, the
tissues may be bruised or torn
loose from the walls of the uteri
and a toxic condition or abortion
may result.
There is less danger of bruising
the tissues or causing the fetuses
to be torn loose from the walls of
the uteri in palpating at 12 to 14
days than at a later period. Also,
diagnosing pregnancy after the
16th day of the gestation period is
more complicated because the de-
veloping fetuses are so large that
they may be confused with diges-
tive organs. The inexperienced
rabbit owner should make exami-
nations at 12 to 14 days and then
as he improves his technique and
attains confidence in the operation,
he may be able to develop the abil-
ity for diagnosing pregnancy ac-
curately as early as the 7th or 8th
36 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
N 45951
Figure 15. — How to restrain a doe for palpating.
day. The chief advantage to be
derived from palpating as early as
the 7th or 8th day would be in the
case of the breeder selling bred
does. Wlien it is desirable to ship
bred does a considerable distance,
diagnosing pregnancy at this early
date makes it possible to have these
does arrive at their destination in
sufficient time to become settled
and acquainted with their new en-
vironment, with the minimum risk
of complications at kindling.
Figure 16 illustrates the con-
tinual increase in size of the uterus
and the fetuses as pregnancy ad-
vances. The scale at the bottom
of the illustration gives a means
for arriving at a comparative esti-
mate of the size of the fetuses.
In each case, a fetus has been re-
moved from the respective uterus.
The 10-day fetus was so small that
it does not show in the cut. By
comparing the 14- and 21-day
specimens it will be seen that the
growth of the fetus is very rapid.
If, on palpating, no fetuses are
found to be present, the doe has
failed to conceive, in which case
she should be rebred. The doe
that is pregnant can be placed im-
mediately on a diet that is best
suited for pregnant does.
For the inexperienced person it
would be good practice to repalp-
ate a week later any does that have
been diagnosed as nonpregnant.
If a mistake has been made at the
first handling the doe may then be
given a nest box at the proper time
before she is due to kindle.
Kindling
Place a nest box in the hutch
about 27 days after the doe is
mated. This allows the doe to pre-
pare a nest in advance and assures
a proper place for birth of the
young.
Sometimes does fail to pull fur
to cover their litter, or they kindle
the litter on the hutch floor and
let them become chilled. If you
discover the young in time, you
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
37
B 79008
Figure 16. — Uteri from three does showing embryonic development of 10-, 14-, and
21-day pregnancies. The 10-day embryo was so small that it did not show in the
picture.
may be able to save them by warm-
ing, even if they appear to be life-
less. Arrange the bedding mate-
rial to make a comfortable nest
(fig. 17), and place the warmed
young in it. The doe usually will
take over from there. The doe's
fur is easily removed at kindling
time, and you can pull enough
from the doe's body to cover the
litter in the nest. It is advisable
to keep extra fur on hand for such
cases. Remove some fur from
nests where does have pulled an
excessive amount and keep it
handy in a bag or box so it will
remain clean. It is not necessary
to sterilize or to deodorize the fur,
or take any special measures to
prevent the doe from smelling the
strange fur.
A day or two before kindling,
the doe usually consumes less food
than normally. Do not disturb
her, but make her as comfortable
as possible. You may tempt her
at that time with small quantities
of green feed. This will have a
beneficial effect on her digestive
system.
Most litters are kindled at night.
After kindling, the doe may be
restless. Do not disturb her until
she has quieted down.
Complications at Kindling Time
Anterior, or breech presentation
of youn^ at birth is normal. If
the doe is in proper condition for
kindling, complications are rare.
Pregnancy, however, makes a
heavy demand on the doe and
lowers her vitality, making her
more susceptible to disease. A few
days before or several days follow-
ing kindling, pnuemonia may de-
velop. If you are to treat pneu-
38 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
^^^^^^^fffUfi^^^ *>
^wT^H^^^Hl
kM^
rrr
\Nl^
■ i"
BN 2ioir
Figure 17.— Photo of new-born litter
in nest.
monia successfully, you must de-
tect it early. The doe's head is
held high and tilted backwards.
Breathing is difficult. Make the
doe comfortable and add a little
green feed to the ration if possible.
Injections of penicillin or a peni-
cillin-streptomycin mixture are ef-
fective in treating colds and pneu-
monia and reducing mortality.
Caked breast may be caused by
the milk not being removed from
the breast, or by injuries. Early
symptoms of caked breast are firm,
pink breasts that feel feverish to
the touch. As caked breast de-
velops, the tissues around the in-
volved teats become enlarged and
hard. The skin turns dark, the
ends of the teats become discolored
and tender, and the doe refuses to
allow the young to nurse. Rub
lanolin on the teats and massage
the involved portion of the breast.
You may restrain the doe to allow
her own young or those from other
litters to remove the milk. You
may also strip the milk from the
teats, taking care not to use too
much pressure. Do not lance the
tissues.
Mastitis, or "blue breast," is
caused by bacterial infection and
may be very contagious. The doe
fails to consume her feed and is
inactive. The breast is congested
and feverish, turns red or purple,
and the teats are discolored. Re-
duce feed, give some green feed,
and inject penicillin intramuscu-
larly in the thigh. (See treatment
recommended for pneumonia.)
Care of Young Litter
On the day of kindling, or soon
after, inspect the litter and remove
any deformed, undersized, or dead
young. If you are careful and
quiet making the inspection, the doe
generally will not object. There
is no danger of causing her to dis-
own the young. If she is nervous
and irritable, place some tempting
feed in the hutch immediately after
inspection to distract her attention
and quiet her.
Litters vary in size. The utility
breeds usually average eight young.
Some may number 12 to 18. For
commercial purposes 7, 8, or 9 may
be left with the doe. Does from
strains that have been developed
for heavy production may care for
9 or 10.
You can transfer some of the
baby rabbits from a large litter to
a foster mother that has a small
litter. Adjusting the number of
young to the capacity of the doe
insures more uniform development
and finish at weaning time. Mate
several does so that they will kin-
dle at about the same time. For
best results, the young that are
transferred should be within 3 or
4 days of the age of the foster
mother's young.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
39
Causes of Losses in Newborn
Litters
If the doe is disturbed, she may
kindle on the hutch floor and the
litter may die from exposure.
Even if predators — cats, snakes,
rats, weasels, minks, bobcats, coyo-
tes, strange dogs — cannot gain ac-
cess to the rabbitry, they may be
close enough for the doe to detect
their presence, and she may be
frightened and kindle prematurely.
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 newborn
rabbits.
Occasionally a doe fails to pro-
duce milk. In such cases the young
will starve within 2 or 3 days un-
less the condition is noted and the
young transferred to foster
mothers. Keep a close check on
newborn litters for several days
after birth to make sure they are
being fed and cared for properly.
Does sometimes eat their young.
This may result from a ration in-
adequate in either quantity or
quality, or from the nervousness
of a doe disturbed after kindling.
It is also possible that the doe is
of a strain that exhibits poor ma-
ternal instincts. Does usually do
not kill and eat healthy young, but
limit their cannibalism to young
born dead, or those that are in-
jured and have died. Proper feed-
ing and handling during preg-
nancy will do more than anything
else to prevent this tendency. Give
another chance to a valuable doe
that destroys her first litter; if she
continues the practice, dispose of
her.
Wean Ins
Under most management pro-
grams the young are weaned at 8
weeks of a^e. At that age young
meat rabbits should average 4
pounds in weight and be ready for
market. Some commercial pro-
ducers leave the young with the
doe for 9 or 10 weeks to get a 4%-
to 5 V^ -pound fryer. Small litters
(fewer than five young) can be
weaned at an earlier age and the
doe rebred. Also, under acceler-
ated breeding programs where does
are bred less than 35 days follow-
ing kindling, it is advisable to
wean the young at 5, 6, or 7 weeks
of age to allow the doe to prepare
for her next litter. It is best to
allow a few days between removal
of one litter and birth of the next.
For example: if a doe is bred 28
days after kindling, it is possible
to leave the litter with her until
they are 56 days of age, allowing
for kindling about 3 days later.
It depends upon the condition of
the doe and her ability to stand up
under this type of program. You
may wish to remove the young at
7 weeks of age and give the doe 7
to 10 days to prepare for the next
kindling.
Determining the Sex of Young
Rabbits
Separate the sexes at weaning,
if you are saving junior replace-
ments, or breeding stock. It is
possible to determine accurately the
sex of baby rabbits less than a
week of age, but it is easier to do
so when they are weaned. To keep
the rabbit ' from struggling, re-
strain it firmly, yet gently. A
commonly used method is to hold
the rabbit on its back between your
legs with the head up. With your
left hand restrain the rabbit
around the chest holding the front
legs forward alongside the head.
Using the right hand, place the
thumb behind the right hind leg
and use the index and forefinger to
depress the tail backward and
downward. The thumb is then used
424-402 O
'1 - 4
40 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
to gently depress the area in front
of the sex organs to expose the red-
dish mucous membrane. In the
buck, the organ will protrude as a
rounded tip, while in the doe the
"membrane will protrude to form
a slit with a depression at the end
next to the anus.
Marking for IdentiRcation
Mark each breeding rabbit for
identification. Tattooing the ears
is a satisfactory method. When
properly done, it is permanent and
will not disfigure the ears. You
can obtain instruments for the
purpose from biological and live-
stock supply houses. Ear tags and
clips are not satisfactory because
they tear out and disfigure the ear.
Identification is then lost. An ad-
justable box is convenient for re-
straining the rabbits for tattooing
(fig. 18). With this equipment,
one person can do the job.
Castration
Castration of bucks may be de-
sirable; for example, where An-
goras are to be kept in colonies
for wool production. In produc-
ing domestic rabbit meat for mar-
ket, there are no advantages to be
derived from castrating bucks for
improving the rate of growth and
condition, reducing the quantity of
feed required to produce a pound
of gain in live weight, and improv-
ing the carcass and pelt. Prob-
ably the only advantage to be de-
rived would be that it reduces
fighting and makes possible the
maintaining of a number of cas-
trated bucks in one inclosure, there-
by saving equipment, time, and
labor. Castration is a simple oper-
ation, most easily performed when
bucks are 3 to 4 months old. You
also can perform it at weaning
time.
To restrain an animal for the
operation, have an assistant hold
the buck's left forefoot and left
hind foot with his left hand, and
the right forefoot and right hind
foot with his right hand, with the
animal's back held firmly, but
gently, against his lap. Clip all the
wool from the scrotum. Disinfect a
Figure 18. — Vertical section of a box for restraining a rabbit for tattooing. The
spring-type holders tacked to the lower side of a movable floor compress the
rabbit toward the top of the box. A movable cross partition holds the rabbit
toward the front. Blocks of wood on each side hold the rabbit's head in the
center of the hole at the top.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
41
sharp knife or razor blade. If you
do not use a disinfecting agent on
the rabbit, he will lick the wound
frequently, keeping it clean and
the tissues soft, thus promoting
healing.
Press one of the testicles out into
the scrotum. Hold it firmly be-
tween the thumb and forefinger of
the left hand. Make an incision
parallel to the median line and
well toward the back end of the
scrotum to allow the wound to
drain readily. To keep the testi-
cle from being drawn up into the
abdominal cavity, as soon as it
comes from the incision pull it out
far enough from the body for the
cord to be severed just above it.
To prevent excessive hemorrhage,
sever the cord by scraping with a
knife rather than by cutting. If
too much tension is put on the
cord and it is drawn too far from
the body, injury may be brought
about by internal hemorrhage or
other complication.
After the second testicle has been
removed in the same manner, lift
the scrotum to make sure that the
ends of the cord go back into the
cavity.
Handle the animal gently. After
the operation, place it in a clean
hutch where it can be quiet and
comfortable.
Care of Herd During Extreme
Temperatures
Heat. — In almost all sections of the
United States high summer temper-
atures necessitate some changes in
the general care and management
of rabbits. Provide adequate shade
to the animals during the hottest
part of the day. Good circulation
of air throughout the rabbitry is
necessary, but avoid strong drafts.
Provide an abundant supply of
water at all times.
Newborn litters and does ad-
vanced in pregnancy are most
susceptible to high temperatures.
Heat suffering in the young is
characterized by exteme restless-
ness; in older animals, by rapid
respiration, excessive moisture
around the mouth, and occasionally
slight hemorrhages around the nos-
trils. Move rabbits that show
symptoms of suffering from the
heat to a quiet, well-ventilated
place. Give them a feed sack
moistened with cold water to lie
on. Water crocks and large bot-
tles filled with cracked ice and
placed in the hutch so that the rab-
bits can lie next to them contribute
to the rabbit's comfort.
In well-ventilated rabbitries,
wetting the tops of the hutches
and the floors of the houses on
a hot, dry day will reduce the
temperatures 6 to 10 degrees F.
The tops of hutches should be
waterproof, as rabbits should be
kept dry. You can use overhead
sprinkling equipment in houses
with concrete or soil floors that
drain readily or sprinklers above
the roof of rabbit sheds (fig. 2).
You can install a thermostatically
controlled sprinkler that will work
automatically.
The use of evaporative coolers
on the roof or sides of the build-
ings, whereby air is drawn over
wet pads and distributed through
the building, can be successfully
used in hot, dry climates such as
the southwest United States. This
type of cooler is widely used in
homes and can be adapted to use
in rabbitries which are partially, or
totally, enclosed.
In areas of high humidity, the
use of sprinklers or extra water
will aggravate the situation and
add to the rabbit's discomfort. Un-
der such conditions, it is advisable
to install fans, or place the build-
ings to take advantage of all
breezes, in order to get maximum
movement of air. The use of re-
42 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
f rigerant air conditioning is usually
uneconomical and impractical, due
to the high initial investment and
operating costs.
During the summer it sometimes
is difficult to regulate the quantity
of fur in the nest box to keep the
litter comfortable. A cooling bas-
ket (fig. 19) then will provide re-
lief for the young. It is useful
from the time the young are
kindled until their eyes are opened
and tliey are able to care for them-
selves. Make this basket 15 inches
long, 6 inches wide, and 6 inches
deep. Use Vs-i^'i*^'^ mesh hardware
cloth 15 by 18 inches; two boards
% by 6 by 6 inches; two laths %
by 11/2 by 15 inches; and 2i^-inch
screwhooks. Tack the hardware
cloth to three edges of the two
square boards. To keep the basket
from bending, nail the laths length-
wise, in front and back of the
basket outside the wire. Nail the
top edges of the laths flush with
the tops of the end boards. At the
back, insert two screwhooks in the
end boards about 2 inches from
the top, so you can hang up the
basket. When the temperature is
high enough to make the young
restless, place them in the basket.
Hang up the basket inside the
hutch near the top and leave it
for the day. In the evening, if it
is cooler, return the litter to the
nest box. Where high tempera-
tures continue throughout the
night, place the young in the nest
box for a short time in the evening
for nursing. Replace them in the
basket for the night and allow
them to nurse again in the morn-
ing.
Do not hang the basket in direct
sunlight.
Cold. — Mature rabbits, if kept
out of drafts, suffer little from
low temperatures. However, pre-
cautions should be taken to protect
rabbits from direct exposure to rain,
sleet, snow, and winds. If they
are enclosed in a building, care
must be taken to provide adequate
ventilation and to prevent the
-'^*HSjl
^
SHHIIH
MHWiiiimiiiiiH
Sliliiiiihl
ir ' .' 1
]|iii|nii|fni!ii ]
i'-,
8306S-B
Figure 19. — A cooling basket hung in the hutch to provide comfort for the young
during hot weather.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
43
accumulation of moisture. Cold
weather, drafts, and high humidity
are conducive to the spread of
respiratory infections. For young
litters, provide nest boxes and
sufficient bedding to keep them
warm as discussed previously.
Controlled Environments. — The
use of controlled environment in
rabbitries, where rabbits are main-
tained under more or less constant
environmental conditions, is re-
ceiving increased attention. Several
large commercial rabbitries in the
western United States are changing
to or are constructing this type of
housing. The advantages of con-
trolled environment are the elimi-
nation of extremes in weather and,
perhaps, seasonal fluctuations in
production.
Preventing Injuries
Paralyzed hindquarters in rabbits
usually result from improper han-
dling or from injuries caused by
slipping in the hutch while exer-
cising or attempting to escape
predators, especially around kind-
ling time. Such slipping usually
occurs at night. Common injuries
are dislocated vertebras, damaged
nerve tissue, or strained muscles or
tendons. If the injury is mild,
the animal may recover in a few
days. Make the injured animal
comfortable and feed it a balanced
diet. If it does not improve with-
in a week, destroy it to prevent
unnecessary suffering. It is im-
portant, therefore, that your rab-
bits be provided with quiet, com-
fortable surroundings and be pro-
tected from predators and unneces-
sary disturbances.
The toenails of rabbits confined
in hutches do not wear normally.
They may even become long
enough to cause foot deformity.
The nails may also catch in the
wire mesh floor and cause injury
and suffering. Periodically cut the
nails with side cutting pliers. Cut
below the tip of the cone in the
toenail. The cone can be observed
by holding the foot up to daylight.
This will not cause hemorrhaging
or injury to the sensitive portion.
Preventing Sore Dewlaps
During warm weather the dew-
lap, or fold of skin under the rab-
bit's chin, may become sore. This
is caused by drinking frequently
from crocks and keeping the fur
on the dewlap wet so long that it
becomes foul and turns green. The
skin on the dewlap and on the in-
side of the front legs becomes
rough and the fur may be shed.
The animal scratches the irritated
area, causing abrasions and infec-
tion.
Remove the cause by placing a
board or brick under the water
crock to raise it so that the dewlap
will not get wet when the rabbit
drinks. If the skin becomes in-
fected, clip off the fur and treat
the area with a medicated oint-
ment until the irritation clears up.
The best solution to the problem
is to use an automatic dewdrop
watering system which eliminates
the possibility of wet dewlaps.
Sanitation and Disease Control
To protect the herd's health,
keep the rabbitry equipment sani-
tary. Remove manure and soiled
bedding at frequent intervals and
contaminated feed daily. Inspect
water crocks and feed troughs
daily and wash them frequently in
hot, soapy water. Rinse them in
clear water, allow them to drain
well, and place them in the direct
rays of the sun to dry. If it is
impractical to sun the equipment
properly, rinse it first in water to
which a disinfectant has been
added and then in clear water.
To prevent or control a disease
44 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
or parasitic infection, thoroughly
disinfect hutches and equipment
which have been occupied, or used,
by sick animals, or where exces-
sive mortality has occurred. One
of the coal tar derivatives or house-
hold disinfectants may be used.
Allow hutches and equipment to
dry before returning rabbits to the
hutches. A large blowtorch or
weedburner may be used periodi-
cally to remove liair and cobwebs
and to disinfect the hutches. Clean
and disinfect nest boxes before
using them a second time.
Maintaining sanitary conditions
in the rabbitry is a preventive
measure for controlling disease in
the herd. Re constantly on the
alert for the appearance of any
sign that might indicate disease.
Isolate animals suspected of having
disease at least 2 weeks to deter-
mine definitely whether they are
dangerous to the health of the herd.
Place newly acquired rabbits and
those returned from shows in
quarantine at least 2 weeks for the
same reason. Burn or bury dead
animals.
losing hutches with self -cleaning
floors, guards on feed troughs, and
feed hoppers, will aid greatly in
internal parasite control by pro-
tecting feed from contamination.
The most serious disease of do-
mestic rabbits is pasteurellosis.
This disease manifests itself in a
wide variety of conditions such as
pneumonia, snuffles (sinusitis), and
other respiratory infections; and
septicemia, a generalized blood
infection.
Another serious problem in rab-
bit health is enteritis, or bloat.
Three types of enteritis are distin-
guished : diarrhea, mucoid, and
hemorrhagic. The specific cause
of enteritis is not known and there
are no reliable measures for pre-
vention or treatment.
Coccidiosis, both of the liver and
intestines, is a serious problem in
some areas but can be successfully
treated.
The tapeworms which infest the
rabbit are those which at a later
stage infest dogs and cats, but the
rabbits seem to suffer little harm
from them.
Tularemia, the disease that has
in recent years killed off so many
wild rabbits, is spread by ticks and
fleas. If domestic rabbits are kept
in clean conditions, free from ticks
and fleas, they will not contract it.
Domestic rabbits suffer from
other ailments such as fungal in-
fections, mange, sore hocks, and
spirochetosis or vent disease, but
these usually can be successfully
treated and do not present a major
problem.
These and other ailments of do-
mestic rabbits are described in
table 4.
Table 4.-
-Common ailments of domestic rabbits
Diseases and symptoms
Cause
Treatment and control
Ear Mange or Canker:
Ear mites (Psoroptes
Into each ear, pour 1 oz.
Shaking of head, scratch-
cuniculi (rabbit and
of a 5 percent lime-
ing of ears. Brown scaly
goat ear mite) and
sulfur solution (prepared
crusts at base of inner
Noioedres cati (cat ear
by mixing commercial
ear.
mite).)
30 percent lime-sulfur
concentrate, 1 part,
water 5 parts) . Massage
solution over inner and
outer surfaces of ears;
repeat as necessary.
Rubber gloves advisable.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 45
Table 4. — Common ailments oj domestic rabbits — Continued
Diseases and symptoms
Skin Mange: Reddened,
scaly skin, intense itch-
ing and scratching, some
loss of fur.
Favus or Ringworm: Cir-
cular patches of scaly
skin with red, elevated
crusts. Usually starts
on head. Fur may
break ofif or fall out.
Sore Hocks: Bruised, in-
fected, or abscessed
areas on hocks. May
be found on front feet
in severe cases. Animal
shifts weight to front
feet to help hocks.
Urine- Hutch Burn: In
flammation of external
sex organs and anus.
Area may form crusts
and bleed and, if severe-
ly infected, pus will be
produced.
Spirochetosis or Vent Dis-
ease: Similar lesions as
produced by urine or
hutch burn. Raw le
sions or scabs appear on
sex organs; transmitted
by mating.
Conjunctivitis or Weepy
Eye: Inflammation of
the eyelids; discharge
may be thin and watery
or thick and purulent.
Fur around the eye may
become wet and mat-
ted.
Mites (Cheyletiella para-
sitivorax (rabbit fur
mite) and Sarcoptes
scabiei (scabies or itch
mite) ,)
Fungus (Trichophyton,
and Microsporum) .
Bruised or chafed areas
become infected.
Caused by wet floors,
irritation from wire or
nervous "stompers."
Bacterial mfection of the
membranes.
Spirochete (Treponema
cuniculi) .
Bacterial infection of the
eyelids; also may be
due to irritation from
smoke, dust, sprays,
or fumes.
Treatment and control
Dip entire animal in a 1.75
percent lime-sulfur bath
(prepared by mixing
commercial 30 percent
lime-sulfur concentrate,
8 oz., laundry detergent,
1 tablespoonful, per gal-
lon tepid water) . Repeat
in 2 weeks if necessary.
Rubber gloves advisable.
Griseofulvin given orally at
the rate of 10 milligrams
per pound body weight
for 14 days. Combine
this treatment with dust-
ing nest boxes with in-
dustrial fungicidal sulfur.
Can also be treated with
a brand of hexetidine.
Apply to infected area
for 7 to 14 days.
Small lesions may be helped
by placing animal on lath
platform or on ground.
Advanced cases are best
culled. Medication is
temporarily effective.
Keep hutch floors clean and
dry. Pay particular
attention to corners where
animals urinate. Daily
applications of lanolin
mav be of benefit.
Inject intramuscularly
100,000 units of penicillin.
Do not breed until lesions
heal. If only a few
animals infected, it is
easier to cull than treat.
Do not loan bucks.
Early cases may be cleared
up with ej'e ointments,
argyrol, yellow oxide of
mercury, or antibiotic.
A combination of 400,000
units of penicillin com-
bined with y2 gr. strepto-
mycin to each 2 ml.
For eye infections drop
directly into eye. Pro-
tect animals from air-
borne irritants.
46 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Table 4. — Common ailments of domestic rabbits — Continued
Diseases and symptoms
Caked Breasts: Breasts
become firm and con-
gested, later hard knots
form at sides of nipples.
Knots may break open,
showing dried milk.
Mastitis or Blue Breasts:
Breasts become feverish
and pink, nipples red
and dark. Temperature
above normal, appetite
poor, breasts turn black
and purplish.
Snuffles or Cold: Sneezing,
rubbing nose; nasal
discharge may be thick
or thin. Mats fur on
inside of front feet.
May develop into pneu-
monia, usually chronic
type of infection.
Pneumonia: Labored
breathing with nose
held high, bluish color
to eyes and ears. Lungs
show congestion, red,
mottled, moist, may be
filled with pus. Often
secondary to enteritis.
Heat Prostration: Rapid
respiration, prostration,
blood-tinged fluid from
nose and mouth. Does
that are due to kindle
are most susceptible.
Coccidiosis, Intestinal:
Mild cases, no symp-
toms; moderate cases,
diarrhea and no weight
gain. Severe cases
have pot belly, diarrhea
with mucus, and pneu-
monia is often
secondary.
Milk not drawn from
glands as fast as formed,
because ot too few
young, or young not
nursing sufficiently;
usually a management
problem with high
milk-producing does.
Bacterial infection of the
breasts (Staphylo-
coccus or Strepto-
coccus).
Bacterial infection of the
nasal sinuses {Pas-
teurella muUocida or
Bordetella bronchi-
septica).
Bacterial infection of the
lungs. Organisms
involved may be Pas-
teurella multocida,
Bordetella bronchi-
septica, and Staphylo-
coccus and Strepto-
coccus sp.
Extreme outside temper-
ature. Degree varies
with location and
humidity.
Parasitic infection of the
intestinal tract caused
by coccidia. (Eimeria
perforans, E. magna,
E. media, E. irrisidua.)
Treatment and control
Do not wean young abrupt-
ly; if litter is lost, re-
breed doe and protect
doe from disturbance so
youn^ can nurse properly.
Correct faulty nest boxes
that injure breasts.
Inject 100,000 units of
penicillin intramuscu-
larly twice each day for
3 to 5 days. Disinfect
hutch and reduce feed
concentrates. If severe
case, destroy. NEVER
transfer young from
infected doe to another
doe.
Individual animals may be
treated with a combina-
tion of 400,000 units of
penicillin combined with
y2 gr. streptomycin to
each 2 ml. Give intra-
muscularly 1 ml. for
fryer size, 2 ml. for
mature. Repeat on 3d
day.
If the above treatment is
started early, it is effec-
tive. For control in
herds, add feed grade
sulfaquinoxaline so that
level will be 0.025 per-
cent, feed 3 to 4 weeks.
Water soluble sulfa-
quinoxaline can be added
at a level of 0.025 per-
cent and fed 2 to 3 weeks.
Reduce temperature with
water sprays, foggers.
Place wet burlap in
hutch or wet the animal
to help reduce body
temperature.
Keep floor clean, dry,
remove droppings fre-
quently. Prevent fecal
contamination of feed
and water. Add feed
grade sulfaquinoxaline so
that level will be 0.025
percent, feed 3 to 4
weeks. Water soluble
sulfaquinoxaline can be
added at level of 0.025
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 47
Table 4. — Common ailments of domestic rabbits — Continued
Diseases and symptoms
Treatment and control
Enteritis, Bloat, or Scours:
Loss of appetite, little
activity, eyes dull and
squinted, fur rough,
and animals may appear
bloated. Diarrhea or
mucus droppings;
animals may grind
teeth. Stomach con-
tents fluid, gaseous, or
filled with mucus.
Fur Block: Animals re-
duce feed intake or stop
eating completely, fur
becomes rough, and
weight is lost. Stom-
ach filled with
undigested fur, block-
ing passage to intestinal
tract. Pneumonia may
become secondary.
Tapeworm Larvae: White
streaks in li%er or small
white cj'sts attached to
membrane on stomach
or intestines. Usually
cannot detect in live
animals.
Pinworms: No specific
symptoms in live ani-
mals. White threadlike
worms found in cecum
and large intestine
cause slight local irri-
tation.
Metritis or White Dis-
charge: White sticky
discharge from female
organs, often confused
with sediment in urine.
Enlarged uterus de-
tected on palpation.
One or both uteri filled
with white, purulent
material.
Unknown; never has
been shown to be in-
fectious or transmitted
to other animals.
Lack of sufficient fiber,
bulk, or roughage in
the diet. Junior does
or developing does
most susceptible.
Larval stage of the dog
tapeworms {Taenia
pisiformis) or of the
cat tapeworm {T.
taeniaeformis) .
Pinworms ( Passalurus
ambiquus).
Infection of the uterus
by a variety of bac-
teria, nonspecific.
percent and fed 2 to 3
weeks. These treat-
ments, combined with
sanitation, •will greatly
reduce numbers of para-
sites and animals
infected.
Add 50 gr. furazoladine per
ton of feed to give final
concentration of 0.0055
percent. Feed inter-
mittently or continu-
ously. Water soluble
chlortetracycline or
oxytetracycline at a
level of 1 pound to 100-
150 gal. of water may be
used for treating individ-
ual cases; too costly for
herd control.
Increase fiber or roughage
in the ration. Feed dry
alfalfa or timothy hay.
No treatment; keep dogs
and cats away from feed,
water, and nest box ma-
terial Eggs of tapeworm
occur in droppings of
dogs and cats.
None; infection not con-
sidered one of economic
importance.
Dispose of infected animals
and disinfect hutches.
Infected area difficult
to medicate. When both
uteri are infected, ani-
mal is sterile.
48 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Table 4. — Common ailments oj domestic rabbits — Continued
Pasteurellosis: May be an
acute or chronic infec-
tion. Nasal discharge,
watery eyes, weight
loss, or mortality with-
out symptoms. Inflam-
mation and consolida-
tion of lungs, inflamma-
tion of bronchi and
nasal sinuses.
Paralyzed Hindquarters:
Found in mature does,
hind legs drag, cannot
support weight of pelvis
or stand, tlrinary
bladder fills but does
not empty.
Wry Neck: Head twisted
to one side, animals
roll over, cannot main-
tain equilibrium.
Bacterial infection {Fas-
teurcUa multocida) .
Injury, resulting in brok-
en back, displaced disc,
damage to spinal cord
or nerves.
Infection of the organs
of balance in the inner
ear. May be parasitic
or bacterial.
Individual animals may be
treated with a combina-
tion of 400,000 units of
penicillin combined with
],^ gr. streptomycin to
each 2 ml. Give intra-
muscularly 1 ml. for fryer
size, 2 ml. for mature.
Repeat on 3d day. For
herd control, add feed
grade sulfaquinoxaline at
level of 0.025 percent, feed
3 to 4 weeks. Save re-
placement stock from
clean animals and cull out
chronically infected ani-
mals. Use good sanitary
measures to reduce trans-
mission to new animals.
Protect animals from dis-
turbing factors, predators,
night prowlers, and visi-
tors or noises that startle
animals, especially preg-
nant does.
None, eliminate ear canker
from herd. Some cases
result from nest-box
injuries.
Effective treatments are not
known for many rabbit diseases.
It is usually simpler and safer to
destroy a few sick animals than
it is to treat them and risk spread-
ing infection to healthy stock. This
is especially true of animals with
respiratory infections.
Fur-Eatins Habit
Rabbits that eat their own fur
or bedding material, or gnaw the
fur on other rabbits, usually do so
because the diet is inadequate in
quality or quantity. A common
cause is a diet low m fiber or bulk.
Sometimes the protein content of
the diet is too low. Addinjr more
soybean, peanut, sesame, or lin-
seed meal may correct the
deficiency.
The experienced breeder notes
the condition of each animal in the
herd and regulates the quantity of
feed to meet its individual require-
ment. Providing good-quality hay
or feeding fresh, sound green feed
or root crops as a supplement to
the grain or pelleted diet also
helps to correct an abnormal
appetite.
Preventing Fur Block
In cleaning themselves by lick-
ing their coats, or when eating fur
from other animals, rabbits swal-
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
49
low some wool or fur which is not
digested. The only noticeable re-
sult may be droppings fastened
together by fur fibers. However,
if the rabbit swallows any appreci-
able amount, it may collect in the
stomach and form a "fur block"
that interferes with digestion. If
it becomes large enough, it blocks
the alimentary tract and the animal
starves. The most satisfactory
method of preventing this is to
shear Angoras regularly, and try
to prevent fur eating among your
rabbits by providing adequate
roughage and protein in their diet.
A block of wood or other material
upon which the rabbit can chew
may be used to reduce fur chewing.
Gnawing Wooden Parts of the
Hutch
Gnawing wood is natural for the
rabbit. Protect wooden parts of
the hutch by placing wire mesh on
the inside of the frame when con-
structing the hutch and by using
strips of tin to protect exposed
wooden edges. Treating the wood
with creosote protects it as long
as the scent and taste last. Plac-
ing twigs or pieces of soft wood in
the hutch protect it to some extent ;
rabbits may chew these instead of
the hutch.
Rabbits that have access to good-
quality hay and are receiving some
fresh green feed or root crops are
less likely to gnaw on their hutches.
Disposal of Rabbit Manure
Rabbit manure has a high nitro-
gen content when the rabbits are
fed a well-balanced diet (<5). It
will not burn lawns or plants and
is easy to incorporate in the soil.
It is satisfactory on gardens and
lawns and about flowering plants,
shrubbery, and trees. There is no
danger in using it for fertilizing
soil on which crops are to be raised
for feeding rabbits.
The value of rabbit manure de-
pends on how it is cared for and
used. There will be less loss of
fertilizing elements if the material
is immediately incorporated into
the soil. "When manure is stored
in piles and exposed to the weather,
chemicals are lost through leaching
and heat. Much of this loss can
be prevented by keeping the ma-
nure in a compost heap or in a bin
or pit.
Earthworms in the Rabbitry
Where earthworms are active
throughout the year as in warm
climates, they may be used to ad-
vantage under rabbit hutches to
save labor in removing fertilizer.
Make bins for confining the worms
the same length and width as the
hutch and 1 foot deep (fig. 20).
Place bins on the ground, not on
solid floors, and keep the fertilizer
moist to insure the worms working
throughout the bin.
Earthworms convert the rabbit
droppings into casts — a convenient
form of fertilizer for use with
flowere, lawns, shrubs, trees, and
other foliage. If you keep a large
population of worms, there will be
no objectionable odor. Very few
flies will breed in the bins. It is
necessary to remove the manure
only at 5- to 6-month intervals.
Records and Recordkeeping
A convenient and simple system
of records is essential for keeping
track of breeding, kindling, and
weaning operations. You can use
the information in culling unpro-
ductive animals and in selecting
50 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
breeding stock. The essential fea-
tures of a simple record system are
illustrated in the hutch card and
the buck breeding record card
shown in figures 21 and 22.
The USDA does not furnish rec-
ord cards. They may be obtained
from firms deahng in supplies for
the rabbitry or you may prepare
your own. Some feed mills also
furnish their customers with hutch
cards and record forms.
N 45949
Figure 20. — Worm bins installed beneath rabbit hutches.
(X)MMERCIAL RABBIT RAISINCi
HUTCH CARD
51
tei..] No. W
101
IVv
n 12/12/55
ft..~i Mew
litter No.
Zealand 'flhite
w 39U-
n„ W60U
W 7m
OATC BRED
«UCK NO.
DATE
KINDLED
NUMBER TOUNG BORN
NUMBER
TOUNG
RETAINED
LITTER
NO.
DATE
■EANEO
NUMBER
ALIVE
DEAD
■EANEO
6/1/56
TfUl8-
7/2
0
8
W19
8/27
8
8/2U/56
TfflilB-
9/2h
9
0
8
W175
11/19
ft
11/16/56
Trtao-
Passed
11/30
n/30/56
Xlh21-
12/30
9
1
8
W3l6
2/2U^7
8
2/21/57
wua-
3/2U
11
0
8
WU65
5/19
7
0
PRODUCTION RECORD
LITTER
■EANING
NOTES:
NO.
NUMBER
AGE
■EIGHT
W19
8
56
30.2
m.7^
8
56
31.0
Passed
11/30
7T316
8
56
32.0
WU65
7
56
28.0
®
Figure 21. — Hutch card, a useful form of record. A, front ; B, back.
52 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BUCK BREEDING RECORD
Buck No
Breed
Date born
Sire
Dam
Location
Date
Bred
Result of breeding
Doe
Kindled
Passed
Alive
Dead
Date
Number
Weight
>^ . - — ■"-'^
^— ~-__J
, ^
1
L 1
. .
^^
^ ^_
Figure 22. — Sample of buck breeding record.
TYPES OF PRODUCTION
If you want ti fair income from
your commercial herd^ you must
be able to care for a large number
of rabbits. Your returns will be
in direct ratio to the number and
quality of does maintained and
your efficiency of management.
Formerly, about 10 man-hours
each year were required to care for
a doe and her four litters. With
improved hutch and feeding equip-
ment (figs. 2^) and 24), rations de-
signed to save labor in feeding,
palpation of does, and other herd
management practices, the num-
ber of man-hours has been greatly
reduced. It is now possible for a
breeder to care for more than
twice as many does in the same
length of time with less effort.
Fryer Production
According to the regulations
governing the grading and inspec-
tion of domestic rabbits, issued by
the Department of Agriculture, "A
fryer or young rabbit is a young
domestic rabbit carcass weighing
not less than li/4 pounds and rarely
more than 0I/2 pounds processed
from a rabbit usually less than 12
weeks of age," (i^. Title 7, Part 54,
Section 54.261).
Rabbits raised for meat and fur
usually are marketed when they
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISIN<;
53
N 45952
Figure 23. — Filling feed cart from bulk
feeder tank.
N 45947
Figure 24. — Filling hopper (self-feeder)
from feed cart.
reach fryer weight even though
the pelts are not prime. In order
to yield a carcass weighing from
114 to 314 pounds, young rabbits
should have a live weight of ap-
proximately 3 to 6 pounds. Best
carcass yields are usually from
young rabbits weighing from 4 to
4% pounds, when weaned at 2
months of age (figs. 25 and 26).
These should yield a carcass (in-
cluding liver and heart) of 50 to
59 percent of the live weight, 78
to 80 percent of which is edible.
For fryer production, medium-
weight to heavyweight breeds are
pi'eferred. Their young are most
apt to develop to the desired weight
and finish by the time they are 2
months old.
A pound of marketable fryer
rabbit will require 2% to 314
pounds of feed, or a total of ap-
proximately 100 pounds for a doe
and litter of 8, from mating of the
doe to marketing of the young
when 2 months old. Good does
nurse their litters 6 to 8 weeks.
The young develop more rapidly
if they are in the hutch with their
mothers until they are 8 weeks of
age. By that time, the milk sup-
ply will have decreased, the young
will be accustomed to consuming
other feed, and weaning will be
less of a shock than if undertaken
at an earlier age. Young that are
weaned and held for several days
before market may either fail to
gain or actually lose weight.
Therefore, it is usually best to
leave the young with their mothers
until they go to market.
If you want to produce fryers
heavier than those weaned when 56
days old, keep young rabbits with
their mother an additional 8 or 9
days. These fryers should gain an
average of 0.6 to 1.0 pound during
this period, if full fed a balanced
diet. However, they will require
more pounds of feed per pound of
54 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
N 45953
Figure 25. — Young meat rabbits waiting shipment to market.
Figure 2(5. — Litter of fryer rabbits at marlcet age and weight.
BN 26085
increase in live weight than previ-
ously, and the death of one rabbit
in a litter during: tlie extra holding
period may eliminate any addi-
tional profit.
Roaster Production
According to the reg-ulations
governing the gradino; and inspec-
tion of domestic rabbits, issued by
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
55
the Department of Agriculture
(1^, Title 7, Part 54, section 54.-
262), "A roaster or mature rabbit
is a mature or old domestic rabbit
carcass of any weight, but usually
over 4 pounds processed from a
rabbit usually 8 months of age or
older."
You can fatten culls from the
breeding herd for roasters, if they
are in good condition. In some
areas you may find it profitable to
develop young rabbits to heavier
weights primarily for the meat
market. Such rabbits should yield
a carcass that is 55 to 65 percent
of the live weio:ht, with 87 to 90
percent of it edible. However, the
quantity of feed required to pro-
duce a pound of gain, live weight,
increases with each pound of gain,
and may amount to 12 to 14 pounds
to increase the live weight from
9 to 10 pounds. Therefore, the
cost of feed required to produce
these gains must be assessed against
the value of the heavier rabbits.
Unless a premium is paid for ma-
ture rabbits for their meat or bet-
ter fur quality, it is doubtful if
such production would be more
profitable than that of rabbits of
fryer weight.
Castrated bucks require less
time and about 5 percent less feed
than normal bucks to attain a
given live weight. As indicated
previously, one advantage of cas-
tration is that a number of animals
can be kept together with a saving
of equipment, time, and labor. If
a buck is castrated when 2 months
old, his skin at maturity will grade
as a doe skin and sell for a higher
price. These factors, however,
usually do not justify the extra
work and danger involved in
castration.
ANGORA RABBIT WOOL PRODUCTION
Angora rabbits are raised pri-
marily for wool production (fig.
27). Wool on Angoras grows to a
length of 21^ to 3i/^ inches each
3 months, or approximately 1 inch
per month. You can shear 14 to 15
ounces of wool a year from a ma-
ture Angora that is not nursing
young. This wool is valued for its
softness, warmth, and strength. It
is used in blends with other fibers
in the manufacture of children's
clothing, sport clothes, garment
trimmings, and clothes for general
wear. Used alone it is usually too
light and fluffy, and blends create
better tensile strength and dura-
bility.
There are two main types of An-
gora rabbits — the English and the
French. Present standards of the
American Rabbit Breeders Associ-
ation, however, make English and
French types of wool synonymous.
It is difficult to distinguish the
English Angora rabbits from the
French when they are off type, and
the choice largely is a matter of
personal preference. The typical
French Angora usually is larger
than the English. The wool fiber
of the French is shorter and
coarser than that of the English,
but wool yield is greater. Owing
to competition with other fibers,
both natural and synthetic, and
competition with imported Angora
rabbit wool, the market price is
generally low and it is advisable to
use the Angora as a dual purpose
animal for both meat and wool
production. The commercial An-
gora weighs at least 8 pounds and
is being bred more and more to
improve its quality for meat.
Keep herd bucks and does in in-
dividual hutches. Keep woollers—
does and castrated bucks main-
tained primarily for wool pro-
duction— in groups or colonies to
56 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
11514-D
FicrRE 27. — Angora rabbit.
save labor. Castration of bucks
that are to be reserved for wool
production may reduce fighting in
the herd, but wool production is
not increased by castration.
To prevent infestation with in-
ternal parasites and to keep wool
clean, install self-cleaning floors in
the pens.
Wool should be harvested prior
to breeding to prevent mauling,
and soiling of the wool.
Angoras are generally sheared
or plucked every 10 to 11 weeks
though some producers pluck their
animals monthly and some at in-
tervals beyond o months.
Feed and care for Angoras in
the same way as for other breeds.
Because of their long wool, how-
ever, you must handle Angoras to
find out how much flesh thev are
carrying; determine the amount of
flesh by running the hand along
the backbone. Reduce or increase
the quantity of feed to keep the
animals in condition,
A properly constructed manger
for hay and green feed, or the use
of a hopper, protects the wool
from foreign matter and prevents
contamination of feed.
Equipment for Groomins and
Shearing
You will need the following equip-
ment for grooming and shearing:
A tabled waist-high, with a 12- by
24-inch top covered with carpet or
a feed sack to keep the rabbit from
slipping, and equipped with cas-
tors to allow easy turning. A
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISESTG
57
table equipped with straps or cords
for restraining the rabbit is ad-
vantageous.
A hairbrush %nth single steel
bristles set in rubber, for brushing
and removing foreign material from
wool.
A pair of barber's scissors or
electric clippers.
A ruler for measuring the length
of wool.
Containers for storing wool.
Grooming. — Commercial woollers
require little, if sltij, grooming be-
tween shearings provided the}' are
properly cared for and sheared
every 10 to 12 weeks. If you allow
the coat to grow for a longer period,
the fibers may become webbed,
tangled, or matted.
For grooming, place the rabbit
on the table. Part the wool down
the middle of the back. Brush one
side, stroking downward. As you
reach the end of the wool, brush
upward and outward to remove all
foreign material. Make another
part in the wool about half an inch
farther down the side. Repeat the
operation until the job is com-
pleted. Groom the other side the
same way.
For grooming the head, front
legs, and belly place the rabbit on
its back in your lap. Hold its
hindquarters gently but firmly be-
tween the knees. Separate small
areas of wool and groom the way
you did the sides.
For grooming the hind legs,
place the rabbit on its back in your
lap. Hold the head and front feet
under the left arm. Use the left
hand to hold the rabbit's hind
legs.
Shearing. — Before shearing, cut
off all stained ends of wool. Place
the back of the scissors against the
rabbit's body to prevent cutting
the skin. Begin at the rump and
shear a strip about an inch wide to
the neck. Repeat this operation
until you have removed all the wool
from one side. Turn the rabbit
around and repeat the shearing
operation on the other side, starting
at the neck and shearing toward the
rump. For shearing the head,
front legs, belly, and hind legs,
restrain the rabbit as for grooming.
Separate small areas of wool and
shear the way you did the sides.
Do not injure the doe's teats. Do
not shear wool from the belly of a
pregnant doe. After shearing,
lightly brush the rabbit to
straighten out the wool fibers and
prevent the formation of mats.
During cold weather, newly
sheared rabbits need protection.
A nest box in the hutch affords ade-
quate protection during cool spells.
^Yhen the temperature is as low as
30° to 40° F., keep the animals in
a building where you can maintain
comfortable temperatures. In mu-
ter, leave a half inch of wool on the
body for protection.
GradinS/ Preparing, and
Marketing Wool
Label a container for each grade
of wool and place it near the shear-
ing table. Grade the wool as
sheared. Following are the usual
commercial grades:
Plucked wool :
Super Scinches or longer
No. 1 3 inches or longer
No. 2 2 inches or longer
Sheared wool :
No. 1 214 to 3 inches
No. 2 1% to 2 inches
No. 3 1 to 1% inches
Shorts % to % inches
(may be slightly
webbed )
No. 4 Matted
No. 5 Stained and unclean
While the above have been
the usual accepted commercial
grades for Angora rabbit wool,
some grading systems have been
simplified to the extent that only
three grades ai-e considered: No.
58 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
1 — clean wool; No. 2 — clean mats;
and No. 3 — all other wool, includ-
ing; soiled wool.
Put each grade in a separate
paper bag without packing too
tightly. Tie the bags and place
them in burlap sacks or corrugated
boxes for shipment.
If the wool is to be stored, place
it in a tightly covered container.
To protect the wool from moths.
put mothballs or crystals in a small
sack before placing this in the
container with the wool.
Some Angora breeders spin the
wool on an old-fashioned spinning
wheel and knit the yarn into gar-
ments for home use or for sale.
Others sell wool to organizations
or individuals who collect large
quantities and these organizations
or individuals in turn sell to mills.
MARKETING
Slaughtering and Skinning
Slaughter in clean, sanitary
quarters. Obtain information on
regulations and restrictions from
local health authorities.
The preferred method of slaugh-
tering a rabbit is by dislocating
the neck. Hold the animal by its
hind legs with the left hand. Place
the thumb of the right hand on the
neck just back of the ears, with
the four fingers extended under the
chin (fig. 28). Push down on the
neck with the right hand, stretch-
ing the animal. Press down with
the thumb. Then raise the animal's
head by a quick movement and dis-
locate the neck. The animal be-
comes unconscious and ceases strug-
gling. This method is instantane-
ous and painless when done cor-
rectly.
Another method is to hold the
animal with one hand at the small
of the back, with its head down,
and stun it by a heavy blow at the
base of the skull.
Suspend the carcass on a hook
inserted between the tendon and
the bone of the right hind leg just
above the hock (fig. 29). Remove
the head immediately to permit
thorough bleeding so the meat will
have a good color. Remove the
tail and the free rear leg at the
hock joint, and cut off the front
feet. Then cut the skin just below
the hock of the suspended right
leg and open it on the inside of the
leg to the root of the tail, con-
tinuing the incision to the hock of
83078 B
Figure 28. — How to hold a rabbit for
disclocating neck in slaughtering.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
59
83079-B
Figure 29. — Steps in skinning rabbits and removing internal organs. Small jets of
water from pipe beneath rack wash blood from back panel and trough.
the left leg. Carefully separate the
edges of the skin from the carcass,
taking special pains to leave all fat
on the carcass as the skin is pulled
down over the animal. This makes
a more attractive meat product, fa-
cilities drying the skin, and pre-
vents "fat burns" on the pelt in
drying.
Even small cuts lessen the value
of a skin. As soon as you remove
the skin, place it on a stretcher,
secure it and hang it up for drying.
(See section on "Rabbitskins.")
After skinning the carcass, make
a slit along the median line of the
belly and remove the entrails and
gall bladder. Leave the liver and
kidneys in place. Remove the
right hind foot by severing at the
hock. Take particular care not to
get hairs on the carcass; they are
difficult to remove, detract from
the appearance, and are unsani-
tary. Rinsing the carcass in cold
water facilitates removal of hair
and blood and also cleans the car-
cass. Brush the rabbit's neck
thoroughly in water to remove any
blood. Do not leave the carcass
in water more than 30 minutes;
prolonged soaking causes it to ab-
sorb water, and water in the meat
is adulteration.
Chill the carcass in a refriger-
ated cooler. Arrange the carcass
on a cooling rack so that moderate
air movements and a suitable tem-
perature within the cooler will re-
duce the internal temperature of
the carcass to no less than 36° F.
and to no more than 40° within
24 hours.
Hanging by the hind legs for
chilling may cause a carcass to be
drawn out of shape, so that the
pieces will not fit satisfactorily
into a carton. Some processors
60 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 309, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
chill carcasses in wire trays, ar-
ranging them so the pieces will be
of a proper shape for packaging.
Cuttins and Packagins Rabbit
Meat
Hotels, restaurants, hospitals,
clubs, and other establishments
usually purchase the whole carcass.
Their chefs prefer to cut them to
meet their own requirements.
Housewives usually prefer the cut-
up, packaged product. Cut up the
fryer rabbit with a knife; using
a cleaver may splinter the bones.
Common cuts from fryer carcasses
are illustrated in figures 30 and 31.
In large commercial processing
plants, a handsaw is used. A par-
affined box with a cellophane win-
dow makes a neat, sanitary package
for the chilled rabbit carcass (fig.
31). If the package is to be
handled considerably or the meat
is to be frozen, use a box without
the cellophane window, but wrap
the meat or the box in a special
salable wrapping to prevent freezer
burns and loss in palatibility.
A box 9 inches long, 4 inches
wide, and 2i/^ inches deep is suit-
able for a fryer carcass weighing
1% to 214 pounds. Arrange the
cuts attractively. Include the
heart, kidneys, and liver.
If you sell to the home trade or
furnish butchers with meat that
is to be consumed locally, you can
make a neat, sanitary, and inex-
pensive package by arranging the
pieces of fryer and a sprig of pars-
ley on a paper plate and covering
them with a piece of clear cello-
pliane or other wrapping material
(fig. 31).
For information on regulations
governing the grading and inspec-
tion of domestic rabbits and speci-
fications for classes, standards, and
grades, write to the Consumer and
Marketing Service, U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture, Washington,
D.C., 20250.
Cratins and Shippins Live
Rabbits
You can ship rabbits almost any
distance with safety, if they are in
good condition, properly crated,
and provided with food and water.
Do not ship them in extremely hot
or cold weather. Always use well-
ventilated crates that are long
enough to permit the rabbit to lie
down. Use straw, not sawdust, for
bedding. Crates with slanting tops
discourage stacking (fig. 32).
Put only one animal in a com-
partment of a shipping crate. Ani-
mals to be in transit 24 hours or
less need only a small quantity
of feed and water. If the trip is
long, more feed and water are
needed. It is wise to attach to
each crate a bag of feed and a
printed request to feed and water
the animals once daily. Plenty of
fresh water and feed should be ac-
cessible to the rabbits at all time.
For rabbits in transit use the type
of feed given in the rabbitry. As
an alternative, a bunch of fresh
carrots placed in the crate will pro-
vide enough feed and moisture for
several days' travel, and eliminates
the possibility of spilling feed and
water supplied in containers.
Label the crate clearly, advising
against exposing the animals to
sun or rain, and also against plac-
ing the crates near steam pipes.
Notify the purchaser when rabbits
are shipped.
You can make shipping crates
from packing boxes. It is good
business, however, and effective ad-
vertising, to ship rabbits in dur-
able crates that are neatly built,
light in weight, and attractive.
Furnish ample space in each com-
partment and see to it that wire
netting keeps the rabbits from
ffnawins: the wood.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
61
FiGTTBE 30. — Some common cuts obtained from a rabbit carcass.
BN 26086
62 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
83080 B
FiGUEE 31. — Some common cuts obtained from a rabbit carcass, and samples of
preparation for sale.
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISIN<3
63
FiGUBE 32. — Homemade shipping crates for transporting rabbits
BN 26083
RABBITSKINS
Curing
While still warm, place skins to
be cured flesh side out on wire or
board formers or shapers (with the
fore part over the narrow end).
Take care to remove all wrinkles.
You can make a satisfactory skin
shaper from 5 feet of No. 9 gal-
vanized wire. This equipment has
been called a "stretcher," but th&
term may give a wrong impression.
It is not desirable to stretch the
skin unduly. Mount a skin on the
shaper, making sure both front
feet casings are on the same side,
and fasten it with clothespins (fig.
33). This arrangement lessens in-
jury to the fur of the back, which
is the most valuable. On the day
after skinning, examine the pelts
to see that the edges are drying
flat, that the skin of the front legs
is straightened out, and that any
patches of fat are removed.
All skins must be thoroughly
dried before you pack them, but do
not dry them in the sun or by arti-
ficial heat. Han^ them up so the
air can circulate ireely about them.
If you will not ship the dried skins
for some time, hang them in loose
bundles of 50 in a cool, dry place
away from rats and mice. In the
summer or in a warm climate,
sprinkle the stored skins with
64 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
(Left) N 45955 (Right) B 83081
Figure 33. — How to place a rabbit pelt on a shaper before hanging it up to dry (left) .
Two sizes of rabbit pelts properly placed on wire shapers (right). Front feet
casings (not shown in picture) are on other side of shaper.
naphtha flakes. Never use salt in
curing rahhltskins.
Marketins
Domestic rabbitskins vary
<rreatly in density and quality,
depending on the degree of care
that breeders take in breeding.
Good fur can be produced on effi-
cient meat-producing animals by
selective mating. Better skins
command higher prices.
Because of the relative cheapness
of rabbitskins, volume is necessary
for the dealer to market them satis-
factorily ; and since dressing
charges are so much per skin, the
larger skins, other things being
equal, will bring the better price
even when they are sold by the
pound, "^^^lether it will pay to
grow or condition heavier rabbits
for the market depends on the rela-
tive cost of feed and the market
value of the finished product. In
areas where similar skins are pro-
duced in quantity, it might be
profitable for several rabbit raisers
to market their skins cooperatively.
White skins bring higher prices
than colored skins because of the
adaptability to use in the lighter
shades of garments and hats.
If good and poor skins of differ-
ent sizes and colors are mixed in a
shipment, the entire shipment is
usually accepted at the price of
poor skins. Sort the skins (unless
you have too few) and offer them
in separate shipments.
Grades
All rabbitskins have some value
in the fur trade. About 85 percent
of domestic rabbitskins are from
rabbits 8 to 10 weeks old. These
skins are known in the trade as
"fryer skins." They are usually
sold by the pound as butcher run,
that is, ungraded. Five or six
fryer skins usually wei^^h a pound.
In full-fed rabbits weighing 4 to
12 pounds, the poorest skins come
from animals up to 134 days old.
Older animals produce a higher
percentage of better grade skins.
The better grade skins from older
domestic rabbits are usually sold
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
65
by the piece, primarily because
they are lar<jer than fryer skins.
Raw-fur buyers usually grade
rabbitskins as firsts, seconds, thirds,
and hatters. Many buyers have
their special grades. Firsts and
seconds may be divided into five
color classes — white, red, blue,
chinchilla, and mixed. Some fur-
riers also grade firsts and seconds
as large, medium, and small. If
you have enough skins, pack white,
red, blue, and chinchilla skins
separately by colors. Put skins of
all other colors together.
Firsts are prime pelts that are
large, properly shaped, and prop-
erly dried. All the hair is held
firmly in the skin and the skin side
is free from fat, flesh, pigment
spots, streaks, and cuts. The
tliicker and denser the underfur,
the more valuable the pelt and the
better price it will bring.
Firsts are used for making gar-
ments. They may be sheared or
used in the natural or "long-
haired" condition. They also may
be used in the natural color or may
be dyed. A uniform, dense under-
fur is necessary to make desirable
rabbitskin garments. The coarse,
longer hairs should return to their
natural position and present a
smooth appearance immediately
after the hand is passed through
and against the natural flow of the
hair coat.
Fryer skins contain only a small
percentage of fur usuable for gar-
ments primarily because of shed-
ding or molting marks and second-
arily because of thin fur and
leather. Rabbitskins for fur gar-
ments have been in bad repute be-
cause inferior grades were used in
the past.
Seconds are pelts that have
shorter fur and less underfur than
firsts. The unprime colored skin
shows dark pigment spots or
streaks and, sometimes, large black
splotches on the leather side. These
markings do not show on white
skins since pigment is lacking.
Seconds also include pelts that are
improperly shaped and dried, have
been damaged in shipment, or show
poor spots where the skin has been
pierced or the fur is short or
missing.
Thirds are pelts with short fur
and thin underfur and those from
animals too young or those that
are shedding. Thirds are of no
value to the furriers. They are
used in the manufacture of toys,
specialty articles, and felt for hats.
All skins that do not meet re-
quirements of the other grades are
"hatters.-' Pelts that are badly cut
or otherwise mutilated, or poorly
stretched and dried, also are classed
as hatters. The underfur of such
pelts is used in making felt. Since
the denser skins yield more cut
fur, the hat trade pays more for
them.
The distribution of domestic rab-
bitskins into these several grades
depends on the demand for each
kind. The market may be such
that practically all the rabbitskins
at a given time will be sold as
"hatters." Under some conditions,
there may be but little demand
even in the hat trade.
Packins and Shipping
To avoid spoilage or damage in
transit, take care in packing skins
for shipment.
So far as possible keep skins in
the same shape as when removed
from the form. Carefully examine
each one to make sure that it is
properly dried. Do not pack or
ship a moist pelt or one that has
patches of oily fat on it. Make
up large quantities of skins into
bales. Sprinkle naphthalene or
paradichlorobenzene on every two
or three layers of skins, as you
pack them. This will keep out
66 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
insects that might cause damage.
When a bale has been made up,
cover with burlap, sew with strong
cord or binder twine, and mark.
Always protect skins when ship-
ping them. Ship smaller quanti-
ties in gunny or feed sacks. Do
not use wooden boxes for shipping
rabbitskins; the weight adds ma-
terially to shipping charges.
ECONOMICS OF RABBIT PRODUCTION
The commercial rabbitry is one
that is operated for the "profit-
able"' production of rabbit meat. A
great deal of progress has been
made in the development of the
rabbit industry. It is a stable
enterprise for an individual em-
ploying sound management princi-
ples, but numbers alone do not spell
success. The rabbitry, as any busi-
ness, cannot ajfford additional units
of production unless those added
provide returns equal to, or greater
than, their costs. The determina-
tion of the point at which margin-
al costs of production equal mar-
ginal returns necessitates the pres-
ence of two factors important for
the success of a commercial rab-
bitry: Concise, accurate and cur-
rent records, and close attention to
care and feeding of the rabbits.
Records
Records need not be extremely
detailed, unless the personal de-
sires and time of the operator allow
for minute recordkeeping. What-
ever records are kept should per-
mit the operator to calculate costs
of production and evaluate the
progress made over comparable
periods of time.
Information basically desirable
is (1) the number of does bred,
(2) the number of conceptions, (3)
the number of does kindling, (4)
the number of does raising a lit-
ter, (5) total young left with doe,
and (6) total number of young
weaned or raised per breeding.
These facts will provide the neces-
sary permanent production factors.
Information can be obtained from
the hutch record cards (fig. 21)
and accumulated daily on a
monthly summary form. The
monthly figures can then be ac-
cumulated on an annual summary
form, and an annual summary of
the rabbitry can be ascertained by
posting the accumulated invest-
ment, income, and expense figures
on a summary chart.
Labor
Close attention to the rabbits is
essential to success. Although it is
not practical to provide care 24
hours a day, too little labor is dis-
astrous. Somewhere between no
care and constant care is an opti-
mum amount of labor for a rab-
bitry of a given size.
Rabbitry management studies
conducted in San Bernardino
County, Calif., in 1962 and 1963
revealed a range of 2.3 to 27.7
hours of labor per doe per year,
with an average of 6.4 hours per
doe. Rabbitry sizes, based on the
average number of working does,
ranged from a low of 31.4 to a high
of 792.9, with an average of 247.5.
For all practical purposes, the la-
bor source reported by participat-
ing rabbitries was a husband-and-
wife team. Using the averages of
the management studies conducted,
an average daily requirement of
6.4 hours per doe per year for a
247.5-doe rabbitry gives a total an-
nual labor need of 1,584 hours.
This gives conjecture to the possi-
bility of operating a rabbitry on
a 5 -day week. A weekly work
schedule of 40 hours totals 2,080
hours per year. Dividing 2,080
COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING
hours by the study average of 6.4
hours oi labor per doe gives a total
of 325 does required to use the
hours of labor available. This is
77.5 more than the management
study average.
Certainly, a progressive indus-
try will keep in tune with the in-
novations continuously appearing
on the market. These available
engineering ingenuities can be used
to advantage by the rabbit indus-
try. "Where needed, modifications
can be made for their adoption.
Self-feeders, automatic watering
devices, built-in sunken nest boxes,
and electric carts for feeding and
carrying fryers or breeding stock
are but examples. Constant striv-
ing for improved feeds and feeding
techniques, building designs, and
materials and for stock improve-
ment through breeding provides
the progressive rabbitry operator
with the means to reduce the hours
of labor per animal.
Naturally, these innovations will
tend to increase investment costs
of the rabbitry. However, if these
innovations reduce the marginal
cost of production, there will be
justification for their use.
Investment
The rabbit management studies
conducted in San Bernardino
County, Calif., during the years
1962 and 1963 showed the follow-
ing investment costs per doe: *
2-year
Investment 1962 1963 average
Land $12.80 $10.07 $11.48
Building and
equip-
ment 17.09 18.06 17.57
Miscella-
neous
supplies. _ .01 .03 .02
Feed. .61 .48 .55
Stock 5.48 5.87 5.67
Total 36.07 34.51 35.29
67
The reduction in land investment
from 1962 to 1963 does not indicate
lowering land values, but rather
that rabbitries participating in the
study in 1963 were located on lower
valued land than those participat-
ing in 1962.
Costs for housing and equipment
vary considerably, but the 1962-
63 quotation for an all-wire hutch
indicated the retail charge was
$5.07 per hole or per doe. Acces-
sory equipment, such as nest boxes,
feeders, medication tank, feed
tank, etc., cost $4.11, for a total cost
of $9.18 per doe. Deducting this
amount from the 2-year average
building and equipment charge of
$17.57, as shown in the tabulation,
leaves a cost of $8.39 per doe for
the building and its related electri-
cal and watering equipment. The
above costs reflect commercial re-
tail prices for new equipment. Re-
ductions can be made by canvassing
the market for used material avail-
able. The use of either semirigid
or flexible plastic pipe in lieu of
galvanized pipe for water lines
should be explored. Frequently,
when salvage material is adequate,
it can substantially reduce build-
ing costs. Bargaining ability can
further reduce costs, but reductions
should not be made at the expense
of reliable, sound, and safe con-
struction.
Returns and Expenses
The rabbit industry represents
a relatively stable market. In the
management studies conducted in
1962 and 1963, the price received
per pound of fryer for the 2-year
period ranged only 4 cents, and
that received per pound of mature
rabbits ranged only 2 cents. In
each case, the changes were ^adual
and infrequent. Total receipts re-
ported for the participating rab-
bitries averaged $29.59 per doe per
year. On the average, sale of
" Although these figures are for 1962
and 1963, they can be converted to present
costs.
68 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
fryers represented 90 percent of
total receipts.
The study averages of 6.4 hours
of labor and of $29.59 income per
doe give a gross income return of
$4.62 per hour.
The management study i^yr 1962
reported that total production costs
(feed, labor, stock purchased, mis-
cellaneous expense, depreciation,
and interest at 6 percent on invest-
ment) amounted to $22.54, for an
average of 104.2 pounds of meat
produced per doe. The costs re-
ported for 1963 totaled $23.55, for
the 115.9 pounds of meat produced
per doe. Production costs for the
2 years average $23.04 per doe, or
$3.60 per hour, based on 6.4 hours
labor per doe. Subtracting this
from a gross income return of
$4.62 per hour leaves $1.02 per
hour as net income. The average
cost per pound of meat sold in 1962
amounted to 21.6 cents, and in 1963,
20.0 cents.
The following tabulation pre-
sents a summary of the percentage
distribution of costs in the San
Bernadino County management
studies for 1962 and 1963:
Percent
Feed 53.8
Labor 30.5
Miscellaneous 5.6
Depreciation 4.5
Interest 5.6
The distribution of income, by
source, was as follows:
Percent
Fryer rabbits sold 89.9
Miscellaneous income 1.7
Breeding stock sold . 4.0
Mature stock sold 2.7
Inventory change 1.7
Although it is to be remembered
that conditions vary from year to
year and from area to area, as well
as from rabbitry to rabbitry, these
summary figures were substanti-
ated by those of a 1964 survey con-
ducted in the Santa Clara-Ala-
meda County area of northern
California.
LITERATURE CITED
(1) American Rabbit Breeders Asso-
ciation, Inc.
1960. standard of perfection.
Ill pp., illus. Pittsburgh,
Pa.
(2) Cassady, R. B.
1962. malocclusion, or "buck
TEETH," IN rabbits. U.S.
Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv.
CA-44-48. 3 pp., illus.
(3)
(4)
(5)
1962.
1963.
1965.
VALUE AND USE OF RABBIT
MANURE. U.S. Dept. Agr.,
Agr. Res. Serv. CA-44-47.
5 pp.
RABBIT MEAT IS COMPETI-
TIVE. U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr.
Res. Serv. CA-44-38. 2 pp.
THE "FALL BREEDING
PROBLEM IN RABBITS. U.S.
Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv.
CA-44-34. (A rev. edition.)
2 pp.
(6) Hagen, K. W., Jr.
1962. tularemia, an animal-
BORNE DISEASE. U.S. Dept.
Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. CA-
44-49. 3 pp.
(7) and Lund, E. E.
1964. COMMON DISEASES OF DO-
MESTIC RABBITS. U.S. Dept.
Agr. ARS-45-3-2 (Rev.)
8 pp.
(8) Hardy, T. M. P., and Dolnick,
E. H.
1948. ANGORA RABBIT WOOL PRO-
DUCTION. U.S. Dept. Agr.
Cir. No. 785. 22 pp., illus.
(9) HiNER, R. L.
1962. PHYSICAL COMPOSITION OF
FRYER RABBITS OF PRIME,
CHOICE, AND COMMERCIAL
GRADES. U.S. Dept. Agr.,
Agr. Res. Serv. CA-'44-37.
6 pp.
(10) Morrison, F. B.
1956. FEEDS and FEEDING. 22d
ed. 1165 pp., illus. Ithaca,
N.Y.
(11) Sandford, J. C.
1957. THE DOMESTIC RABBIT. 258
pp., illus. London.
(12) Smith, S. E., Donefer, E., and
Casady, R. B.
1966. nutrient requirements
OF RABBITS. Natl. Acad.
Sci. — Natl. Res. Council
Pub. 1194, 17 pp., illus.
(13) Templeton, G. S.
1962. domestic rabbit produc-
tion. 3d ed. 213 pp., illus.
Illinois.
(14) United States Consumer and
Marketing Service.
1967. regulations governing
the gr.^ding and inspec-
tion OF domestic rabbits
and edible products
thereof and united
states specifications for
classes, standards, and
grades with respect
thereto. Title 7 Code of
Federal Regulations, pt. 54,
effective August 1966.
(15) United States Department of
Agriculture.
1962. inheritance of "woolly"
IN RABBIT. U.S. Dept.
Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. CA-
44-36. 3 pp.
(16)
1964. raising RABBITS. U.S.
Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bui.
2131. 24 pp., illus.
69
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1971 O— 424-402
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