Products
For Household Farming
Care
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People and equipment
Access by unauthorized persons to the facilities should be kept to a minimum. Contact between rabbits and people should be limited to staff involved in daily care.
Doors and gates should remain closed to secure animal housing areas.Avoid travel to areas where disease outbreaks have been reported.
Do not share equipment with other rabbit farms or private owners.
Before placing animals, the premises and all equipment should be cleaned, checked for proper condition, repaired if needed, and disinfected.
Urmați instrucțiunile producătorului de dezinfectant și spălați bine recipientele pentru hrană/hrănitoarele și recipientele pentru apă/ adăpătorile înainte de reumplere.
Animals
Continuously monitor rabbits for signs of disease. Pay attention to symptoms such as difficult breathing, loss of coordination, reduced appetite and lower activity. Watch for nosebleeds, blood in feces, hemorrhages in the eyes, or sudden death without clear clinical signs.
Implement a vaccination schedule based on the current epizootic situation and recommendations from the veterinary service.
Prevent contact between rabbits and domestic or wild rabbits or hares, as well as other animals.
Limit the introduction of new rabbits. Even animals that appear healthy may carry infections and pose a risk existing stock.
Isolate rabbits returning from exhibitions and all newly introduced rabbits for at least 14 days to confirm their health status. For stronger protection against infectious diseases, a 60-day isolation period is recommended.
During isolation, care for isolated rabbits only after working with resident animals. Prevent both direct and indirect contact between newly introduced animals and the existing stock. Do not use the same equipment. Carefully monitor the health condition of isolated rabbits throughout the quarantine period. If signs of disease appear, seek veterinary assistance immediately.
Feed, water, and bedding
Source feed from suppliers that operate quality control programs.
Do not collect or use wild plants as a feed source.
Select deep groundwater sources for water supply. Surface water and shallow wells carry a higher risk of contamination.
Protect feed and bedding from contamination by storing them indoors or in tightly sealed containers.
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Rabbit breeding begins with selecting a suitable breed. Among meat-fur breeds, New Zealand, Californian, Vienna Blue, Large Silver and similar breeds adapt well to various environmental conditions. Common European hybrids include Hypharm-Eurolap, Hycole, Zika, Martini, SIKA, Pannon White and others.
Before purchasing rabbits, study the characteristics of the chosen breed. Pay attention to coat colour, body weight, fur quality and breeding traits. During stock inspection, check animals for deformities or defects in body structure and for deviations from fur quality standards. Also look for visible signs of disease. Examine the ears, front teeth, respiratory condition and limbs.
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Preparation of buildings and cages begins remaining feed and bedding. Then carry out mechanical cleaning to remove manure and dirt from cages, floors, feeders, drinkers, windows, doors, corridors and auxiliary rooms. Wash all surfaces with hot water until their natural structure and colour become visible. If needed, perform routine repairs in the facility and equipment. After repairs, wash the floors again.
Disinfection is carried out using hot disinfectant solutions in doses recommended by the manufacturer. Premises are disinfected either before the start or after the completion of a production cycle.
Depending on the planned capacity of the rabbit farm, animals may be kept in outdoor cages or in buildings with natural or controlled microclimate. Cage housing allows farmers to implement preventive measures, conduct proper breeding management, plan mating and kindling, apply individual feeding and isolate sick rabbits in time.
Analysis of technological and resource factors shows that cage housing is the most suitable system for commercial rabbit meat production.
Traditional cages for fattening and breeding
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Stocking density Modern intensive rabbit production takes place in rabbit houses equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation systems. These facilities use climate control to regulate temperature, humidity, air movement, heating and lighting. They also include automated feeding and watering systems as well as bunker-based manure removal.
Densitatea de populare este de 0,5–0,75 m² pe cap de animal.
Rabbit stocking density in cage housing systems
Animal group Cage housing Does with litters 0.6 m² per doe weighing up to 6 kg 0.72 m² per doe weighing over 6 kg Pregnant does 0.5 m² per animal weighing up to 6 kg 0.62 m² per animal weighing over 6 kg Fattening rabbits (from weaning to slaughter) 0.2 m² per animal Replacement young rabbits (from weaning to 6 months) 0.2 m² per animal A rabbit breeding system based on artificial insemination allows pregnancy and lactation to occur simultaneously. This approach enables farms to release production every 42 or 49 days. Production rhythm depends on the number of available facilities. The first insemination is considered day zero of the breeding cycle. Kindling occurs on day 31, and the next insemination takes place on day 42 or 49. Weaning is carried out on day 69, when does are moved to other cages. Fattening rabbits are slaughtered on day 105 or 115. Cleaning and sanitation procedures take place over the next 1–2 days. After that, pregnant does return from another production block. Under a 42-day production cycle, live weight of fattening rabbits reaches 2.4–2.6 kg. Under a 49-day cycle, it reaches 3.0–3.2 kg.
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The optimal temperature range is 12–18 °C, and daily fluctuations should not exceed 5 °C. When rabbits are weaned at 28 days of age, maintain a temperature of 18 °C during the first 10 days, then reduce it to 14 °C. Ambient temperature below +10 °C may negatively affect weight gain and feed conversion. Temperature can be maintained with heaters or heat generators.
The recommended relative humidity is 60–75%. In hot regions, at +35 °C, a humidity level of 30–45% is acceptable.
Ensure proper ventilation and cooling during hot periods. Rabbits require fresh air with low levels of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Provide air exchange rates of 3 m³ per hour in winter, 6 m³ per hour in summer, and 4.5 m³ per hour during transitional seasons.
In most cases rabbits receive enough natural light. However, they are sensitive to direct sunlight and may suffer heat stress. Indoor housing usually does not require special lighting. Windows typically provide sufficient daylight, though artificial lighting may be needed during certain seasons. The total light period should be 16–18 hours per day.
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Rabbits require water equal to about 10% of body weight to support normal body functions and thermoregulation. This equals 0.1 L per kg of body weight. When water supply is insufficient, animals reduce feed intake and productivity declines. Lack of water may lead to cannibalism, kidney damage, reduced milk production and other health problems. During the fattening period, rabbits usually consume 1.5–2 times more water than dry feed, which equals at least 200–350 ml per day. In hot weather, fattening rabbits need 0.5–1 L of water daily, pregnant does require about 1.5 L, and lactating does may consume up to 4 L per day. Water supply systems are usually equipped with nipple, cup or automatic drinkers with a flow rate of 80–150 ml per minute. These systems are widely used due to their efficiency and water-saving performance.
Rabbits should receive water that meets drinking water quality standards.
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Animal management includes a schedule of preventive treatments and vaccinations recommended by the genetics supplier, taking into account the epizootic situation in the region. If any health problems occur, the farm owner should consult a veterinarian.
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