The method of artificial insemination of farm animals in Russia, unfortunately, is not particularly popular. However, the experience of European and American farms has shown the high efficiency and profitability of this technology. Artificial insemination of rabbits, for example, allows you to get purebred and completely healthy offspring in large quantities. The only thing, it is believed that such a replenishment method is best suited for large farms specializing in breeding such animals.
Features of natural breeding of rabbits
As you know, these animals are very fertile. Even for beginners, raising rabbits at home is usually a procedure that is not particularly difficult.
On Russian farms, the reproduction of these animals usually occurs naturally. On farms of this specialization, 1–2 males are most often found on 10 queens, and, for example, on 200–40 males. Females of these animals can bring calves once every two months. However, so often rabbits with males on farms are usually not reduced. Childbirth with a frequency of two months leads to a rapid deterioration of the animal organism. Females with rabbits on farms usually occur once every four months. That is, such animals are able to bring 3 litters per year. At the same time, cubs from one female are born from 6 to 12.
Difficulties of natural reproduction
Producers in such farms are selected mainly by breed characteristics and degree of sexual activity. Of course, before allowing the rabbit to the females, among other things, they check its health. Producers who are not well established in terms of the birth of a large number of strong rabbits are subsequently rejected. The methodology for selecting males to replenish the herd on farms is thus quite complicated.
But despite this, far from all rabbits differ in excellent characteristics as producers on farms. To acquire a large number of good males to a large farm is often expensive. The answer to the question of how much a thoroughbred rabbit costs can serve, for example, an amount of 2-4 thousand rubles. In this case, it is advisable to introduce a method of artificial insemination on the farm.
Technology in a nutshell
When using this technique on farms, the best thoroughbred males first collect sperm. To stimulate sexual activity, a female is first planted with such a producer. After the rabbit is aroused, its sperm is collected in an artificial vagina.
The material thus obtained is usually frozen. High-quality rabbit sperm is stored in special containers in liquid nitrogen. If necessary, the material is subsequently thawed and introduced into the uterus of the rabbit.
Features of artificial insemination
Ovulation in rabbits, unlike other farm animals, occurs directly during sexual intercourse due to strong excitement. Therefore, before artificial insemination, female rabbits on farms are preliminarily mixed with some barren male. Also, special preparations can be used to stimulate ovulation in rabbits.
Thawed semen is injected directly into the uterus. In this case, a special design syringe is used to perform the procedure.
Pros of Artificial Insemination
The main advantage of this technique, of course, is the possibility of obtaining purebred offspring. To do this, when applying this technology of insemination for the farm, you need to purchase not too many expensive thoroughbred males. With sperm collected from one such producer, in this case it will be possible to fertilize not 10 queens, but up to 50.
Also, the advantages of this technique include:
The most active breeding season in rabbits is in winter and spring (December to May). In the fall, these animals generally lose their desire for mating. That is, offspring at this time of year, animals often do not bring at all. The method of artificial insemination of rabbits can solve this problem. When used, cubs in uterus can be born year-round.
The disadvantages of the method
The benefits of rabbit artificial insemination technology are thus many. But this method has one drawback. It is believed that it is advisable to apply this technology only on large farms. Equipment for collecting and introducing sperm is relatively inexpensive. But freezing and storing semen from breeding rabbits on small farms can be unprofitable. The price of such equipment, as well as liquid nitrogen itself, is usually very high.
Of course, it is unprofitable to use such a technique on small private courtyards. The application of such technology in such farms will be justified only if there is a point of sale of frozen semen of breeding rabbits somewhere nearby. In this situation, the purchase of material for artificial insemination can be cheaper than acquiring a purebred producer.
Insemination tools
The companies involved in its production usually supply such equipment as a set. The kit for artificial insemination of rabbits usually includes the following tools:
microscope;
artificial vagina;
heating table for a microscope;
dispenser for collecting sperm and determining its quality;
heating mats;
glass coverslips and slides;
seed boxes, test tubes;
bend catheter;
insulin syringe;
sperm for injecting sperm;
seed diluent;
test tube rack.
Such a kit for artificial mating of rabbits can cost between 25-30 thousand rubles. Rabbit sperm is usually diluted with a special diluent in a proportion of 1:10. Preparations for this purpose can be used different. For example, the Spanish agent MR-A bit is often used to dilute seed material.
Milestones: material collection rules
Young males aged 1 to 4 years are usually used to collect sperm in breeding farms. In most cases, very many cubs are born from such rabbits in females - up to 12 pcs. Sperm collected from such males is placed in containers. The latter are preheated to 40 ° C. Thus obtained material before being used for artificial insemination of rabbits, sent to the laboratory for research.
How to check
They examine under the microscope the seed of breeding rabbits, first of all, of course, for suitability for use for insemination. It is believed that the uterus can be injected with material:
viscous consistency of gray-white or gray-yellow hue without impurities;
with a specific characteristic odor;
with sufficiently motile sperm.
The minimum concentration of cells in the material selected for fertilization is 300 million. At the same time, rapid dilution of the seed should be approximately 60 minutes. The maximum number of leukocytes in the selected material is 1%, and cells with pathologies - 5%.
Storage equipment
After testing, recognized seed specimens are collected in containers. Then they are stored at a temperature of 2-4 ° C. The seed of breeding rabbits is the material currently in demand on farms. Of course, it is, among other things, the subject of purchase / sale. Rabbit seed is transported in special containers called Dewar vessels. By design, such containers resemble a thermos. Ice is laid in the cavities inside them. Keep the seed of rabbits in the vessels of the Dewar is allowed no more than 12 hours
How to enter the uterus
On farms, this procedure is usually performed by skilled workers - artificial insemination operators. Actually, for fertilization, a special syringe is administered to trained rabbits inside the genitals. At the same time, they try to inject the liquid itself as sharply as possible. Before carrying out this procedure, the female genitals are thoroughly disinfected using a swab dipped in furatsilin.
The uterus of rabbits is two-horned. Therefore, when injected, the syringe is held at an angle of 45 degrees. Enter it into the genitals of the animal by 10-12 cm. After the procedure is completed, the syringe is gently pulled out. The inseminated female is sent to an individual cage. In the future, the animals are treated in the same way as in natural fertilization. That is, they give the female extremely high-quality feed containing a large amount of protein, regularly clean her cage, change water, etc.