Rabbit Production - James I McNitt

Скачать книгу

so its opening is against the wall. By this time the doe is not likely to injure the young when she jumps over the side into the box.

      A drop nest box (Fig. 4.14 and 4.15) has a number of advantages. The nest box is below the floor of the cage. This allows does to mimic the nesting behavior of wild rabbits in holes or depressions. A major advantage is that if the young rabbits do crawl out of the nest box or are carried out attached to a teat, they fall back into it as they are crawling around the cage. This reduces deaths from exposure of kits, because rabbits, unlike many other species, will not return their young to the nest. The use of drop nest boxes may also reduce the problem of does kindling on the wire. The disadvantage of a drop nest box is that a doe will sometimes use it as a latrine.

      Fig. 4.14. A “drop” or “subterranean” nest box. (Courtesy of D.J. Harris)

      The wire component of the drop nest box is made of 2.5 × 5.0 cm wire sides with a 1.25 × 2.54 cm wire floor. It is essentially a wire basket that is J-clipped to the bottom of the cage after a section of the floor (41 × 25 cm) is removed. This wire basket (41 × 25 × 20 cm) is permanently attached to the cage. A plywood insert (39 × 24 × 20 cm) with a screen bottom is built. The plywood insert is added to the cage whenever a nest box is desired. The insert is filled with nesting material prior to adding it to the cage. The doe will then add her fur to make the nest (Fig. 4.15). The plywood insert is removed 18 to 21 days after the kits are born and is emptied, washed, disinfected, and stored for the next use. To prevent the doe from using the nest box as a latrine, the wire basket can be built only 10cm deep. Then the insert (which is 20 cm tall) will be elevated 10cm above the cage floor and will help prevent the doe from fouling the nest. More chewing of the edges may be seen with the elevated nest and the advantage of the kits falling back into the nest is lost.

      Fig. 4.15. A doe making a nest in a drop nestbox. (Courtesy of OSU Rabbit Research Center)

      Another style of nest box is located outside the cage. It is attached to the front of the cage (Fig. 4.16). The litter is very accessible for inspection by the rabbit raiser, who can remove dead kits, etc., without opening the cage or disturbing the doe. The nest box can be equipped with a door so that the doe can be locked out of it. This prevents her from jumping into the box frequently and trampling the kits. Suitable inside dimensions of the nest box for most breeds are 41 × 25 × 41cm. The front-loading nest box should have a lid (Fig. 4.16) to prevent the doe from jumping out.

      Fig. 4.16. A modern commercial rabbitry with front-loading nest boxes. (Courtesy of D.J. Harris)

      A system that has been successfully employed in research studies to measure milk production is to lock the doe out of the nest box for all but one five-minute period per day. Since kits generally nurse only once each day, this is an adequate exposure to the doe. When the door is opened, the doe usually jumps in, nurses the litter, and then leaves. The use of this technique may reduce losses of kits due to trampling. It should be emphasized that if the does are stressed by visitors, unusual noises, etc., they may not jump into the nest boxes in the allotted time. This system requires a high level of management skill.

      Various types of bedding can be used in nest boxes, including straw, wood chips, newspaper, sawdust, and shredded sugarcane products. The doe will supplement the bedding with pulled hair to make a nest (Fig. 4.17). Does may eat straw or hay used in the nest box; this is not necessarily a problem, as the ingested fiber may be helpful in preventing enteric diseases. Another innovation is the use of disposable nest box liners constructed of cardboard. These are removed and burned after use by one litter, which may have value in sanitation and disease control. Regardless of the type of nest box used, it should have adequate drainage.

      Fig. 4.17. A well-filled drop nest box. (Courtesy of OSU Rabbit Research Centre)

      Winter nest boxes

      You can insulate the nest box for winter use by lining it on the inside with one or two layers of corrugated cardboard or several thicknesses of paper and then completely filling it with straw so the doe will have to burrow into it to make a nest. You can also make a nest box for use in low temperatures by placing the standard-size nest box inside a larger box so there will be a space of 7–8 cm on all sides except for the entrance and the top. Fill the 7–8cm space with closely packed straw or other suitable insulating material. A wooden lid covered on the underside with two thicknesses of cardboard or several thicknesses of paper will supply the necessary top insulation. Make three holes 2 cm in diameter in the end of the lid opposite the opening into the nest box to prevent moisture condensation within the box and to provide ventilation.

      Put corrugated cardboard or newspapers on the bottom of the inner box to keep the newborn litter from coming in contact with the cold boards, and then pack the nest box with clean straw so the doe will have to burrow into it to make a hollow for her nest. If the doe allows the litter to nurse and there is adequate dry fur for the litter to fluff to make a nest, the young can survive temperatures as low as -26 to -29°C in this type of nest box.

      An electric heating pad covered with a moisture-resistant material has also been used with success. It is placed under the nest box and run at a very low setting. Care must be taken not to overheat the litter.

      Identification Equipment

      An adjustable tattoo box enables one person to mark a rabbit for identification. The box should be 51cm long × 20cm high × 20cm wide with a movable 2.5 × 15 × 46 cm floorboard that may be raised or lowered to accommodate the size of the rabbit. A small board that slides into slots spaced 2.5 cm apart is placed in back of the rabbit to keep it confined in the front end of the box. A top with an opening to allow the rabbit’s ear to protrude is fastened to the box at the back end with a 7.7 × 6 cm T hinge and at the front end with a door hook (Fig. 4.18). This type of restrainer can also be used to hold a rabbit for collection of a blood sample (Fig. 4.19). Be sure that the rabbit is held securely in the box so that it doesn’t struggle. A rabbit that struggles and fights will often dislocate the vertebrae in its back and be left with posterior paralysis. Alternatives to the tattoo box include a towel or a cat bag made of canvas. The rabbit is wrapped securely in the towel or canvas bag and does not struggle when it is tattooed or treated.

      Fig. 4.18. An adjustable tattoo box.

      Fig. 4.19. Restraining a rabbit for collection of a blood sample from the ear. (Courtesy of OSU Rabbit Research Center)

Скачать книгу