Mary Allen
Many rabbit breeders are convinced that the young animals are more beautiful and develop better if the position of the moon during mating was correct. Fact or Superstition?
The moonlight not only triggers romantic feelings in people. Many animals are also inspired by the full moon and set their mating season on this date. This is especially true for sea creatures who are dependent on the ebb and flow of the tide. But our earthworm’s activity is also influenced by the moon.
The earthworm is most active around three hours before the moon has reached its lowest point below the horizon. It is also particularly busy during the full and new moon. But humans also have inner moon rhythms. For example, the color sensitivity of the eye reacts to the time of day, the season, and the rhythm of the moon. Red is always more visible than blue around a full moon. The reason for these changes is unclear.
The plants also feel the power of the moon. The diameter of tree trunks changes depending on the position of the moon. As the moon waxes, the stems thicken, and as the moon wanes, they thin again. These are minimal, but clearly measurable changes. The moon influences the flow of water, causing a kind of ebb and flow in the plants.
How much the moon affects work in the house, stable, and garden is controversial. Some swear that working with the moon would give much better results, others consult statistics that usually do not show reliable moon effects. Many rabbit breeders are convinced that if they take into account the position of the moon when mating, they will have more beautiful offspring. This should definitely be increasing when mating the doe so that the development of the fetus is optimal.
In addition, the arc that the moon describes in the sky is taken into account. If it rises higher night after night, the moon is obliged (rising), if the arc decreases again, the moon is called nidsigend (descending). Obliged and indigent should primarily influence the position of the ears. Aries breeders are more likely to choose mating dates when the moon is indigent. In the case of prick-eared rabbit lines, which tend to have wide ears, dates with an obscure moon should be considered.
Good Skins, Nice Heads
Matings in the signs of the zodiac with fur (Aries, Taurus, Leo, Capricorn) should lead to particularly good skins. Mating dates around the full moon are said to result in more bucks, around the new moon more females. Some breeders not only refer to the fur zodiac signs, but to the ancient knowledge of which body parts fall under each zodiac sign. For females that are supposed to raise large litters without any problems, mating should therefore take place when the Moon is in Cancer since the mammary glands belong to this sign of the zodiac.
If the moon is in the sign of Aries, the animals should have particularly beautiful heads. The moon in Capricorn ensures good bone structure, in Taurus a strong neck area. If the moon is in Sagittarius, this favors a good hip area. This could be interesting for breeders who always struggle with the third position in the rating. For this reason, we have now also included these dates in the lunar calendar. But it is important: Regardless of the position of the moon, only vigorous parents with the best possible physical build and a pleasant character should be used as breeding animals!