Mating of rabbits (mating of rabbits) is an essential part of the process of breeding rabbits. The fact is that only with a quality and properly organized mating, the farmer is guaranteed to receive a healthy offspring.
Mating rabbits
It is worth saying that not all individuals are allowed to breed in rabbit breeding, because first you need to go through a selection that takes into account such signs as age, health, experience of previous coverings, wool quality, character, and so on. How breeding occurs in rabbits, what conditions for this need to be created, at what age rabbits happen, all this must be known to the farmer for successful breeding of pussies.
How rabbits breed
If the choice of the farmer fell on breeding rabbits, their mating and mating is a special topic. In total, there are 3 ways of breeding pussies:
- The first method is used exclusively at home, when decorative breeds are subject to mating. In order for fertilization to take place, you need to place the rabbit and the rabbit in the same cage for a while (period from 1 to 2 days) and just wait for the natural process. Not everything will go well, even if the waiting period is long. The fact is that both the female and the male may simply not like each other, they may even end up in a fight between partners.
- The second method is used on large farms where more than one hundred rabbits are kept. In this case, for maximum confidence in the result, females are inseminated artificially. Of course, it is not possible to call this method simple, because to implement it, you need to have minimal knowledge of how this should happen. First you need to take rabbit sperm, and only venerable individuals are selected, after which the sperm is placed inside the rabbit through a syringe.
- The last method, which will be discussed today, is actually a modified first breeding option. It is necessary to leave the male and the female alone in the same room for a couple of days, only the person in this case does not remain indifferent, but tries to contribute in every possible way to the successful mating.
What we need to do to the owner of the animals for successful mating will be discussed further.
Rules for mating rabbits
Despite the existence of the expression "mate like rabbits", these animals are quite selective when choosing a sexual partner. For this reason, in the conditions of a rabbit farm, a person has to interfere with the course of the natural process. The rules for mating rabbits will provide a complete result from mating. To know exactly how rabbits are mated according to the rules, you can watch a video of a full mating.
How to happen rabbits correctly? First, they need to be properly prepared in order to end up with healthy and viable offspring. It is worth revising the diet first. Mandatory is the presence in the menu of a complex of vitamins and minerals for both male and female. In addition, it is necessary to improve the condition of the cells, if before that it was not satisfactory.
Determining the gender of the rabbit
No matter how ridiculous it may sound, but before proceeding with the direct mating of rabbits, you need to determine who belongs to which sex. This turns out to be not so easy, especially for those who come across it for the first time.
To find out the gender, you need to turn the fluffy on its back and fix the tail at the bottom with a sharp movement of the hand. If you see a small mucous formation that resembles a triangle with a hole, it is a female. If the formation of a more oblong appearance is visible, then this is certainly a male. In addition to the miniature penis, it should have the same small testes.
Only rabbits that have a standard anatomical structure, that is, they have two testicles, should be allowed to mating.
Manifestation of mating readiness
In order to reproduce offspring, the rabbit must be sexually mature. In this case, you need to know how to make rabbits for the first time. On average, this age occurs differently for each breed, and the earlier, the smaller the breed. For example, decorative rabbits can be mated at 4 months, and the largest representatives of the rabbit family - the Flanders breed (Flanders) or the Giant - only by 6-7 months. The age of mating rabbits is responsible for the health of both the female and the offspring: a too young female can die during pregnancy from exhaustion of the body.
What indirect signs may indicate that the animal is ready for mating? If an animal, regardless of age, begins to actively mark its territory, this is direct evidence that the time of this male has come. And no matter from how many months mating has been prescribed for him, he is physiologically ready.
What are the requirements for male rabbits:
- The animal must be active and have a healthy appearance.
- External characteristics must match those declared by the breed.
It is better to postpone the mating if the male is in a molt state, since at this time the individual's immunity is weakened, which may affect the quality of the litter. Moreover, it is better to wait out not only the first, but also the second molt.
Mating rabbits without hunting, a myth invented by amateurs. Instructional video
Mating rabbits: mating rules, rabbit hunting.
Definition of hunting and mating rabbits
Choose a female for mating
In the process of choosing a rabbit, everything is not so difficult. First of all, it is important to assess the age of the rabbit: she should not be less than one year old, otherwise she will not be able to bear the offspring normally. Of course, the most successful option is young individuals, which have already repeatedly brought healthy offspring, after which they conscientiously fed the rabbits.
It also happens that a mother eats her own children. If this happens, such a female should be disposed of, and not allowed until the next mating.
Also an important criterion for when a young rabbit can happen is her weight. It is important that the female is moderately well-fed. If the rabbit is thin, you need to start feeding the animal for some time. It is also worthwhile to wait out molting so that the pregnancy is successful. The animal must certainly be in the hunting stage, without this mating will not work.
If the owners have chosen a certain day of the month for mating pets, the female needs to be moved away from her relatives for a while. In case farmers want to carry out several pairings at once, all expectant mothers need to be planted in a separate enclosure. The case of several rabbits follows the same rules as the mating of one individual.
Ideal age for mating
At what age can rabbits happen? To answer this question as correctly as possible, you need to take into account the characteristics of these animals. Rabbits do not live long, the maximum is about 9-10 years, and starting from the age of 5, the percentage of successful mating falls, so mating is recommended not to be carried out. In addition, in old age, the volume of breast milk in rabbits sharply decreases after birth, and she cannot independently feed her offspring.
The process of aging and the extinction of natural maternal instincts occurs strictly individually, as in humans. It often happens that, according to all academic parameters, a rabbit or a rabbit is subject to rejection, but in fact they still continue to give healthy and numerous offspring. However, based on statistics, after the first mating of a rabbit, regardless of the age at which it occurred, the animal remains capable of fertilization and bearing for no more than 4-5 years. The case of elderly rabbits threatens to obtain an inferior offspring.
How the mating process works
In order for the mating of farm rabbits at home to go smoothly, it is recommended to choose the territory where the young male lives, so that it is he who is as comfortable as possible. For the time of mating of rabbits, it is recommended to remove all contents from the cage, leaving only a drinker with water for the entire period.
It is not recommended to leave animals alone, because there is always a possibility that the rabbits may not like each other and even cause injury. It may happen that the female will resist mating, in which case the person can gently hold her and let the male finish the job.
How long does intercourse last? Mating itself is a fairly quick process, it lasts no more than 2 minutes. Changes to the big side can only be if the partner resisted or was aggressive in relation to the male. After the mating process, the rabbit bounces off the female and breathes heavily for a while.
The reasons for the unsuccessful mating
It also happens that, despite all the efforts made, the rabbit's pregnancy never came. Firstly, do not be upset, since a control mating of a farm rabbit can be carried out in 2-3 days. However, for greater efficiency, it is worth changing the inseminator: perhaps the reason why the rabbit did not happen was in him.
Often one of the reasons is a situation in which not all sperm enters the female's internal genital organs. However, livestock breeders have learned to deal with this problem: you need to tie a thin rope around the tail of the female, for which you will need to pull at a certain time so that the crawl can finish the insemination process successfully, without a hitch. You can learn more about this trick on the video of experienced rabbit breeders who are filmed to teach novice colleagues.
Many people wonder why there is no pregnancy. To do this, it is necessary to study a lot of signs and symptoms, and only after their careful analysis can a clear answer be given. Most often, the reason is banal: the rabbit is overweight. If this is really the case, then it is worth revising the diet of such a female and putting her on a diet.
Rabbit inbreeding
Inbreeding is a kindred mating of two rabbits. In most cases, this process is undesirable in any animals (cats, dogs, livestock), since unhealthy offspring with a variety of diseases are subsequently obtained. However, this applies to closely related inbreeding. As for long-distance inbreeding, it is not only not prohibited, but even shown in order to get a new, stronger breed of rabbits. But you need to know how to properly breed related rabbits.
Inbreeding is not always thoughtful, most often it is a flaw on the part of a person, when hereditary records of livestock and mating schedules were not conducted according to the rules. In order to correct a mistake, it is necessary to introduce new individuals into the rabbit family, preferably males: with their help, the lineage of rabbits will be leveled and healthy offspring will be born.
How to mate rabbits at home
Usually, most farmers start with a small number of rabbits, so they first wonder how rabbits breed at home. If you do not go into details, the process of mating domestic rabbits is almost identical to what is happening on large farms. However, it will be necessary to create conditions for effective knitting. The cage for the meeting between the male and the female should be tucked away, there should be no drafts in it, and the temperature should be as close as possible to 20 ° C.
Even at home, you should not neglect the process of control rejection. It is worth carefully examining applicants for mating and choosing only those animals that are most suitable. For example, if a female suffers from mastitis, it is not allowed to allow her to re-pregnancy until the underlying disease is cured.
A case after okrolya
Livestock breeders ask themselves when a rabbit is ready to hunt, when can a rabbit happen after birth, how long should it take from birth? Of course, a certain pause must be sustained, since the female's body must recover after birth, this must be taken as a rule. On average, the pause lasts about 70 days, although there may be exceptions. For this period, it is recommended to protect the rabbit from communication with males and to settle in a cage only for female individuals.
In addition, females that are in position are subject to isolation. This is done in order to prevent the mating of such a rabbit with a male, which can harm the offspring, causing the rabbits, for example, to be born dead.
Features of winter mating
Of course, you can mate rabbits year-round. But the winter mating of farm rabbits is a special topic. As for winter, the owners fear that the low temperature can cause unsuccessful mating, and in vain. In fact, low temperature does not affect the quality of sperm, the ability to bear rabbits, and even more so on the mating process itself.
Mating rabbits in winter follows the same rules as at other times of the year. Moreover, there are some breeds that can continue to mate even if there is no heat source at all. Of course, one should not allow such conditions: in home farms, the column of a mercury thermometer should not fall below 12 ° С. What to fear is drafts, because they cause pain in animals, and can also interfere with successful mating. Mating rabbits in winter requires increased comfort in keeping.
After a brood of rabbits is born, in winter they should be tried to heat as much as possible. If there is no heater or battery in the rabbitry, it is better to take the young animals to the house for the winter, where you need to let the babies grow stronger and gain strength. After warming, the already grown rabbit cubs are returned to their usual habitat.
Features of knitting decorative breeds
How to cross representatives of decorative breeds, what are the rules? This question is asked by many livestock breeders, since it is the decorative breeds that are currently in demand for keeping the house. Despite their decorativeness, such breeds boast high fertility rates: they mature early, the female gives about 7 offspring in 12 months, and the first can occur as early as 9 months. If you take care of the young with dignity, carefully compose its diet and carry out all preventive medical measures, usually the entire offspring survives.
To understand and determine whether the female of the ornamental breed is ready for mating, you need to carefully consider how her genitals look. The girl should be jailed from the entire brood for a day (this will help determine her condition), after which, after a day, take a closer look at her behavior. If the mucous membrane is swollen and slightly increased in size, the color has changed to redder, the female is hunting and ready to mate.
A feature of the breeding of decorative rabbits is that effective mating usually takes place in the morning.
Determining mating performance
Did the mating of the rabbits go well? In order to figure it out on your own, you need to carefully examine the rabbit’s stomach. This should be done 14 days after mating. If you managed to find small peas with your fingers, these are the fetal sacs in which future rabbits develop. However, curiosity should not harm the rabbit, because careless or too rough movements can provoke an involuntary miscarriage or symptoms of a false pregnancy.There are photos and video recommendations with a detailed description of how to conduct an inspection correctly, each rabbit breeder must familiarize themselves with them.
If peas were found, then after a period of 14 days you can prepare for the addition to the farm. As for the number of rabbits, it can vary from one birth to another from 5 to 15 small newborns.