Rules for breeding rabbits in a pit
Pit rabbit breeding is a good choice for farmers whose pets have become weak and inactive. It is believed that to restore the balance of natural forces and the subsequent improvement of the health of animals, it is possible to place them in the place closest to nature - a pit. Moreover, the creation and arrangement of the pit must be dealt with by a person. How will the rabbits behave in the pit? Is it popular to breed rabbits in pits? Read about this and much more in the article below.
Breeding rabbits in the pit
How to make a pit
The maintenance of rabbits in the pit should be carried out in accordance with all the rules, which must be started to be followed when choosing a certain place. It is very important that the site is not located below the water level or in a place with high water occurrence. It should be remembered that rabbits are constantly digging holes, therefore the water level from the surface should reach more than 5 m. The best choice would be to breed rabbits in holes in the clay. It is such a rabbit pit that would be ideal.
After the hole is dug, and the absence of groundwater is proven, it is necessary to proceed to the next stages. The first of them is the beginning of arranging the pit with your own hands. It is correct to dig a hole up to 2 m deep and 3 x 3. Construction begins only in a place where flat walls prevail, there are no terraces and other formations. A bayonet shovel is suitable for upholstering the ground. To prevent the rabbits from escaping from the pit, you need to cover the bottom with straw at a level of 20 cm.
The device for a rabbit hole is not a super difficult task, and even drawings are not needed to pull it out. In numerous photos, you can see an example of a common fossa. To improve the home, you can try to wall the room or overlay it with slate. Such measures can prevent sudden collapses and stop spontaneous and uncontrolled burrowing on all sides. The correct pit should contain one uncovered wall to indicate the entrance on it with a shovel, the rest of the actions will be performed by rabbits.
In order to outline the mink, the possible uplift of the bottom should be taken into account. It is better to build a hole with the widening of the entrance in order to prevent crowds and collisions in cases of fright and emergency evacuations.
Nuances in the arrangement
As experience proves, it is the female who is responsible for digging the burrow, the length of which sometimes reaches more than two tens of meters. To make it easier to catch rabbits, the pit should contain a valve or an inlet flap. Do not be afraid that the burrow leads the rabbits to the surface: the slope is either horizontal or falling down. The same applies to the myth that keeping rabbits in pits can worsen the condition of the garden area and harm certain plants. As experienced rabbit breeders assure, such cases have not been observed. A pit more than a meter deep will help prevent the burrow from entering the surface.
Breeding rabbits in pits is a whole art, therefore it is necessary to follow the recommendations of the professionals.
- It is required to arrange the bottom of the pit to eliminate unpleasant odors. You can try using a grid or slats for this. If possible, you need to change the straw in the house and arrange a garbage container there.
- It is necessary to place the feeders and drinkers near one wall. To determine their number, they are guided by the number of rabbits in order to avoid crushing. In order to choose the height, it is important to be guided by the little rabbits as well. Animals should have constant free access to food and water, regardless of the circumstances.
- It is necessary to fence off pets from other pets and wild animals using a fence. Breeding and keeping rabbits will be more comfortable if you make a roof or a canopy over the pit.
Putting rabbits in the pit
After the construction technology is followed, you can begin to populate the new residence with rabbits. On average, the described pit can hold up to 100 heads, however, in order to avoid aggression, it is necessary to run the animals in turn. It is the settlement that is considered the most crucial stage. There are several options for placing pets in the pit.
- Place about 30 individuals in order for them to get stronger and adapt to the new way of life, and then launch the rest of the animals to join the work. In the absence of digging skills, it is better to leave the rabbits for meat, since they will not be able to start digging. This is due to over-adaptation to life at home and the loss of basic natural instincts. Fortunately, such cases are rare.
- To settle only young animals up to six months old. The breed does not matter, however, adults and large individuals are best left in cage conditions. There are also rabbits who have lost their digging instincts, who drive out their comrades and take their place of residence. If possible, you can put rabbits from other holes in the pit.
Growing up in such conditions requires only a few days of attention from the owner of the pets, during which you need to carefully and carefully monitor the rabbits. Do not be intimidated by the initial brawls and aggression: this is due to the division of the territory and will stop after a short period of time. Those individuals whose animal instinct is completely absent should be taught to dig holes in the right direction on their own. To do this, you need to make a few indentations with a shovel. Inexperienced rabbits, following example, will gradually begin to expand their housing. You can see what it is like breeding rabbits in an ordinary pit in one of the special videos about the life of pets. A detailed action plan can simplify the task of setting up a new home in the natural environment.
Not every rabbit can withstand growing and keeping in a pit. The best choice would be ordinary Russian pets of small size and high resistance to diseases.
Growing in a hole at first may be unusual for rabbits, so you need to acclimatize them. For this, especially greenhouse individuals are placed in a new house for a while, after which they are returned again. This should be done about 5-6 times, each time increasing the duration of the stay outside the home.
Pros of growing in a pit
So, keeping the eared in the pit has a number of advantages.
- High fertility. In a short time, the number of pets can increase by a couple of dozen heads.
- Strengthening health and immunity, because it is movement that improves the life of animals. Constant jumping, running, fighting will benefit the rabbits. In order to grow eared eared strong and healthy, it is enough sometimes to add a little balanced feed to their diet and completely eliminate flour, which can lead to indigestion.
- Small spending on home made with your own hands. It will take more than one day to make a metal cage, but in order to make a shallow and large hole, several hours will be enough with a minimum or no cost.Even old boards that can prevent flight are suitable for covering the house.
- Cleaning is carried out several times less often than under normal conditions, due to the larger living space. In addition, many feces and excretions will be absorbed by the soil, therefore you will not need to get rid of them. In addition, rabbits are considered clean, so they will defecate outside the burrow.
- Pets are able to repulse any "land" enemies and pests after grouping. The owner does not have to eliminate the rodents on his own, because the "brigades" of rabbits are able to fight enemies on their own.
- The safety of little rabbits in the pit is ensured to the maximum, therefore almost 100% of the babies survive.
Keeping animals in the pit is beneficial, but there are drawbacks to this process. Before moving on to breeding animals in such a dwelling, it is important to analyze each argument, because this method is by no means universal.
Negative traits
What are the dangers of being in a self-dug hole? High probability of death of all individuals after infection. Unfortunately, long-term maintenance of rabbits in the pit (more than a year) can easily end with the development of a large number of infectious diseases, therefore, it is imperative to disinfect the holes and the perimeter twice a year.
Another disadvantage is the difficulty in cleaning the structure of the house with ill-conceived digging. ...
Some animals have an amazing ability to dig the longest tunnels in which they will have to be found for several years. If such a specimen appears on the farm, it is better to shoot it.
Breeding for a fur coat is impossible, because the fur will become tough and rare due to the constant battles of pets with each other, friction against the ground, etc.
It will not be possible to breed Giants and European breeds, since they are not able to dig the ground and will just sit in the ground.
Farmers Tips
The following tips from experienced farmers can help you ensure your rabbits live in the hole successfully and long-term.
- It is important to ensure that each individual is taken antibiotics before being transplanted into the new environment, and to pierce each female to avoid infections spreading among the young rabbits.
- Animals should be taught to eat. Feeding should be done in the middle of the room, the presence of the owner is optional, but desirable. Such measures will make it easier to catch game in the future.
- The roof over the pit must be of high quality so that a heavy downpour cannot flood it and the house of the offspring: this way the animals can choke. Despite the fact that rabbits dig holes suitable for protection from the rain, there are exceptions.
- It is required to use concrete or brick lining in order to overlay the room and prevent it from crumbling and forced repair work. It is better to get rid of the root problem than to deal with the unexpected inconvenience. Wooden walls can be tied up with an electric drill. Enough holes of 15-16 mm, where the anchor is driven, equipped with high-quality plastic bars. This is enough for clay soil. It is important not to forget to install a larger washer so as not to push the wood.
The method of using the pit for raising rabbits is interesting and uncomplicated, as the farmer does not even need a diagram. Many pets do not like an ordinary cage, so you have to get out of the situation by digging special holes. As it turned out, making them is quite simple, and every novice farmer can breed rabbits there.
With the correct arrangement of the site, the farmer will forget about the worries and whims of rabbits for a long time. Advantageously, one visit every several days will be sufficient to fill the feeders and drinkers. Otherwise, you can see how the rabbits live and cope with everything on their own.In order to breed furry pets, you do not need to "reinvent the wheel", it is enough to use the experience of breeders, watch a few useful videos and arm yourself with patience.