Modern Methods and Strategies for Breeding Ornamental Rabbits at Home
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ahj.3428Keywords:
Companion-Animal Farming, Dwarf Rabbits, Welfare Enrichment, Pedigree Management, High-Fibre Diet, Smallholder EconomicsAbstract
Purpose: Responding to the recent surge in ornamental-rabbit keeping as both leisure pursuit and cottage enterprise, this paper frames home breeding as a zoological optimisation puzzle whose interlocking variables-genotype, housing microclimate, forage composition and social enrichment-defy piecemeal fixes.
Methodology: A critical narrative review synthesised twelve peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024, classical lagomorph manuals and current EU pet-trade directives. Key concepts were plotted in a four-cell matrix crossing genetic stewardship, behavioural welfare, nutritional design and consumer-value formation, blind spots were surfaced through a 3R-based gap analysis.
Findings: Scholarship converges on three pillars. First, microsatellite-guided out-crossing retains dwarf conformation while curbing cranio-dental defects, offering an elegant antidote to fashion-driven inbreeding spirals. Second, temperature-buffered hutches equipped with shelves, tunnels and chew blocks synchronise corticosterone rhythms, a proxy for lower stress, which theory links to larger, more uniform litters. Third, fibre-dominant menus in which meadow hay contributes at least seventy percent of dry matter align gut motility with continuous tooth wear, extending reproductive longevity. Literature further hints that transparent welfare documentation raises buyer willingness to pay, suggesting a marketing dividend for science-based husbandry.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This study uniquely contributes to theory by reconceptualising home ornamental-rabbit breeding as an integrated zoological optimisation system, to policy by translating EU welfare principles into actionable guidance for non-commercial breeders, and to practice by offering a replicable, welfare-centred protocol that simultaneously improves reproductive outcomes and household-level economic viability.
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