Rabbits

  1. Introduction

    1. Uses

    2. Do well with appropriate care

  2. Origin and Description

    1. Oryctolagus (burrowing hare) cuniculus

    2. Lagomorph

    3. Wild Rabbits of Europe and Northwestern Africa

    4. Habits

      1. Gregarious

      2. Burrowing

      3. Herbivorous

      4. Nocturnal

    5. Many colors

    6. Large breeds (14 -16 lbs)

      1. Giant Chinchilla

      2. Flemish Giant

    7. Medium Breeds (4 - 14 lbs)

      1. Californian

      2. New Zealand

    8. Small breeds

      1. Dutch

      2. Polish

    9. Rabbits are not hares (Lepus) or cottontails (Sylvilagus)

  3. Anatomic and Physiologic Characteristics

    1. Nictitating membrane

    2. Vision field 190 degrees in each eye

    3. Light sensitivity 8 times more than human

    4. Rods and cones

    5. Ears highly vascularized (do not use for restraint!)

    6. Teeth open rooted 2033/1023 dental formula

    7. Extra pair of incisors

    8. Small chest

      1. Small heart

      2. Right A-V valve is biscuspid

    9. Big tummy

    10. Fragile skeleton, big muscles make fractures common

    11. Inguinal rings stay open

    12. Two cervixes

    13. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio more like cow (3:7)

  4. Rabbits as Pets

    1. Behavior

      1. Can be housetrained

      2. Biting uncommon (except older bucks and primiparous does)

      3. Scratch with their rear limbs

      4. Alert

      5. Burrowing

      6. Agonistic displays

      7. Thumping

      8. Breeding

      9. May attack each other

      10. Pair only at mating

    2. Lifespan

      1. Breeding life of 3 - 4 years

      2. Normal life of 5 - 6 years, up to 15 years

    3. Restraint

      1. Grasp neck

      2. Support back

      3. Do not lift by the ears

  5. Housing

    1. 1 X 2.5 cm mesh on floor

    2. 2.5 cm X 5 cm on sides

    3. Separate males at weaning

    4. Separate females at 12 weeks

    5. 4 lb, 1.5 sq ft

    6. 8 lb, 3 sq ft

    7. 12 lb, 4 sq ft

    8. Doe with litter needs additional 2 sq ft

    9. Keep at 61 - 70 degrees

    10. Long day breeders

    11. Drop cages

    12. Latrine area so can be house trained

    13. Maggots in feces not worms

    14. Watch out for heat stress

  6. Feeding and Watering

    1. General

      1. Hind gut fermenters

      2. Prefer tender, succulent portions of plants

      3. Coprophous, especially at dawn. Night feces is rich in vitamins

      4. Efficient users of plant protein (70 - 80%)

    2. Consumption

      1. Fastidious

      2. Flora sensitive to feed changes

  7. Reproduction

    1. Breeding stock criteria

      1. New Zealand White and California breeds in labs

      2. Pasteurella free

      3. 7-9 litters

      4. growth rate

      5. Litter weight at 21 days and at market age (8 - 10 weeks)

      6. Cull if less than 7 or more than 12 in a litter, bad mothering or vices.

      7. Conception rate should be 70 - 85 %

    2. Buck Criteria

      1. Select big bucks at 21 days

      2. Place young bucks with gentle does

      3. Adult bucks can be used once a day

      4. Bring doe to the bucks cage, in 30 seconds

    3. Age at Breeding

      1. Does: 4 mos (small breeds) to 9 mos (large breeds)

    4. Breeder Replacement

      1. Healthy does produce 20 - 25 litters efore size decreases in 2 - 3 years

    5. Mating

      1. Induced ovulators - do not have an estrous cycle

      2. 7 - 10 day receptive period followed by 2 day non-receptivity (reddened vulva)

      3. Can bred at 7 - 14 days post partum, and young weaned at 28 days.
    6. Palpation

      1. 10 - 14 days and 26 - 28 days

    7. Pregnancy

      1. Gestation of 29- 35 days with an average of 32 days

      2. Yolk sac to hemo chorial placentation at day 23

      3. Nest box as a burrow substitute

      4. Doe makes a nest from her hair in the box

      5. Rabbits do not retrieve their young, which slide to the bottom if tilted.

      6. Can be "subterranean."

      7. Young are born at night

    8. Parturition (Kindling)

      1. At night

      2. Do not dusturb

    9. Neonatal Period

      1. Hairless

      2. Very sensitive to cold. Need 35 C at birth.

    10. Nursing

      1. Colostrum for 2 - 3 days

      2. Wean at 4 weeks

      3. Olfactory cues

      4. Difficult to hand raise

    11. Group Housing

      1. Fertile mating can occur hours after parturition

      2. Weanlings destroyed when new litter arrive 

     
 
 
    
 	
  8. Biodata
    9. 
 	
    Adult Male Weight:2-5kg
    
 	
    Adult Female Weight:2-5kg
    
 	
    Birth Weight:40g
    
 	
    Body Temperature:38.5-40 C
    
 	
    Diploid Number:44
    
 	
    Lifespan:6 years
    
 	
    Food Consumption:5g/100g/day
    
 	
    Respiration Rate: 35-65 BPM
    
 	
    Sexual Maturity (Male): 6-9 months
    
 	
    Sexual Maturity (Female): 6-9 months
    
 	
    Estrus Cycle:induced
    
 	
    Gestation Peroid:29-35 days
    
 	
    Postpartum Estrus:fertile
    
 	
    Litter Size:4-10 kits
    
 	
    Weaning Age:4 weeks
    
 	
    Breeding Duration:3 years
  9. Review questions

    1. What is the latin name for a rabbit?

    2. Where did they originate?

    3. Are rabbits, cottontails and hares the same species?

    4. Can you sneak up behind a rabbit?

    5. How many incisors does a rabbit have?

    6. What is unique about the rabbit heart?

    7. What is special about the rabbit skeleton?

    8. Do large groups of rabbits of both sexes live happily together in captivity?

    9. What is a rabbits breeding and natural life span?

    10. How should you restrain a rabbit?

    11. How are rabbits housed?

    12. Can rabbits be housetrained?

    13. Where do rabbits ferment digesta?

    14. Coprophagy is what? Is it normal in Rabbits?

    15. True or false - Rabbits will eat just about anything?

    16. What infectious disease should you check for in selecting breeding rabbits

    17. How often can you breed a buck?

    18. Describe the rabbit estrous cycle

    19. What is an induced ovulator

    20. What is the link between rabbits dying and pregnancy testing in women?

      This answer may not be in the printed materials. A blood sample from a pregnant woman will have the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). When injected into a rabbit it will cause ovulation which leads to corpora lutea. In the old rabbit pregnancy test the rabbits were injected with a sample from the woman to be tested, euthanized after a few days, and examined for the presence of corpora lutea. If CL's were present the woman was pregnant, but the rabbit was killed whether she was pregnant or not.

    21. When can you diagnose pregnancy in a rabbit?

    22. What is the gestation length of a rabbit?

    23. Where do rabbits have their young?

    24. What is another name for parturition in rabbits

    25. How do baby rabbits find the mother's nipple?

    26. Are baby rabbits easy to rear by hand?

    27. When are rabbits usually weaned?