Rabbit is a gray giant. Breeds of rabbits: description and photo

It has long been known that "rabbits - it's not only valuable fur, but also 3-5 kilograms of dietary meat." Perhaps this is all that most people know about rabbits. Although it is worthwhile to learn more about these useful farm animals. For example, there is a breed of rabbits gray giant.

History of the breed

The first rabbits of the final variant of the selection breed were obtained in the Petrovsky animal farm of the Poltava region. The long work on breeding was completed in 1952. Work was conducted with rabbits of the Flandra breed and mongrel local rabbits. In the process of work, culling was carried out, which did not have the desired characteristics. Only those animals were left for breeding, which could give the next generation the necessary signs of the breed. Large mass and size were transferred from flanders. Good adaptability and high fertility - from mongrel animals.

Features

The gray giant breed is large in size. The weight of an adult animal is 4-7 kg, but still more often there are individuals of 5-6 kilograms. The body of a rabbit is about 56-66 cm long. In principle, it is an animal of medium size with a massive skeleton. Rabbit has a large head, large ears, large legs. Legs in rabbits of this breed are long and straight. The chest can be up to 40 cm in diameter.

Rabbit gray giant has not too thick, but strong enough and warm wool. The quality of the undercoat is lower than that of animals bred for their fur (such breeds of domestic rabbits as the Soviet chinchilla, black-brown or Viennese blue).

Inside the breed of these rabbits distinguish several colors. The most common is a dark gray color. But there is a gray-hare and glandular-gray coloring. In addition, despite the name, rabbits of this breed can have white or black colors. In a situation where a rabbit with a standard color has cubs of other shades, do not pay attention to it. Characteristics of the breed in these animals will be fully present.

In rabbits that have a gray-hare color, the paws on the inner side and the abdomen will be completely white, and the axial hairs have a non-uniform color.

Feeding rabbits

Like other rabbits of meat breeds, these animals need fresh feed. A very big role in the correct growing of animals is played by fresh grass and vegetables. For proper digestion, avoid overfeeding animals with herbs such as alfalfa or field clover. In young animals, the abundance of such food causes bloating. To avoid such problems, these herbs must be dried before feeding. To do this, let the grass lie in the shade for two days.

Rabbits will be very happy with fresh vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, squash, radish. They are good at eating corn and peas, but these crops should be given in very limited quantities, as they can damage digestion.

Separately, it should be noted that to feed these (as well as all other) rabbits with wet grass is strictly prohibited. During the rain, the grass should be dried. If this is not possible, it is better to give hay than to feed it with moist grass. Of course, to give spoiled, rotten food to animals can not in any case.

In addition to grass and fresh vegetables, rabbits are fed and grain. Animals love this food, they eat it well, but here it is not necessary to make concessions to them and feed them with grain round days.

Whatever rabbits are fed, they need clean water for drinking. It is better not to put the fluid in the open, but to equip the animals with special water drips. Then the water will remain clean, and the health of rabbits will not suffer.

The breed is a gray giant (like the rest of rabbits) - rodents, they constantly grow incisors. To give animals the opportunity to properly grind their teeth, it is necessary to make sure that they always have branches of plants in the enclosure. If animals are grown in wooden cages, they will gnaw the cages - this is the nature of rabbits.

Care

The breed of rabbits the gray giant perfectly feels in different climatic conditions. Animals adapt easily both to the mild climate of the south, and to the conditions of severe winter in the north. To keep rabbits in the north, there is no need to create special conditions. There is no need to insulate the cells. For winter, a warm wooden dwelling is perfect.

The rabbit is a gray giant - quite a sociable and friendly animal, so they can be kept not in single cells, but in enclosures in whole groups.

The main condition of healthy keeping of rabbits is cleanliness. Clean the cage of litter regularly. At least twice a year, it must be disinfected with bleach, slaked lime or a blowtorch. It is especially important to monitor the cleanliness when the rabbit is preparing for the birth of babies. Before settling a new animal, it is also worthwhile to disinfect.

Rabbit gray giant perfectly get along not only in the cage, but also in sheds, and in a city apartment. Zverek is well tamed, so he can become an excellent pet for any family.

The content of rabbits in cells

The cage for outdoor maintenance should be at least 40 cm in height, 60 cm in length, 36 cm in width. The roof must be opened for easy maintenance and inspection. The cage should be in a bright place, but sheltered from the heat. Must be water and food. The floor needs to be tied with tin to protect rabbits from rats. If rabbits have a two-story cage - the walls of the second floor must also be upholstered in tin.

Contents in the cage

When keeping in the enclosure, it is especially important to monitor the cleanliness, since rabbits should never run around in manure. Litter should be constantly changed, not allowing the dampening of the material.

Contents of rabbits at home

For the maintenance of rabbits at home, metal lattice cells with pallets are suitable, for simplified maintenance. In such cells, there must also be water in the water bowls and always fresh food. Rabbit gray giant is not suitable as a toy for children. His character is rather benevolent, but his size does not allow the child to cope with the animal. Therefore, the child can only be engaged in feeding a rabbit, or it is worth considering another breed.

Breeding

A very important aspect when considering the breed is the rabbit gray giant - breeding. An essential role is played by the natural fertility of the rabbits of this breed. In one case, the female gives birth to 8 rabbits. Sometimes rabbit appears and 14, but still quite rare. The undoubted advantage of the breed is that the rabbits never eat newborn babies. Milk from the eared mama is enough, so you can leave all the babies born with natural feeding.

Begin to bring the offspring of a rabbit can from the age of three months, but it is better to spend the first occasion in 5-6 months. Pregnancy lasts for 28-35 days. At the approach of birth indicate the movements of rabbits - usually this occurs around the 25th day of pregnancy.

When the pregnant rabbit begins to rip off the coat, it means that she began to build a nest. Most often the rabbit gray giant begins training 3-4 days before the birth, but some females can begin arranging the nest and just before the sex.

The majority of births occur in the early morning, so carefully examine the area around the cage and the nest - the newborn can crawl away from the mother and die from hypothermia. Interfere in the process of childbirth is not worth it. Exceptions are cases when the rabbit is clearly unable to cope and she needs the help of a specialist. The she-rabbit removes the shell on the rabbits. The placenta is also destroyed by it.

If at first it seems that the rabbit is not engaged in cubs - this impression is deceptive. Rabbits do not look like other animals, they can approach the offspring just a couple of times a day, and for a very short time. From the nest of the rabbit begin to be selected after opening the eyes - about 12 days. If you notice a blind rabbit outside the nest, place it in place, as it may die.

During pregnancy and feeding of the cubs, careful care and additional nutrition are necessary for females of any breed of rabbits (the name does not play a special role). Gray giant will require additional care for the cage and more food with protein.

Cultivation of rabbits

Newborn babies weigh about 80 grams. With proper feeding and leaving for 2 months they weigh about 1.5 kg. By four months, a healthy animal is gaining 2.6 kg. If necessary, higher values in the diet of rabbits need to add food rich in protein.

You can take off the rabbits from your mother at the age of one month.

Application of rabbits

Representatives of the gray giant breed are rabbits of meat breeds. The main purpose of their maintenance is meat, which has high taste and dietary qualities. Rabbit meat is classified as white meat. For people with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is truly ideal food, as the protein in it is contained more than in the meat of other animals, and the fat is much less.

In the treatment of cancer, it is very important to include in the diet meat of young rabbits. This is due to its interesting and useful ability to reduce the dose received during radiation treatment. Curiously, the rabbit organism at the age of up to 7 months does not take strontium-90, which is the product of the disintegration of herbicides and pesticides.

The intimate fat of rabbits is an excellent healing remedy. Since such fat is also a reliable antiallergic agent, it is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, using as a basis.

The most dietary is a three-month-old rabbit a gray giant. The price of such meat is higher, but the benefits from it are much greater. Buy rabbit live weight can be about 400 rubles per kilogram.