Rabbits

Rabbits

Rabbit / is a domesticated mammal raised by people for its soft meat and fur, as it is sometimes raised as a pet that was not like cats and dogs. Raising rabbits requires special care, because they are animals that are sensitive to various diseases and environmental conditions. The rabbits are active at dawn and at sunset, then they hide in pits that they have made to hide.

Rabbits vary in colors from white, brown, black and gray, and may be spotted or have spots colored in several colors. The rear menus are longer than the front and are stronger. The length of her ears indicates the strength of her sense of hearing.

She has cutting teeth at the front of the jaw to help her cut vegetables and fruits, and she has a strong sense of smell. Rabbits do not walk or run like all other four-legged animals do, but rather the rabbit moves to bounce on its taller and stronger hind legs than its front legs. And the rabit also use his front paws when he is moving. Rabbits maintain their balance using the front legs, and the rabbit can jump at speeds of up to 30 km per hour if chased by an enemy.

Wild rabbits are usually the target of hawks and birds of prey, so rabbits have been one of the best targets of hunting trips, either by sniping with birds or dogs.

Rabbits are prepared to live in non-hot or cold environments, and they are not heat-resistant, as their ethnic glands are not active (very few). Therefore, high temperatures (م 33 ° C) cause heat stress, especially for pregnant mothers, so breeding in hot regions requires them to have barns. Closed, air-conditioned and equipped with ceiling fans and extractors to help withdraw harmful gases such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, or raised in rural homes below the ground.

The most suitable temperature for raising a rabbit ranges between 18-22 o C. And then the rabbit is prepared for all physiological processes, especially the speed of growth and reproduction. As for the temperature drop below 10 ° C. this leads to an increase in the mortality rate, especially in young ages, so birth boxes should be furnished with materials that maintain At temperature, such as sawdust, with industrial heating during severe cold days.

The degree of humidity required for a rabbit ranges between 60-65%, and if the humidity decreases to 55%, it leads to poor growth. Therefore, the walls of the rabbit's dormitory are constructed of limestone blocks or painted with lime to reduce the effects of moisture while improving ventilation using hoods.

The nutrition costs represent between 50 - 60% of the total variable cost, so it is very important to develop a nutrition program appropriate to the growth stage that contains an appropriate proportion of protein - vitamins and mineral salts provided that it is acceptable and cheap in taste such as maize, cowpea residue And beans, bean mill waste, legumes hay, juice factory waste, hay.

Rabbits tend to eat their food in the early morning, and when they eat green fodder, the jaw movement reaches 100 movements per minute, resulting in grinding of food. Rabbits are very sensitive to changing food and sometimes refuse to eat good quality food for several days as long as the food is not familiar to them. As for the taste of food, it is different, as it prefers sweet taste like molasses and at the same time tolerates bitter taste.

Rabbits have a high nutritional value, as the percentage of protein in their meat reaches 23-25%, fats 6%, and cholesterol to 0.25%. The taste of rabbit meat is good and acceptable to the consumer, and rabbits are raised for the purpose of producing meat and fur. Also, there are strains for decoration and exhibitions, and rabbits do not compete with humans for their food as they do not depend on grains in their diets, but industrial, food, agricultural, and household wastes can be used to form their diets.