I. Reasons for Rabbit Eating Habits
The female rabbit swallows the pups The main reasons are:
1. The nutrition in the female rabbit’s diet is unbalanced, such as lack of salt, calcium, phosphorus, protein and B vitamins in the female rabbit, or insufficient supply of other nutrients. These conditions can lead to the eccentricity of devouring the young rabbits in female rabbits;
2. The female rabbits do not drink enough water before and after giving birth, and eat the young rabbits because of thirst;
3. The mother rabbit is frightened during the production process, the nest, bedding or the pups have an odor, or the dead pups are stillborn but the owner did not take out the dead pups in time. In these cases, the mother rabbit is very likely Will eat young rabbits, and develop the habit of swallowing young rabbits;
4. Female rabbits are bred prematurely, and the mother rabbit is insufficient or the milk production is insufficient, so the young rabbits are eaten;
5. Soon after the mother rabbit gives birth, the owner or someone else touches the baby rabbit with their hands, resulting in an unpleasant smell on the body of the baby rabbit, and the mother rabbit is likely to devour the baby rabbit after smelling it.
Second, the clinical symptoms of rabbit cannibalism
After the mother rabbit gave birth to the pups, she would eat some or all of the pups a few days before. When the mother rabbit eats the pups, bloodstains can be found in the cage or nest box, and parts of the pups may be found in the cage or under the floor.
Third, methods to prevent female rabbits from swallowing young rabbits
1. Feed your rabbits on a full-price diet. Feed pregnant rabbits and lactating female rabbits more feeds with high vitamin content, add 0.1 kg of green feed every day, and often feed them some carrots, etc.;
2. Before and after the female rabbit gives birth, keep Sufficient water supply, and before its production, it can be supplied with enough warm boiled water, after its production, immediately feed it a bowl of warm boiled water, while ensuring uninterrupted supply of clean water;
3, Avoid the feces smell on the baby rabbits, and be careful not to touch the baby rabbits directly with your hands to avoid peculiar smell on the baby rabbits. When you need to move the baby rabbits, you should wear clean gloves first;
4 , It is forbidden to use old cotton wool to make nests in the birthing box;
5. When it is necessary to foster young rabbits, first use the feces and urine of the surrogate mother rabbit to wipe the body of the young rabbits to cover up the original taste of the young rabbits and prevent Replacing female rabbits is excluded;
6. During the production period of female rabbits, avoid the female rabbits being frightened, keep the surrounding of the rabbit house quiet, do not watch the female rabbits giving birth, and avoid strangers and other animals entering the rabbits Inside the house.
7. For female rabbits with cannibalism, the pups should be removed immediately after giving birth, the pups and the mother rabbits should be separated, and the mother rabbits should be breastfeeding the pups regularly.
