Fujian Yellow Rabbit

1 Fujian Yellow Rabbit Breed Overview

The Fujian Yellow Rabbit is an excellent Chinese meat rabbit breed. Although the adult is not large, it has a short production cycle, fast marketing, and high meat yield; as a native Chinese breed it adapts strongly to the environment. Early growth is fast, with daily gain over 30 g, 1–2 times heavier than other colored meat rabbits. The meat is tender and smooth, rich in nutrition, with the ‘four highs and four lows’ traits of high protein, high lysine, high phospholipid, high digestibility, and low fat, low cholesterol, low calories, low uric acid—praised as ‘brain-boosting meat’ and ‘beauty meat.’

2 Fujian Yellow Rabbit Physical Characteristics

Bright coat, all yellow, coarse short back fur, white belly, large upright ears, full hindquarters. A fast-growing large type; iris colors include red, black, and sky blue. Does have 4–5 pairs of teats, mostly 4. Adult weight about 2–3 kg, coastal heavier than mountainous. Does usually come into heat at 4 months, mate at 8 months, 6–8 litters per year averaging 6–8 kits, up to 9. Dressing percentage is about 54% at 1.5–2 kg, usually slaughtered at 3 months when weight reaches 1.6–4 kg.

3 Fujian Yellow Rabbit Care Tips

Fujian Yellow Rabbit (details)

The Fujian Yellow Rabbit is widely distributed in rural China. As an economic animal, the focus is not only on staying healthy but also on fattening to maximize economic value.

I. Create suitable housing conditions

At 1–7 days, keep the nest box at 28–30°C, then gradually down to 25°C; adult room temperature 15–23°C. Relative humidity 60%–65%, quiet environment, air circulation, dim light, moderate exercise and density. Weaned to 60-day rabbits: a 60×70 cm cage holds 5–7; after 3 months, single cages to avoid early mating.

II. Timely supplement feeding and weaning

Generally supplement feed from 15 days, wean from 30 days. Supplement with nutritious, digestible feed, small frequent meals, alternating feed and grass, gradually increasing. Wean by ‘leave the nest but not the litter’ to reduce stress.

III. Timely fattening

To speed growth and marketing, farms with conditions should formulate feed from barley, bran, peas, sweet potato, soybean meal, peanut cake, fish meal, rice bran, etc., with nutrition levels of 11–12 MJ/kg digestible energy, 16%–17% crude protein, 10%–13% crude fiber, 0.5%–1% calcium, 0.3%–0.5% phosphorus. Fatten by giving each rabbit 50–90 g mixed concentrate and 500–1000 g green feed daily, free water; or concentrate-led then green-led after 20 days, finally concentrate-led 10–20 days before marketing. Marketable at 3.5–4 months.

IV. Correct vaccination

Disease control follows ‘prevention first, prevention over treatment.’ Self-breed or standardize introductions. Besides daily disinfection, promptly vaccinate the whole flock against rabbit hemorrhagic disease and other major epidemics. Schedule: 28–30 days, Escherichia coli polyvalent vaccine 1 ml/rabbit; 35 days, inactivated hemorrhagic disease vaccine (repeat after 15 days), subcutaneous, same dose. Each spring and autumn, breeding rabbits get hemorrhagic-pasteurella combined vaccine once, subcutaneous, 2 ml/rabbit. Ensure vaccine dose and quality.

4 Fujian Yellow Rabbit Living Environment

Fujian Yellow Rabbit (details)

Fujian is on China’s southeast coast; hot summers and cold-wet winters do not suit animals, so care differs by season. Introduced briefly below.

I. Temperature control for the Fujian Yellow Rabbit

The best temperature is 15–25°C, humidity 65%–75%. When too hot, lower curtains and ventilate, spray the roof to cool; when too cold, close curtains and doors/windows. When too humid, ventilate to dehumidify; when too dry, sprinkle water to raise humidity.

II. Four-season management

The Fujian Yellow Rabbit’s environment fears dampness and high heat, so care in spring and summer.

1. Spring: much rain and humidity, bacteria multiply, so focus on epidemic prevention. Add coccidiosis medicine to daily feed to prevent coccidiosis and boost resistance. At sudden weather changes or cold snaps, give electrolyte multivitamins in water to prevent colds and pneumonia.

2. Summer: high temperature; do heat prevention and cooling; hutches should be shady and ventilated, or use curtains or roof spraying.

3. Autumn: dry and cool, the best season; strengthen management and nutrition to recover health and do autumn breeding.

4. Winter: low temperature, cold, short daylight; keep hutches warm.

5 Fujian Yellow Rabbit Feeding Guidelines

Fujian Yellow Rabbit (details)

The Fujian Yellow Rabbit’s food choice is like most rabbits, but in the fattening stage, to increase meat yield, high-energy food is given for a period—either self-mixed or bought feed.

I. Nutrition standards and diet composition

1. Nutrition standard: per kg diet (growth period) crude protein 15%, crude fiber 14%, calcium 0.5%, phosphorus 0.3%.

2. Diet composition: corn 23%, rice bran 20%, wheat bran 38%, cakes 17%, shell powder 1.5%, salt 0.5%.

II. Management points

1. Concentrate as compound diet, 75–85 g per rabbit daily, twice a day, mainly the evening feeding.

2. Free choice of dry hay. Spring/summer mainly green feed; autumn/winter mainly peanut vine, sweet potato vine, dry hay, plus carrots and cabbage leaves.

3. Free water, fresh, changed daily.

4. Disease prevention. Strengthen control of the four major diseases: hemorrhagic disease, pasteurellosis, coccidiosis, mange. 15–20 days after weaning, vaccinate against hemorrhagic disease or the combined vaccine; repeat in half a year.

In rainy seasons, prevent coccidiosis mainly with robenidine. Regularly disinfect hutches and burrows with caustic soda, 20% lime water, potassium permanganate to prevent mange.