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Cuniculture
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Cuniculture is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for their
meat, fur, or wool. This differs from the simpler practice of keeping a single or small group of
rabbits as companions, without selective breeding, reproduction, or the care of young animals.
Some people, called rabbit fanciers, practice cuniculture predominantly for exhibition. The
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distribution of rabbit farming varies around the globe, and while it is on the decline in some
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Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Early husbandry
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1.2 Domestication
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3 Husbandry
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5 Genetics
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6 See also
7 References
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8 External links
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History
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and hares.
Domestication [edit]
While under the warren system, rabbits were managed and harvested, they were not
domesticated. The practice of rabbit domestication also came from Rome. Christian monasteries
throughout Europe and the Middle East kept rabbits since at least the 5th century. (Pope Gregory
stated in a Papal Edict of the year 600 AD that fetal rabbits were permissible to eat during the
Lenten fast, greatly enhancing their popularity, and it is from this date that the true domestication
of rabbits is counted.)[7] While rabbits might be allowed to wander freely within the monastery walls,
a more common method was the employment of rabbit courts or rabbit pits. A rabbit court was a
walled area lined with brick and cement, while a pit was much the same, only less well-lined, and
more sunken.[8] Individual boxes or burrow-spaces could line the wall. Rabbits would be kept in a
group in these pits or courts, and individuals collected when desired for eating or pelts. From
these pits, which did not allow for easy cleaning, ready handling of rabbits, or for selective
breeding, rabbit keepers transitioned to individual hutches or pens, which were originally made of
wood but are now more frequently made of metal in order to allow for better sanitation.[9]
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now Belgium. Rabbits of this breed were bred for the Ostend port market, destined for London
markets. (Whitman, pg 10) The development of the refrigerated shipping vessels led to the
eventual collapse of the European meat rabbit trade, as the over-population of feral rabbits in
Australia could now be harvested and sold.[12] The Brabancon is now considered extinct, although
a descendant, the Dutch breed, remains a popular small rabbit for the pet trade.[13]
In addition to being harvested for meat, properly prepared rabbit pelts were also an economic
factor. Both wild rabbits and domestic rabbit pelts were valued, and it followed that pelts of
particular rabbits would be more highly prized. As far back as 1631, price differentials were noted
between ordinary rabbit pelts and the pelts of quality riche rabbit in the Champagne region of
France. (This regional type would go on to be recognized as the Champagne DArgent, the silver
rabbit of Champagne.)
[14]
Among the earliest of the commercial breeds was the Angora, which some say may have
developed in the Carpatian mountains. They made their way to England, where during the rule of
King Henry VIII, laws banned the exportation of long-haired rabbits as a national treasure. In 1723,
long haired rabbits were imported to southern France by English sailors, who described the
animals as originally coming from the Angora region of Turkey. Thus two distinct strains arose, one
in France and one in England.[15]
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were concentrated among the wealthy, rabbits were kept by lower-income classes and peasants.
This is reflected in the names given to the breeds that eventually arose in the colonized areas.
From the Santa Duromo mountains of Brazil comes the Rustico, which is known in the United
States as the Brazilian rabbit.[18]) The Criollo rabbit comes from Mexico.[19]
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researchers were conducting experiments in rabbit nutrition, similar to the experiments that had
isolated vitamins and other nutritional components.[25] This eventually resulted in the development
of various recipes for pelleted rabbit diets. Gradual refinement of diets has resulted in the
widespread availability of pelleted diets which increase yield, reduce waste, and promote rabbit
health, particularly maternal breeding health.[26]
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the pet trade. While accurate production records are not readily available, rabbits have been kept
as pets for centuries. The sale of rabbits as pets rose in the last half of the twentieth century, as
rabbits could be kept in smaller living areas than more traditional companion animals such as dogs
and cats, but did not require as specialized housing as gold fish.[32] Several strains of rabbit
such as the Holland Lop, the Polish rabbit, the Netherland Dwarf, and the Lionhead have been
specifically bred for the pet trade. Traits common to many popular pet breeds are small size,
dwarf features, and patterned coats.
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American Livestock Breeds Conservatory has also led to increased interest for livestock
conservationists. In contrast, throughout Asia, and particularly in China, rabbits are increasingly
raised intensively and sold for export around the world.[39]
In addition to the previously mentioned national ministries and associations, the World Rabbit
Science Association was formed in 1976, as a venue for distributing the most current information in
rabbit psyology, medicine, and husbandry. The association puts on a conference every four years,
most recently 2012 in Egypt.[40]
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beef, pork and poultry as a significant factor in choosing to raise rabbits for meat.
The specific future direction of cuniculture is unclear, but does not appear to be in danger of
disappearing in any particular part of the world. The variety of applications, as well as the versatile
utility of the species, appears sufficient to keep rabbit raising a going concern in one aspect or
another around the planet.
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doe would be re-bred only after weaning her last litter when the kits reached the age of two
months. This allowed for a maximum of four litters per year. Advances in nutrition, such as those
published by the USDA Rabbit Research Station, resulted in greater health for breeding animals
and the survival of young stock. Likewise, offering superior, balanced nutrition to growing kits
allowed for better health and less illness among slaughter animals. Current practices include the
option of re-breeding the doe within a few days of delivery (closely matching the behavior of wild
rabbits during the spring/early summer, when forage availability is at its peak.) This can result in
up to eight or more litters annually. A doe of ideal meat-stock genetics can produce five times her
body weight in fryers a year. Criticism of the more intensive breeding schedules has been made,
on the grounds that re-breeding that closely is excessively stressful for the doe. Determination of
health effects of breeding schedules is made more difficult by the domestic rabbit's reproductive
psychology - in contrast to several other mammal species, rabbits are more likely to develop
uterine cancer when not used for breeding than when bred frequently.
Rabbit fryers are rabbits that are between 70 to 90 days of age, and weighing between 3 to 5 lb (1
to 2 kg) live weight. Rabbit roasters are rabbits from 90 days to 6 months of age weighing between
5 to 8 lb (2 to 3.5 kg) live weight. Rabbit stewers are rabbits from 6 months on weighing over 8 lb.
Dark fryers (any other color but whites) are typically lower in price than albino fryers because of
the slightly darker tinge of the fryer (purely pink carcasses are preferred by consumers) and
because the hide is harder to remove manually than the white albino fryers.
Commercial The highest prices per pound of live weight in the United States are offered for fryers.
In Europe, however, a sizable market remains for the larger & older rabbits. As the name implies,
rabbit meat that comes from older animals is cooked differently from that of young fryer rabbits.
By some estimates, world's annual rabbit meat production stood at around 1.5 million tons in
1990.[46] In 2014, the number was reported by some sources as at around 2 million tons.[45] China
is among the world's largest producers and consumers, accounting for some 30% of the world's
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total rabbit meat consumption. Within China itself, rabbits are raised in many provinces, most of it
(about 70% of the national production, i.e. some 420,000 tons annually) being consumed in the
Sichuan Basin (Sichuan Province and Chongqing), where it is particularly popular.[45]
Well-known chef Mark Bittman says that domesticated rabbit tastes like chicken because both are
blank palettes upon which any desired flavors can be layered.[47]
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date back to Louis Pausture's work in France in the 1800s. In 1972, around 450 000 rabbits were
used for experiments in the United States, decreasing to around 240 000 in 2006.[48] The
Environmental Health Perspective, published by the National Institute of Health, states, "The rabbit
[is] an extremely valuable model for studying the effects of chemicals or other stimuli on the male
reproductive system."[49] According to the Humane Society of the United States, rabbits are also
used extensively in the study of bronchial asthma, stroke prevention treatments, cystic fibrosis,
diabetes, and cancer.
Rabbit cultivation intersects with research in two ways: first, the keeping and raising of animals for
testing of scientific principles. Some experiments require the keeping of several generations of
animals treated with a particular drug, in order to fully appreciate the side effects of that drug.
There is also the matter of breeding and raising animals for experiments. The New Zealand White
is one of the most commonly used breeds for research and testing. Specific strains of the NZW
have been developed, with differing resistance to disease and cancers. Additionally, some
experiments call for the use of 'specific pathogen free' animals, which require specific husbandry
and intensive hygiene.
Animal rights activists generally oppose animal experimentation for all purposes, and rabbits are
no exception.[improper synthesis?] The use of rabbits for the Draize test,[50] which is used for, amongst
other things, testing cosmetics on animals, has been cited as an example of cruelty in animal
research. Albino rabbits are typically used in the Draize tests because they have less tear flow
than other animals and the lack of eye pigment make the effects easier to visualize.[citation needed]
Rabbits in captivity are uniquely subject to rabbitpox, a condition that has not been observed in the
wild.
Husbandry
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known as colony husbandry, has not been commonly pursued due to the high death rate from
weather and predators. More commonly (but still rare in terms of absolute numbers of rabbits and
practitioners) is the practice of confining the rabbits to a moveable cage with an open or slatted
floor so that the rabbits can access grass but still be kept at hand and protected from weather and
predators. This method of growing rabbits does not typically result in an over-all reduction for the
need for supplemented feed. The growing period to market weight is much longer for grass fed
rather than pellet fed animals, and many producers continue to offer small amounts of complete
rations over the course of the growing period. Hutches or cages for this type of husbandry are
generally made of a combination of wood and metal wire, made portable enough for a person to
move the rabbits daily to fresh ground, and of a size to hold a litter of 6 to 12 rabbits at the market
weight of 4 to 5 pounds. Protection from sun and driving rain are important health concerns, as is
durability against predator attacks and the ability to be cleaned to prevent loss from coccidious.
Medical care and the use of medicated feed are less common.
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several hundred individually housed does are fed a complete pelleted ration and are subject to
weekly weight checks and daily health inspections. While a small rabbitry may make use of solid
floors, wire or slat floors are more common in larger barns in order to ensure adequate hygiene. A
higher level of routine preventative medical care and a more strict application of biosecurity
principles are more common in intensive cuniculture, but the level of clinical intervention on
individual animals is unlikely to be high.
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shows, usually in conjunction with county fairs. The ARBA holds an annual national convention
which has as many as 25,000 animals competing from all over the world. The mega show moves to
a different city each year. The ARBA also sponsors youth programs for families as well as
underprivileged rural and inner city children to learn responsible care and breeding of domestic
rabbits.
Genetics
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Chinchilla
chocolate)
"C" represents the color locus. The genes are:
C= full color (black)
c(ch3)= dark chinchilla, removes yellow
pigmentation (chinchilla, silver marten)
c(ch2)= medium (light) chinchilla, Slight reduction in
eumelanin creating a more sepia tone in the fur
rather than black.
Blue
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e(j)= Japanese brindling (harlequin), black and yellow pigment broken into patches over the
body. In a broken color pattern this results in Tricolor.
e= most black pigment removed (agouti becomes red or orange, self becomes tortoise)
"En" represents the plus/minus (blanket/spot) color
locus. It is incompletely dominant and results in three
possible color patterns:
EnEn= "Charlie" or a lightly marked broken with
color on ears, on nose and sparsely on body
Enen= Broken rabbit with roughly even distribution
of color and white
enen= Solid color with no white areas
"Du" represents the Dutch color pattern, (the front of
Dutch
the face, front part of the body, and rear paws are
white, the rest of the rabbit has colored fur). The genes are:
Du= absence of Dutch pattern
du(d)= Dutch (dark)
du(w)= Dutch (white)
"V" represents the vienna white locus. The genes are:
V= normal color
Vv= Vienna carrier, carries blue-eyed white gene.
May appear as a solid color, with snips of white on
nose and/or front paws, or Dutch marked.
v= vienna white (blue-eyed white or BEW)
"Si" represents the silver locus. The genes are:
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Czech Red
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Czech Red
See also
[edit]
Domestic rabbit
American Rabbit Breeders' Association
Laurices
References
[edit]
1. ^ Anthon, Charles. A System of Ancient and Medival Geography for the Use of Schools and
Colleges pg.14 . Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
2. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 450. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
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3. ^ Dunlop, Robert H.; David J. Williams (1996). Veterinary Medicine: An Illustrated History. St Louis,
MO: Mosby. p. 42. ISBN 0-8016-3209-9.
4. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 342343. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
5. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 341344. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
6. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 343. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
7. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 346. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
8. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 347350. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
9. ^ Bennett, Bob (2009). Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits: Breeds, Care, Housing. North Adams,
MA: Storey Publishing. pp. 4549. ISBN 978-1-60342-456-1.
10. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 190. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
11. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
12. ^ Druett, Joan. "Chapter Eight Living with embarrassment: the rabbit"
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16. ^ Anderson, Virginia DeJohn (2004). Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed
Early America. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-19-530446-6.
17. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 151152. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
18. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 115. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
19. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
20. ^ Dunlop, Robert H.; David J Williams (1996). Veterinary Medicine: An Illustrated History. St Louis,
MO: Mosby. pp. 354355. ISBN 0-8016-3209-9.
21. ^ Whitman, bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leather Publishing. p. 120. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
22. ^ Whitman, bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leather Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
23. ^ Whitman, bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leather Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
24. ^ Dunlop, Robert H.; David J Williams (1996). Veterinary Medicine: An Illustrated History. St Louis,
MO: Mosby. p. 377. ISBN 0-8016-3209-9.
25. ^ Whitman, bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leather Publishing. p. 376. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
26. ^ Templeton, George S. (1968). Domestic Rabbit Production. Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers
& Publishers. pp. 6163.
27. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 228. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
28. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 441443. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
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29. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. pp. 425429. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
30. ^ Hreiz, Jay (MayJune 2012). "Dr.". Domestic Rabbits 40 (3): 75.
31. ^ Whitman, Bob D. (2004). Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood, KS:
Leathers Publishing. p. 448. ISBN 1-58597-275-4.
32. ^ Templeton, George S. (1968). Domestic Rabbit Production. Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers
& Publishers. p. 17.
33. ^ Fish & Wildlife Service. "Press Release 14 Jan 1943"
34. ^ Ashbrook, Frank G. (1943). How To Raise Rabbits for Food and Fur. New York: Orange Judd.
pp. 2328.
35. ^ T., A. (1 April 1944). "Some Remarks on the History of the Rabbit in Australia"
. The Argus.
. ABARE Report.
Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2012.11121 .
42. ^ "HRS Activist Corner"
43. ^ McCarthy, Bob (11 August 2011). "Anonymous Call to New Animal Abuse Hotline Leads to Raid
on Colorado Woman's Rabbit Farm"
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44. ^ Hottle, Molly. "23 Rabbits Stolen from Portland Meat Collective Farmer"
. The Oregonian.
bc
Olivia Geng, French Rabbit Heads: The Newest Delicacy in Chinese Cuisine . The Wall
Street Journal Blog, 2014-06-13. (The original text has 200 million tons for the world production, but
this has to be a typo for 2 million, in order for the China numbers given in the same article too match,
as well as to be in line with other sources.)
46. ^ The rabbit - husbandry, health and production
47. ^ "How to Cook Everything :: Braised Rabbit with Olives"
on
. AATEX
(Proc. 6th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences) (14, Special Issue):
163165.
49. ^ Morton, Daniel (April 1988). "The use of rabbits in male reproductive toxicology"
. Environmental
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