How to Know New Zealand Rabbit Breed? New Zealand Rabbit: Characteristics, Uses & Full Breed PetAddict

 New Zealand rabbit is a domestic rabbit raised in Europe and America for meat and ornamental purposes. So is anyone curious about this rabbit breed? Petaddict.net would like to share some features of the How to Know Newzealand Rabbit breed’s living habits and special features through the article below.

Summary about Newzealand Rabbit

New Zealand rabbit (scientific name is Oryctolagus cuniculus). Experts obtained the first New Zealand rabbit by crossing a “wild” New Zealand rabbit with a Belgian rabbit. It was officially recognized in 1910. New Zealand rabbits have many advantages, such as growing quickly, reproducing abundantly, delicious and attractive meat (when prepared properly), and are a popular breed of rabbit raised for rabbit meat. Rabbit manure is also a good fertilizer for flowers and ornamental plants (rabbit manure does not need to be composted but can be applied directly to plants). Rabbit fur is also a raw material for the tanning industry and used for pharmaceutical production.

Features of Appearance, Personality, Reproduction of New Zealand Rabbit

Features of Appearance

Newzealand rabbits have a strong, fleshy back, well-developed legs, and a short neck. The average height of the pet is 48 cm, the weight of the rabbit exceeds 5 kg. Weight of newborn rabbit is 50 – 60g; weaning is 600 – 700g, 3 months old is 2.8 – 3.0 kg/head, adult is 4.5 – 5.5 kg/head. Rabbit’s fur is very thick and has 5 seasons: white, red, black, blue, and broken.

Personality Traits of New Zealand Rabbit

This breed of rabbit has a fixed lifestyle specifically, day and night play. During the day, he usually rests in the cage. In the evening, there will be lively running, dancing activities, and non-stop eating and drinking. So make sure they have enough food and water at night. You should prepare in advance. But note that you need to be on time with the right amount. The New Zealand rabbit is small when it’s full and runs around. Usually in groups of 2-3. It looked like a ball of balls rolling back and forth on the ground.

The second personality trait is that it likes to be dry and hates to be wet. As a small animal that likes to be dry and afraid of moisture, care should be taken to place the cage in a cool, dry place and clean it regularly.

 They have a timid nature. Even a small noise causes the rabbit to shrink. So if you approach a rabbit, always be gentle.

Reproductive Characteristics of New Zealand Rabbit

This is a very fertile animal, an average of 7-8 litters/year, a litter of 6-7 children. Rabbits are in heat at 4-4.5 months old; the first mating is about 5-6 months old. With rabbits breeding for the first time, there are no outward signs of estrus, mainly based on months of age for rabbits to breed. As for the rabbits that have spawned, check that the rabbit’s vulva mucosa is swollen, flecked, and red, which means that the rabbit is in estrus. Rabbits are pregnant for 28-32 days; during this time, it is necessary to carry out separate rearing of pregnant rabbits to avoid the phenomenon of rabbits playing tricks on the fetus.

Newborn rabbit weight 55-60g/head, weaning weight around 1 month old is 650-700g/head, at 3 months old reaches 2.8-3 kg/head, after 3 months of rearing, rabbits reach a weight close to 3 kg/head. At 30 days old, reaching a weight of about 650-700g, the rearing rabbits reached 3-3.5 kg.

Starting age for mating in male rabbits is 8 months, female rabbits 6 months. When the female rabbit is in heat, the female rabbit’s genitals are swollen and red, but the female rabbit in the male rabbit’s cage mates (if the opposite is done, the male rabbit refuses to mate or mate, but the result is not high). The female rabbit is mated with 2 different male rabbits, the young male is mated first, and the old male is mated later, 4-6 hours apart.

How to Take Care of New Zealand Rabbit

Diet of New Zealand Rabbit

New Zealand rabbits are omnivores; their food is extremely diverse and rich. Their main food is fast food such as vegetables, tubers, and fruits found in nature. Rabbit’s daily food intake must be equal to 30-40% of body weight, forage accounts for about 50-60% of daily food intake. Rabbits eat food crops and legumes such as cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, green beans, soybeans, peanuts, etc.

Every day, it is necessary to provide enough water for the Rabbits, about 500ml / day, and change the water daily. There are cases where Rabbits can die from drinking dirty water or eating contaminated vegetables. Therefore, it is necessary to change the food for the Rabbit when it is left for too long. It should be removed on the same day. Rabbits are usually nocturnal, so their night food will be about 2 – 2.5 times more than daytime food.

Living Environment

This breed of rabbit prefers a cool, ventilated place. Rabbits like to be clean, but their bodies are not clean at all. Owners need to clean the cage regularly. Do not let them defecate inside the habitat, as it can easily make them sick.

Body Hygiene

Rabbits are hydrophobic and fastidious in cleaning their bodies. Therefore, it is important to use water that is not too cold or too hot when bathing them. Before bathing, it is necessary to sprinkle water on them first to get used to it, and then put the Rabbit in the bath. When bathing, you should use a specialized shower gel for rabbits, dilute the shower gel with water. Gently rub the parts of the Rabbit’s body, then pour water on the Rabbit’s body. After bathing, it is necessary to wipe and dry the Rabbits, especially in the abdomen and legs.

Some Diseases Rabbits Often Get

Polio; hematoma; coccidiosis, diarrhea; Ringworm with diseases such as above should follow the prevention procedures strictly, and use of specific drugs such as Biseptol for diarrhea, Griseofulvin for fungal, Ampicoli for blood clots… in general Rabbit’s disease resistance is quite high, so the risk is low inbreeding.

Frequently Asked Questions About New Zealand Rabbit

How high can a New Zealand rabbit jump?
New Zealand Rabbits can jump up to 36 inches (91.4 cm) and sometimes higher.

How big do New Zealand rabbits get?
New Zealand is medium to large rabbits. Bucks (males) weigh 9–11 lb (4.1–5.0 kg), while the does (females) weigh 10–12 lb (4.5–5.4 kg). Female rabbits may have a dewlap, a fatty flap of fur below the chin which female rabbits sometimes use as a source of fur for lining their nest.

How long do New Zealand rabbits live?
It is more likely New Zealand is a cross between the Flemish giant and the Belgian hare. Large in size and weighing in between 9 and 12 pounds, New Zealand has a life expectancy of 5 to 6 years. Spaying and neutering can extend this life span to a maximum of 10 years.

How much does a New Zealand rabbit cost?
The New Zealand white rabbit price range runs from $20 up to $35 or more per rabbit. If you want a New Zealand giant rabbit, you may see prices ranging anywhere from $35 to $70 and up.

Conclusion

With the experience of raising and caring for New Zealand Rabbits from this article, hopefully, it can help you in raising and taking care of them. Wishing your New Zealand Rabbit good health.

Source: https://petaddict.net/how-to-know-new-zealand-rabbit/