Breeding Management in Rabbit Farm

* The average age at first mating is about 5-7 months and it varies with the physical maturity of individual rabbit and also breed.
* Mating should be done either early in the morning or in the evening.
* The doe is to be taken to the buck cage and never vice-versa
* The breeding should be planned in such a way that about 3 to 4 litters per doe are obtained per year during multiplicative stage.
* The nest box is kept in the cage around 25th day of pregnancy with loosened jute wool or wood shavings.
* Male rabbits can be used for mating until they are about three years.
* Inorder to prevent inbreeding depression rabbits from the same family should not be bred. Therefore, replace male rabbit about once every year.
* After three years, the full grown female rabbits should be replaced either by new purchases or females of own farm.
Care of young ones:
* The nest box should be removed after 5 weeks of kindling.
* Kits should be examined and dead ones should be removed daily.
* If the bedding becomes wet it should be replaced by a fresh and clean one.
* Weaning should be done at 5th or 6th week after kindling.
* No sudden change in feed is advisable.
Disease prevention/control:
* Clean sanitary conditions of rabbit cages, sheds and equipment, balanced feed and fresh clean water are essential to prevent chances of infection.
* The rabbits should be prevented from coming in contact with the feaces.
* Over crowding should be avoided.
* Proper ventilation should be provided.
* Flies which may act as carriers of the infection should be kept under control in the rabbitry.
* Rabbit cages should be disinfected with blow lamp after every shearing and kindling cages before the doe is shifted and after weaning.
* Burn dead sick rabbits at once to keep the diseases from spreading.
* The bedding of the nest box should be burnt after use.