On suburban household plots very often not only various kinds of poultry are kept, but also rabbits. The breed white giant is one of the most popular. It was bred at the beginning of the twentieth century in Belgium and Germany. In the USSR, these animals were introduced in 1927.
Breed history
White rabbit skins have always been valued higher than regular gray or black skins. After all, such a fur can be dyed in any color. At the beginning of the last century, focusing on the needs of light industry, Belgian breeders set themselves the task of breeding a new breed of large rabbits with a white skin. The flanders were taken as a basis. As a result, a new breed was obtained, distinguished by its large size, completely white fur and a very delicate body constitution.
Severe climatic conditions in Russia were not very suitable for animals of this breed. Therefore, domestic breeders had to improve it. After crossing Belgian individuals with the Soviet chinchilla and gray giant, domestic rabbits of the white giant breed were bred. You can see photos of these strong, healthy and hardy animals on the page. Domestic giants are unpretentious; they tolerate relatively cold and intense heat relatively well.
Breed features
The characteristic features of rabbits of this breed are:
- white skin and red eyes;
- dense thick hair;
- rounded croup, elongated torso and well-developed chest (with chest);
- wide straight back;
- straight, slightly rounded ears at the ends.
These are actually very large rabbits. The breed is a white giant - one of the largest of all bred to date. The body length of adults can reach 60 cm, chest girth - 37 cm. By weight, white giants are divided into three classes:
- the first - up to 5.3 kg;
- the second - up to 4.8 kg;
- elite - up to 5.8 kg.
One of the undoubted advantages of this breed is its high fertility. Owners of farms containing such rabbits have almost no difficulty breeding them. Female white giants never eat their offspring. On average, there are usually 6–9 rabbits in a litter, which is very good for a large breed. White giants are pretty hardy animals, simple to maintain. Young growth is growing very quickly and is gaining slaughter weight by the age of four months. Overexposure rabbits of this breed is undesirable. Otherwise, the meat will be covered with fat and lose some of its dietary properties.
How to make mates
Of course, increasing the number of livestock is one of the main goals of keeping animals such as rabbits in the infield. The breed of white giant breeding is very simple. However, in order for the herd to be replenished with healthy, well-developing young growth, some rules still need to be followed. You can carry out the first mating no earlier than the animal is six months old. Late rabbits are also not recommended. Otherwise, they may gobble up. Spend mating in the usual way. That is, the female is planted in a cage to the male, not vice versa.
The white giant is a breed of rabbits, the crossing of which usually gives the result the first time. However, after two weeks, the mating procedure should be repeated just in case.
The female rabbits hatches for about a month. She can bring up to 14 cubs (and feed all). But offspring in such numbers are still rare among giants. Usually, the female gives birth to no more than 9-10 rabbits. They are kept with their mother for at least two months. Rabbits that have been seated before are poorly developed and gain weight.
Cages and aviaries
The better conditions are created on the farm, the more actively rabbits will develop. The breed is a white giant is very large and also quite mobile. Therefore, the cells for these animals need to choose spacious and large. The specific size depends on the class of animals. But in any case, the rabbit should be able to get up in the cage at full height and make 2-3 jumps in it.
The white giant is a breed of rabbits, the description of which was given just above, which does not tolerate drafts very well. Therefore, animals must be kept either in cages closed on three sides with thick plywood or in sheds. The lid of the mother liquor is usually made folding. This allows you to easily inspect the nest when rabbits appear. Cages will be needed not only for females with offspring, but also for male producers (each separately), and for young growth.
These rabbits, like most other breeds, are not very resistant to disease. Therefore, cells must be kept clean. Disinfection is carried out at least twice a year.
Sometimes white giants are kept in enclosures. The latter should also be large enough - at least a meter high, with an area of at least 80 x 80 cm.
Feeding Features
Their diet should be diverse. The white giant is a large breed of rabbits, and these animals grow quickly. Therefore, there should be a lot of proteins in their food. In addition to grass, hay and root crops, animals need to be given concentrated feed. White giants also readily eat leftover bread, cereals and much more. Be sure to put branches of fruit trees, elm, elm, alder, birch, etc. in the cage or aviary. Crushed wheat is most suitable for barley or oat. You need to buy it from trusted suppliers. Various kinds of rabbit infectious diseases are often transmitted through feed.
In the cages, the animals must always have clean water. These animals are fed three times a day. Grass and branches are usually placed in a cage or in an aviary in the evenings. It is important to prevent rabbits from eating plants poisonous to them. A beginner rabbit breeder definitely needs to know which herbs are contraindicated for these animals. These include, for example, euphorbia, all kinds of nightshade, celandine, dope, and bleach.
Baby Care
Rabbits begin to leave the mother cell at the age of about 3-4 weeks. At the same time, they can begin to feed with small crushed and crackers. There is no need to develop any special diet. The likelihood of intestinal disorders in giants, while they are sucking, is very small, and they eat the same as the rabbit.
They take the babies from their mother not earlier than 2 months, and best of all, at 3. At the same time, the diet should be left the same. Changing the composition of the feed in general should be very careful. New food is introduced into the diet, adding a dose gradually over a period of about two weeks. The weight of these rabbits (breed white giant), breeding which is nothing particularly difficult by itself, gain very quickly. However, with insufficient or unbalanced uniform nutrition, such troubles as developmental delays, yellowing of the skin, etc. are possible. Rabbits are generally animals, the feeding of which must be approached with maximum responsibility. The success of their breeding depends on this to a greater extent.
Slaughter of rabbits
The white giant is a precocious rabbit breed. Young animals reach slaughter age, as already mentioned, reaches 4-5 months. Kill animals in the homestead, usually by hitting a stick on the back of the head. Pre-take the rabbit by its hind legs and wait for it to calm down. This method is considered the most humane. With a sharp blow to the neck of the animal, the vertebrae break down and the nervous system turns off, and therefore, he does not feel pain.
Before slaughter, the drinker, hay and feeder are removed from the cage of the animal (for 12 hours). The intestines and bladder should be free.
Cutting
The mortified rabbit is hung on the bar by the hind legs. The skin is cut around the hock muscles and on the inside of the thighs. Then it is removed like a stocking. The head of a rabbit can be chopped off immediately after killing. In this case, more blood will drain, and the carcass will look better.
Cutting is performed as follows:
- With a sharp knife, carefully, so as not to damage the internal organs, the abdominal cavity is cut.
- The bladder is carefully removed.
- The intestine is cut at the anus. Next, you need to pull it on yourself, cutting off the remaining organs. Under the carcass, you first need to put a basin. The rabbit’s stomach and intestines are quite heavy and simply fall down under their own weight.
- In the next step, the esophagus and part of the trachea are removed.
- Next, the gall bladder is cut off from the liver. This must be done carefully.
Four-month-old animals weigh about 4-4.5 kg. The white giant is a breed of rabbits whose meat yield is about 50% of the weight of the carcass.
What to do with the skin
White giants are grown not only for meat. The skins of these animals are very large and beautiful. The slaughter time in this case is determined by the state of the hairline. Young growth is usually killed after the end of the second molt. The skin in this case is also removed by stocking. To make its full processing at home is very difficult. Therefore, skins taken are usually simply canned. Then they can be handed over to the fur factory or private owners. Preservation is carried out by drying on the rules. The skin is pulled neatly so that there are no wrinkles on it.
As you can see, these wonderful rabbits (breed white giant), breeding and keeping at home which is not too complicated, animals are not particularly whimsical. The main thing is to feed the animals well and keep the cells or aviary clean. In this case, the rabbits will quickly gain weight, and their skin will be pure white, without yellowness.