Features of the New Zealand Rabbit

New Zealand rabbit is one of the most popular breeds in the world. In almost every country, farmers breed this species. It is so popular because of its ease of maintenance, early maturity, excellent health.

Characteristic of a New Zealand rabbit

The New Zealand rabbit breed is diverse. The main products obtained from a pet of this variety are meat. Minor foods are animal fur. These are not all New Zealand rabbit breeds that are also suitable for scientific experiments and allowed for eared exhibitions.

New Zealand rabbits are divided into several species, the most famous of which are red and white. The New Zealand white rabbit shows better results than the red one.

New Zealand White Rabbit

The hairline of these animals is soft to the touch. The coat is white, without impurities of other colors. The bottom layer of the hair is silver. On the head are small ears, not reaching 12 cm in length.

The eared animal has a short neck, a small muscular body. The face of the New Zealand white rabbit is wide, with a rounded nose. The female has a more elegant appearance compared to the male.

New Zealand white rabbits have red eyes, as they belong to the genus albinos. Teeth are snow white. The lower limbs are well developed, muscular, straight. Claws can be beige or white. The back of the body is rounded.

White New Zealand rabbits in adulthood can weigh up to 5 kg. The body length of the male is about 46 cm, the female is almost 50 cm.

New Zealand white rabbit

New Zealand white rabbit multiplies rapidly. The female can lead more than 7 rabbits at a time. Survival is 100% due to the presence of a large amount of milk in the mother to feed babies. The weight of the newborn reaches almost 50 g. If you keep and feed the rabbit according to the rules, then by the age of 1 month it will weigh more than 2 kg.

The skins of the New Zealand white breed of rabbits are highly valued not only because of their obvious qualities (soft fur, thick wool), but also because they can be dyed in any color. A wide assortment of outer fur clothing is made from the fur of these animals.

If a beginner has difficulties with choosing a quality product, he can use the photo of the New Zealand white rabbit for a detailed study and comparison with the goods offered to him. It is also advisable when buying an animal to ask the seller all relevant documents, including a health certificate from a veterinarian.

The breed is brought not only by amateurs, small private entrepreneurs, but also large farms for the purpose of breeding and trade. Care and maintenance for furry pens quickly pays off thanks to the use of animals in various industries.

The New Zealander has a calm character. He trusts a person with a good attitude on his part. Pussies are picky about food; their content also does not cause trouble. The price for one pet is low, which allows anyone who wants to buy the eared one. If you are interested in the New Zealand white rabbit, the breed description will let you learn a lot about it.

New Zealand red rabbit

The characteristics of these furry dogs deserve special attention. The New Zealand red breed of rabbits differs from its white counterparts in color. The head of the pet is small, the neck is short, the body is in the shape of a cylinder. Ears no more than 12 cm, dense, with rounded ends. The broad chest passes into the developed lumbosacral region. The breed has brown eyes, sometimes there are red ones. The fur is thick, brown with a golden hue, sometimes it can be red. Mouth, eyes, lower thighs – areas where the color is slightly lighter than the main one.

Adult red New Zealand rabbits weigh almost 5 kg. The length of the female is 49 cm, the male is 47 cm. The female gives birth to about 7 rabbits, feeds them milk until they leave. Almost all babies always survive.Subject to the rules of care and maintenance, rabbits will weigh more than 2.3 kg by the age of 2 months. Each year, one female can give about 40 rabbits.

New Zealand red rabbit

New Zealand white and red rabbits are culled according to the following parameters:

• ears longer than 12 cm;
• ears do not stick up;
• double chin;
• sparse hair;
• weight exceeds 5.6 kg.

Nutrition

Feed New Zealand rabbits twice a day. Vegetables, dry grass and branches, grain feeds are the most important components of a daily diet. Compound feed and dry grass are the main food.

You can’t feed rabbits with lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes. These foods cause an upset bowel that often causes death.

Greens should be given with great care in limited quantities. It is impossible to overfeed fluffy animals.

Drinking water should be of average temperature, clean. It is not recommended to give boiled water due to the lack of important substances and minerals in it. Nipple drinkers are the best option for feeding water to the cage.

Care and maintenance

The main principles for keeping white and red rabbits are important for absolutely every breeder to know.

• Ration.Early maturity is a feature of the animal that must be referred to when feeding, as it can quickly gain weight, which will affect health and productivity.
• Vaccinations. In order for young growth to be healthy, rabbits selected for breeding are vaccinated in order to enhance immunity.
• Temperature regimen. The optimum temperature in the home of these animals is about 16 ° C. At a high rate, heat stroke can occur, which leads to death.
• Lighting. Direct rays of the sun should not fall into the aviary: this is detrimental to animals. The light should be soft. You can create it artificially using fluorescent lights.

Rules for keeping white and red rabbits

Vaccination

Vaccination is another important point in the content of animals. It helps protect pets from possible diseases. On the 28th day after birth, they are vaccinated against a disease such as myxomatosis. After another 17 days, it is necessary to deliver a vaccine against viral hemorrhagic disease. After a quarter, you need to repeat the procedure. Then the operation is performed twice a year.

You can vaccinate yourself at home. In every veterinary pharmacy, these vaccines are available, the cost of which is quite low, so any farmer can afford it.It is better to carry out such operations to veterinarians or experienced breeders of these animals.

Breeding

Breeding of New Zealand white and red rabbits is not different. New Zealand rabbits are bought at the age of not earlier than 3 months. The best option is 4 months. If you acquire a younger New Zealander, it is likely that he will not survive due to immunity that has not yet been strengthened.

It is advisable to make a purchase on the farm, and not on the market or with hands. This is the safest transaction, as farms are checked, they have all the necessary documents. Here, too, before buying, you can observe how New Zealanders behave and choose from a large herd who liked them.

When choosing, you need to pay attention not only to the appearance, which should coincide with the photo or video, but and the behavior of young animals. A young New Zealander should be active, alert, with a good appetite. The skin, eyes, paws should be neat. The opposite suggests poor health.

A New Zealander should not breed with a cousin. We must buy on different farms to avoid this.

Conclusion

New Zealander is a universal breed that gives excellent fur, always in demand for sewing outerwear The meat has excellent palatability, and it is not difficult to feed a rabbit for this purpose, due to its predisposition to be overweight. Maintenance does not require large expenditures and skills, which allows even a novice to get big-eared. E excellent representatives of the rabbits, you can see the video.