Today, more and more people are seriously thinking about the possibility of starting their own household. Poor quality of purchased products in combination with high prices lead people to try to solve the problem of supplying themselves with high-quality products, such as meat. One of the easiest ways to do this is to get rabbits. Unpretentious to food, quickly growing and breeding, they are quite popular among experienced breeders and beginners. Of course, to get a lot of meat, it is best to choose broiler rabbits.
Hallmark
Consider what the term broiler means. Although almost every modern person has heard it, not everyone can interpret the meaning of the word.
The term is derived from the English word broile, which translates as "fry on fire." Nowadays, broilers are called animals and birds (rabbits, ducks, chickens, geese and others), reaching bottomhole age faster than other breeds. The above cooking method is justified, since at the age of several months all these animals have very tender meat. Therefore, it is not necessary to cook for a long time in a soup or stew so that the product becomes not so tough.
In general, generally accepted norms do not exist. They can vary significantly depending on the breed, country and even time. But usually rabbit broiler breeds are slaughtered at the age of 3-8 months. Of course, during this time they manage to gain a different mass - an average of 2 to 7 kilograms. Of course, the main focus of this rabbit breeding is to get meat, not skins.
They are bred by special crossbreeding of suitable animal breeds, which does not lead to negative genetic abnormalities.
Now we will tell you about the most famous and popular breeds that can be a good choice for any beginner and experienced rabbit breeder.
White pannon
One of the most common broiler breeds among rabbits is the white pannon.
His homeland is Hungary. Local breeders used several successful breeds - white giants, as well as California and New Zealand rabbits to breed. In general, the white pannon receives positive reviews. This does not surprise anyone, because rabbits not only quickly breed and grow well, but also give a fairly good meat yield - up to 60% of live weight.
They are stacked tightly, but have a thin skeleton. The head is neat, not too large. The ears are rounded, wide and rather long - up to 10 centimeters. The coat is also long (up to 3 centimeters) and almost exclusively white. A black rabbit of this breed is very rare. An adult weighs about 4.5-5 kilograms.
Animals are characterized by a friendly, calm nature, which experienced breeders also attribute to important advantages. There can be up to eight cubs in one breeze. This is a great indicator. Rabbits are born very small (less than 50 grams). However, the high fat content of breast milk leads to the fact that they grow very quickly.
About 4.2 feed units are spent per kilogram of growth by the farmer. With a balanced diet, the animal gains up to 40 grams per day. Due to this, white pannon can be killed in rabbits already 70-90 days after birth. At this age, you can get up to 3 kilograms of pure meat from a carcass.
New Zealand White
Very popular and New Zealand white breed of rabbits. Despite the name, its homeland is the United States, where it was bred at the beginning of the twentieth century. About half a century later, rabbits were brought to England, and from there they got to other countries.
The breed has a number of important advantages, one of which is high fecundity. There are up to 12 cubs in one breeze. Very few breeds boast such a birth rate. The cubs grow quite quickly - the rabbits have a lot of fat milk, which ensures not only good growth, but also a high survival rate, a small number of diseases.
Babies already weigh about three kilograms in three months. Even for broiler rabbits, this is a very good pace. After a couple of months, their weight reaches up to 5 kilograms.
It is important that the maintenance costs are relatively small - the breeder spends no more than three kilograms of concentrates per kilogram of meat, which can be safely called an excellent indicator.
Red rabbit from New Zealand
New Zealand red rabbits are a little less popular.
Like the previous breed, it was bred in the USA back in 1910. Ancestors are wild rabbits and Belgian hares. The breed turned out to be very successful - rabbits quickly grew and had a fleshy physique. It should be noted that adverse weather conditions did not cause unnecessary problems for animals, which is very important when breeding on an industrial scale.
Unlike other broiler rabbits, the breed made it possible to obtain not only high-quality meat in large quantities, but also an excellent skin. The coat is short but soft and very thick. And the color scheme will pleasantly surprise the most picky designer - there are bright red, reddish-yellow and even fiery rabbits. It is understandable why the breed has taken root and began to get divorced everywhere.
An adult male weighs about 4 kilograms, and females are even larger - up to 5 kilograms.
California rabbit
It is also worth describing the breed of California rabbit - one of the most popular today.
As the name implies, they brought her to the United States. In this case, New Zealand, Himalayan and chinchilla rabbits were used. It is easy to recognize them by their unusual color. The whole skin is exceptionally white, and there are black spots on the ears, nose and paws. They do not appear from birth, but a little later - at the age of two months.
At three months old, rabbits already weigh about 2.5 kilograms. Rapid growth rates last up to 5 months - by this time they weigh already about 4-5 kilograms. The yield of pure meat is quite large - up to 64%, which is quite rare.
Californian rabbits breed quite quickly - up to 9 cubs are in the outbreak.
Flanders
This breed is bred in Belgium. She became the founder of many modern broiler breeds. They do not grow too fast, but the size is really impressive - the champion weighed as much as 25 kilograms! But usually their weight reaches 7-10 kilograms.
They have small heads and very wide ears. The color scheme is quite rich: black, opal, silver, gray and others.
Fertility is not too high - the female usually brings no more than six rabbits. Babies do not grow too fast - puberty reaches only at the age of 7-8 months. And they are usually sent for slaughter in another month.
Rizen
This breed was bred in Germany and is still actively used both to improve the quality of existing breeds and to create new ones. An important feature is the adaptability to the harsh winters of the middle lane.
The body of the rabbits of the Risen breed is stocky, large. The head is quite large, and the limbs are very powerful. The coat is long - up to 4 centimeters. The color is sand, blue or dark gray. The weight of an adult male can reach 10-11 kilograms, which is an excellent indicator.
Maturity comes quite late - rabbits should be allowed to mate no earlier than eight months. The rabbits are quite prolific - at a time they bring up to nine cubs.
Usually rabbits are slaughtered at the age of 4 months. After this, the growth rate is reduced, and the taste of meat in males worsens. The meat yield is not too large - rarely above 55%. However, significant dimensions fully compensate for this drawback.
Suitable diet
Before you engage in such an economy, it is very important to understand what broiler rabbits are fed. It is important to understand that fast weight gain is ensured not only by good heredity, but also by a properly composed diet.
The peculiarity of feeding broilers is that throughout their lives they need to provide the same nutrition as rabbits are usually “prescribed” during fattening.
In summer, grass must be included in the diet: at least 700 grams per rabbit. Also, do not forget about concentrated feed (compound feed, grain). His rabbit eats about 70 grams per day. Salt and chalk are not needed much - 1 gram per day mixed with other food is enough.
In winter, providing a suitable diet is more difficult due to lack of green food. Therefore, it has to be replaced. A rabbit should be given about 150 grams of hay - always fresh, not sweet. Also, the diet should include 500 grams of succulent feed (pumpkin, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes). The number of concentrates needs to be slightly increased - up to 80 grams. But the need for salts remains at the same level - one gram is enough.
Of course, the water in rabbits should be clean. Therefore, it is recommended to use not simple cups, but special nipple drinkers. In them, the water stays fresh longer. Otherwise, dirt and excrement will fall into the drinker, which can cause an epidemic.
Conditions of detention
In general, these rodents are quite whimsical to the conditions of detention. Broiler rabbits are no exception. It is necessary to provide them with a sufficiently high level of temperature and protection from precipitation. It is also necessary to reliably protect animals from drafts. They most often cause colds, which are very dangerous for many small animals.
If a case has been identified, isolate the sick rabbit from the rest. It is very important once again to make sure that the temperature in the rabbitry is not too low, and drafts are not walking on it. Only with a serious approach to breeding and raising rabbits can we achieve pleasant results.
Conclusion
Now you know more about the different breeds of broiler rabbits, as well as about suitable conditions. If you decide to breed these cute animals, do not forget that in the cells you need to maintain cleanliness. Rabbits are animals that are prone to many diseases. Proper containment is an excellent preventative measure.