| Breeding |
| I don't suggest breeding to anyone if they haven't studied up on it. My advice is to ask responsible breeders about it. I highly recommend that you NOT breed different breeds together, and that you only raise rabbits if you have the propper housing ready before you have the litter. If you aren't a breeder who shows rabbits, and just own a pet rabbit, I don't recommend breeding for you unless you have homes for all of the babies. -The first thing you should do is make sure you know what the sex of your rabbit is. I know this sounds obvious, but even experienced breeders can make mistakes. -Make sure the buck and the doe are compatable. Certain colors when bred together will produce unrecognized colors that can't be shown. You don't want to cross breed either unless you really know what your doing. It just ends up with mixed breed rabbits and unrecognized colors that people won't want to buy. - I'd suggest that the rabbits you breed be of excellent show quality and from good lines. Breeding rabbits with DQ's and faults usually results in a poor quality litter. You want a breeding pair or trio to produce awsome babies for your herd, not ones that are first off the show table and DQ'ed all the time, it gets to be very dissappointing.. The babies will be easier to sell if they are from good lines and good quality for show as well. -Now your ready to breed your rabbit. Always put the doe in the buck's cage, if you put the buck in her cage she may become agressive(territorial). The buck will hopefully mount and if a breeding takes place he will fall off, usually making grunting noises. DO NOT leave the doe with the buck after the breeding! Rabbits need their own cages and should not be housed together unless they are neudered or spayed. -Feed her large ammounts of timothy hay and keep her on her normal diet. Make sure as usual that she has fresh water and food. Watch her carefully for the next month until kindling (the time of birth). The average doe has her litter on day 31(give or take a few days). -After two weeks of pregnancy I don't suggest that you do anything stress her out; this could cause numerous complications. -Put in the nest box on day 28. Fill it with about a couple inches of shavings and lots of straw as nesting material. The doe will organize it how she wants and will pull fur from her own body to make the nest. This is called gathering. -Make sure you make minimal changes around this time and that her enviorment is very quiet. Check her regularly once her due date is near. Take out any dead babies once they're born, they can be very hazardous if not removed. The first litter doesn't always survive, and noisy surroundings increase that factor. If she hears an unfarmiliar sound or is startled by a bright light she could hop into the next box to protect her fragile new borns; not knowing she could kill them by doing so. -It's best to have just one person moniter her to prevent her getting scared and feeling overwhelmed by crowds. I know it's fun to show neighbors and friends but avoid doing this. It's best if only you come near her, since she will be farmilar with your scent and voice. -It's always emotionaly hard to lose a litter, but first time moms can be confused and are inexperienced. If the litter does survive, then congradulations! Now you have to make sure the area stays quiet and the mother and babies stay calm and happy. If the cage is dirty, ammonia will build up and will make it hard for the tiny buns to breathe. So make sure you keep it clean and avoid disease (by using sanitation), suffication (from ammonia), or the cold (they will lose heat very easily if they fall out of the nest box) which can kill a baby bunny instantly. -At 10-14 days old, they will open their eyes and start exploring. -At around 6-8 weeks the babies should get weaned. This is when they are taken off the mother's milk and onto solid food and water. They have to be separated from eachother at this time as well to prevent accidental breedings and fighting. -When it's time to decide which babies to keep and which to sell, it may be helpful to show them all first so you get an idea of which bunnies will be good for showing and which would make better pets. Also consider if you'd rather have a buck or doe. Keep in mind that the cutest one isn't always the best choice! Be sure to check for DQ's. Good Luck! |