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 animal health, 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 pit has been dug, and the lack of groundwater has been proved, it is necessary to proceed to the next steps. 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 in size. Construction begins only in a place where flat walls predominate, there are no terraces and other formations. For upholstery, a bayonet shovel is suitable. To prevent the rabbits from escaping from the pit, you need to cover the bottom with straw at the level of 20 cm.
The construction of 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 collapse and stop the spontaneous and uncontrolled digging of burrows 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 considered. It is better to build a hole with an extension of the entrance, in order to prevent crush and collisions in cases of fright and emergency evacuations.
Nuances in the arrangement
Experience proves that 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 must contain a valve or an inlet flap. Do not be afraid that the hole brings 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 a garden plot 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 burrows from entering the surface.
Breeding rabbits in pits is a whole art, therefore it is necessary to follow the recommendations of professionals.
- It is required to deal with the arrangement of 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 waste bin there.
- It is necessary to place feeders and drinking bowls near one wall. To determine their number, they are guided by the number of rabbits in order to avoid crush. In order to choose a height, it is important to focus on small rabbits. Animals should have constant free access to food and water, regardless of the circumstances.
- It is necessary to fence off pets from other domestic 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 observed, 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 settlement that is considered the most critical stage. There are several options for placing pets in the pit.
- Place about 30 individuals so that they grow stronger and adapt to a new lifestyle, and then run the rest of the animals to join in the work. In the absence of digging skills it is better to leave the rabbits for meat, as 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.
- 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 the instincts for digging, 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 pet owner, during which you need to carefully and carefully monitor the rabbits. Do not be afraid of 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, make a shovel several recesses. Inexperienced rabbits, following example, will gradually begin to expand their housing. About what breeding of rabbits in an ordinary pit is, you can see in one of the special videos about the life of pets. A detailed action plan can simplify the task of arranging a new home in natural conditions.
Breeding rabbits in the pit, but not in the pit. Breeding rabbits in the pit, but not in the pit. Ukraine.
Rabbits in the pit 2016 June 28 PERSONAL EXPERIENCE !!!
Keeping rabbits in the pit part 1
Breeding rabbits in the pit.
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 pit for the first time may be unusual for rabbits, so you need to do their acclimatization. For this, especially greenhouse individuals are placed in a new house for a while, and then 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, the content of the eared in the pit has several advantages.
- High fertility. In a short time, the number of pets can increase by a couple of dozen goals.
- 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 strong and healthy, it is sometimes enough to add a little balanced feed to their diet and completely eliminate flour, which can lead to indigestion.
- Little spending on home-made housing. To make a metal cage, it will take more than one day, but in order to make a shallow and large pit, several hours are enough with minimal or no cost. For the taxation of the house, even old boards that can prevent flight are suitable.
- The implementation of cleaning several times less than under normal conditions, due to the larger living space. In addition, a lot of feces and excretions will be absorbed by the soil, therefore, you will not need to get rid of them. In addition, rabbits are considered to be clean, therefore they will defecate outside the hole.
- 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 young 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 a pit (more than a year) can easily end with the development of a large number of infectious diseases, therefore it is necessary to disinfect burrows and perimeters twice a year.
Another drawback 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 be used to ensure successful and long-lasting rabbits in the hole.
- It is important to ensure that each individual receives antibiotics before planting under new conditions and inject each female to avoid infections spreading among young rabbits.
- Animals should be trained in food. Feeding should be carried out 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 could not 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 cover 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 in 15-16 mm, where the anchor is 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, because 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. Mostly, one visit in a few days will be enough to fill the feeders and drinkers. Otherwise, you will be able to 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 some useful videos and arm yourself with patience.