Ears sticking out of the windlass: "Voices for Animals" prepared improvements to the draft changes in the content of rabbits

According to Rosstat data for 2021 (there are no newer ones), about 7 million animals are kept in rabbitries across the country for MEAT and fur. For comparison, there are just over 4 million homeless animals in RUSSIA. 

Veterinary rules for keeping and slaughtering rabbits have not changed since 1971 and are long outdated. The updated document was posted by the Ministry of Agriculture on the Federal Portal of NLA Projects in early June. 

Voices for Animals, a public organization that specializes in animal welfare in agriculture, believes that the draft rules proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture do not effectively meet the needs of rabbits and need to be improved. 

The experts of the organization sent their proposals to the department. We have studied their document.

Upgrade cells

Now rabbits are most often kept in small cages where animals cannot sit and move comfortably. This provokes stress and diseases of the musculoskeletal system in them. Vote for Animals experts suggest increasing the size of rabbit cages so that they can at least sit comfortably. 

“It is also necessary to replace the slatted floor in the cages with a plastic slatted floor to prevent paw injuries. This is one of the most common and important problems in rabbit breeding: damaged wounds often get infected and provoke inflammation. Plastic slatted floors will simultaneously protect delicate paws from damage and ensure a high level of hygiene in the cages,” said Ilya Zlobin, an expert from the Voices for Animals organization, candidate of biological sciences. 

In addition to slatted floors, cages are proposed to be equipped with raised platforms. They increase the total usable area, allow the animals to move more and allow the females to hide in order to rest from the grown-up rabbits.

Spare no hay and water

Rabbits are very susceptible to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. To prevent such diseases, animals must have constant access to hay. So rabbits can satisfy their hunger without overeating. 

Prolonged thirst for these animals is also very dangerous. Public activists insist that the rabbits be provided with drinking water constantly. At the same time, the water should be at a comfortable temperature (10-25 ° C), and the drinkers should be located so that they can be used not only by adults, but also by growing rabbits.

Don't make noise and spray your ears

Remember how you feel on a hot day when you want to quickly take a shower and turn on the fan. Rabbits with thick fur do not have this possibility. They also do not have the thermoregulation of the body with the help of sweat, as in humans. During extreme heat - 30C or more - animals suffer and risk heatstroke, which can lead to death. For this reason, community members suggest keeping rabbits to keep rabbits indoors in a comfortable temperature range (10-28°C) throughout the year. 

“If you keep rabbits in sheds, that is, on the street, the temperature cannot be regulated. In this case, on hot days, you can spray the ears of the animals, which will help to remove heat and protect against heat stroke,” said Ilya Zlobin.

In addition, public activists consider it important to set the maximum permissible values ​​of air dust content - to protect rabbits from respiratory diseases, and the maximum permissible noise level - no more than 65 dB - to provide animals with the opportunity for a comfortable rest. For the same, optimization of the light regime is needed: at least 8 hours of darkness and 8 hours of light per day, with a smooth transition between them, as in nature. 

More pleasant contacts and breeding control

Because rabbits are social animals, they suffer from isolation. It is preferable to keep them in groups, experts say. Individually, only adult males should be kept, as well as females between birth and weaning, otherwise they conflict.

In order to reduce animal stress from interacting with humans, the organization suggests that workers come into contact with rabbits more often, of course, gently, without rough handling.

“Separately, I would like to touch upon the issue of reproduction. Modern technologies for keeping rabbits allow the fertilization of females just a few days after birth and the early weaning of rabbits. Such an intense reproductive rhythm worsens the HEALTH of animals, significantly increasing mortality. It is necessary to set the minimum duration of the reproductive cycle at 49 days, and the rabbits should be taken no earlier than 35 days. This will significantly extend the life of both females and offspring,” Ilya Zlobin is sure.

Openness to dialogue

Voices for Animals have already sent their proposals to the Ministry of Agriculture for consideration. In order for the amendments to be at least partially considered and added to the new veterinary rules, the organization asks to include their experts in the working group to draw up the final version of the document. 

“The participation of our organization could bring tangible benefits, taking into account our developments in the field of improving animal welfare in agriculture,” says the letter, signed by the organization's chairman, Dinara Ageeva.

The idea of ​​including social activists in the working groups found a response in the authorities as well . State Duma Deputy Anatoly Greshnevikov, Senator Sergey Bezdenezhnykh, Veterinary Administration of St. Petersburg, Chairwoman of the Commission on Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation Elena Sharoikina, President of the Russian Association of Veterinary Practitioners Sergey Sereda, DIRECTOR for GR of the Animal Welfare Association » Yulia Trefilova and Khabarovsk Duma deputy Natalia Kovalenko. 

Such a step would emphasize the openness of the Ministry of Agriculture to dialogue with the public, the authors of the appeal noted.