Unique signs of German motley giant rabbits

Rabbit of the lineater, differently called the German butterfly or the German motley giant – a fairly common species of large-eared animals. Farmer breeding is of vital interest throughout the world. Why are these eared horns so good besides diet meat?Why are they chosen by breeders from all over the vast planet? Let’s figure it out.

German motley giant

Origin

More than three hundred years ago, in Europe, farmers raised rabbits for meat. By the middle of the 19th century, at the peak of the worship of music and poetry, breeders turned their eyes to the color of an eared animal. It was decided to cross the Belgian breed Flanders with an ordinary rabbit in black and white. In 1907, the breed was introduced to the public and officially included in the list under the name German motley giant (in 1937.due to subsequent crosses it is registered as a separate breed of Riesen rabbits)

Description and characteristic

The Strokach rabbits are considered giants because:

• They weight about 6 kg, individuals up to 10 kg are found.
• Adult rabbits have a muscular body.
• Giants are about 71 centimeters long.
• Large monophonic ears 16-18 see.
• Shortened thick neck, strong legs.
• Eyes – large, color – brown.
• Fur about 3.5 cm, shiny, pleasant to the touch .
• Patterns in the form of splashes are located symmetrically on the sides.

The subspecies has three colors:

• on the back a strip of black three centimeters (continuous), hence the name stringer;
• because of the black spot in the form of a butterfly on the face, respectively, and the name (Butterfly);
• the name of the rabbit The German motley giant got because of the colored spots on the tail, sides.

In the artificial habitat there are different mixed color variants, but more often black and white representatives of the German giant rabbit breed.

Coloring and its features

When breeding the breed String always very difficult to achieve the correct fur color. Sometimes, with their unstable color, this is a difficult, practically unsolvable task.

Important: in order to achieve the desired color, it is necessary to cross a standard male with a white female.

In one litter you can find individuals with a color characteristic of this species, as well as snow-white, piebald, monophonic. Therefore, rabbit farmers in breeding thoroughbred eared must at least possess the basics of genetics (to know the dominant and recessive genes, be able to find an individual with a pronounced set of certain signs and select the appropriate pair for it).

Selection of individuals for breeding Strokach breed

Tribal ears of Strokach must be selected according to some principles:

• The most selected males should be crossed with the best females.
• Emphasis to do on the male, it is he who should be different in health and necessary ha characteristics.

If the rabbit has underestimated performance, then a healthy, powerful rabbit can transfer its genes to almost half of the offspring.

Purebred differences:

• shiny coat, bald patches, lumps are unacceptable;
• bright pattern, which should have clear contours;
• weight 5-10 kg, discrepancy in kilograms is a sign of not purebred;
• eyes are only brown;
• animals are kind, without aggression, calm;
• the motley color appears with age, therefore monochromatic rabbits are often born;
• adulthood German giant’s body is muscular, slightly elongated.

If you want to get the desired characteristics (attributes), always follow the Thoroughbred used in breeding animals.

Sexual differences of rabbits of the Strokach breed

A good farmer can always distinguish between a male and a female, knowing only specific characteristics:

1. Male weight 10% less than that of the female.
2. The head of the rabbit Strokach and the rabbit has a difference, the first is elongated, and the second has a rounded shape.
3. The rabbit has a broader ears and wider ears. athletic addition.

It turns out that just looking at the livestock to immediately notice the right individuals (rabbits or rabbits).

Keeping and breeding rabbits

Rabbits The German motley giant is important to keep in spacious cages or cages with a floor without metal nets. In the summer, it is advisable to walk in a specially constructed spacious corral.

The living space of pets must be kept clean. Although they tolerate cold, inclement weather, it is worth giving up the premises where the wind “walks”.

The breed of rabbits The German giant does not tolerate darkness, but prolonged exposure to sunlight is unacceptable.

By 6 months, when the eared ears reach puberty, they can be mated. The rabbits bring 8-10 babies in one breeze.

Females are placed in separate cages before the birthing (pre-lined with straw). They put a soft, small size box there. The rabbit herself will begin to build housing for the kids.It is better to monitor the nutrition of the individual, try not to touch it and not disturb. The female is a very good mother (in practice, there are no known cases of mother abandoning the baby). Due to the large amount of milk, the rabbit has a 100% ability to feed all rabbits.

Rabbits open their eyes only for 10-12 days. In the third week at night, they are already independently selected from the nest. Separating babies from mother is recommended for the second month. If the rabbits are taken away from the female before the due date, then they may later gain poor weight, as this breed has a very close relationship between the individuals.

The female needs a constant access to drinking water after okroling. Otherwise (because of thirst) she can eat rabbits.

Diseases, prevention

To prevent diseases, you need to be vaccinated once every six months (vaccinations against HBV and myxomatosis). veterinarian, you must definitely take a document showing the date and data on the vaccine.

If the animals are harvest in warm conditions, then the probability of catching a cold is very low.If this happens, it is necessary to separate the sick individual from the healthy one, in order to avoid infection of the whole livestock by airborne droplets.

Weight gain

Unlike other breeds of rabbits, the German giant every month uniformly gaining mass. By the age of 3 months, it has a good weight of 2.3 kg, and by the fifth – 4.5 kg, which is very beneficial when breeding rabbits for meat. Usually, eight-month-olds are taken for slaughter, but if they are kept for longer than this period, they will continue to remain in weight (but the meat becomes more rigid in such cases).

Feeding

The diet of the eared must contain green plants, flower stems, dandelions, clover, sedge.Do not refuse pet treats (they adore fruits, vegetables, greens (dill, sorrel, parsley)).

In the autumn-winter period, the inclusion of vitamin-mineral complexes is desirable.

In winter, green feed is replaced by hay and straw. You can give the bark of fruit, coniferous and deciduous trees.

Recommended roughage:

• millet;
• corn;
• oats;
• rye;
• legumes.

Tip: Change your drinking water more often, because it should always be fresh (this will reduce the likelihood of poisoning and transmission of diseases that can cause death).

Home maintenance

In our country, the Strokach breed is rarely bred as pets. This subspecies is large in size, so it takes a lot of space to keep animals. Large amounts of food are also spent. Because of its large weight, it is not recommended to buy it for children (because of fear of injuring a child).

But, having such advantages as a good character and quick getting used to a person, if you still decide to keep the animal at home , then buy him toys, take care of specialized feeds, good care, and most importantly, provide more free space.

How much do rabbits cost? German motley giant

Do not recommend individuals buy at pet stores and markets because of low genetic indicators.Often there are fake documents that spell out all the characteristics of the animal, including vaccinations. It is better to purchase individuals from farmers or in professional factories. The healthier the giant and the sharper the picture, the more expensive the cost.

It is better to choose rabbits of the breed German motley giant at the age of 2-3 months, their average cost is 1,000 rubles.