The Reproduction of Rabbits

Rabbits are one of the oldest known animals to exist. Rabbits appear in so many places in our history. In fact, these animals are so old that geologists have proved them to date back 30 or 40 million years. Perhaps, the most well known on appearance in history is the legend of the Easter Bunny. This legend is so well known and so well loved by children everywhere, that it is safe to say that the rabbit is a considerably important part of our history. This fact alone proves that the rabbit deserves our attention.

The rabbit is well known throughout the history of mankind. The Romans, at one time, thought that rabbit meat contributed to the beauty of Roman women. Fortunately they were correct. French monks of the middle ages also raised rabbits as meat for food and their fur for their robes. Both of these cultures enjoyed eating the unborn rabbit. Early Norman raiders introduced rabbits to England. Here, they were first caught with rabbits, and then, as rabbit hunting became a sport, they were hunted by ladies with bows and arrows and dogs.

There are also many artifacts in history that include the rabbit. For example, a sphinx in Turkey, built in 1500 B.C., has been standing on the figures of two rabbits for about 3500 years. There are numerous superstitions and legends pertaining to rabbits. The Emperor of the Balearic Islands, Hadarian, appears on coins of that era along with the rabbit. There is no doubt that rabbits are important to our history and deserve our attention.

It is hard to say where the rabbit was originally domesticated because there are so many accounts of this occurrence in so many countries, but it is generally accepted that the Phoenicians (traders from Spain) must receive credit for spreading the domestic rabbit throughout the world. There has also been much debate as to what order the rabbit should belong to. It seems that rabbits have cause much confusion for mankind throughout history.

Rabbits were once placed in the order of Rodentia. However, scientists soon noted that rabbits had many anatomical differences from rodents. The largest and most significant one being tooth structure. Rabbits were then given their own order. This is the order of Lagomorpha. This order is further divided into two smaller groups. They are Leporidae, which is made up of rabbits and hares, and Ochotonidae, containing only the small rock rabbit, the pika. the Leporidae is divided even further into three more groups: Lepus, this includes hares, Sylvilagus, the American cottontail, and Oryctolagus.

Rabbits are mammals with long ears and short tails. They are often characterized by their helpless offspring. (They are helpless because they are born without hair and with closed eyes.) Rabbits are also considered social animals because they generally live in large colonies in underground burrows. (The only exception to this is the North American Cottontail.) They have a life span of approximately ten years and feed on herbs, tree bark and vegetables. Wild rabbits prefer to live where there is an abundance of loose soil and brush to offer them shelter.

Domesticated rabbits are rather different from wild rabbits though. The domestic rabbit is a direct descendent of the wild European rabbit, but is an entirely different species from the cottontails. There are at least 66 known varieties of this species. Of these 66 varieties approximately 50 of them are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). They vary in color, coat, size, and style of ears.

After knowing a brief history on rabbits, the next thing to consider is the proper housing and care of a rabbit. There are some basic requirements that must be met for housing a rabbit, regardless of where a person lives. The housing must be comfortable, yet it must confine them. It must protect them from the weather, but not be too expensive to the owner. Also, the housing should always provide easy access for the owner and be easily cleaned. If the owner does not meet these requirements, it is certain that he will not succeed.

To make sure that the cage is comfortable for the rabbit, several things must be kept in mind. The first is the size. A rule of thumb by rabbit breeders is to allow 3/4 square foot of floor area for each pound of mature weight. The second thing to remember is to make sure that the pen will not injure the rabbit. There should not be any sharp edges, or rough floors. If there are, they should be removed or sanded. The final thing to keep in mind is that the housing must allow plenty of fresh air and ventilation. The rabbits should get direct sunlight, and the level of ammonia should be kept as low as possible. (Ammonia becomes a problem because rabbits urine contains a compound called urea. This reacts to water, forming ammonia gas.) These factors must always be kept in mind.

There are several types of housing for rabbits. The first factor that one must decide is whether or not he wants to house his rabbits inside or outside. Outdoor housing is generally less expensive, and it provides better ventilation for the rabbits. However, there is little protection from weather and predators in outdoor housing. Housing the rabbits outside also provides difficulty in regulating the amount of light that the rabbits will receive. While indoor housing solves all of the above mentioned problems along with better efficiency, it also is much more costly, and it is difficult to control the temperature and the humidity of the rabbitry.

The second factor that one must consider, is the type of pens to use. Wire cages are the most popular kind to use for indoor housing. Wire cages are easy to clean and are very durable. Droppings and urine fall through the floor into a dropping pan that can simply be dumped out every week. Also, the feeders do not steal any of the cage space from the rabbit. The downfall though, of course, is the cost. Wire cages are usually very expensive.

The most popular kind of housing for outdoor use is the wooden and wire combination hutch. These hutches generally have wire floors and/or wire sides. The downfall of using wood though, is that rabbits tend to gnaw on it. The manager should make sure that the rabbits cannot chew on the wood, and pressure treat it as well. This will protect the hutch from weather and decay. Wood also absorbs urine, which will be difficult to clean out, and will create a foul odor.

The daily care of a rabbit may seem very long at first and tedious, but it is not difficult. The manager must always check the water dish and the food dish to be certain that the rabbit has enough of both. Also, the first signs of failing health is the refusal to drink or eat. The manager must also check the droppings from the rabbits. He may find that the rabbits have diarrhea, which is the cause