How to raise Dutch rabbits
Grass is the staple food of rabbits.
Timothy: Suitable for rabbits over one month old, especially adult rabbits. Grass-based, low protein and high fiber can prevent various diseases.
Alfalfa: Young rabbits and pregnant rabbits can eat it. Too nutritious to synthesize rabbits, it is easy to lead to obesity or indigestion due to overnutrition.
Fruit grass, ryegrass, oat grass, wheat grass, etc. There is a problem of high nutrition and low cellulose. Rabbits with bad stomachs are prone to soft stools and insufficient molars.
Others include plantain and dandelion. , has pharmacological effects, depending on the health status of rabbits.
Basically, the purpose of providing hay is to help rabbits grind their teeth, increase cellulose and promote intestinal peristalsis.
vegetables
Bunny can't eat fresh vegetables and fruits. Adult rabbits with grass and rabbit food as their staple food can add a little vegetables to their daily diet, accounting for 5% of their daily diet.
fruit
Fruits with too much sugar can cause cavities and pustules in rabbits, so try to eat less fruits. Young rabbits are not allowed to eat. Peel can be eaten in moderation.
Matters needing attention in raising Dutch rabbits
Foods that cannot be eaten in large quantities: corn, peanuts, potatoes, pasta, nuts, meat, honey, glucose, oatmeal, sweet bamboo sticks, etc. Foods you can't eat: chocolate, coffee, wine, onions, leeks, green onions, garlic, etc. Cookies, bread, you'd better not feed them. Rabbits should eat as little fruits and vegetables as possible. The gastrointestinal and digestive characteristics of rabbits determine that they are not suitable for digesting too many carbohydrates! Too many fruits and vegetables can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort in rabbits, especially young rabbits. Eating fruits and vegetables too early can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea (diarrhea and hypoglycemia are fatal to young rabbits). Adult rabbits try not to eat more than 300g of fruits and vegetables every day. The feces of different rabbits will change after eating them. Adjust your food intake according to your physical condition. If there is anything unusual, stop eating fruits and vegetables immediately. Wash the food before feeding, dry the water on the surface and give it to the panda rabbit.
Rabbits' food also needs regular ration. 24-hour unlimited supply of drinking water and hay.
Probiotics are an important factor in the gastrointestinal health and even physical health of pets. Animals can supplement probiotics by ingesting various raw foods in the natural environment. Because the food eaten by domestic pets contains additives, it will destroy the balance of gastrointestinal flora of pets and easily produce gastrointestinal diseases such as constipation, diarrhea, indigestion and gastroenteritis. Supplementing pet probiotics is necessary to maintain gastrointestinal health!
In China, because the living environment is different from that of foreign garden villas, rabbits do not need vaccination or coccidiosis drugs: vaccination is in the experimental stage all over the world and has not yet reached the state of qualified research and development; Rabbits need to have a stool examination (which can be done in pet hospitals, animal husbandry stations and veterinary stations, and only need normal saline and a microscope) to determine whether there are coccidia. If there is no coccidia, there is no need to take medicine. Coccidia itself has side effects on rabbits, which is easy to cause gastrointestinal necrosis. If there are coccidia, try to choose drugs from world-famous manufacturers (such as Bayer, Germany) instead of products with three noes. Coccidia is irritating to the stomach and needs to be taken with probiotics.
Rabbits, like other animals, will die without drinking water. However, because vegetables and weeds containing a lot of water were fed before, too much water in these foods will affect gastrointestinal health and cause diarrhea. Wet cages make rabbits sick easily. If dry artificial feed is the staple food, of course, you should drink water.
Rabbit feces are usually hard, round black particles, and occasionally soft. If you don't pay attention, rabbits may eat these soft feces immediately. These soft feces contain indigestible plant fibers in food, which are eaten into the stomach again, and after absorbing the nutrients needed by the body, the circular feces are excreted. If you don't eat these feces, some rabbits may die of malnutrition. Rabbits don't eat their own shit because of mental illness like cats and dogs, so don't worry about it.
A cage with an average length of about 70-80 cm on each side can raise 1 free baby. In addition to professional rabbit cages, dog cages sold in the market can be used. Cat cages are too high, squirrel cages and bird cages are not strong enough. When making your own cage, make sure the wood is hard enough to avoid being bitten off. Wooden boards are used at the bottom of the cage to facilitate the discharge of pollution and avoid excessive humidity in the cage. It is best to use barbed wire on the front and side to make the cage well ventilated. Pay attention to protect the rabbit's feet at the bottom of the cage. If you use barbed wire, you need to add a plastic pad, otherwise your feet may become inflamed.
If it is raised outdoors, the ground is directly used as the ground of the feeding hut, and rabbits may dig holes to escape, so pay special attention. Other rabbits can't stand the heat and humidity. If they are kept outdoors, they should be careful not to put their cages in closed rooms or balconies, so that they will get sunshine when they go out in rainy and hot summer. The rabbit is sexually mature about 8 months after birth, and when the mother rabbit is agitated, it is a sign of estrus. After mating, the male rabbit will scream and fall into a coma. The female rabbit should be separated from the male rabbit after pregnancy. Spread straw or other hay in the cage, enclose the cage with cloth, and try not to touch it, so that the mother rabbit can be quiet and stable. The mother rabbit will make a nest out of the belly hair. From pregnancy to delivery, the female rabbit will become very neurotic and overexposed. A mother rabbit may bite her master or kill her own baby rabbit. A fetus can give birth to 5-6 rabbits. When food or drinking water is insufficient, the mother rabbit may eat the rabbit, so the amount provided should be slightly more than usual. After about 60 days, the rabbit can leave the nest. At this time, the rabbit can leave the mother rabbit and be easily tamed. If care is difficult, the rabbit can be separated from the mother rabbit when it is three months old. Rabbits usually give birth in three months, or have territorial consciousness. If you come out too late, it will easily lead to inbreeding or fighting, and even death. Each rabbit needs two hours of outdoor time every day.
However, the layout of the rabbit cage should not be taken lightly: First, try not to use the net bottom, and it is best to put a cushion or cloth at the bottom of the cage, because the rabbit's hind foot is born with a cushion to detect the enemy's attack. Standing at the bottom of the cage for a long time will make the rabbit's feet produce meat particles, and its foot shape will also become eight-shaped, which is not conducive to walking, and may seriously make it resist being picked up. In addition, the rabbit will choose one of the four corners of the cage as the toilet seat, and the opposite corner is the bed for sleeping. Just put a soft cloth on the bed and it will rest easy.
Note: when it is hot in summer, you need to prepare an electric fan for it to avoid heatstroke. It is best to cover the cage with clothes, blankets, etc. in winter. And prepare a light bulb to keep warm. But pay attention to where the light bulb is, so as not to burn rabbits or bite wires.
Spreading sawdust is a designated action to absorb urine, so that the thrown rabbit hair will not be raised everywhere. Remember to change frequently, otherwise rabbits are prone to skin diseases, such as toe depilation and cocoon formation. You'd better spread sawdust on the rabbit toilet. To train it to use the toilet, it is best to hold it in the toilet immediately when it defecates, and then it will know where to go. Convenient.
It is best to comb the rabbit's hair once a day, especially when changing the hair, otherwise the hair will be tied into a ball in the future, which will make the appearance ugly, and if the rabbit eats the hair, it will cause the hair to defecate. It is best for the pet shop specialist to cut it, otherwise it will easily hurt its tender skin. Rabbit hair has the function of heat insulation and generally does not need special pruning.
Rabbits themselves are very clean, and they don't need to take a bath all their lives. Rabbit's fur has a protective layer, so it is easy to cause hair loss or other skin diseases by taking a bath frequently. Rabbits are timid and will have a stress reaction when taking a bath. In addition, temperature loss, colds and diarrhea are also problems that are easy to cause when taking a bath.
Newborn rabbits are prone to catch cold, so it is best to put a soft cloth around the cage and put it in a warm place indoors as far as possible. Rabbits with colds have a runny nose, just like humans have a runny nose. As soon as you find such a situation, you should ask a pet doctor for help, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to treat. Belly is also a big problem for rabbits. It is best to ask the seller what food he has eaten before continuing to use it. Don't put a big carrot in it casually, or the rabbit will excrete and die of dehydration easily.
Habits of Dutch rabbits
living environment
It's a Dutch rabbit who loves sun exposure. It is afraid of humidity, likes cleaning and hates filth. Therefore, in feeding management, to create a dry and clean living environment, rabbit cages should be kept dry frequently and scrubbed every week. Feed, drinking water, feeding utensils, etc. Must always be kept clean. Dark and humid, the air is dirty, which is the main reason why rabbits are infected with diseases.
timid and overcautious
I like quiet. Dutch ear rabbits are very timid. When I suddenly heard a voice, I appeared. Surprise field? Phenomenon, appetite will decrease. The mother rabbit who is giving birth is frightened and often has dystocia, or refuses to breastfeed her young rabbit. In addition to exercise and eating, Dutch rabbits also like to rest and sleep, and immediately go into shock when there is any movement. Therefore, it is very important to raise rabbits in a quiet environment.
Cold and heat resistant
Dutch earlobe rabbits have thick hair, which can resist the cold. Adult rabbits can tolerate temperatures below zero and reproduce at around 5℃ in winter. Rabbits with drooping ears are very afraid of heat, because sweat glands are underdeveloped and they can't regulate their body temperature by sweating. Therefore, when the outside temperature is too high, Tutu often crawls on the ground and uses the ground to conduct heat. Or increase the number of breaths and use exhalation to bring out heat. The suitable temperature for adult rabbits is 15~25℃, and that for young rabbits is 30~32℃.
Eating at night
In addition to feeding, Dutch ear rabbits like to rest or sleep in cages during the day, but at night, they are extremely active and feed frequently. According to the experiment, the rabbit's food intake at night accounts for about 75% of the total food intake, so the rabbit must insist on feeding night grass.
Love caves.
Dutch earlobe rabbits like to make holes, and when they are free-range, they make holes more often before breeding. So when building a rabbit house, we should pay attention to this point in design and materials. According to this habit of rabbits, rabbits can be kept in caves in hilly areas with good climate.
Gay attack