Agriculture Notes
Reasons for rearing rabbits
Rabbits are very useful animals to keep for many reasons.
They are small enough to be picked up and handled as they are not dangerous, and they can be kept
almost anywhere.
There breeding is short.
One Doe (Female) may have 4 or 5 litters per year. That is producing 30 or 40 rabbits per year
Breeding stock is affordable.
They provide relatively cheap source.
They of protein which is low in cholesterol.
They can provide a supplement to the family income.
Rabbit provide meat quickly cause they grow very fast, They can be eaten after only 3 months.
They can earn you great profit in a short time
Explain the meaning of breed breeding and cross breeding
This used to refer to a group of domestic animals with common features which make them different
from other animals of the same species e.g. We can speak about different breeds among animals like
rabbit, poultry, cattle, sheep, goat, and pig
Breeding - is the process of producing plants or animals by sexual reproduction
Cross - Breeding the process of mating two animals that do not belong to the same breed. The intention
is to produce offspring with the best qualities of each breed
Breeds of Rabbit
Rabbits are classified according to their uses: meat, fur They can also be used as show animals
Flemish Giant is one of the largest domestic breeds of rabbit in the worlds. It cis also one of the oldest
known breed of rabbit in existence
Features/characteristics
Have long erect ears
Have big Blocky- looking head with bright bold eyes
Have large and powerful front & hind legs
Have long bodies and a wide back with well rounded & solid fleshed hind quarter
Have medium length hair with a glossy sheen and a dense undercoat
Can vary in color from black light gray steel to fawn sandy & white
Are used for: meat and fur production, or can be kept as pets
Can reach weights up to 10kg
Are also know as gentle giants and universal rabbit
Features / Characteristics of California Rabbit
Have big erect ears which are dark from base to tip
Have short neck
Have pink eyes
Have soft silky coats
Are very muscular and full in the shoulders
Have well-rounded compact body
Have dark gray or black rosed, ears tail & feet
Are used for meat & fur production
Can reach matures rate of 4.9kg(buck), 5.45 (doe)
Are also known as California White
New Zealand White Features
Have long erect ears
Have short neck and well-rounded and wide head
Have ruby pink eyes
A generally snowy, white in color
Have a well-rounded body
Are used for meat & fur production
Kept as pets
Can reach mature weights of 4.1-5kg (bucks), 4.5-5.5kg (doe)
Are the best suited breed for commercial rabbit farming
This is the most popular rabbit breed to raise throughout the world