Is rabbit meat high in protein
This article is about the domesticated form of the European rabbit. For the is rabbit meat high in protein variety, see European rabbit. For all rabbit species, see Rabbit. Ufenau – Oryctolagus cuniculus 2011-07-25 17-33-40.
European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph family. Rabbits were first used for their food and fur by the Romans, and have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 19th century. In 2017, they were the United States’ third most abandoned pet. Some of them go on to be adopted and become family pets in various forms.
Phoenician sailors visiting the coast of Spain c. A controversial theory is that a corruption of the rabbit’s name used by the Romans became the Latin name for the peninsula, Hispania. Evidence for the domestic rabbit is rather late. In the Middle Ages, wild rabbits were often kept for the hunt.
Monks in southern France were crossbreeding rabbits at least by the 12th century AD. In the 19th century, as animal fancy in general began to emerge, rabbit fanciers began to sponsor rabbit exhibitions and fairs in Western Europe and the United States. The keeping of the rabbit as a pet commencing from the 1800s coincides with the first observable skeletal differences between the wild and domestic populations, even though captive rabbits had been exploited for over 2,000 years. Domestic rabbits have been popular in the United States since the late 19th century. 1910 and is the national authority on rabbit raising and rabbit breeds having a uniform Standard of Perfection, registration and judging system. The domestic rabbit continues to be popular as a show animal and pet.
Rabbits have been, and continue to be, used in laboratory work such as the production of antibodies for vaccines and research of human male reproductive system toxicology. An older term for an adult rabbit is coney, while rabbit once referred only to the young animals. Among rabbit fanciers, the genetics of rabbit health and diversity are paramount. The rabbit genome has been sequenced and is publicly available.
The mitochondrial DNA has also been sequenced. In 2011, parts of the rabbit genome were re-sequenced in greater depth in order to expose variation within the genome. As a refinement of the diet of the wild rabbit, the diet of the domestic rabbit is often a function of its purpose. Show rabbits are fed for vibrant health, strong musculoskeletal systems, and—like rabbits intended for the fur trade—optimal coat production and condition. Rabbits intended for the meat trade are fed for swift and efficient production of flesh, while rabbits in research settings have closely controlled diets for specific goals.
Hay is an essential part of the diet of all rabbits and it is a major component of the commercial food pellets that are formulated for domestic rabbits and available in many areas. Pellets are typically fed to adult rabbits in limited quantities once or twice a day, to mimic their natural behavior and to prevent obesity. It is recommended only a teaspoon to an egg cup full of pellets is fed to adult rabbits each day. Rabbits are hindgut fermenters and therefore have an enlarged cecum.
This allows a rabbit to digest, via fermentation, what it otherwise would not be able to metabolically process. After a rabbit ingests food, the food travels down the esophagus and through a small valve called the cardia. In rabbits, this valve is very well pronounced and makes the rabbit incapable of vomiting. The food enters the stomach after passing through the cardia. Food then moves to the stomach and small intestine, where a majority of nutrient extraction and absorption takes place. The soft pellets contain a sufficiently large portion of nutrients that are critical to the rabbit’s health. This soft fecal matter is rich in vitamin B and other nutrients.
The process of coprophagy is important to the stability of a rabbit’s digestive health because it is one important way that which a rabbit receives vitamin B in a form that is useful to its digestive wellness. This is different from ordinary diarrhea and is usually caused by a diet too high in carbohydrates or too low in fiber. Soft fruit or salad items such as lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are possible causes. Rabbits are prolific breeders, in part because rabbits reach breeding age quickly. Like all mammals, rabbits produce milk for their young. Female rabbits have six to eight nipples and produce milk for four weeks after birthing.
Rabbit milk is relatively high in fat, as a percentage by mass. Disease is rare when rabbits are raised in sanitary conditions and provided with adequate care. Rabbits have fragile bones, especially in their spines, and need support on the belly or bottom when they are picked up. Spayed or neutered rabbits kept indoors with proper care may have a lifespan of 8 to 12 years, with mixed-breed rabbits typically living longer than purebred specimens, and dwarf breeds having longer average lifespans than larger breeds. The world record for longest-lived rabbit is 18 years.
Neutering is possible for both female and male rabbits, but only necessary and advisable for males. Uncastrated male rabbits will engage in severe and often bloody fights upon reaching adulthood, which can even end with fatalities. On top of that, male rabbits commonly show strong marking behavior using urine as well as hormonal aggressions, which both can only be reduced by castrating the rabbit. Assertions of female rabbits near inevitably developing cancer if left unneutered as well as neutered females living longer, have no scientific foundation whatsoever. Vaccinations exist for both rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis.
