If someone set out to seriously engage in breeding rabbits for meat at home, it is best to give preference to the breed of the German motley giant, which is often called a stringman. Rabbits of the Strawach breed quickly gain muscle mass, so already at the age of 5 months the weight of one individual is about 5 kg. Since the bones of these pets have a fine structure, the amount of pure rabbit meat is greater than that of other breeds. A shiny and smooth skin of rabbit breed rabbits is ideal for the manufacture of some elite fur products.
General description of the breed
The first rabbits of this breed were presented to the audience in 1907. Then, the rabbit breed of strikers impressed people with their unusual color, as well as a very large physique. The main distinguishing feature of these animals is the white color, the presence of a continuous line of black color running along the spine. Another feature of the description of the string rabbit breed is that on the face of the animal there is a beautiful black drawing that looks like butterfly wings. Black spots are scattered randomly in the rabbit's body.
In spite of the fact that rabbit-breed rabbits have some similarities with the breed of butterfly rabbits, the former are very different in size and also because the spots on the body are asymmetrical.
The unusual color of the fur lies in the fact that spots can be represented not only in traditional black, but also in blue. Due to this feature, the demand for skins of German rabbit breed rabbits has recently increased significantly. The appearance of fur products causes an unprecedented delight, even among modern fashionistas. In this article you can see a photo of a blue and black rabbit stringer.
Distinctive features of the breed
These animals are in great demand and due to their rapid growth. Since rabbits of the string strainer, photos of which are presented in this article, are very resistant to sudden changes in climate, these eared animals have gained great popularity among farmers. Today, farmers of many countries are engaged in large-scale breeding of these animals, while Russia is no exception. Characteristic features of the string rabbit breed include the following:
- The body is elongated, muscular, in length can reach 70 cm.
- The head is medium in size, slightly elongated in females.
- The neck is shortened.
- The back is long, arched, has a large rounded croup.
- Paws are elongated and powerful.
- Ears are erect, up to 18 cm long.
- The maximum weight of an adult rabbit of this breed can be about 10 kg, and the average figure varies from 5 to 6 kg.
- The fur is short and dense, in length is not more than 3 cm.
Rabbits have very small eyes, brown in color. As a rule, in healthy individuals the eyes always shine. Ears of uniform color, while corresponding to the shade of spots scattered throughout the body. If the pattern on the face of the animal is poorly expressed, and the line on the back is broken, then this is considered a very serious deviation from the peculiarities of the line of rabbit rabbits. Photos of pure breed are presented in this article. In no case, experts do not recommend allowing individuals with such a deviation to reproduce.
Acceptable deviations in the breed
However, breeders make some deviations regarding appearance. This should include wool of a light shade on a black spot. It is also allowed to affect the spots of the crown. Sometimes in the picture of a butterfly jagged edges are traced. In some individuals, claws may be colored.
What is unacceptable in the breed
If someone wants to breed a pure breed of rabbits, then it is necessary to carefully examine individuals for breeding. In no case should you buy those animals in which the growth of the coat is uneven. The absence of a picture on the face is also a strong deviation from the norm. The impurity of the breed is indicated by the absence of a pattern on the back or around the eyes. If the butterfly or string on the back has whitish patches, then this is also a deviation from the breed.
Reviews of rabbit breed rabbits indicate that these individuals are not stable, and monochromatic animals can sometimes appear in the litter. For this reason, the breeding of this breed requires the use of special rules and skills, which will be discussed below.
Content Features
Reviews of the rabbit stringers, the description and photos of which are presented in this article, suggest that the content of these animals has a special specificity. As a rule, individuals are not characterized by excessive mobility, and most of the time they like to be in the fresh air. Therefore, when growing German giants, it is necessary to build special enclosures in which it will be possible to simultaneously contain several rabbits or already adult females.
At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that adult males of this breed are strictly forbidden to be kept together in the same enclosure. These individuals are quite aggressive, strong, which is why fights often begin in order to demonstrate their superiority over each other.
As a result, rabbits receive numerous injuries, and in some cases even bone fractures. As a rule, injured animals recover for a long time, therefore, in most cases, farmers recommend immediately slaughtering them.
It should also be remembered that, like most other breeds, German giants quite poorly tolerate cold drafts, overheating, as well as direct sunlight. For this reason, it is necessary to organize open-air cages under canopies, as well as near blind walls. The rabbitry should always have a drinking bowl with water, but experienced farmers use automatic ones for this purpose. In the hot season, it is allowed to put a shallow container into which clean water is poured. You can also cool the room with plastic bottles filled with ice.
Fast growth
The main advantage of this breed is that young individuals gain live weight in a rather short period of time. After puberty has come, one rabbit can gain from 0.5 to 1 kg per month.
As a rule, at the age of 5-6 months, healthy rabbits weigh 5 kg or more.
Fertility of rabbits
Females of this breed are recommended to be crossed at the age of about 8 months. By this time, the rabbits are gaining strength and are already fully formed.
As for the males, the situation here is different. They are recommended to be admitted to coverage immediately after they have reached puberty, that is, at the age of 5 months. The peculiarity of this breed is that they have a very good appetite, so in some cases they prefer feeding than the process of reproduction of offspring.
Pregnancy in rabbits lasts for 1 month. As a rule, the birth in females does not have any complications. For one bunny rabbits can bring from 8 to 10 rabbits. It is worth noting that the females of the stray striker breed never abandoned their babies.
Since females produce large quantities of milk, they are able to feed their babies up to two months of age. For this reason, animals have a very strong immunity.
Sometimes there were cases when rabbits bit their offspring. This was due to the fact that they lacked access to clean water.
Breeding rules
If someone had a goal to breed rabbit-rabbit rabbits, it must be remembered that it is best to happen only to the strongest and best individuals of the German breed. When growing at home, many farmers do not always manage to bring out a clean breed, as some individuals are mottled or sick.
The best way out of this situation is to improve the breed. For this, females of the string-strainer breed, which have some kind of disadvantages, are covered exclusively by healthy males. As a rule, after such a brawl, half of the rabbits necessarily correspond to the signs of their father.
Hygiene and cleanliness
Since adult animals are not sufficiently mobile, they have a high incidence rate. In addition, individuals do not tolerate various diseases. Therefore, it is simply necessary to timely vaccinate the German rabbit breed. It is also necessary to invite a veterinarian who will hold antiparasitic events, thanks to which you can get rid of ticks and worms.
It should be remembered that the large weight of the strikers can exert strong pressure on their limbs, which in some cases leads to fractures. To prevent such an unpleasant situation, the floor inside the cage or aviary should be covered with sawdust, peat or hay. This coating softens the floor surface, and also perfectly absorbs liquid and faeces of animals. Aviaries and cages should be cleaned at least once every 7 days.
High meat breed productivity
In Russia, the cultivation of German breeds is also very popular. At the same time, domestic farmers prefer to grow a gray giant, since it is better suited to our climate.
According to the organoleptic and taste characteristics, the meat of rabbit breed rabbits is the best rabbit meat in the whole world. The cultivation of these animals is well developed in the United States and Western Europe. Carcasses of rabbits can be purchased at supermarkets located around the world.
Cultivation for decorative purposes
Specialists highly recommend not growing this breed for decorative purposes. Despite the fact that these individuals have a very flexible nature, their cultivation is very costly, since serious financial investments will be required for their maintenance. Since individuals are rapidly gaining mass, it will be very difficult for children to keep these animals in their arms. And if the rabbit falls to the floor, then he can easily break his bones, which grow together rather slowly.
Since animals need large cages, they cannot be installed in a living room. And if the room is too hot, then this can trigger a heat stroke or even the death of a rabbit.
Therefore, before breeding rabbits of the breed German Stroichach, it is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons.