Rabbit Production Exam 1

All domesticated rabbits are descendants of what?

The wild European rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Rabbits were once classified as ___ but no longer are.

Rodents

Why are rabbits no longer classified as rodents?

Their teeth are different

What makes a hare different from a rabbit at birth?

They are fully haired, eyes are open, and they can run within a few minutes

Characteristics of a hare

1. Born in the open, no well defined nest

2. Long leaps when running

3. Long ears

4. Alert and wary

What is a rabbit drive? What is used no to replace them?

It was a a community affair where they would club rabbits to control the population.

Pesticide baits are now used instead

What makes Arctic and Snowshoe hares special?

They have white coats during the winter that turn brown in the summer

What are the 2 genuses of rabbits?

1. True rabbits- Oryctolagus

2. Cottontails- Sylvilagus

You cannot cross a cottontail and a true rabbit, why?

Because they have different amounts of chromosomes

Oryctolagus- 22

Sylvilagus- 21

Where/when was the first recorded rabbit husbandry?

Early Roman times

When were rabbits believed to be domesticated?

16th century

Rabbits can be fed diets that are (high/low) in ___ and (high/low) in ___

Low in grain

High in roughages

Are rabbits more or less efficient than ruminants?

More efficient

How much can rabbits gain a day?

~ 20-40 g/day

Why do rabbits have a high potential to be a meat source?

1. Little space is needed

2. Short time to slaughter

3. High reproductive potential

4. Rapid growth rate

What gives rabbits their high reproduction potential?

1. Short gestation period

2. Ability to rebreed immediately after kindling

3. Can wean at 28 days and have another litter 3 days later

What country is one of the world’s largest rabbit producers and consumers?

France

What is the average size of a US rabbitry?

50 or less does

Who is the largest producer of Angora rabbit fur?

China

Over 90% world supply

Top 3 rabbit producers in the world

1. China

2. North Korea

3. Spain

How do Europeans refer to their rabbit industry?

“ industrial scale broiler rabbit production”

Characteristics of raising rabbits in Europe

Wired cages

Environmentally controlled buildings

Pelleted Diets

Why has there been a decline in rabbit production in some European countries?

Economy

Animal rights groups

Animal welfare regulations

Organic food movement

Antibiotic use for disease control

What was accidentally introduced into Britain that resulted in the deaths of many rabbits?

Myxomatosis

• blindness

• fever and sniffles

When was rabbit meat most popular in North America?

From the Great Depression through WWII

Where is the largest US processing plant?

Arkansas

What is the size of most commercial breeding colonies?

20-100 does

Top meat production breeds

New Zealand White

Californians

Where are rabbits considered pests?

New Zealand and Australia

What parts of the world are seeing an increase in rabbit production?

The developing world in Africa, Latin America, and SE Asia