Rabbit Production. James I McNitt
to our knowledge of rabbit breeding and genetics. In 1997, he was awarded the coveted International Animal Agriculture Bouffault Award for his contributions. He served as President of the World Rabbit Science Association from 2004 to 2008 and as General Secretary for Developing Countries from 2008 to 2016. P.R. Cheeke has conducted rabbit nutrition research since 1969 and has published extensively in this area. In 1985 he was awarded the prestigious Mignini International Award for excellence in rabbit research. G.S. Templeton, author of the early editions of the book, was Director of the U.S. Rabbit Experiment Station for 23 years. Thus, this book rests on a solid foundation of practical and scientific knowledge of rabbit production.
We thank our friends who have provided much assistance and insight in preparing this edition. Leslie Samson, Samson Angoras, has provided extensive assistance with the Angora chapter including rewriting the text and providing new photos for the color breed section. Susan M. Smith, of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison and the House Rabbit Society, provided assistance in revising and updating the chapter on pet rabbits. Richard Gehr, a rabbit judge and Director for the ARBA, provided assistance and insight for the chapter on Rabbit Shows.
Dr. David Harris, who worked with the former Rabbit Research Station at Oregon State University, has used his photographic skills and provided many excellent figures for this and previous editions.
Appendix
Conversion factors from the metric system to US measures. In most cases, we have used the approximate values because the values in the text are also approximate.
| Metric | TO | US measure |
| Area | ||
| Hectares (ha) | Multiply by 2.47 | Acres |
| Square meters (m2) | Multiply by 10.9 | Square feet (ft2) |
| Square meters (m2) | Multiply by 1.20 | Square yards (yd2) |
| Length | ||
| Meters (m) | Multiply by 3.28 | Feet (ft) |
| Kilometers (km) | Multiply by 0.622 | Miles (mi) |
| Centimeters (cm) | Multiply by 0.394 | Inches (in) |
| Meters (m) | Multiply by 1.09 | Yards (yd) |
| Volume | ||
| Milliliters (ml) | Multiply by 0.0338 | Fluid ounces (fl oz) |
| Liters (l) | Multiply by 0.264 | Gallons (gal) |
| Liters (l) | Multiply by 1.06 | Quarts (qt) |
| Mass | ||
| Grams (g) | Multiply by 0.0352 | Ounces (oz) |
| Kilograms (kg) | Multiply by 2.2 | Pounds (lb) |
| Ton (metric)* | Multiply by 0.91 | Ton |
| Temperature | ||
| Celsius | 9/5C +32 | Fahrenheit |
| Force | ||
| Kilopascals (kPa) | Multiply by 0.145 | Pounds per square inch (lb/in2) |
*Note that, unless specified to the contrary, the use of ton in this text refers to the metric ton (1,000 kg or 2200 lb)
1
Introduction
Rabbit production is developing into a significant agricultural enterprise in the United States (Fig. 1.1). It is also relatively important in several European countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy, where rabbit is regarded as a gourmet meat, and is expanding is several other countries around the world. In China, the Angora rabbit is raised for its wool which is exported to other countries for production of high quality luxury garments. Rabbit pelts are used in making fur coats and toys. In addition to being raised commercially for meat, wool, and fur, rabbits are also produced in large numbers for laboratory use. They are particularly useful in certain types of medical research. Many people in the United States raise rabbits for show or exhibition purposes and enjoy the challenge of breeding animals that possess traits that best exemplify the standards of a particular breed. Others keep rabbits simply as pets. Whatever one’s motivation for keeping rabbits, information on nutrition, diseases, breeding, and management is useful for attaining an end product of healthy, well-nourished, productive animals.
Fig. 1.1. A productive doe and her litter. Because of their high reproductive capacity and high growth rate, rabbits are among the most productive of domestic livestock. (Courtesy of P.R. Cheeke)
History, Taxonomy, and Domestication of the Rabbit
The origin and evolution of rabbits is difficult to trace, because rabbit bones are small and fragile and often are destroyed or rearranged by predators. Fossil records trace the order Lagomorpha back about 45 million years to the late Eocene period. The leporids (rabbits and hares) appear to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and southern France.
The modern lagomorphs consist of two families (Leporidae and Ochotonidae) with 11 genera (Table 1.1). They range from the highly successful hares and rabbits of the Lepus, Oryctolagus, and Sylvilagus genera to several endangered genera and species. The Bunolagus genus, with one species, the riverine rabbit, is restricted to Karoo floodplain vegetation. Other rare and endangered lagomorphs include the Sumatran hare (Nesolagus netscheri) in Indonesia, the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) in Japan, and the volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi) in Mexico. Further information on rabbit taxonomy can be obtained from the internet at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leporidae.
Table 1.1. The modern lagomorphs.
| No. of Modern Species | Present Natural Geographical Distribution | Examples |