White giant weight at 4 months. Feeding rabbits after birth

California rabbit has average value, and has a characteristic white color, with black or dark brown tips on the tail, nose and paws. California rabbits were developed in the United States of America through a complex process of crossing between three breeds: New Zealand, Soviet Chinchilla and Russian Ermine rabbits.

Subsequently, selecting individuals within the breed, we crossed rabbits with the most preferred parameters, which combined the good performance of the meat forms of the Soviet chinchilla, the rapid growth of the New Zealand rabbit and the high-quality hair of the Russian ermine breed. The result of such selection was the California rabbit.

The body constitution of Californian breed rabbits is quite strong, while they have a thin and light, but quite strong skeleton. The rabbit's head is light, with thin ears, no more than ten centimeters long. A well-developed, muscular body with a wide and deep chest and a short, broad back. An adult California rabbit reaches a weight of 4.5 kilograms.

Newborn rabbits of this breed weigh about forty-five grams, and are characterized by high growth progress, reaching a weight of up to two kilograms at the age of two months. After a month, with proper care, the rabbit’s weight increases to three and a half kilograms, and by five months the weight exceeds four kilograms. After reaching this mark, the intensity of their growth sharply declines.

In percentage terms, feed costs per unit of growth, Californian rabbits are approximately on the same line as New Zealand ones. When slaughtered, the yield is about 55-60 percent.

EXIT AT SHOOTING

meat - 83-85%

fat - 1.8-2.5%

Female California rabbits are quite fertile, and can produce up to eight rabbits in one litter. Thus, a female of this breed is capable of producing about thirty cubs in a year. Rabbits that are born have a pure white color, and characteristic of Californian breed rabbits age spots, are revealed somewhat later.

The minimum acceptable weight for rabbits aged 8 months and older is 3.5 kg, the highest is 5.5 kg. Best weight for this breed 4.0-5.2 kg.

The physique is harmonious, well-developed muscles, well-developed fore and hind limbs, has broad shoulders and a back. Adult females (more than 1 year old) have a small, regular-shaped chin. Short tail close to the body. The ears are from 10.5 to 11.5 cm long. This breed has a very thick, flexible and silky coat up to 3 cm long.

The California rabbit is characterized by very rapid growth. Coat color: the predominant color is snow-white. And the ears, nose, tail, front and hind limbs up to the wrist are black (sometimes they come in Havana color - chocolate).

Californian is one of the early maturing breeds. Puberty in rabbits it occurs at 3-3.5 months, but they cannot be allowed into mating at this age, since the development of their organs has not yet finished. Rabbits of this breed are usually born at the age of 4-5 months when they reach approximately 80% of the live weight of adult rabbits. Males are allowed into their first mating at 5-6 months of age. The duration of breeding use of female rabbits and males is 3 years. Each male is assigned 8-10 females. Females of this breed are highly milk-producing and fertile, producing from 8 to 14 rabbits.

To buy Californian breed rabbits, you can come to our farm and choose the females and males you like. If this is not convenient for you, order delivery, which is free with us when purchasing several rabbits. We complete families along different lines for breeding. Convenient cages for breeding rabbits are available for sale. Please note that all rabbits are vaccinated and undergo a thorough inspection before leaving our farm.

A little about California rabbits

This is one of the most popular breeds in the world, bred in the USA since the early 20s of the 20th century. They were brought to our country in the early 1970s. Today, breeding of this breed in Russia has reached an industrial scale.

Appearance

The color is pure white with dark ears, nose and paw tips. Pedigree rabbits do not have extra dark spots, and the color boundaries are smooth and clear. Ears are short up to 10.5 cm. Eyes are pink to red. Average weight adult rabbit 4.5 kg.

Ideal for breeding!

Many rabbit breeders believe that Californian rabbits are ideal for breeding and this is due to the following facts:

Photos of Californian rabbits that can be bought from us

California rabbit

The Californian rabbit is white in color, with characteristic black ears, nose, paws and tail. The California rabbit was bred in the USA by crossing several breeds to obtain good productivity and high-quality, early-ripening meat.

The weight of a 2-month-old rabbit is from 1.9 to 2.3 kg, and a month later, at 3 months of age, up to 3.4 kg. Slaughter yield of meat up to 60%.

Female rabbits of the Californian breed are very fertile and milk-producing, therefore they are good, caring mothers. Rabbits are born naked with characteristic pigmented spots.

The California rabbit can be kept both in shed conditions and indoors. The paws allow keeping on mesh floors.

For information about where you can buy California rabbits- select a region of Russia.

Buy cages for rabbits in Moscow and the Moscow region can be found on the page Cages for rabbits. Sale of cages for rabbits made for cash and non-cash payments

California rabbit

The California rabbit has become very widespread. This was facilitated by the industrial breeding of rabbits meat direction.

Description of the Californian breed

Color The hair coat is pure white with dark brown and black spots on the ears, muzzle, tail and paws.

Head: small, light, slightly hook-nosed, with short thin ears.

Torso: compact, with well-developed muscles.

Body constitution strong.

Backbone light, thin, but quite durable.

The appearance of a Californian rabbit indicates its meat production.

Live weight of rabbits on average is from 4.5 kg. up to 5 kg. and adult rabbits - from 4.7 kg. up to 5.2 kg.

Sources: kroliki-doma.ru, krol.by, krolist.ru, www.croliki.ru, krolikityt.ru

Determining the approach of giving birth to a female rabbit

Vaccine for rabbits against myxomatosis and VGBV

Domestic rabbits are cute, funny, eared creatures. Some people get decorative rabbits as a new friend for themselves or their child, ...

A species of rabbit called the Soviet chinchilla was obtained between 1948 and 1963 on the territory of the Scientific Institute...

How to feed a turkey

Turkeys are one of the favorite types of poultry in our area, and they don’t need any special care, not...

Processing of nutria skins

Previously, I shared my experience of growing nutria. But my story will be incomplete without a recipe for preparing nutria skins. It's precisely because...

Features of breeding Californian rabbits

The Californian rabbit breed is one of the most productive species for industrial production. The homeland of the “Californian” is the United States of America, namely California. This...

Meat breed of pigs

Pietrain breed of pigs for meat productivity. It was bred in Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century as a result of long-term selection and related breeding of pigs...

Cleaning chinchilla fur at home

How to clean chinchilla fur? Expensive and beautiful chinchilla fur is soft and delicate. You can clean such fur in a special dry cleaner or...

Fold rabbit care and maintenance

The decorative lop-eared rabbit is a very cute, playful, affectionate, intelligent and funny animal. Perhaps these are the most important reasons that they have become quite...

Rabbit breeding in lately is gaining popularity. How effective this activity is, as well as compliance with breed standards, can be shown by scales: the weight of the rabbit must correspond to certain parameters. Today, about 200 breeds of these animals are raised in the world, which are divided into three directions: meat, fur and decorative. The first two groups are farm animals, which are bred on subsidiary plots and industrial rabbit farms, and ornamental animals are kept as pets in houses and apartments.

The weight of a rabbit depends on several things: nutrition, living conditions and breed of animal.

The weight of the animal depends on several factors. First of all, this is the breed, living conditions, and a properly selected diet.

Weight of meat animals

If the purpose of breeding is to obtain a large amount of meat, attention should be paid to breeds that are classified as meat breeds. They recruit very quickly muscle mass, but their fur is of rather low quality. Belgian giants are considered one of the most popular and oldest meat breeds. The average weight of a Belgian rabbit reaches 6-7 kg. However, many of them often grow up to 10 kg, and the record holder of this breed managed to gain 22 kg.

California rabbits also deserve attention. They can be called record holders for growth speed: at the age of five months the animals weigh approximately 5 kg. In addition, Californian females are very fertile: there can be up to 12 rabbits in a litter. German sheep belong to the same group. Their meat has excellent taste qualities. An adult animal has a live weight on average of 5-7 kg. French and English sheep are bred for meat, but their weight is slightly less.

Domestic rabbit breeders most often give preference to white and gray giants. Grays are considered meat animals because their fur is a little thin, but white giants are distinguished by elastic, thick, beautiful fur. The weight of the animals is very good - up to 7 kg.

The following meat breeds have excellent characteristics: New Zealand White and New Zealand Red. Already at the age of 3 months, rabbits can weigh up to 3 kg, and adult animals - 4-6 kg. German giants (Riesen) grow up to 7 kg, and some specimens can even reach 12-14 kg.

Return to contents

Weight of fur and meat animals

There are breeds that, in addition to rapid growth And delicious meat, have dense, beautiful and inexpensive fur. Due to the length of the pile, these animals are divided into two groups: short-haired and long-haired. The weight of a fur-meat rabbit can vary.

One of the largest representatives of this species are white giants, whose weight reaches 7 kg. The domestic black-brown breed is quite popular; the fur of its representatives is similar to the fur of black-brown foxes. Rabbits grow very quickly, especially in the interval of 4-5 months. An adult animal weighs 5-7 kg. Another result of the work of domestic breeders - the Russian ermine - is valued for its fur, similar in color to the fur of an ermine. The average weight of such animals is 4 kg, and the meat high quality. Shorthaired Rexes have about the same weight. Although their offspring are small and their young growth is average, tender meat and beautiful “plush” fur compensate for these shortcomings.

Downy longhaired breeds are bred for their rabbit down, which is durable and heat-resistant. The weight of adults is within 3-4 kg. For example, an Angora down rabbit weighs only 2 kg at 6 months, and an adult animal reaches a live weight of 3 kg. Domestic white downy rabbits have an average weight of 4 kg.

When breeding rabbits, the rate of weight gain is one of the most important characteristics. However, the weight of the animals is affected various factors, first of all, the breed. The article will tell you in more detail about how rabbits develop, depending on what breed they belong to.

Average weight of different breeds

When it is necessary for a rabbit to gain weight, the influence of the following factors is taken into account:

Features of the specific species to which the animal belongs.
The speed at which young animals develop.
Diet and quality of care for furry animals play an important role.

Important! When you want to understand how rabbits gain weight, it becomes clear that the main factor that influences this is the breed.

This animal can be raised for different purposes:

For the sake of meat - in such breeds, the speed of development is important to obtain high carcass productivity. The weight of adult fluffies can vary, but in most cases it exceeds the average value.
To obtain fluff - rabbit fluff has good quality, however, it is not as expensive as that obtained from most other animals. In such a situation, the weight of the resulting meat is not important enough. The weight of adult representatives of such species ranges from 3.5 to 4 kg.
For the sake of getting both fluff and meat. Such rocks occupy an intermediate position between the previously mentioned directions. Fluffies in this case weigh 5-5.5 kg.
For decorative purposes. When to determine how much someone usually weighs decorative rabbit, you need to take into account that keeping small animals in the house is much easier than keeping giants.

Rabbits weight

Important! The data given are average values. In practice weight indicators may deviate from these figures, both down and up.

Flanders

This breed is well known to rabbit breeders all over the world. The appearance of its representatives has its own specific features. If you look at Flandre, you will see that he is somewhat similar to a puppy. These fluffies have a muscular and tightly built body, thick, strong and strong paws.

This is a giant rabbit, the weight of an adult animal is 7 kg. However, you can find individual specimens that weigh one and a half times more. It is known that there was a record-breaking rabbit that weighed 25 kg. The carcass of a rabbit of this species weighs more than that of most other breeds.

Interesting. One of the features of this breed is the rapid increase in the mass of young animals.

The weight of a rabbit of this breed looks remarkable:

At birth, small rabbits do not stand out in any way compared to representatives of other breeds. The weight of the newborn is 60 grams.
In the first month of growth it reaches eight hundred grams.

Weight after the end of the second month is 1600 g.

During the third month, the mass increases by 1000 g.
During the fourth month it grows as quickly as during the third. During this time, its weight increases by 1 kg.
By the end of the fifth month, she still gains 1.1 kg. Now its weight is 4.7 kg.
After an animal of this breed reaches 240 days from birth, its weight will reach 5.5 kg.
Over the next two months, the giant rabbits reach a weight of 7.1 kg, gaining 800 g monthly.

French ram

Interesting! A newborn fluffy French Ram breed weighs the same at birth as representatives of other breeds.

The rabbit meat yield table based on live weight is based on the following data:

As soon as 30 days have passed from the moment of birth, the mass of the animal will be 700 grams.
At two months the weight indicator is 1400 g.
After the expiration of the ninety-day period, this animal will have a mass equal to 2 kg 600 g.
In the fourth month he gains 900 grams.
At the end of the fifth month, the weight will be 4.3 kg.
Over the next 30 days, the fluffy will gain only 100 grams, but in the seventh month the gain will be 900 grams, and in the eighth month - 1 kg. As a result, the mass of the French Ram rabbit will reach 6.3 kg.

White giant

The breed got its name due to large sizes representatives. These animals look very similar to hares:

Their legs are long and strong.
The body can be described as slightly elongated.
Like many other furry breeds, the White Giant is characterized by the presence of large ears.
You can see that the back of these animals is straight and wide.
Their fur is white.

Note! Here's how much a giant rabbit weighs: the weight of an adult animal can range from 4 to 7 kg.

The White Giant rabbit is, on average, heavier than representatives of most rabbit breeds. At the time of birth, it weighs 70 grams, which exceeds the mass of newborn animals of other rabbit breeds.

The rabbit growth chart then looks like this:

After a month, his weight is the same as at this stage for most breeds, it is 600 g.
During the second month, the rabbit grows rapidly and eventually gains 1 kg 600 g.
When 120 days have passed since birth, the weight reaches 3.4 kg.
After the sixth and seventh months, its weight is 4.4 and 4.6 kg, respectively.
When 270 days have passed since his birth, he weighs 5.2 kg.

White giant

This breed was obtained by crossing a chinchilla rabbit and a White Giant, and is used for meat and wool.

The appearance is characterized by the presence of strong bones and a muscular build among the representatives. Their wool is valued not only for its thickness and silkiness, but also for its special gray-blue color.

Important! The average weight of the animals is 4-6 kg.

As soon as such an animal is born, its weight is insignificant - it is equal to only sixty grams.

However, later the Soviet chinchilla begins to actively gain weight. It happens like this:

In just a month, your weight will increase tenfold.
In two months it will be a one and a half kilogram rabbit.
Growth during the third month will be slightly slower than during the previous month. 90 days after birth it will be 2.3 kg.
In another 30 days he will become another 600 grams heavier.
When 150 days have passed since birth, the animal’s mass will be 3.5 kg.
In the sixth and seventh months, the fluffy will gain 600 and 500 grams, respectively.
When this animal is 8 months old, its weight will be 4.8 kg.
After 270 days have passed since birth, the weight will reach 5.1 kg.

Pay attention! The advantages of this breed include unpretentiousness to living conditions, high-quality fur and a high yield of rabbit meat.

Soviet chinchilla

California rabbit

A representative of this breed, the Californian, as its name suggests, was bred in the United States (in California). During breeding, breeds of the New Zealand and Himalayan lines were used.

They are bred in order to obtain dietary meat with exquisite taste. Representatives of this breed have valuable and high-quality fur. Thus, they are bred as both a meat breed and a fur breed. Moreover, productivity in both cases is high. An adult Californian has an average weight that ranges from 4 to 4.7 kg. It is very rare to find such rabbits weighing more than what is indicated here.

Interesting! He is born with a normal weight of sixty grams.

California rabbit weight by month:

After the end of the thirty-day period, he will gain 600 grams.
At the end of the second month, the weight will be 1.5 kg.
Over the next 30 days, he usually gains 800 grams.
If 120 days have passed since the rabbit was born, the weight of the California rabbit will be 3.1 kg.
Over the next three months he will gain 400, 300 and 300 grams, respectively.
After the end of the eight-month period, the weight of the rabbit will be 4 kg 300 g.
At the end of the ninth month, the rabbit’s weight will be four and a half kilograms.

Weight table

Data on how rabbits gain weight as they grow is summarized in the following table.

Table of weight gain for rabbits depending on breed and age

Growth characteristics of rabbits

An important role in how much a rabbit weighs is played by the diet according to which the fluffies are fed. Experts recommend:

be sure to use grain feed;
Eating proper feed plays an important role in weight gain;
it is necessary to add cake to food;
rabbits will benefit from young branches from fruit trees;
vegetables;
legumes;
You need to add bone meal to your food.

Important! Young rabbits need to be fed four times a day. For adults, it is enough if this is done twice during this time.

You can most rationally determine the timing of the slaughter of rabbits if you know the weight of rabbits by month, a table containing information about the speed at which they gain it in different periods of their lives.

The first evidence of rabbits as domestic animals was made a long time ago, back in ancient times. They knew about this Ancient Rome approximately 2000 years ago.

Breeding these animals in industrial scale started only 2 centuries ago.

Today, science knows about 700 breeds of rabbits, but every year this number increases due to various natural mutations or amateur crossing of animals.

The classification of rabbits is based on the weight of the animal, the length of its coat, as well as productivity. It is not difficult to guess that those breeds that are bred for meat are called meat breeds. These are the ones we will talk about.

This breed was created by the hands of livestock specialists from Novosibirsk and Saratov on the basis of the Research Institute of Fur Farming and Rabbit Breeding.

The entire process was supervised by N.S. Zusman. To create a new breed, white giants were crossed with the chinchilla breed using the method of reproductive crossing.

Scientists wanted to get an animal with a large body mass, excellent quality down, which can quickly adapt to a changing climate.

The body of Soviet chinchilla rabbits is slender and wide, the head is small compared to the body, the ears are erect, medium length. The fur is soft, shiny, and bluish in color. The belly, neck, bottom of the tail and inner thighs are white.

Due to the excellent quality of the skins and their beautiful color, they are often used without modification.

An adult rabbit weighs on average 5 kg, the body reaches a length of 57-62 cm, and the chest girth is 37-38 cm. Fertility is good, the female rabbit gives at least 8 rabbits per litter. Young animals grow very actively; 120 days after birth they can already gain 3.5-4 kg of live weight. Meat yield is 56-63%.

White giant

These animals have German-Belgian roots. This breed appeared back in the 19th century.

It took a long time to carefully select the animals, and the result was purebred white giants.

These animals are large, their bodies are strong and elongated. Their back is straight and long, their chest is well developed. The head is relatively small, the ears are short and erect.

The constitution of these animals is strong, typically mesosomal, but there are rabbits with a narrower body - this is the leptosomal type. The fur is very thick, pure white, since these animals are albinos.

The average weight typical of white giants is set at 5-5.5 kg, but sometimes animals gained 8 kg. The body is long, 60-65 cm, girth in the chest area is 37-38 cm.

In one litter, the female gives birth to, on average, 7-8 rabbits. The young animals gain weight with average speed. A female rabbit produces 170-220 g of milk per day. They are good mothers.

For the white giants characterized by unpretentiousness. They quickly get used to weather conditions terrain.

The white giant is widely used to create new breeds of rabbits due to its excellent physical qualities.

Silver rabbit

To create a new breed, Champagne rabbits were carefully selected. In 1952, livestock specialists from the Tula and Poltava regions managed to develop a new breed. The number of “new” rabbits was greater than their predecessors. In addition, they had better viability.

In appearance, these animals are compact, the body is wide, expanding closer to the hips. The head is small, the ears are erect, the chest is voluminous, the back is straight, the croup is wide and slightly rounded.

The legs are strong, the muscles on them are well developed and positioned correctly. Eyes brown. The constitution is of the mesosomal type, the body length reaches 57 cm, and the sternum girth is approximately 36 cm. The average weight is 4.5 kg, sometimes it can reach up to 6 kg.

Fertility is good, 8 little rabbits at a time. Young animals gain weight at an accelerated pace, which is why they are bred for slaughter. The meat comes out very tasty and tender. Young rabbits fatten up well. From rabbits 120 days old, you can get 57-61% meat by weight.

The fur is thick, silver-gray in color. The guard hairs are white, the down is blue, and the guide hairs are black.

Initially, rabbits are born black; after a month, the fur begins to acquire a silvery tint. 4 months after birth, the color of the fur becomes the same as that of adults.

The older the rabbit gets, the more radically the coat color will change. The hairs will either lighten or turn brown. After processing, the color of the skin is quite distinctive, and also not very thick.

Viennese blue rabbit

These animals were bred in Austria from Moravian rabbits and Flanders. They are not too big, rather medium sized. The direction is meat-skin, but due to their decent weight they are often bred for slaughter.

The body is slender, oblong, the bones are strong, the legs are well muscled. Constitution of mesosomal type.

The average weight is 4.6 kg, the maximum weight remains at 5 kg. The body is 57-58 cm long, and the sternum girth is 36 cm. A female rabbit usually gives birth to 8-9 rabbits at a time, each weighing approximately 72 g.

Females have good milk production, they are caring mothers. In 2 months of life, young animals gain weight of 1.7 kg, in 3 months - 2.6 kg, in 4 - 3 kg. Viennese blue rabbits can withstand strong weather changes and can preserve their young in winter.

The skins from these animals are excellent, with a very beautiful color. The pile is very soft thanks to a large number fluff. This material is widely used in both natural and processed forms.

Rex rabbit breed

These animals are of French origin. They were introduced in the 20th century, but they came to the territory of the current CIS from Germany.

An adult animal is large - weighing 3-4.5 kg, with an oblong body 40-54 cm long. The body is not knocked down, of a delicate structure, the skeleton is light and thin. The chest is deep, but narrowed, there is a small dewlap.

The back is level, with a narrow croup. Legs are thin. Young animals gain weight at an average speed. In the first month of life they gain 700 g, in the second - 1.7 kg, in the third - 2.2 kg.

By the time they reach four months of age, animals have gained 2.4 kg of weight. Female rabbits are not particularly fertile; a single litter usually consists of 5 - 6 rabbits. The meat turns out to be dietary, very tasty and tender.

The skins of these animals are also valuable. The color can be very different - black, brown, white, blue. The size of the skin can also vary. Due to the short length of the hairs, it appears that the hairline has been trimmed. These skins do not require coloring.

Description of the Butterfly breed

This Belarusian breed was created by crossing English butterfly rabbits with local individuals.

The bred offspring were crossed with Flanders, and their animals were born and the Belarusian butterfly was bred. Thanks to the source material, female rabbits of this breed are capable of producing large offspring (up to 8 rabbits) and a lot of milk.

The body of these animals reaches a length of 54 cm, and the chest circumference is 36 cm.

Body of erysomal type. The average weight is 4.3 kg, the maximum is 4.9 kg. The body structure is strong, the head is of medium size, and the ears are of medium length. The chest is voluminous, sometimes there is a dewlap. The back is wide, oblong. The croup is wide and round in shape.

The limbs are strong, straight, muscular. The wool is thick. The body is white, with black, blue, chinchilla spots. The shape of the spots does not change: a symmetrical butterfly is formed on the cheeks and nose, there is an intermittent belt on the back, there is also a rim around the eyes, the top of the tail and black ears.

Rabbits of this breed are able to quickly get used to the climate of the area; they can be fed with local food.

California rabbit

From the name you can understand that the homeland of these animals is America. They were brought to Europe in the 1970s. California rabbits are able to quickly adapt to poor living conditions and are also easily produced on an industrial scale.

Females of this breed very prolific and are excellent mothers, thanks to which the young are well preserved. The body of these animals is small but weighty - 5.5-6 kg. Females begin to breed at 5 months of age and can give birth to 9-10 rabbits at a time.

The meat of rabbits of this breed is very tender and tasty. They can quickly gain weight suitable for slaughter.

The muscles throughout the body of these rabbits are well developed, although the bones are thin and short. The neck is almost invisible, it is very short. The fur cover is very thick, rough, without fluff. The hair is white and shiny, the lower limbs, ears, tail and tip of the nose are very dark. The ears are small and stand straight.

Eyes of red-pink shades. The animals are calm but active.

By the age of 2 months, small rabbits can weigh 1.8 kg, and the most well-fed animals can weigh 2-2.3 kg. By three months, live weight can be 2.6-2.7 kg. Meat yield is 60%.

About the Flandre rabbits

These Belgian animals appeared in the 19th century. Their body is long and their bones are strong.

The head is large, round in shape. The ears are long and wide, diverging towards the end.

The sternum is well developed, the girth behind the shoulder blades is more than 37 cm. The back is wide, flat, sometimes there is a slight deflection. The croup is wide. The body reaches a length of 67 cm or more.

The average weight of an adult male is 5.5 cm, and the maximum is 8-8.5 kg. Fertility is average, 6-7 rabbits can be born at a time. A newborn animal weighs 60-65 g. 4 months after birth, the weight is 2.1-3.3 kg.

There is fur different colors. If the animal is agouti-colored, but has a red-gray body, the lower part of the tail and belly are white, the rim of the ears and the top of the tail are black. If the animal is dark gray, then the guard hairs throughout the body are uniformly colored black and gray colors, undercoat dark blue, belly light.

Thuringian rabbit

These animals are classified as skin-meat animals, but due to their decent weight of 3-5 kg, they are raised specifically for slaughter.

The meat is very tasty, healthy, and the skin is very soft and beautiful. The animals' homeland is German Thuringia, and they appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.

To develop a new breed, Russian ermine rabbits, Argents and Flanders were crossed.

The body is knitted, dense, the neck is shortened, the legs are a large number muscles, medium in length. The coat is light brown in color, and there is a black veil on the nose, hips, ears and sides.

The fur is shiny and very smooth to the touch. Color may change throughout the year.

Breed "Black-brown"

The fur of these animals is dark brown, hence the name of the breed. In general, the color of the coat is very heterogeneous. The fur on the sides is black-brown, on the head and back it is black.

The down is light blue, the guard hair is gray-blue. To develop this breed in the mid-20th century, Flanders, the White Giant and the Viennese Pigeon were crossed.

Animals are characterized high productivity , actively gaining weight, mid-season. High quality wool and meat.

The average weight is 5 kg, but often a rabbit can eat 7 kg. The body is well-knit, strong, the head is large, the sternum is voluminous, the limbs are elongated and fleshy.

Small rabbits weigh about 80 g, and at three months of age they already weigh 3 kg. The female gives birth to 7-8 rabbits at a time. The fur is soft due to the large amount of fluff.

New Zealand white rabbits

These animals are medium in size and have pure white fur.

These albinos were selected from New Zealand red rabbits in America in the first half of the 20th century. Subsequent selection was aimed at highlighting more intensive growth and obtaining more high-quality meat.

To obtain greater meat yield, selected individuals were crossed with Flanders.

They acclimatize well. The weight of an adult rabbit ranges between 4 and 5 kg. The body constitution is strong, the body is proportional, short, the muscles are well developed, the back is wide, the legs are strong.

Young animals eat a lot very quickly, which is characteristic of this breed. Within 2 months, baby rabbits, which are born weighing 45 g, reach 2 kg, and 3 months after birth they weigh 2.7-3 kg.

The meat is low in calories due to its highly developed muscles. The fur is of the same quality as the meat. The hairline is thick, white. Females give birth to 7 to 12 rabbits at a time. Often rabbits of this breed are raised as broiler animals.

It is better to raise rabbits yourself to obtain good meat than buying it in a store. So you will know that in meat product there are no antibiotics or other chemicals that can only cause harm.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your opinion!

Write in the comments what questions you have not received an answer to, we will definitely respond!

You can recommend this article to your friends!

237 once already
helped

For a farmer, the weight of rabbits is the main indicator of production productivity. Among other domestic animals, they are the fastest growing. On average, by 4-5 months, pets grow by 65%, and after about 8-10 months, long-eared animals gain the maximum weight characteristic of a particular species. What is the rate of development different breeds How much should rabbits weigh at certain periods of life and what weight is considered normal for adults - you will learn from this article.

Livestock growth dynamics

Newborn eared rabbits of different breeds can weigh a rabbit depending on their age. Born blind and hairless, thanks to mother's milk, in the first 25-28 days of life (about 4 weeks) the rabbit's weight increases approximately 10 times. Then the growth rate decreases slightly. But for the next three to four months, intense weight gain is still observed.

By 4-5 months, animals reach sexual maturity, gaining approximately 65-70% of the average adult rabbit weight. At this age, individuals weigh about 3.5 kg.

Long-eared animals produce the maximum number of kilograms by 9-10 months of life. There are minor differences depending on the breed. They must be studied in order to achieve the goal for which the farmer organizes a rabbit farm.

What determines quality weight gain?

Farm productivity is directly related to the rate at which the animals gain weight. This component of success can be influenced by taking into account the following parameters:

natural characteristics of the breed;
hereditary qualities of the livestock;
maternal qualities of the female;
living conditions created for animals;
quality and diet;
properly conducted perinatal and infant periods.

When planning farming activities, the owner needs to decide for what purpose the rabbits will be raised. If the direction of the farm is only meat, you need meat types animals.

If a farmer plans to produce meat and skins, then the livestock for breeding must be selected accordingly. Giant breed rabbits show the best weight gain results at minimal cost.

What are the largest rabbits?

Giant rabbits grow faster than others: Flanders, white giant, French ram, Californian and New Zealand white. Breeding these species is profitable for several reasons. The first is the precocity of these breeds and rapid growth rates in comparison with others.

In addition, giants easily adapt to any conditions of detention and tolerate even unfavorable conditions. cold weather. Having strong immunity to a wide range of diseases, these rabbits can reproduce well. In one litter, a giant female usually has 10 babies.

By the 3rd month of life, giant rabbits weigh more than 2.5 kg. An adult giant breed rabbit weighs 5-7 kg.

Of course, each variety of eared animals has its own developmental characteristics over the months. Below is a table with detailed information about how much a rabbit weighs depending on age:

Characteristics of different breeds

Certain types of eared animals can be used for different results in production. There are only meat ones - they weigh a lot, they gain it quickly and easily. If rabbits are downy, then weight gain is not so important. But there are also combined breeds. They perform well in meat production and successfully produce fluff or good skin.

The minimum weight of adult animals for meat production is 4.5-5 kg. The maximum weight of representatives of this species is 10-12 kg. On average, adult animals raised for meat grow to 6-7 kg. At the same time, at three months of age, the live weight of baby rabbits is approximately 40-45% of the weight of an adult, which is equal to 2.5-2.7 kg.

Adult representatives of meat-and-down breeds weigh on average 5 kg, reaching approximately the same figures as meat breeds by three months - 2.5-2.7 kg.

Downy breeds are the lightest. Adults barely reach 3.5-4 kg; at 3-4 months they barely reach 2 kg.

What can influence the rate of weight growth

There is a relationship between the time of year and the mass of animals. Rabbit breeders have come to a consensus that the time of birth affects the growth rate of the baby rabbit. It was noticed that born in winter or at the beginning of spring, individuals develop much faster than those born in the summer-autumn period.

Different types of rabbits develop differently. But on average, from about 80 days of life, feed costs begin to increase significantly.

Representatives of absolutely all varieties of the hare family stop growing after gaining Weight Limit after 10 months. As a rule, only fertile females and breeding males are kept until this age. The remaining individuals end their existence by 4 months.

How does milk production affect a rabbit's growth?

The growth rate of baby rabbits is affected by the milk supply of the female. If a female rabbit has high-quality milk in sufficient quantities, if she responsibly approaches the process of feeding her offspring, then the rate of weight gain of the rabbits will be very high. And not only during the suckling period, but also after separation from the mother.

A summer birth gives the rabbit more complete milk than a spring birth. During the first birth, the female's milk production will be lower than in subsequent ones. The highest indicators can be manifested only in the third lactation.

The best milk production indicators are found in the Californian breed and the Soviet chinchilla. The worst are New Zealand Whites.

The milk production of rabbits can be determined in comparison with other individuals of the species. Visually, females with the best indicators have a larger chest circumference by approximately 7%. And the body is 2% longer with a body weight reduced by 700-800 g.

The relationship between health and weight gain

An important factor for rapid weight gain is the health of the rabbits. The physical characteristics of eared animals differ from other types of farm animals. Normal temperature the bodies of lagomorphs can vary from 37 to 41 degrees, falling in winter and rising in the summer heat.

Pets on rabbit farms feel comfortable at temperatures environment from 15 to 22 degrees. But they can withstand frosts down to -30 and heat of +30 degrees.

Dampness and drafts can provoke diseases, which will have a detrimental effect on the growth of livestock. Therefore, provide your pets with acceptable living conditions, a balanced, nutritious diet, cleanliness in their cages and a calm psychological environment.

If all these conditions are met, the health of the eared animals will be fine. They will quickly gain weight, and the cost of care and quality nutrition will quickly meet your expectations. In the article “How long do rabbits live” you will learn all the details about the life expectancy of long-eared rabbits.

Please write in the comments which breeds you prefer to breed on your farm. How quickly do they grow for you?

If the article was useful to you, please like and share the link to it with your friends on social networks.