Mating

Provide one buck for 8 to 10 does. Always take the doe to the buck's cag e. If they fail to mate within a few minutes, take her to a different buck. If this fails, try again the next day, but DO NOT leave the doe with the buck all day or even an hour in an attempt to solve a mating problem.

Try forced mating with a young buck or doe before you give up on them. If a doe or buck consistently gives a mating problem, eliminate it form the herd. A good conception rate is 90 percent or better.

Normally you should use a buck once a day. Some producers, however, use a buck as often as two to three times a day for short periods of time. Smaller litters result from too frequent use of a buck. Some successful producers think fortified pellets (feed with additional vitamins) are helpful during a heavy breeding schedule.

A slow breeding schedule makes the does hard to breed, makes the bucks lose some of their viability, and causes conception percentages to drop. Following an accelerated breeding should eliminate problems.

A buck and doe remain profitable for two years if fed and managed properly. Their usefulness must be based on results rather than age.

At least 14 hours of light daily have been found beneficial. Provide artificial light in winter when daylight hours are less than 14 hours. A 40-watt bulb every 10 feet works satisfactorily. Use a time clock for ease and accuracy. This lighting program provides better conception in winter.

When a doe loses all her litter at kindling, rebreed three days later. If she loses all her litter after several days, rebreed immediately.

Keep replacements at the rate of one young doe each month for every twelve working does. The same applies for bucks. This practice is only a guide and may not be sufficient for the culling usually necessary for the first two to three years of operating a rabbitry. Culling must be heavy to improve the breeding stock. An accelerated breeding program also requires a few more buck and doe replacements than normal. Give young does about two litters to prove their mother instinct and litter size before deciding to cull or keep.
 

Cyclic Breeding System

This system is a simple and convenient way to keep track of buck and doe matings and prevent undue in-breeding. Group does into sections within your rabbitry. Each section is made up of nine hutches, with eight containing one doe each and one containing the buck. The sections are lettered A, B, C, D, and so on. Tattoo the bucks or otherwise identify them with small letters a, b, c, d, and so on.

The bucks and does should not be closely related. Have an additional four or five replacement bucks for each fifty does. Any replacement buck during the first year is automatically assigned the letter of the buck he replaces, and the breeding cycle is continued as diagrammed.

The first year the does in section A are bred to buck a; does in section B to buck b, and so on. The second year the does in section A are bred to buck f; does in section B, to buck a, and so on. Only the bucks are rotated annually; the does stay where they are. It takes six years to complete the cycle. This system should reduce problems with inbreeding.

Replace does in section A with replacement offspring selected form section A does. Section B replacement does should come from section B, and so on.

If you replace a buck with your own stock, the following procedure works satisfactorily. When replacing a buck (a) his replacement is selected form offspring of section A does. If replacing buck (b), select his replacement from offspring of section B does. The replacement buck is always assigned the letter of the buck he is replacing. Always select replacement stock based on desirable characteristics such as good livability, fast weight gain, and parents with good conception, large litter, and the like.

Breeding Schedules

These schedules are based on the average 31-day gestation period.

This schedule requires additional cages for growing fryers and requires weaning fryers from the doe at four weeks of age. This allows the doe an adequate rest period before the next litter. With this schedule you can place eight fryers in each 30" x 36" x 18" cage. Use 30" x 30" x 18" cages for does.

Top management, careful attention to the condition of the does and bucks, and constant record keeping are required with this schedule. It will produce a profit if you receive the normal meat market price.
 

Palpating

Palpating is a method used for determining doe pregnancy at 14 days after mating. Non- pregnant does are re-bred immediately. This procedure saves waiting the additional 17 days to see if the doe is pregnant.

The object is to feel the developing embryos in the horns of the doe's uterus. The two horns hold the embryos so they feel like chains of marbles on each side of the midline of the abdomen. If you wait longer than 14 days, the task is more difficult and almost impossible.

Position the doe lying relaxed, feet down, facing you. Grasp the ears and a fold of skin from the shoulders with one hand. Place your other hand under the body between the hind legs and just in front of the pelvis. Place your thumb on one side and forefinger on the other side of the uterine horns. Be careful not to apply a lot of pressure; just slide your fingers along, and the embryos should slide gently between the thumb and forefinger.

Does that have been handled often are much easier to palpate. Do not attempt palpation unless the doe is calm or you may damage the embryos. With a little practice, you will learn to determine pregnancy even earlier than 14 days.
 

False Pregnancy

False pregnancy occurs as a result of sterile mating or more commonly form stimulation of one doe riding another. It happens more frequently with does that have not kindled their first litter. Always separate does at least a month before breeding. Does must be separated at least 18 to 20 days before mating.

About 18-20 days after stimulation, the doe may pull fur and attempt to make a nest, but she will not keep it clean. This is a sign of false pregnancy and is a good time to breed her properly.
 

Handling Adult And Fryer Rabbits

Handle your rabbits as much as possible, but never pick them up by the ears or legs. Handling calms rabbits and gives them confidence in you. This becomes important when you need to palpate the doe, when you take the doe to the buck for breeding, and when you check the doe's litter after kindling.
 

Cannibalism Or Abortion

Cannibalism and abortion are common problems. The causes are many and mostly undependable. These are some of the causes:

1. First-litter does are usually extremely nervous. Give them one more chance and then cull if cannibalism recurs.
2. Unbalanced diet.
3. Lack of water.
4. Unusual noises can cause the doe to injure the young and can result in cannibalism.
5. Strange dogs, predators, or people can cause the doe to stamp her feet and mash the young.
6. Moving nest box after young are kindled.
7. Shallow nest box makes the doe feel insecure, and she is easily disturbed.

Records

The only way you can know how well you are doing in the rabbit business is to keep good records. If you keep good records then you can make sound management and business decisions. Good records let you know if you are making a profit, and they are necessary for income tax purposes.

Keep only necessary records. You can easily over burden yourself with record keeping. Decide what records you need and then keep them daily. Listed below are some basic records you need to keep:

1. Breeding records -- date bred and buck used
2. Kindling dates and number born, dead, and alive
3. Number and weight of weaned rabbits
4. Average weight at market time and age of fryers at that weight
5. Expenditures (including utilities)
6. Sales

You should design your own record cards to meet your needs. The standard size is 7" x 3 5/8".

Fly Control

If rabbit manure is kept dry, there is little fly breeding. Good drainage under the cages and good ventilation keep manure dry. Leaking waterers usually create most of the problems. Proper pressure adjustment and replacement of defective valves help prevent the problem.

In spite of all you do, manure occasionally gets moist enough to attract fly breeding. Here are additional fly control methods:

1. Sprinkle agriculture lime generously over the manure twice weekly or as the situation demands. Lime absorbs much of the moisture.
2. Fly breeding in the manure is determined by a noticeable increase in adult flies. By stirring the manure, you will see maggots working. Spray manure only with larvicide approved for poultry cage houses. Follow label directions. Have house well ventilated when you spray. For produce names and directions, get the housefly control publication for egg and poultry producers, MCES Publication 306, from your county agent.
3. For adult fly control refer to Publication 306. Pyrethrins are effective but may irritate the young rabbits and the operator temporarily. Always watch for undesirable effects. Be sure to follow label precautions listed for poultry.
4. Use fly baits on walks. Spray grass areas outside the house.
5. Proper manure management is the safest, most economical, and effective way to control flies.

Here are some suggested record cards to serve as models:

Rabbit Manure As A Fertilizer

As the cost of fertilizer products increases, so does the value of rabbit manure. Demand determines the price you may receive for manure. Home gardening has increased; more people are working with ornamentals in their yards than ever before, and organic farming is on the increase.

Fifteen does, two bucks, and their litters will produce approximately one ton of manure a year. Rabbit manure is drier than poultry manure. Rabbit manure analysis varies but is approximately 1.3% N, .9% P, 1.0% K. Use the same precautions as with other manure when using it around plants or in seedbeds. It can burn plants.

Raising Earthworms

Raising earthworms is a business in itself and requires more time and attention than you may think. There is more to this than building frames to catch the manure and harvesting the worms. This e xtra business may rob some precious and needed attention from your rabbits; therefore, it is not recommended.

Rabbit Diseases

Here are some basic guidelines to help prevent diseases:

1. Disease is natural and can never be completely eliminated, but through intelligent practices, you can usually keep it at a low level.
2. Disease prevention is much better than treatment.
3. High resistance, long life, and high productivity can be inherited. Breeding stock selected on the basis of superior performance will pay well for the time spent.
4. Do not overcrowd your animals.
5. Practice good nutrition.
6. Provide plenty of draft-free ventilation. Solid sided cages with wire floors cause up- drafts. These drafts are discouraged.
7. Let your animals have plenty of sunlight, as long as it is not very hot.
8. Keep all equipment clean and dry to minimize the chance of disease outbreak. Keep it in good repair.
9. Avoid unnecessary handling of animals, their feed, containers for food and water, or any equipment they touch. The clothing and hands of the attendant can spread disease.
10. Isolate all stock being brought into your herd, whether it be a new introduction or one of your own animals that may have been in contact with other Rabbits either directly or through equipment and handlers.
11. Isolate animals suspected of having infectious diseases. Care for such animals after the normal ones have had their attention.
12. Protect your animals from disturbing influences, particularly night prowlers. Allow your animals as much rest during the day as routine care will permit.
13. If you sell rabbits on a regular schedule to a dealer, have marketable stock segregated and confined outside of the rabbitry entrance. The pickup man visits many rabbitries in rapid succession and will appreciate your help in keeping him from spreading disease.

All animal drugs are now under federal regulations. These regulations are designed to protect the public health and welfare by setting drug safety and tissue tolerance levels. The tissue tolerance levels made it necessary to establish specific withdrawal times and other warnings and cautions. The manufacturer's instructions, by law, are placed on the label of each drug container. Follow these instructions, warnings, and withdrawal times precisely. Observe all local laws and regulations governing proper drug usage.

Conjunctivitis (Weepy Eye). This condition is characterized by inflamed eyelids and a discharge from the eyes. Affected rabbits rub their eyes with the front feet until the fur around the eyes becomes wet and matted.

The cause of this condition is often a bacterial infection of the eyelids but may also be caused by an irritation from smoke, dust, sprays, or fumes. Mature bucks and young rabbits are most susceptible.

• Treatment - Protect the animals from eye irritants. If irritants cause problems, you can usually clean the eye with a commercial eyewashing product. The irritation will then clear up quickly.

  If the eye does not improve, apply a 5 percent sulfathiazole or antibiotic eye ointment under the eyelids. A rabbit with pasteurellosis will often transmit disease organisms to the eye, so treat for this disease if symptoms are present. Eliminate animals with persistent eye problems so they will not spread the disease.

Pasteurellosis (Snuffles, Cold). This may be an acute or chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes in the air passages and lungs. A mucus is discharged from the nose and eyes. Affected rabbits rub their eyes and noses. The fur on the face and paws becomes matted and caked with dried mucus. The infected animals usually sneeze and cough.

The disease is caused by bacterial infection. It usually occurs when the rabbit's resistance is low or when it is under some stressed condition. Rabbits that have recovered from this disease acquire little immunity and often remain carriers.

• Treatment - Treat this disease in its early stages with sulfaquinoxaline or other sulfa drugs. Follow a control program of tetracyclines to prevent a recurrence of the disease. Adding .025 percent sulfaquinoxaline in the feed for three or four weeks or sulfaquinoxaline in the water for two or three weeks reduces disease transmission to the young. You may use other sulfa drugs if you follow label directions.

  Treat individual animals with an injection in the muscle of 200,000 units of penicillin and .25 gram of streptomycin for fryer sized rabbits. Give mature rabbits a double dosage. Repeat the treatment on the third day after the initial injection. Then use a tetracycline control program.

  Cull infected rabbits form the rabbitry and replace them with breeding stock that comes from clean stock. Although clinical signs are not present, carriers of the disease have the bacterial organism in their nasal cavities and can transmit it to healthy animals.

  Eliminate drafty, damp, unsanitary conditions in the rabbitry. Follow a strict sanitation and management program.

Coccidiosis, Intestinal. Coccidiosis is the most common disease in rabbits. It may be classified as a parasitic disease since the causative organism is a microscopic animal (protozoa). It is very difficult to exterminate the protozoa once it has infected the animal. The protozoans causing this disease are classified as "coccidia," and those that infect the intestine are different from those that infect the liver.

Rabbits receiving the best care and management will often get coccidiosis. Symptoms in moderate or severe cases include a loss of appetite, "pot belly," diarrhea, and inability to gain weight. In mild cases no symptoms may be observed.

• Treatment - Follow a good management and sanitation program. Raise rabbits on wire floored cages that let dropping fall through the floor and away from the rabbits. Prevent fecal contamination of feed and water.

  Control coccidiosis by feeding a .025 percent level of sulfaquinoxalin in the feed for three or four weeks, or in the water for two or three weeks. Other sulfa drugs (sulfadimethoxine, triple sulfa) may be effective yet provide greater safety from the toxic effects of sulfaquinoxaline. Amprolium in the feed or water may also be effective against coccidia.

Enteritis Complex (Bloat, Scours). The literal translation of enteritis means "inflammation of the intestine." This group of diseases severely injures the intestines and digestive tract. Symptoms of the diseases include loss of appetite, weakness, a drop in body temperature, diarrhea, rough hair coat, and weight loss. The abdomen may be bloated because of excessive production of gas in the intestines by disease organisms. The droppings may be covered by a mucus. The cause of the condition is not known.

• Treatment - Water soluble chlortetracycline or exytetracycline at a concentration of 1 pound to 100-150 gallons (4 grams/gallon) of drinking water may be effective.

Caked Mammary Glands. This condition results when the milk is not removed sufficiently from the breast. It usually occurs after a high producing doe loses her litter, or when the breasts are sore and the doe refuses to nurse her young. The breasts become congested, and hard knots may form on the sides of the nipples. These knots may break open, revealing dried milk.

• Treatment - If the caking is only moderate, oil of camphor rubbed on twice daily will break up the cake and the milk can be removed. Treatment for three to five days usually solves the problem, but high producing does may take longer.

  Preventative measures are the best ways to correct the problem. Do not wean the young suddenly. If a litter is lost, breed the doe again immediately and carefully watch her for symptoms of this condition. Remove any sharp or protruding edges from nest boxes to prevent breast injury. Watch the doe carefully for mastitis infections that often follow caked mammary glands.

Mastitis (Blue Breast). Mastitis, a bacterial disease, is not common but is occasionally seen in rabbitries. The condition usually follows injuries of the mammary glands or caked breasts and can spread through the rabbitry very quickly. The mammary glands become inflamed, feverish, and swollen. The glands may turn bluish in color as the disease worsens. The doe will not eat but may drink plenty of water. She may have a fever as high as 105 degrees F. or higher.

• Treatment - You must start treatment early to be successful. Reduce milk production by cutting back on feed concentrates. Clean and disinfect the cage and equipment (especially the nest box).

  Inject 75,000-100,000 units of penicillin into the muscle twice daily for three to five days. In severe cases it is best to destroy the doe and young.

  Never transfer young from an infected doe to a healthy one. This complicates the problem and may spread the disease. You can hand feed valuable young by using a milk substitute. Correct any edges on the nest box that stick out or are sharp.

Ear Mites (Ear Mange, Canker). This is the most common external parasite infection of the domestic rabbit. An infected rabbit shakes its head and flops or scratches its ears trying to rid itself of mites. Thick crusts of mites and serum will accumulate inside the ear. In severe cases symptoms include spasms of eye muscles, nerve damage resulting in partial paralysis, weight loss, and secondary infections of the ears.

• Treatment - Massage mineral oil into the ear every third day for four applications. The mineral oil will smother the mites. Follow-up applications smother mites hatching from eggs.

  Another treatment is swabbing the ear with a mixture of one part iodoform, ten parts ether, and twenty-five parts vegetable oil. Remove all scales and crust before swabbing the ear. Repeat treatment 6 to 10 days after first treatment. An alternate swabbing solution is 25-30 percent emulsion of benzyl benzoate in vegetable oil.

  Treat all animals near the infected animal. Treat all newly introduced animals to prevent the ear mite from entering the rabbitry.

Heat Prostration. Heat exhaustion can happen any time the temperature is above 92 °F. Poor ventilation and high humidity contribute to the condition. Affected rabbits pant rapidly and lie on their sides. A blood tinged discharge may come from the mouth and nose. Death results unless the rabbit is treated. Pregnant does are most susceptible.

• Treatment - Any practice that lowers the body temperature of the rabbit helps reduce losses from heat prostration. Provide plenty of ventilation. Sprinkling water on the rabbitry roof may help reduce the temperature. You can put individually exhausted rabbits on wet burlap or immerse them in lukewarm water so the body temperature gradually drops.

  Provide plenty of clean, cool drinking water. Rabbits often put their feet in the water to cool themselves. Provide additional salt spools for the rabbits.

Ulcerative Popodermatitis (Sore Hocks). You may see sores on the feet or foot pads. Few rabbits die from this problem, but their general condition is affected. Nursing does cannot feed the litter adequately, and breeding is hindered. Sore hocks usually occur on wire floored cages. The tendency toward this condition may be inherited.

• Treatment - Place animals with small sores on lath or solid flooring or on the ground until the condition clears. A rest board and soft, dry bedding material may help.

  Cull and eliminate rabbits with severe or advanced cases. Medication works only temporarily. Zinc or iodine ointments may help prevent secondary infections.

  Follow good sanitation and management practices. Eliminate wires that stick out of cages and floors. Do not let floors stay wet.

Sanitation

Formalin Disinfectants

Soil Disinfectant (on dirt floors or on yards) - Add 1 gallon of formalin (37%) 0 to 12 gallons of water. This will provide a 2.8% solution. Apply 1 gallon of this solution as a coarse sprinkle at low pressure to each 15 to 20 square feet of ground area. It will soak through up to 6 inches deep, depending on soil density and will destroy germs more effectively than any other disinfectant.

Formalin-quaternary ammonium mixture - Use on clean surfaces (ceilings and walls of rabbitry houses, cages, and equipment) and as foot baths. Stock solution: To make 1 gallon of stock solution, add 1 pint of water and 5 pints of formalin (37%) 0 to 2 pints of quaternary ammonium (20%) 0. Prepare this 1 gallon of stock solution by first adding 5 pints of formalin, then add 1 pint of water, and finally add the 2 pints of quaternary ammonium slowly to prevent foaming overflow. Use 1 ounce of this stock solution per gallon of water for spraying scrubbing, or as a disinfectant foot bath. The gallon of stock solution makes 128 gallons of finished spray or disinfectant solution. The cost of this stock solution is much less than commercial disinfectants and works just as well.

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or veteran status.

Publication 1384
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director