Breeding rabbits using the Mikhailov method is one of the most popular schemes for keeping such animals today. The famous Russian livestock breeder completely revised all existing approaches in this direction and created his own methodology, which made it possible to significantly increase the meat productivity of animals. In addition, the method also involves a significant reduction in morbidity among rabbits and reduces the time and effort required to care for them.
Rabbit breeding
The essence of the mini-farm I.N. Mikhailova
The design is designed in the form of a machine that provides automatic care for the animals. With a competent approach, the farm owner participates in the process to a minimum. At the same time, he regularly monitors the condition of the animals and the proper functioning of the mini-farm.
Igor Nikolaevich’s goal was to raise accelerated rabbits that were resistant to adverse environmental factors. He placed the animals in outdoor conditions, providing them with the necessary things: a place to live, food and water, and cleaning of the premises. Even his little rabbits live in spartan conditions and grow and develop well. The cages are provided with natural ventilation and a system for collecting pet feces. The new generation of accelerated rabbits has obvious advantages over other animals:
- high immunity;
- thick hair;
- heavy weight.
The large weight of pets is due to the natural environment in which they are kept. As in nature, they have to accumulate fat deposits in order to withstand bad weather and winter cold.
Important! Under “greenhouse” conditions, rabbits’ immunity declines, and the body’s ability to survive declines to the limit. By creating a Spartan mini-farm I.N. Mikhailov managed to awaken the defense mechanisms of animals. They are laid down at the genetic level.
Little rabbits stay near their mother for three months after birth. They receive her warmth and milk and learn to live independently. If the mother rabbit is fed well and not disturbed too much, the offspring will quickly gain weight. Three- and four-month-old young animals can weigh from 4 to 6 kg. The female breeds rabbits not just once a season, but all year round.
A mini-farm according to Mikhailov can be built on a large or small plot. There are rabbit breeding enterprises where this method has been successfully used for many years.
About the breeding method
The method allows rabbits to acquire natural immunity to typical diseases, promotes accelerated growth of young animals, and is aimed at significantly increasing the production of high-quality dietary rabbit meat and valuable fur.
Academician I.N. Mikhailov has developed a fundamentally new breeding method, which is based on the maximum use of the biological resources and potential of the rabbit, genetically endowed abilities for rapid growth and natural development in the first months after its birth.
A special feature of the method is that rabbits, which are perfectly protected by nature itself and practically do not suffer from frost, are kept outside all year round . And everything necessary for their productive and accelerated development is present in the equipment of the farm he developed.
In addition, the need for regular cell cleaning in the design developed by I.N. is almost completely eliminated. Mikhailov successfully uses automatic removal of natural waste products. Such a farm operates in a semi-automatic mode and spends approximately thirty minutes a week of your time on its full maintenance.
The academician refutes the outdated and imperfect methods on the basis of which rabbits were kept using predominantly an external cage system, and the result was not year-round, but only seasonal reproduction of the rabbit, along with this there was a fairly high morbidity and mortality of young animals.
One of the structural features of the stomach is muscle weakness, since the stomach muscles do not have the ability to quickly contract and move digested food directly into the intestines.
It is for this reason that the rabbit is forced to constantly chew something. Adults eat up to eighty times a day. With typical 2 or 3 meals a day, it is impossible to satisfy the natural needs of rodents.
Thanks to the unique design of the vacuum drinker, the development of harmful microorganisms in the water is not possible. Due to a complete and uninterrupted diet, rabbits begin to consume food four times less than usual.
Thanks to the design of the farm, natural waste falls into a special tray, which is cleaned once a week. The farm is equipped with a special forced ventilation system, as a result of which there is no unpleasant odor in the nests that attracts insects. Accelerator rabbits breathe not polluted, but clean and fresh air.
The operation of the farm supports electrical heating of the queen cells. The use of this innovation has a double benefit: the energy value of consumed feed in winter is directed not towards heating the body, but towards enhanced growth and acceleration. The use of electric heating makes it possible to obtain stable births all year round, regardless of weather conditions.
Scientific basis of the Mikhailovsky method
When creating his method, Professor Mikhailov proceeded from the fact that the conditions of detention should maximally correspond to the physiological and behavioral characteristics that the animals inherited from their wild ancestors. The breeding method proposed by the scientist was based on the following scientific data.
Wild rabbits, from which all modern breeds and varieties originate, in nature never defecate in the places where they feed and rest . Domesticated animals, when kept in pits or ordinary cages, not only eat food that comes into close contact with waste, but also breathe air saturated with harmful fumes, which, of course, does not promote health.
For normal life, rabbits need a large amount of clean water, but in captivity it is not so easy to ensure its availability: the owner is forced to frequently fill the drinking bowls, which become very dirty and even freeze in cold weather.
The digestion of rabbits has an interesting feature: the muscles that force food to move from the stomach to the intestines during digestion do not contract actively enough in these animals. That is why eared animals are forced to constantly chew and gnaw something, forcibly pushing the food bolus through the gastrointestinal tract. For complete absorption of feed and effective growth, animals must eat small meals; traditional feeding schemes (two to three times a day) are not entirely suitable for them.
In nature, female rabbits arrange nesting chambers in the most secluded corners of burrows that are quiet, calm and most protected from dampness, drafts and temperature changes. Babies spend the first weeks of life in peace, darkness and warmth. With traditional keeping of animals, such conditions are not always provided, which has a bad effect on the quantity and quality of offspring.
At the age of 4-5 weeks, rabbits of most breeds can already eat adult food, but this does not mean that they stop needing mother's milk. Long-term (about 3 months) milk feeding not only maximally strengthens the natural immunity of young animals, but also makes babies accelerated. They begin to more fully absorb the nutrients they receive from food and gain weight faster. Late weaning improves the taste of meat and the quality of skins, and also increases the fertility of subsequent generations.
Human contact is a stressful factor for rabbits. Daily cleaning of cages, filling drinking bowls and feeders has a bad effect on the well-being of animals, their appetite and readiness to reproduce.
Features of cells
According to Mikhailov, cells are constantly ventilated. These are open sheds made of durable mesh. There are no side walls, but there is a plywood safety wall on the north side. The grid is on the south side. Thanks to this, there is always enough light and air in the cells. The sheds are isolated from one another by a network, and on top there is a lean-to roof with ventilation.
The farm is built on the principle of a multi-story house. 1.4 m2 is allocated for each animal. One cage can accommodate 25 rabbits. They live on the upper tier. Downstairs there is a room for eating. It has feeding troughs and drinking bowls. The floor is partly made of slatted mesh: this helps to dispose of feces.
There are 4 racks under the upper (living) tier. They provide structure fastening and strength. Between the posts there is a box for collecting litter. If you have experience, caring for eared animals will not take much time. On average, it will take 30 minutes.
This is interesting!
Why do you need a sloped ceiling? The slope corresponds to the shape of a rabbit hole in its natural habitat.
Difficulties encountered in practice
There are no disadvantages to the Mikhailovsky method in breeding individuals. But, as practice has shown, rabbit breeders encounter some difficulties on their way to their goal. All literature on the structure of cells and the finished cells themselves are expensive. The drawings that are sold are very complex and confusing. And the finished rabbit cages are made using a completely different technology and do not correspond to the drawings at all. It takes much more time to maintain one cell than the method claims.
Only experienced rabbit breeders can use this method. Beginners constantly experience difficulties and problems. Refusing the vaccine does not lead to anything good. Animals get sick, and the loss of livestock in this case is also inevitable.
Selection of building materials and tools
You can build cells according to Mikhailov using simple tools:
- screwdriver;
- ax;
- a set of self-tapping screws;
- hacksaws;
- hammer;
- nails;
- building level.
You need to stock up on materials;
- two sheets of durable plywood;
- nails;
- 4 bars and 4 boards;
- roofing felt (8m2);
- nails;
- paint;
- galvanized iron sheet for roofing;
- rigid fiberboard sheet (2m);
- soft fiberboard sheet;
- picket fence
Detailed analysis
At the top of the truss roof there is a pipe for ventilation. The roof itself is built at a downward slope. The departments where rabbits are kept include a walking room and a queen cell. The queen cell is equipped with an electrical outlet. When the baby rabbits appear, it needs to be warmed up for the first time. There are also containers for water and food. Nearby there is a metal slope along which waste flows. They accumulate in the bottom box.
Walking and nesting compartments
The lower part of the cage is placed on the stand. The frame consists of 4 racks. The cross-section of each of them is 20x100 mm. On the eastern side, the walking and nesting area is protected by a net. You need to cut a hole in it. It will divide the three-story house into several sections. Animals can hide in them if they feel uncomfortable. One room serves as a trap. It is used if the rabbit needs to be moved to another cage or provided with medical assistance.
Walking room
Rabbits eat food and drink water in it. I.N. Mikhailov advises using bunker types of feeders and a canister-shaped drinker. At the bottom of the walking section there is a hole (200X200 mm) that goes into the shaft. The slatted floor has a cross-section of 20x45 mm. The picket fence is laid on a frame made of slats so that the window for manure and the feeder remain on top. The angle of the flooring must be at least 45 degrees. Thanks to this solution, the little ear will not get injured when jumping.
Important!
Rabbits love to sharpen their teeth. Wooden slats must be protected by covering them with metal.
Rabbit nesting compartment
A folding door is installed in the nesting sector. This is convenient if you need to help a mother rabbit with her babies. The floor should be solid, 9 cm below the bottom. Heat will not escape from the room, and the babies will not crawl far from their mother. The mother liquor is insulated both inside and outside.
New opportunities for farmers
The main advantage for farmers when using this method is long-term sustainability and simplicity.
It manifests itself in the fact that farmers can completely ignore the season due to the fact that:
The water temperature is adjusted automatically. It becomes cool in summer and warm in winter, which completely eliminates the possibility of harmful bacteria developing in it. This frees farmers from constant care.- The heating in the cage is also automatic and it is designed to be heated to prevent dry air. In winter or summer, you don’t have to worry about the temperature - you just need to periodically carry out a technical inspection.
This farm is a strategic step that allows us to ensure business development for several months and years to come.
Automatic drinking device
It is attached to the wall of the walking compartment. The drinking bowl is arranged automatically. It looks like a bowl. Several 5 liter canisters are inverted into a bowl. A hole of 1x1 cm is made in the stopper of the canister. The liquid enters the container in small portions. The drinker works on a vacuum principle: water enters the bowls under pressure. In winter, the bowl is half hidden from animals, and a boiler is placed in the fenced part. The finished unit will work automatically if the air temperature is below +8C. When the temperature rises to 12C, it will automatically turn off.
Advice from professionals
However, greater effectiveness can be achieved with direct practice and following the advice of professionals. Here are just a few of them:
- You cannot use random pairs of rabbits. It is advisable to use those pairs that have previously demonstrated high mating activity and will be familiar with each other.
Siblings cannot be used. These will never be able to produce healthy offspring and will only cause problems during breeding.- It is necessary to mate only those individuals that have reached sexual maturity - this is about 180 days or six months from the moment of birth. Otherwise, the next offspring may be very weak.
- If new rabbits appear on the farm, then first of all they must be quarantined for up to a month and a half.
- Changing the diet should be done gradually. At first you need to use small portions, and then gradually increase them.
Whether to listen to the advice of experienced people or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves, but you shouldn’t completely exclude them.
Rabbit nutrition
Rabbit breeders feed the animals three or twice a day. In the wild, animals eat 40-80 times a day. Feeding them three times a day may not be enough. Rabbits living in cages using the Mikhailov method can eat whenever they want. Access to food is available at any time.
Compound feeder for simple feed
The feeder should be located close to the drinking bowl. This is a device with a pull-out shelf. It is located in the hole between the flooring. Crumbs from food settle on the shelf. You need to surround the container with a small threshold: this way the rabbits will not turn it over.
From the outside, the feeder resembles a mailbox with a folding top. The food can be topped up at any time. A sieve is also provided. Through it, scraps fall into a container for disposal. Clean feed is served to a distribution window with a diameter of 100x100 mm.
Advice!
The disposal should always be kept clean to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Container for roughage
There should be two containers for roughage: on the lower and upper floors. The feeder is made in the form of a folding hopper. Branches and hay are placed in it. When the top cover is made heavier, the food is always close to the net, freely accessible to the animals.
Classification of structures
First of all, you should decide on the size of future cells. Then you need to select a design from the presented types.
Single-tier
This is the simplest type to implement. The optimal size for adults is 150x70 cm, the front wall is 10-15 cm higher than the back, this allows you to get a sloping roof. If you need to change the parameters, you must take into account that the length will decrease or increase (depending on your wishes). The height and width should remain unchanged.
Next, Mikhailov’s cage for rabbits is divided into compartments, which are connected by hatches. For hygiene, it is advisable to make a mesh floor that allows waste to fall into the tray located below. When it comes to housing animals, female and male animals are housed separately, as being together leads to uncontrolled reproduction and competition among individuals.
Important! You can also make a division into rooms for adults and young adults. Cages for different types must be individually equipped taking into account the needs of the animals.
Two-story
The multi-level structure of a rabbitry is considered the best for keeping a large number of rabbits due to space saving, easy care and monitoring of individuals. The construction method is not significantly different. Typically the cage has the following dimensions: 2-2.5 meters in height and 1.5 meters in width.
Upper tier device
The top tier can be made the same as the bottom, but with a difference in length (25 cm). The tier is intended for planting young animals and consists of two sections. On the right there is a small balcony. In the second option there is no double bottom. The rigidity of the building is increased with the help of slats. The cross section of the slats is 20x80 mm. They are placed perpendicularly. The mesh on the south side has doors and feeders.
Reverse side
Like any technique, Mikhailov also has a downside, which is not officially sanctified. And here's what it includes:
financial costs - they are high and are required at the initial stages in large quantities- the drawings are complex, which implies that the farmer has experience or an employee who can help
- Beginners are not always comfortable with this method, which automatically makes it an option for experienced
- ignoring sanitation causes diseases in rabbits, which can lead to the extinction of not one, but several rabbits
However, its effectiveness fully justifies all the hidden aspects.
Features of self-production
Each master can improve the design at his own discretion. There is no clear plan for making a rabbit farm. Now farmers use different versions of I.N. cells. Mikhailova. You should focus on the number of animals, the interchangeability of materials and their quality:
- prepare the correct drawing;
- think over the technology of product strength;
- select materials;
- prepare tools;
- At the end of the work, check the strength of the doors, compartments, and the proper operation of all devices.
Step-by-step instruction
Let's consider the most standard and basic option - single-tier with three compartments.
So here's what you need to do:
- Assemble the frame - you can rely either on the drawings or on the images.
- Initially, construct the base for the holding frame and only then construct the cage.
We equip the cage with a floor.- We install drinkers and feeders inside and outside, respectively.
- We install doors.
- The uterine compartment is isolated.
- We install the roof using screws or nails.
- We create a rectangular funnel from sheet iron for manure.
- We install any container for manure at the bottom of the funnel.
This design is the base - the necessary minimum, which can be modified at your own discretion without deviating from the standard.
Price
The price of a farm depends on the size of the room, its arrangement and the quality of materials. A small wooden cage can be made for 2,500 rubles (without equipment). If the design contains elements made of plastic or metal, the cost will be more – from 4,500 rubles. A lot of money will be spent on the purchase and installation of automatic equipment. A feeder for soft food will cost about 1,500 rubles, a hay box costs 1,000 rubles, a feeding box costs 1,200 rubles, an automatic drinker costs 2,300 rubles, and a temperature sensor costs about 2,000 rubles.
In order to make a reliable and practical housing for rabbits, the farmer will have to invest a lot of money in it. It is also necessary to take into account the price of the farm’s inhabitants: one breeding male costs approximately 2500-3000 rubles. It will be possible to recoup all costs in a year and a half.
Benefits for rabbit breeders
The advantages of using this method for rabbit breeders are as follows:
- rapid weight gain: only 4 months are needed instead of the usual 12
- the survival rate of new offspring increases to 90% due to favorable conditions
- dosed supply of food into the cage
- reduction of funds to pay employees who usually do what the cage design does automatically
However, not everything is perfect - let’s look at the shortcomings below.
Reviews
Sergey (Gomel):
“I made cells using Mikhailov’s method. Maintenance turned out to be not as simple as they say in books on rabbit breeding. The water in the drinking bowls quickly becomes dirty, so I installed a nipple automatic drinking bowl in the house. Now the water is much cleaner. It remains to improve the feeders a little.”
Vitaly (Ryazan region):
“I really like Mikhailov’s cages. They help save time. I don't always have the opportunity to regularly clean up after the rabbits and feed them. If I need to leave for a few days, I leave food in the feeders and water in the drinkers. Rabbits are well fed and drink enough fluids. When I return, I clean the waste tank. Simple and convenient.”
Building cells using the Mikhailov method is not an easy task. It requires financial investment and ingenuity. If you put in the effort and think things through, you can get an excellent rabbit farm that will definitely pay off in the next year and a half.
What is MIACRO
MIACRO is an abbreviation for the Workshop of the Inventor of Accelerated Rabbit Breeding . According to another version, it means Mikhailovskoye Accelerated Rabbit Breeding.
The main thesis of the MIACRO teaching is the explosive (acceleration) growth of rabbits with proper maintenance
The master believed that the correct content was in his cages for year-round use. I don’t dare ridicule the theory, because several scientific experiments have been carried out and a dissertation on this topic has even been defended. But the master clearly lacked scientific knowledge, and therefore the acceleration of rabbits remained the master’s theory. Mikhailov is an athlete and coach by primary education, and sometimes acted in episodic roles in films. He was not a scientist in the conventional sense. Although the MIACRO technology has been known for almost forty years, it nevertheless has supporters and opponents. I don’t consider myself to be in any one camp. This article provides a critical analysis of miakro technology with its pros and cons. Decide for yourself whether to look for cell drawings or come up with something of your own, using the rational aspects of the acceleration principle formulated by the People's Academician.
To ridicule you need to try it yourself in practice, not in words
