How to feed and manage male rabbits
1. Control the weight of male rabbits
The breeding value of male rabbits lies in whether they can pass on their good qualities to offspring. The reason for controlling their body size is mainly because the size of the rabbits is also an important factor affecting their breeding ability. If the size is too large, the probability of foot dermatitis will be higher; and the breeding rabbits with too large size will be lazy, unresponsive, and have lower breeding ability; in addition, the rabbits that are too large need to consume more nutrients: material, uneconomical, and relatively short-term helpful life.
Controlling the weight of breeding male rabbits is a high-tech job. The weight control of male rabbits should start from the backup period of seed selection. The rabbits should be raised with restricted feeding during the breeding period, and free feeding is prohibited. However, it is necessary to avoid feeding rabbits with poor palatability, high water content, or indigestible feed and pay attention to controlling the supply of energy feeds, such as corn; feeding too much corn to male rabbits can easily lead to obesity. , and lead to decreased libido, decreased semen quality, and then affected the fertility rate of breeding. The correct feeding management method is: to ensure that the feed of the male rabbits is of high quality, and the feeding amount should be controlled at 80% complete. In the male rabbit’s estrus period, the feed should not be too good to prevent it from becoming fat.
2. Control the timing of the first mating of male rabbits
Mating male rabbits too early will affect both Their physical development and will also seriously affect the quality of their offspring. When the male rabbits are three months old, they should be kept in single cages. Breeding male rabbits are 6 to 7 months old, and their body weight needs to reach more than 80% of the adult rabbit body weight of the breed. These two conditions are met before they are suitable for breeding. Generally, male rabbits have the best sperm quality when they are two years old. The useful life of male rabbits is generally 2.5 to 3 years. If the breeding and management level is relatively high, the valuable life can be extended to 4 years. Later, with the continuous increase of their age, their sexual desire, semen quality, and mating ability will gradually decline, so the owner needs to eliminate the too-old male rabbits in time and introduce replacement breeding rabbits.
3. Provide a suitable breeding environment
The male rabbit needs special care, and the owner should pay attention to it. Provide an ideal living environment and suitable space for activities, and pay attention to avoid stress factors. Breeding rabbits have high requirements on the temperature and humidity of the environment, and the suitable temperature is 18-25 °C. Too high and too low temperature will affect the rabbit’s appetite and sexual desire and even cause male rabbits to get tired of mating, female rabbits not to be in heat, etc. Therefore, the owner needs to improve the insulation and cooling facilities in the rabbit house and adjust the humidity and temperature of the rabbit house in a timely and reasonable manner according to climate changes and seasonal changes.
4. Strictly do an excellent job in rabbit epidemic prevention work
In addition to the usual epidemic prevention work for rabbits, the owner also needs to pay special attention to the diagnosis and treatment of genital diseases in male rabbits and the timely prevention of diseases such as penis, orchitis, or epididymitis in rabbits. The owner needs to treat or eliminate male rabbits with reproductive organ diseases in time.
The above is our sharing of the critical points of breeding and managing male rabbits; I hope it will be helpful to you!
