In rabbit farming, the number of litters a rabbit has can vary depending on the production goals. Sometimes, it's necessary to limit the number of offspring to maintain breeding quality, while in commercial settings, increasing litter size is often desired to maximize productivity. This process is similar to pruning fruit trees—careful management ensures better results. Historically, some farmers manually removed embryos from pregnant rabbits to control litter size, but this method was both risky and inefficient.
Rabbits are unique mammals with a reproductive system that differs significantly from other animals. A key feature is that female rabbits only ovulate when they are stimulated by mating. The stronger the stimulation, the more eggs are released. If there’s no mating activity, the eggs may not develop and could be reabsorbed naturally. This characteristic allows for artificial control over the number of births by adjusting the intensity of mating stimuli.
For instance, if you want fewer offspring, you can allow the female to mate once during full estrus. This weaker stimulation usually results in a litter of around six kits. On the other hand, if you aim for larger litters, a technique called "double breeding" can be used. This involves stimulating the female rabbit multiple times to trigger the release of more eggs, leading to higher fertility rates.
The process begins when the female shows signs of estrus, such as a pink vulva. At this point, she needs to be stimulated to increase her sexual receptivity. Methods include physical stimulation, using opposite-sex interaction, or even applying iodine-based solutions. Some farmers also use drugs to enhance hormone levels. Once the female is fully receptive, a male rabbit is introduced for a short mating session. After 8 hours, another mating is performed, either with the same or a different male. This repeated and intense stimulation encourages the release of more mature eggs, which are then fertilized by the most active sperm at that time.
A study involving 150 breeding females used this double-breeding method, resulting in 450 total matings. The outcomes showed a wide range of litter sizes: 21 litters had 12–14 kits (4.6%), 113 litters had 9–10 (25.1%), 241 litters had 7–8 (53.5%), 52 litters had 6 or fewer (11.5%), 17 were pseudo-pregnancies (3.7%), and 6 ended in miscarriage (1.3%). These results highlight how effective controlled breeding techniques can be in managing rabbit reproduction.
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