How To Raise Domestic Rabbits
Rabbits are tender animals and very suitable as pets. Therefore, many have ventured to create them so that others can adopt them. If you are one of these, you might want to know how to raise rabbits.
What to keep in mind when raising rabbits
In addition to keeping the animals in a suitable place, where they have optimal mobility, temperature and climate, there are a number of precautions in raising rabbits and things you should learn to notice.
These are a few:
How to tell if a rabbit is pregnant
In the beginning, that is, as her belly grows, it is difficult to determine whether a rabbit is pregnant with the naked eye, but her behavior can reveal this.
There are several symptoms that a pregnant rabbit will have, such as the fact that she may become more undisciplined, drink more water, swell her breasts or pull out belly hair.
This last gesture makes her “bald” in her belly, and she does it to prepare the nest for her future babies.
How to care for a pregnant rabbit
The truth is, they don’t require any special care. Rabbits are routine animals, and when their routine changes, they get very stressed.
Therefore, a pregnant rabbit will appreciate continuing to be treated as usual, as if nothing had happened.
Now, when the pregnancy is at a more advanced level, she is likely to need help moving and, above all, a lot of affection.
Do I have to make a nest?
Possibly not, as the mother usually takes care of everything. She will not only choose the location that she considers ideal for her puppies, but will also look for the materials needed to build it.
Where does she find the material? Well, she uses whatever she finds in her house: socks, kitchen towels, rags or other objects with these characteristics that can serve her.
during childbirth
The most important thing during childbirth is not to stress the expectant mother.
After just 30 days of pregnancy, she will give birth and, even if you don’t believe it, your instinct will determine what she should do and how to act.
So just stay with it and watch how the miracle of life happens.
If you think something is not going well, then your intervention will be necessary. Maybe it’s just something simple, like a trapped puppy, but if it’s a more difficult situation, call the vet.
Also, if it calms you down, you can invite a veterinarian to the birth if you have to intervene.
If one of the chicks leaves the nest, put it back. If any are stillborn, remove them carefully and avoid sudden movements.
How to feed rabbit puppies
For the first 18 days, the puppies will feed exclusively on breast milk. There are usually no reasons why a rabbit does not produce breast milk for its offspring.
However, if the rabbit does not produce enough milk, talk to your veterinarian to advise you on the steps you should take.
One way to activate breast milk secretion is to feed the mother a little more than usual.
After the first 18 days have passed, you should provide a specialized baby rabbit and hay feed.
Like their mother, they can eat vegetables and fruits, but this will not be necessary or recommended until they are two or three months old.
This is all the information you need about rabbit husbandry care, but if you have any questions, it’s best to talk to your trusted veterinarian for the steps to take.
