Health and Nutrition Basics

Health

• Normal body temperature: 100-104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Normal heart rate: 150-300 beats per minute
• Normal respiratory rate: 30-60 breaths per minute

Nutrition

• Six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water
• Protein:
  • Provides essential amino acids
  • Essential for growth and repair
  • Forms muscles, internal organs, skin, hair, wool, feathers, hoofs, and horns
  • Contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
• Carbohydrates:
  • Provides energy for movement and body functions
  • Largest part of an animal's feed supply
  • Includes sugars, starch, and cellulose
  • Composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen
• Fats:
  • Concentrated source of energy
  • Form cholesterol, steroids, and other body compounds
  • Found in every cell in the body
  • Affects skin and hair condition when absent
  • Composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen
• Minerals:
  • Needed in nearly all parts of the body
  • Found primarily in bones and teeth
  • Affect heartbeat and nerve transmission
  • Divided into macro and micro minerals
• Vitamins:
  • Required for health, development, and metabolic reactions
  • Needed only in small amounts
  • Divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
• Water:
  • Most important nutrient
  • Accounts for 70% or more of body composition
  • Functions: controls body temperature, enables shape, involved in nutrient transport and waste removal, and aids in digestion

Digestive Systems

• Types of digestive systems: ruminant or non-ruminant, single stomach
• Ruminant: bacterial breakdown in the rumen
• Non-ruminant: bacterial breakdown in the large intestine and cecum
• Monogastrics: unable to digest large quantities of fiber unless they have an enlarged cecum

Signs of a Sick Rabbit

• Decreased appetite
• Lethargy
• Hair loss
• Runny eyes
• Discharge from nose
• Diarrhea
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Changes in breathing

Rabbit Diseases and Symptoms

• Ear Canker (Ear mites): shaking head, flopping ears

Rabbit Breeding and Uses

• Breeding Stock: high-quality offspring, keeping records, attending shows
• Meat Production: raising rabbits for food
• Fur: raising rabbits for fur production
• Wool: raising rabbits for wool production, especially Angora breed
• Pets: raising rabbits for companionship

Meat Cuts

• Fryer or young rabbit: tender, fine-grained, and bright pearly pink, less than 12 weeks old
• Roaster or mature rabbit: firm, coarse-grained, and slightly darker in color, over 8 months old

Rabbit Health Issues

• Mastitis: symptoms include hot, reddened, and swollen mammary glands that may turn blue in color
• Myxomatosis: a virus spread by mosquitoes, fleas, or close contact between infected and susceptible rabbits, with symptoms including swelling and discharge from the eyes and nose
• Sore Hocks: bruised areas under the surface of the hocks that often become infected or abscessed
• Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (RVHD): a virus spread by direct and indirect contact, often fatal with no warning signs, and symptoms including diarrhea with blood
• Ring Worm: loss of hair in circumscribed patches, often starting on the head and involving other body parts
• Wry Neck: the rabbit turns its head to one side and loses balance
• Weepy Eye: excessive discharge from the eye and matted fur under the eye, with the rabbit rubbing its eyes with its front feet

Reproduction

• Lactation average uninterrupted length: 42 days
• Lactation peaks at: 17-20 days
• Litters per doe per year: 2-10
• Litter size: 2-14 young
• Usual life span: 3-10 years
• Gestation period: 31 days

Rabbit Records

• Pedigree Record: lists the family tree of each rabbit, including sires, dams, grand sires, and dams, with information on color and senior weight
• Herd Record: includes information on every rabbit in the rabbitry, including sire, dam, sex, color, and date of birth
• Breeding Record: records each breeding, helping to decide which does are most productive and which bucks are best
• Show Record: includes dates and places of shows entered, with information on classes and awards received

Uses of Rabbits

• Breeding Stock: rabbits raised for high-quality offspring, with good records and show participation
• Meat Production: rabbits raised for meat
• Fur: rabbits raised for fur to be tanned and made into products
• Wool: rabbits raised for wool, with importance on cleanliness, durability, and ease of processing
• Pets: rabbits raised as companions, with potential sales to pet stores

Meat Cuts

• Fryer or young rabbit: rabbits weighing 1.5-3.5 pounds, less than 12 weeks old, with tender and fine-grained flesh
• Roaster or mature rabbit: mature rabbits over 4 pounds, over 8 months old, with firm and coarse-grained flesh

Tattooing a Rabbit

• Select tattoo digits for the first rabbit
• Place digits correctly in the pliers before tattooing
• Examine the location of the tattoo in the rabbit's left ear
• Clean and dry the ear before applying the tattoo
• Place the pliers in the correct position in the ear, with the digits inside the ear
• Squeeze the pliers firmly to ensure the needles penetrate the inner skin of the ear

Rabbit Records

• Herd Record: a record of every rabbit in the rabbitry, including sire, dam, sex, color, date of birth, and date of departure
• Breeding Record: a record of each breeding to track productivity and breeding quality
• Show Record: a record of show entries, classes, and awards received to track a rabbit's strengths and weaknesses

Uses of Rabbits

• Breeding Stock: rabbits raised for high-quality offspring, requiring good records and quality control
• Meat Production: rabbits raised for meat
• Fur: rabbits raised for fur to be used in novelty, craft, and consumer products
• Wool: rabbits raised for wool, such as Angora rabbits, requiring clean, durable, and easily processed wool
• Pets: rabbits raised for companionship

Meat Cuts

• [Image of meat cuts diagram]

Body Type

• [No additional information provided]

Tattooing a Rabbit

• Select and prepare tattoo digits
• Place the rabbit in the proper tattooing position
• Hold the rabbit securely and tattoo the digits correctly in the left ear

Health

• Temperature: 100-104°F
• Heart rate: 150-300 beats per minute
• Respiratory rate: 30-60 breaths per minute

Nutrition

• Six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water
• Protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water are essential for rabbit nutrition

Digestive Systems

• Simple tube extending from mouth to anus with associated organs
• Types of digestive systems: ruminant, non-ruminant, and single stomach
• Rabbits have a single stomach and are unable to digest large quantities of fiber without an enlarged cecum

Signs of a Sick Rabbit

• Decreased appetite
• Lethargy
• Hair loss
• Runny eyes
• Discharge from nose
• Diarrhea
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Changes in breathing

Types of Rabbit Records

• Pedigree Record: a family tree of each individual rabbit, listing sires, dams, grand sires, and grand dams, including color and senior weight