Pros and cons of artificial insemination of rabbits and how to carry it out correctly

The method of artificial insemination is an excellent opportunity for large farms to fine-tune the technology for the production of dietary and tasty rabbit meat. Thanks to artificial regular insemination of rabbits, it is possible to increase the volume of high-quality products obtained with low labor costs. In addition, in small farms, the need to keep many males or constantly look for rabbits to renew blood disappears.

Features of artificial insemination of rabbits

In rabbits, ovulation occurs at the time of sexual intercourse. This is the main difference between fertilization of rabbits and other agricultural animals. It is this feature that determines the need to preliminarily reduce rabbits with sterile males.

Also popular is the method of injecting females with special drugs that stimulate ovulation. To facilitate the procedure, a specially designed syringe is used. For the collection of semen, young healthy rabbits with a strong physique (males aged 1-4 years) are selected. Breeders note that the use of the sperm of just such animals leads to a high fertility of rabbits (on average, up to 12 babies per female).

Advantages and disadvantages

Often the procedure of artificial insemination is carried out in order to obtain purebred offspring. The method has other advantages:

• to significantly increase the number of individuals, a few males are enough. It is advisable to use the technique of artificial insemination for breeding valuable breeds of animals. Since it is already possible to fertilize 40-50 rabbits with the sperm of one rabbit. And with natural mating, you need to keep one or two males for 10 females;
• the fertilization rate of rabbits increases up to 90%;
• you can control the quality of offspring, increase the number of individuals with valuable useful characteristics;
• it is easier to create quality conditions for keeping a small number of males.

When breeding rabbits, it must be borne in mind that it is in the period from December to May that the peak of active reproduction of animals falls. In autumn, rabbits have practically no sexual activity, and practically no offspring are born. Thanks to the method of artificial insemination, the problem of a natural periodic decline in fertility is solved.

This method manages to plan the appearance of rabbits throughout the year.

Before introducing the method of artificial insemination, you need to familiarize yourself with its negative side. The equipment for carrying out the procedure and collecting sperm is inexpensive.But to ensure the safety of frozen semen is an expensive process due to the high cost of specialized equipment and liquid nitrogen. Therefore, such spending is justified only on large farms.

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Required tools

As a rule, companies engaged in the production of specialized equipment for artificial insemination implement the necessary tools in a set. Standard set of accessories:

• microscope with coverslips and slides;
• test tubes with a rack;
• heating table and mats;
• artificial vagina;
• seminal receptacles with a catheter;
• semen sampling dispenser to determine the quality of the fluid;
• a preparation for diluting semen;
• syringes (insulin and for sperm injection).

The cost of the kit is affected by the price of the semen diluent. The use of materials from different companies is allowed. The MR-A bit tool of Spanish manufacturers is popular.

Semen collection

First of all, they prepare the workplace. For sterilization of containers, instruments, use a 1% formalin solution or 70% alcohol. The main stages of the procedure:

1. The female is placed in the male's cage.
2. The operator holds an artificial vagina with a seminal tube between the rabbit's paws.
3. Usually, as soon as the female is placed in the rabbit's cage in the hunt, he ejaculates.

Before carrying out the procedure, the artificial vagina must be heated to a temperature of 40-42 ° C. Since 39 ° C is the normal temperature of the female's vagina.

Fertilization methods for females

Before fertilizing the female, seed material is prepared. For this, the semen is diluted with a special liquid in a ratio of 1:10. Be sure to control the concentration of the solution under a microscope (if the concentration is high, then the proportion is increased). The rabbit insemination procedure consists of the following stages.

1. The female is turned on her back and fixed in a special machine.
2. The seed solution is drawn into a warm syringe.
3. A syringe is gently introduced into the rabbit's vagina, without sudden movements.
4. After the injection of the syringe (full length), the sperm solution is injected. The syringe is carefully removed.

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The rabbit is released from the machine in 2-3 minutes. When artificial insemination of rabbits, it must be borne in mind that the result is influenced by the breed of females, the conditions of their keeping and the diet of feeding. Specialists spend 3-4 minutes on insemination of one individual.

How to detect pregnancy

Sometimes it is difficult to notice the pregnancy of a rabbit in appearance. A more reliable method is palpation in the abdomen. The check is recommended to be done 14 days after the insemination procedure. Before feeling, gently grab the ears and scruff of the animal with the right hand to immobilize it. With the left hand, gently feel the abdomen in the pelvic area. At this time, the embryos feel like grape berries to the touch.

Weight control can also be used to confirm pregnancy. The most reliable method is an ultrasound scan by a veterinarian.

Artificial insemination is in high demand in industrial rabbit breeding. A rational solution for small farms is the purchase of semen at the points of sale of frozen material.