Do You Have the Right Conditions for Rabbits?

Achieving optimum fitness is the goal of all breeding practices and care for pets. By condition we mean the actual preparedness of an animal for a particular purpose conditioned by many external and internal factors. In particular, the level of nutrition and care, as well as the health condition of the individual, are inseparably linked to the level of fitness.

The condition can change over the course of life, for better or worse. The breeder’s effort is to profile these aspects as much as possible and ensure a targeted overall impression when looking at the animal. It is of fundamental importance to assess the condition of production animals, where we can look and feel the value of the individual.

Types of condition of rabbits in domestic breeding

In the domestic breeding of rabbits, the following types of condition can be predominantly encountered.

Breeding condition

Breeding condition is a prerequisite for successful reproduction. It is important for both sexes, however, in rabbits it is advisable to pay a little more attention with regard to the possibility of fattening in case of improper nutrition. On the other hand, a common mistake of some breeders is the underestimation of the breeding condition in males, which may be reflected in e.g. impaired sexual libido or weak spermiogram. In layman’s terms, a breeding rabbit “is neither skinny nor fat”.

Fattening condition

The fattening condition is a prerequisite for quality meat stock value, especially meat stock yield. The aim is for the rabbit to be able to transform nutrients from specially balanced diets into the desired product – meat. Selected breeds of rabbits are suitable for this purpose (e.g. Burgundy, Californian, Great Hare, Siamese), but the best results are achieved by specially bred hybrids – broiler rabbits, even though they have increased demands on nursing and nutrition than representatives of pure-bred breeds. From the point of view of meat stock processing, the slaughter age around 3 to 4 months of age is optimal, when rabbits convert nutrients from feed mainly into muscle, which can be palpated. Such rabbits also have rounded body shapes, which is due to the optimal development of subcutaneous fat. Older rabbits no longer store nutrients in the structures of their body much and mainly in the form of fats – abdominal and subcutaneous, which is undesirable. Rabbits with a markedly fattening condition – thick skin, which often forms overhangs, are not suitable for breeding, let alone exhibiting activities.

Exhibition condition.

Exhibition condition is a prerequisite for successful presentation at exhibitions and shows. The rabbit is actually in an “improved” breeding condition with the fact that it is in a somewhat better nutritional condition. In addition, the overall excellent impression, harmony of the body, the nature and suitability of the animal for exterior evaluation, and in particular the quality of the coat, shall be taken into account. The fur is one of the most obvious indicators of health – the requirement is shiny, close-fitting, dense coat with balance all over the body. Significant improvement of the fur and achievement of the exhibition condition of rabbits at all is currently devoted a large amount of attention in breeding practice, which is closely related to the offer of specialized diets for rabbits.

Fig. 1 The exhibition condition is most evident in the musculature and fur of the rabbit