Measures to increase production are used to address the issue of providing the population with food. During the peak of the industry (1975–1985), Ukraine annually produced 120–165 thousand tons of rabbit meat, 30–45 million skins, and its share in world rabbit production reached 8 %. In the national volume of meat production, the share of highly dietary rabbit accounted for 8–10 %. Rabbit breeding in Ukraine was a very lucrative industry, which employed more than 600 thousand rabbit breeders. However, in recent years, rabbit breeding has declined due to the lack of modern scientific developments on the issues of complete feeding, rabbit keeping technology, low level of breeding and veterinary support. The development of the industry and the lack of coordinating bodies, both in the center and on the ground, are holding back. At present, the rabbit population of Ukraine is 97–98 % concentrated in individual farms and is 1.2–1.3 million breeding and repair livestock, and the rest in farms and breeding entities of various forms of ownership and management. According to the results of state certification, the breeding base of the industry in Ukraine today consists of 1 breeding plant and 7 breeding breeders of rabbit breeds. For feeding young rabbits used complete ration granular feed, the structure of which had different prebiotic content: I control group – the drug was not received, 2 experimental – 1.5, 3 – 2.0, 4 – 2.5 g/goal. per day. The studies were conducted on four groups of young rabbits, selected on the principle of groups of analogues, 25 heads in each. Thus, the total amount of feed increased from 80 g/goal. per day (35–41 days), up to 100 g (42–48 days), 120 g (49–55 days), up to 140 g (56–62 days), up to 160 g (63–69 days) up to 180 g (70–76 days). Feeding of young rabbits when reared for meat Prebiolact-Kr in animals of the second group at 43.1 g, the third 44.6 g and 45.0 g. The use of Prebiolact-Kr in the feeding of young rabbits when fed meat contributes to an increase in fattening performance, which may be the basis for the practical application of this supplement. Perebiolakt-KR showed the best results in feeding fattening and repair young animals at a dose of 2.0 g/goal per day.
SMALL-SCALE RABBIT MEAT PRODUCTION IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE : BACK TO BASICS ?
