COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



39 



Causes of Losses in Newborn 

 Litters 



If the doe is disturbed, she may 

 kindle on the hutch floor and the 

 litter may die from exposure. 

 Even if predators — cats, snakes, 

 rats, weasels, minks, bobcats, coyo- 

 tes, strange dogs — cannot gain ac- 

 cess to the rabbitry, they may be 

 close enough for the doe to detect 

 their presence, and she may be 

 frightened and kindle prematurely. 

 If she is disturbed after the litter 

 is born and jumps into the nest box 

 she may stamp with her back feet 

 and injure or kill the newborn 

 rabbits. 



Occasionally a doe fails to pro- 

 duce milk. In such cases the young 

 will starve within 2 or 3 days un- 

 less the condition is noted and the 

 young transferred to foster 

 mothers. Keep a close check on 

 newborn litters for several days 

 after birth to make sure they are 

 being fed and cared for properly. 



Does sometimes eat their young. 

 This may result from a ration in- 

 adequate in either quantity or 

 quality, or from the nervousness 

 of a doe disturbed after kindling. 

 It is also possible that the doe is 

 of a strain that exhibits poor ma- 

 ternal instincts. Does usually do 

 not kill and eat healthy young, but 

 limit their cannibalism to young 

 born dead, or those that are in- 

 jured and have died. Proper feed- 

 ing and handling during preg- 

 nancy will do more than anything 

 else to prevent this tendency. Give 

 another chance to a valuable doe 

 that destroys her first litter; if she 

 continues the practice, dispose of 

 her. 



Wean Ins 



Under most management pro- 

 grams the young are weaned at 8 

 weeks of a^e. At that age young 

 meat rabbits should average 4 



pounds in weight and be ready for 

 market. Some commercial pro- 

 ducers leave the young with the 

 doe for 9 or 10 weeks to get a 4%- 

 to 5 V^ -pound fryer. Small litters 

 (fewer than five young) can be 

 weaned at an earlier age and the 

 doe rebred. Also, under acceler- 

 ated breeding programs where does 

 are bred less than 35 days follow- 

 ing kindling, it is advisable to 

 wean the young at 5, 6, or 7 weeks 

 of age to allow the doe to prepare 

 for her next litter. It is best to 

 allow a few days between removal 

 of one litter and birth of the next. 

 For example: if a doe is bred 28 

 days after kindling, it is possible 

 to leave the litter with her until 

 they are 56 days of age, allowing 

 for kindling about 3 days later. 

 It depends upon the condition of 

 the doe and her ability to stand up 

 under this type of program. You 

 may wish to remove the young at 

 7 weeks of age and give the doe 7 

 to 10 days to prepare for the next 

 kindling. 



Determining the Sex of Young 

 Rabbits 



Separate the sexes at weaning, 

 if you are saving junior replace- 

 ments, or breeding stock. It is 

 possible to determine accurately the 

 sex of baby rabbits less than a 

 week of age, but it is easier to do 

 so when they are weaned. To keep 

 the rabbit ' from struggling, re- 

 strain it firmly, yet gently. A 

 commonly used method is to hold 

 the rabbit on its back between your 

 legs with the head up. With your 

 left hand restrain the rabbit 

 around the chest holding the front 

 legs forward alongside the head. 

 Using the right hand, place the 

 thumb behind the right hind leg 

 and use the index and forefinger to 

 depress the tail backward and 

 downward. The thumb is then used 



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