 The wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus of

southern Europe and North Africa is thought

to have been discovered by Phoenicians when
they reached the shores of Spain about 1000
BC
 Several breeds of rabbit were known in the
sixteenth century and this is the first
indication of controlled breeding.
 Domestication can therefore be traced to the
late Middle Ages.
 In Europe, breeders usually had a few does and
a stock of fattening animals, from which they
took according to their needs, as from a larder.
 The animals were fed mainly on green forage
picked daily.
 Beginning in the late nineteenth century and
picking up speed in the twentieth, hutch rearing
led to a rabbit population explosion made
possible by the selection, protection and
multiplication of breeds and mutants unadapted
to the wild.
 Breeders formed associations. Breeding
techniques were rationalized and hutch
hygiene improved.
 Breeding standards were laid down: each adult
breeding animal was raised in a separate
hutch because rabbits kept in a confined
space became aggressive.
 Young rabbits for fattening were left together,
but in this case the males were castrated.
 The foremost world producers, far surpassing
all other countries, are Italy, the
Commonwealth of Independent States
countries (particularly Russia and the Ukraine)
France, China & Spain
 In all, Europe accounts for 75 percent of world
production & China is second.
 Suited to small scale production & back
yard farming
 Easily maintained, requires scant space,
makes minimal demands on family budget
 Thrives on plant material rejected by
humans
 Utilizes forage efficiently, even those high in
fibre
 A single male & 4 females can produce
approx. 3,00 offspring/ year (1,450kg meat
as much as an avg sized cow)
 The meat is pink, delicately flavored & is
usually considered a premium product
 It has more protein & less fat & calories per
gram than beef, pork, lamb or chicken
 Some breeds yield a luxury fibre that makes a
soft, lustrous fabric
 Rabbit pelts are used in fur coats & other
luxury garments
 Rabbit feet & tails are used in good-luck
charms
 Domestic rabbits are best suited to temperate
climates
• They do well in tropical & subtropical conditions if hutches
are constructed & sited to take advantage of shade & cooling
breezes
 Ventilationis critical but care must be taken to
avoid direct exposure to cold drafts
 Prolonged exposure to temperatures higher than
30 ° C reduces fertility & growth
 Heat is shed through the ears
 The longer the ear, the more heat a rabbit will tolerate
 Lop-eared varieties withstand heat poorly
 In addition to normal feces, they produce special
droppings called cecotropes
 Softer & smaller than regular pellets, they are
excreted in clusters & are swallowed as soon as
they eliminated
 Cecotropes are rich in bacterial protein & this
double digestion (coprophagy) enables the
animals to utilize the fermentation products
formed in the cecum
 The process is rather like that of ruminants,
& rabbits are sometimes referred to as
pseudoruminants
 Breeding begins at 4-6 mths & may continue
up to age 4, occasionally to age 6
 Gestation takes 28-32 days
 Females can conceive within 24 hrs after
giving birth & can produce a 2nd litter
merely 4 weeks later
 With good feed & early rebreeding, 9 or more
litters a year is possible (exceptional
management required though)
 Litter size depend on breed and body size
• Small breeds 4 young/litter
• Large breeds 8-10
 Production slackens when:
• Weather is exceptionally cold or hot
• Feed is scarce
• Days are short
 Extremes of heat & cold can affect the survival of
the young
 Annual production of about 20 weaned offspring/
female /yr under tropical & subtropical conditions
is common
 The young remain in the nest until 2-3 wks old
 Eyes open at approx. 10 days of age
 About 4 mths are required to produce a 2-kg
market rabbit under subsistence conditions
 Meat- delicious hot or cold, it can be breaded
& fried, broiled, baked or barbecued
 Wool- the fineness of rabbit hair is an asset in
wool production
 Fur- the fur is dense
 Leather or vellum- rabbit hide has the tension
& strength required for tiny drive-belts in
tape recorders & delicate machines
 Fertilizer-rabbit manure often contains high
proportions NPK & it comes in convenient
dry pellet form
 Tourist charms- in many societies, rabbits
are connected with goodluck. Feet & tails
for car décor, key chains, charms &
mementos that appeal to tourists
 Rabbits are also used in biochemical &
physiological research
 Mating age: for medium breeds (female) 6-6.5
mths, (males) 7-7.5 mths
 Mature weight: 3.5-4.5 kg
 Gestation period: 28-32 days
 Length of reproductive life: 12-18 mths after 1st
mating
 Kindlings per year: 4-5
 Kindling interval: 80 days
 Kits born per litter: 5-6
 Pre-weaning mortality: 10-15%
 Live kits born: 4.5-5.5
 Average birth weight: 45 g
 Weaning weight at 28 days: 330 g
 Weight at 12 weeks: 1600 g
 Average daily gain from birth-5 weeks:12g
 Average daily gain from 5-12 weeks: 20 g
 Live weight at 12 wks: 1.6 kg (4lbs)
 Dressing percentage at 12 wks: 52%
 Estimated weight of carcass: 0.8 kg (1.8lbs)
 Watertight roofing is essential in all housing
designs
 A floor space of 0.25 sq m is sufficient for 1
rabbit
• 1 sq m is recommended for a female & her young
 Feeding& drinking equipment can be made
from scrap items; old bottles
• It is critical that cleaning is easy & spillage minimized
 Diets
can be based largely on herbage: grass,
leaves, legumes, crop residues
 Caged rabbits may usually need some grain or
agricultural by-products (e.g. rice bran) as
supplements
 Supplementation is essential for newborns &
lactating females
• Their diet must contain 16% P & at least 18% fibre. Salt
can be added to prevent salt deficiency
 Legumes because of their higher CP content
are better than grass for feeding
 Economics of production
• Low investment, low cash outlay
• Low economic risk, in-out flexibility
• Low unit cost of production
 Ease of management
• Easy to handle compared to other livestock species
• Maintained in cages they can be easily controlled
• Disease incidence level can be kept at a minimum
• Cool storage facilities may not be necessary since carcass
is small enough to be readily consumed by family
 High Annual Reproduction
• A female rabbit should be able to produce at least 15 offspring
in 4 litters
• A female may produce well over 10 times her own body wt
considering the total wt of her offspring
• Rabbits may 1st breed by 6-7 mths of age
 Multiple products of rabbits
• Meat- highly nutritious & in regular supply
• Income- supplement to level of family income
• Pelts- additional source of income
• Manure- rich in nutrients as compost
• Occupation- source of employment & pleasure
 Miscellaneous
• Rabbits are environment friendly & production is
sustainable over long term
• Rabbit production can be integrated with other farming
activities, such as, aquaculture, vegetable production
• As pets rabbits add to one’s quality of life
• Rabbit has a high meat to bone ratio, with only 8% bone
 Relatively high labor demand per rabbit unit
 Sociological/cultural attitudes may hinder
rabbit raising
• People still think of rabbits as pets
• People are reluctant to accept the meat
 Existence of reliable markets may be a
problem
 Sufficient experience is required for
successful production
 Rabbits must be protected from heat & rain
 Stress brought on by high temperatures,
high humidity, & wet conditions can lead to
respiratory disorders & even sudden death
 Dirty or wet cages lead to diarrhea, sores,
mites, & ringworm, all of which can cause
serious losses
 Enteritis (diarrhea) often kills 20% or more
of all rabbits before they attain market age
& weight
 A major disease problem in most countries
is coccidiosis, which is particularly harmful
to young rabbits
• Damp & unsanitary conditions increase the
susceptibility; better management can control it
 When choosing a rabbit for meat production, one
should examine the rabbit itself and the records of that
rabbit.
 Records act as a performance guide as to what should
be expected from that animal
 Choose rabbits that produce large litters and
maintains them to weaning (4wks).
• New Zealand White & Californian can have 6-8 kits per litter
• The Flemish Giant has less kits per litter & are used in
crossbreeding programs
 Chooseanimals that are adapted to the local
environment & have good disease tolerance.
• The New Zealand & Californian show good tolerance to local
conditions
 Choose animals that show rapid growth weight during
the 1st 12 weeks after birth.
• Mixed breeds of New Zealand White & Californian can grow from
45g to 1600g in 12 weeks
 The feeding pattern of newborn rabbits is
imposed by the dam.
 A doe feeds her young only once every 24 hours
(although some does will nurse their young
twice).
 Suckling lasts only two or three minutes.
 If there is not enough milk the young try to feed
every time the doe enters the nestbox, but she
will hold back her milk.
 This behaviour signals insufficient milk
production in the doe.
 From the third week of life the young rabbits begin
to move about, taking a few grams of mother's milk
and a little drinking water if available.
 In a few days the intake of solid feed and water will
exceed the milk intake.
 During this period the changes in feeding behaviour
are remarkable:
• the young rabbit goes from a single milk feed a day to a large
number of alternating solid and liquid feeds distributed
irregularly throughout the day: 25 to 30 solid or liquid meals
every 24 hours
A doe's ad lib feeding during the reproduction cycle
varies greatly.
 The intake during the final days of pregnancy drops
off markedly.
 Some does refuse solid food just before kindling.
 Water intake, however, never stops completely.
 After kindling, the feed intake increases very rapidly
and can exceed 100 g DM / kg live weight a day.
 Water intake is also high at that time:
from 200 to 250 g a day per kg of live
weight.
 A doe that is both pregnant and lactating
will eat the same amount as a doe that is
lactating only
 The rabbit's energy expenditure depends on
ambient temperature.
 Feed intake to cope with energy needs is
therefore linked to temperature.
A closer analysis of feeding behaviour shows that
as temperature rises the number of solid and
liquid meals eaten in 24hours drops.
 From 37 solid feeds at 10°C the number drops to
only 27 at 30°C (young New Zealand White
rabbits).
 The amount eaten at each meal drops with high
temperatures (5.7 g from 10°C to 20°C down to 4.4
g at 30°C) but the water intake goes up, from 11.4
to 16.2 g between 10°C and 30°C.
 Lactating does need the richest, most concentrated
feed.
 They produce a milk three times richer than cow's
milk, at the rate of 100 to 300 g per day, and have few
reserves in relation to the demand made on them.
 The next category is growing rabbits (far more
research work has been done on this than any other
category).
 Young rabbits are followed by pregnant non-lactating
does.
 Their feed can be slightly less rich than that of young
growing rabbits.
 The last category is bucks, which do not need a rich
diet
 Proteins must supply the elements to build or rebuild
rabbit bodies.
 The proportion of indigestible fibre serves to provide
the slight congestion essential for the proper
functioning of the digestive tract.
 Diet should contain at least 12% CF
• 16 – 18 % CP
• 2,000 – 2,500 Kcal (DE)/kg of diet
• Vitamin-mineral mix
 Vitamins of the B group need not be added owing to
the practice of coprophagy
 Rabbits will adjust their level of feed intake to suit
their energy needs
 Rabbits utilize starch energy efficiently
• Cereal grains or brans
• Their proportion in the diet need not exceed 20-30%
A lactating doe in the tropics can consume 5 litres of
water
 Rabbits prefer a pelleted diet to one in a meal form
 Green feeds should preferably be dried over a 24 hr
period to increase DM intake
• Spread out feeds to dry as oppose to piles which can cause
heating that will result in digestive problems
• Feed in racks or from top to avoid soiling with urine
• Feed greens that are high in CP: Kudzu, Leucaena, pigeon peas,
cassava foilage
 Tosatisfy energy (& protein to some extent) needs, use
should be made of agro-industrial by-products:
• Brans, middlings, distillers & brewers grain
• Coconut meal, citrus pulp, bakery waste, root crops
 Concentrate is fed according to the physiological state
at UFS as follows:
• Doe in gestation: 80 g/day
• Doe in lactation: 140 g/day
• Weaning rabbits: 80 g/day
 Breeding Buck: 80g/day (2.8 oz)
 Pregnant Doe: 80-100g/day (2.8-3.5 oz)
 Adult Doe (none breeding): 80g/day
 Lactating Doe: 120+10 g (4.2+0.4 oz)/ day per young
in the litter.
 Fatteners:
• 1st week post weaning: 30g (1 oz)/day
• 2nd week post weaning: 40g (1.4 oz)/day
• 3rd week post weaning: 50g (1.8 oz)/day
• 4th week post weaning: 60g (2.1 oz)/day
• 5th week post weaning: 70g (2.5 oz)/day
• 6th week post weaning: 80g (2.8 oz)/day
 Does generally reach puberty when they have
grown to 70 to 75 percent of their mature weight.
 However, it is usually preferable to wait until they
reach 80 % of their mature weight before breeding
them.
 Sexual behaviour (acceptance of mating) appears
long before the ability to ovulate and bear a litter.
 Such behaviour should not be regarded by the
breeder as a sign of puberty, but as prepuberty
play.
 The female rabbit does not have an oestrus
cycle with regular periods of heat during which
ovulation will occur spontaneously.
 Does are considered to be in oestrus more or
less permanently.
 Ovulation occurs only after mating.
 A female rabbit is therefore considered to be in
heat when she accepts service and in dioestrus
when she refuses.
 Kindling lasts from 15 to 30 minutes,
according to the size of the litter.
 Litter size varies as much as from one to 20
young.
 Most litters range between three and 12.
 In rabbit production units the average is
seven to nine, but there are great variations.
 After parturition the uterus retracts very
quickly, losing more than half its weight in
less than 48 hours.
 Separatelitter mates at 4 mths, does & bucks are
placed into individual cages
• Fryers may be slaughtered at this time since each one
should weigh at least 2 kg
 By 7 mths of age young stock are of breeding age,
assuming a body wt of 2-5 kg
 Components of reproduction:
• Libido, mating, fertility, nest quality, milk production, pre-
weaning survival (mortality), litter size at birth
 Matings should occur during cool part of the day
(early morning/ late evenings)
 Examine rabbits for signs of disease
 Take doe to buck cage & stay to observe mating
 Allow up to 5 mins for successful breeding to
occur
 Record date & identification of stock
 In case of unsuccessful mating, retry in 3-4 hrs or
next day
 Effective buck-doe ratio – 1 buck – 10 does
• Avoid inbreeding & allow for broad genetic base
• Exchange unrelated bucks
 Palpation: gestation period – 30-32 days
• Try abdominal palpation 14-21 days post-mating
 Rabbitsare induced ovulators & have a
duplex uterus, meaning 2 completely
separate uterine horns & 2 cervixes
 Age – 3 yrs & above can cause problems
 False pregnancy
 Moult – once per year but observe animal
for disease or nutrition deficiencies
 Sterility – permanent infertility, can be
detected if does or bucks fail to conceive
over 2-3 matings involving different does
• Cull infertile rabbits
 Season – high temperature stress
 Disease, physical condition
 Management- poor hygiene etc
 Use 7-9 mth old bucks – fertility & libido
levels are highest
 Breed only during the coolest time of the
day/night when mating activity is greatest
 Ensure ample shade & adequate ventilation
flow
 Provide cool drinking water
 Soak ground below cages during the hot
part of the day for the evaporative,
cooling effect

 Insert
into cages dampened cloths for
cooling
 Born naked, blind & deaf
 Day 6 – body wt is doubled & coat of fur is
produced
 Day 10 – eyes begin to open
 Day 14 – litter begins crawling movement
 Day 21 – peak milk production, though litter
is beginning to consume solid food
 Day 28 – milk production is on the decline,
litter is well on solid food & ready to be
weaned
 Disease
 Improper housing
 Faulty feeding
 Predators
 Lack of water
 Poor maternal care
 Stress
 Poor management
 Identification can be made in two ways:
• by individuals and
• by cages.
 The first method is necessary for all
producers who intend to select.
 The second is important for the economic
management of the rabbitry.
 Servicing dates (day, month and year);
 Identification number of servicing buck;
 Result of pregnancy test by abdominal palpation;
 Kindling date and litter: parity of doe, number of
live and stillborn young (found living or dead at
first examination of nest after kindling) and
number added or subtracted from litter 36 hours
after kindling;
 Weaning dates, number weaned per litter and
weaned litter weight;
 Date of servicing;
 Number of does serviced;
 Outcome of abdominal palpation;
 Number of live and stillborn young.
 While the buck card repeats some of the doe
card data, it is very useful for following the
pregnancies and prolificacy of does mated to
that buck.
 Litterbirth date, number of dam and sire, weaning
date per litter and per individual offspring;
 The young rabbit's number, weaning weight, and
the pre-slaughter weighing date and weight.
 A "remarks" column on each card allows the
breeder to add observations (e.g. animal's health).
 These cards are designed for manual or computer
processing and are used for daily breeding
management, genetic management and, perhaps,
experimentation.
 Good drainage & adequate distance from
rivers.
• Prevents the build up of bad odor, dampness, water-
borne diseases, mosquitoes, & flies.
• Prevent the loss of animals during the rainy season due
to flooding.
 Adequate space
• Additional space to store food, equipment & to house
diseased animals.
 Location in relation to other buildings.
• Rabbitries should be a suitable distance from other
dwellings.
• Should be downwind to avoid fur & odor reaching homes
& any contamination of drinking water supplies
 Access to basic facilities
• Access to clean potable water for drinking & cleaning
• Electricity for lights & for systems to ward off predators &
thieves
• Emergency services (Health, Veterinarian, Police & Fire)
 Good access roads
• For delivery of feed & supplies
• Access for customers, veterinarian & loading vans.
 Protection from cold, heat, rain, wind & sun
 Avoid dark housing as light essential for
normal reproduction & growth & for
synthesis of Vit D
 Well drained, under shade, ventilated
• Indoor room of compound
• Shelter above fish pond
A cool area should break draft but not stop
ventilation
 Rabbits should be protected from direct
draft
 Breeding Doe: 30 x 24 x17 inches (72.6 x 60.9 x
43.1 cm)
 Breeding Buck: 18 x 24 x17 inches (46 x 60.9 x
43.1 cm)
 Replacement Doe: 18 x 24 x17 inches (46 x 60.9
x 43.1 cm)
 Fattening Cage: 30 x 24 x17 inches (72.6 x 60.9
x 43.1 cm)
 Flooring: 1 x ½ inch square mesh (14-16
gauge)
 Doors: 15 x 15 inch (38.1 x 38.1 cm)
 Side & top: 1 x 1 inch or ¾ x ¾ inch wire mesh
 Floor space:
• 5 sq ft (0.46 sq m) – Breeding Doe
• 2.5 sq ft (0.7 sq m) – Breeding Buck
• At least 1 sq ft/ animal (0.3 sq m) - Fatteners
 Cages
• Breeding rabbit floor space – 0.75-1.0 sq m
• One fryer – 0.1 sq m floor space
• Bucks – 70x70 cm
• Cage height – 45-60 cm
• Construction materials should consist of durable,
sturdy wood or wire
• Rabbits are born wood-gnawers hence wire may be
the preferred choice
 Nest boxes
• Dimensions: 30 cm W x 40 cm L x 25 cm H
• Plywood (0.5-1.0 cm thickness), baskets, or private
rear chamber of cage are adequate for nesting
quarters
 Feeders & waterers
• Containers of various designs & materials may be
used
• Feeder & waterer must be kept clean, provide easy
access to the rabbits & be spill-proof
 Should be made of sturdy materials & secured to
the base or sides of cages.
 Should be accessible to rabbits (from 1 mth of
old) but they should not be able to defecate or
urinate in food containers.
 The feeder edges should be bent inward to
prevent animals from scratching out the feed.
 Place feeders away from water so that feed does
not get damp & develop moulds
 Should be easy to clean, durable & heavy enough
not to be tossed around by the rabbit.
 Should be securely attached (if not weighed
down) to the cages to avoid spillage as this
causes wastage & encourages a damp
environment
 Place containers about 2 inches above floor level
to prevent kittens from accidentally falling in.
 Bothheat & humidity need to be minimized for
maximum production
 Domestic rabbits cannot tolerate high
temperatures & humidity
• Originate from temperate regions
• Basic rabbit physiology
• Indoor production systems to which rabbits are
subjected
 Heat
production & loss must vary in rabbits for
them to maintain body temperature
• Constant internal body temp (39.1°C)
 In high temps (>28-32°C) rabbits stretch out to
lose heat by radiation & convection & to step up
ear temp
 Heat loss depends on air speed around the
animal
 Rabbits pant to increase heat loss via evaporation
(latent heat)
 Heat prostration sets in when temp reaches 35° C,
here rabbits can no longer regulate their body
temp
 Temperature in nest boxes must remain constant
at about (30-32°C) as kindles are unable to
regulate body temp
• Protect kindles from cold drafts
 Rabbits reduce feed intake at high temps as
feeding, ingestion & digestion generate heat
 Loss of productivity with temp over 26°C is
due to heat stress & reduce intake of energy
rich ingredients
 15-26°C- ideal for optimum production
 26-28°C- 1st signs of reduced intake
 28-32°C- reduction in feed intake, reduced
growth rate, increase water intake
 32-35°C- onset of panting
 35-40°C- onset of heat prostration
• Remedial cooling measures essential
 40°C- rabbits begin to die due to stress
 Heat stress has adverse effects on libido,
fertility, litter size & viability of young ones
 Houses that are at high elevation may avoid
severe heat stress problems
• Ambient temps decreases by 0.5°C for every 100m of
elevation
 Three systems to reduce house temps:
• Design & location of the house
 Orientation & pitch of roof to avoid direct sun
 Use of shade trees & plants
 Open sided housing or side walls built with ventilator blocks
 Air circulation systems based on in house fans to
create air movement
 In extreme cases- evaporative cooling systems that
use nozzles to create a mist or fog of tiny droplets
in the house
• These evaporate taking heat from house air as they do so
 Rabbits are basically healthy if reared
hygienically
 They provide little warning of ill health
 There is normally no need for vaccinations or
prophylactic medication
 Decline in feed intake
 Loss in body weight – inactivity or lethargy
 Animal appears inactive
 Fur coat is rough
 Diarrhea may be observed
 External lesions may be prevalent
 Labored breathing, examine nipples for swelling
 Healthy Rabbits – appears active, healthy appetite,
alert with good body condition
• 47 breaths/min (RR); 205 beats/min (HR)
 Best measures to prevent disease
• Proper feeding
• Good cleanliness
 Daily measures
• Remove feed wastes & bedding
• Dispose of manure & wastes to compost pile
• Brush clean the feed & water containers
 Weekly measures
• Disinfection of cages & equipment
 Coccidiosis- protozoal infestation in
internal organs
 Ear canker- mites in the external ear canal
 Enteritis- micro-organisms in digestive tract
 Mastitis- inflamation of mammary glands
 Myxomatosis- viral condition spread by
mosquitos
 Pneumonia- inflamation & congestion in
respiratory tract
 Ringworm- fungal infection on the skin
 Snuffles- bacterial infection in respiratory
tract
 Syphilis- bacterial condition of the
reproductive tract
 Warbles- larvae embedded in the skin
 Haemorragic septicaemia
Disease & Symptoms Cause Treatment & Control

Ear Mange or Canker- Infestation by mites Remove scales & crusts

through feeds or from inner ear & swab
unsanitary cages with a mixture of 1 tsp of

Shaking of head, Edible oil to 3 drops

scratching of ears. Brown iodine. Pour into infected
scaly crusts at base of ear. Crush cartilage to
inner ear. break up scabs. Repeat
twice a week for 2 wks &
once a wk for the next 2
wks

Conjunctivitis or Weepy Bacterial infection of the Early cases may be

eye eyelids, may also be due cleared up with eye
to ointments, argyrols,
Inflammation of eyelids, Irritation from smoke, Yellow oxide of mercury
discharge may be thin & dust, sprays or fumes or antibiotic. Protect
watery or thick & animals from air borne
purulent. Fur around eyes irritants
wet & matted
Disease & Symptoms Cause Treatment & Control

Facus or Ringworm – Fungus infection of the Fulvicin given orally at

circular patches or scaly skin. Can be transmitted the rate of 10mg/lb body
skin with red elevated to humans or vice versa wt for 14 dys. Dust next
crusts. Starts on head, fur boxes with fungicidal
may break off or fall out sulfur. Hexetidine also
Sore Hocks – bruised, Bruised or chafed areas Place resting board in
infected or abscessed that become infected. cage. Apply crude oil
areas on hocks. Wet floors, irritation from mixed with 3 drops
wire, nervous stompers iodine once a week. Cull
are factors in cause in advance cases
Mastitis or blue Bacterial infection of the Early cases, inject
breasts- breasts become breasts usually by intramuscularly 100,000
feverish & pink, nipples Staphylocous or units of penicillin twice
red & dark. Temperature Streptococus species each day for 3-5 dys.
above normal, appetite Disinfect hutch, reduce
poor feed concentrates
Breasts then turns black & Cull in advance cases,
purplish never transfer young
from infected to another
doe. Artificial nursing
Disease & Symptoms Cause Treatment & Control

Snuffles or cold- Pasturellosis, bacterial Combination of 400,000

sneezing, rubbing nose, infection of the nasal units of penicillin with ½
nasal discharge may be sinuses. Sometimes g streptomycin to each 2
thick or thin. May develop caused by mash feeds ml. 1ml intramuscularly. 2
into pneumonia. Chronic given dry ml for fryers. If
reoccurrence, add feed
Grade sulfaquinoxaline
so that level will be
0.025% feed 3-4wks. Cull
cases of snuffle from herd

Enteritis, bloat, scours- Beware of fermented, Terramycin scour tablets

loss of appetite, little spoiled feeds & forages with Vit A, D &
activity, eyes dull & Niacinamide. If not
squinted, fur rough & available use,
animal may appear sulfaguanadine
Bloated, diarrhea, mucus
in droppings, animal may
grind teeth. Stomach
contents fluid, gaseous, or
filled with mucus
Disease & Symptoms Cause Treatment & Control
Myxomatosis 3- Infection caused by virus None, antibiotics not
inflammation & swelling effective. Reduce
of the eyes, ears, nose & mosquito population by
genitals, high fever, loss spraying etc. promptly
of appetite, ears may dispose of infected
droop from swelling animals
Listeriosis- loss of Bacterial infection Early treatment with
appetite & emaciation in terramycin at 1 lb to 100-
young mostly. Minute 150 gal water. Disinfect
white abscesses in liver, hutches. Cull advance
spleen & rep organs cases
Malocclusion or Buck Some types are Do not save breeding
Teeth – incisors grow inheritable, others are stock from parent
long so mouth cannot result of injury showing long teeth. Trim
close well. Uppers curl teeth on fryers. Cull
back, lowers protrude rabbits
Animals cannot eat. Prone
to pneumonia
 Rabbits are killed by one of two methods.
 The preferred method is dislocation of
the neck.
• The rabbit is held firmly by the rear legs and
head; it is stretched full length. Then with a hard,
sharp pull, the head is bent backward to
dislocate the neck.
• The rabbit can also be struck a hard, quick blow
to the skull behind the ears. A blunt stick or side
of the hand is commonly used to incapacitate the
rabbit. Both methods quickly render the rabbit
unconscious.
 After dislocation or stunning, the rabbit is hung
by one of the hind legs above the hock joint.
 The head is immediately removed to allow
complete bleeding.
 The forefeet are then removed. The next step is
to cut the skin around the hock joints of the legs
and then to cut between these points across the
lower part of the body.
 Remove the tail and pull the skin down and
forward over the body.
 The skins of young or fryer age rabbits are easily
removed in this way; it is more difficult to remove
the skins of older rabbits.
 After the head, forefeet and skin are
removed, the carcass, while still hanging, is
opened to remove the viscera.
 Make a cut from the lower part of the
abdomen near the anus to the mid-point of
the lowest rib.
 The intestinal tract and lungs are normally
removed.
• Liver, kidneys, and heart remain with the carcass.
 Remove the carcass from the hanger and cut
off the rear feet at the hock joint.
 Wash the carcass with clean, cold water to
remove hair and any other soil or debris,
and store it at a cold temperature,
preferably at 35oF. and not over 40oF.
 Do not hold dressed carcasses for any
length of time in water as they absorb
excess moisture which becomes considered
as a contaminant.
 When large numbers of rabbits are to be
slaughtered, the operation on an assembly
line basis is much more rapid and efficient.
 Dressing percentage is the relationship of the
weight of a dressed carcass to the weight of the live
animal, expressed as a percentage.
 The dressing percentage varies depending upon
the quality of the animal at slaughter, breed, age,
amount of fat and the number of internal organs left
with the carcass.
 Animals with good meat characteristics have a
higher dressing percentages than thin animals.
Normally the liver, heart and kidneys remain with
the carcass and are included in the carcass weight.
Dressing Percentage of New Zealand
and Dutch Rabbits at Different Ages

Age New Zealand Dutch

8 weeks 55.9% 60.3%

13 weeks 59.2% 63.3%
Mature 58.2% 62.8%