Can I breed these two rabbits?

[luceal1]

Hi, I am new to breeding rabbits andI am wondering if I can breed a 900 gram (1 lb.) doe with a 1.8 kg (3 lb.) buck. They are both mini lops but there seems to be a big weight difference. I am really keen to breed them but I wouldn't want to risk my doe's life in any way.
Thanks!

 

[Azerane]

900g is just short of 2lb, about 1.9lb. To be honest they both sound very small for mini lops, how old is the doe?

As far as a weight difference goes, I don't think it should matter too much, however your doe sounds a bit small to be breeding with for a mini lop.

As a side note, any time that you breed you put a doe's life at risk because you never know whether there may be complications or not.

 

[majorv]

How old are they? Are you sure they're full blooded mini lops? An adult is typically between 4-6 pounds.

 

[LiveLaughLop]

Hollands aren't even typically in the 1 lb range. 1 lb seems pretty small for any breed. Do you have pictures?

 

[majorv]

Mini lops in the UK are called Holland Lops in the US, so I think the weight is about right. You shouldn't have a problem. Your doe is on the small side though.

 

[LiveLaughLop]

Ah ha! Good to know! I didn't even know Hollands could be less than 1 lb full grown!

 

[Ainsleys_mommy]

If the doe is just under 2 pounds and the buck is 3 pounds, it should be okay. But you need to ask yourself if they're good representations of the breed. Just because they're purebred doesn't mean they SHOULD be bred. The breeding should accomplish babies that are also good representations of the breed (and preferably even better quality than the parents, though that's not guaranteed since it's dependent upon how well the bloodlines mesh).

Also, as was mentioned, any time you breed a doe, her life is at risk. It also lowers her life expectancy with each litter she has. I've never had a breeding doe make it past the age of 4 1/2 years.

Also, how old are they? They should be at least 6 months old, but the doe shouldn't be older than 1 year if it's her first litter. You're asking for trouble then. If you do breed, allow the buck to get her several times throughout the day. I never bred if I wasn't going to be home most of the day. The more times he gets her, the bigger the litter size should be. The bigger the litter size, the smaller the babies will be to pass. Hope this helps.

 

[luceal1]

Thanks! That really helps and gives me something to think about.

 

[zeuslover1]

I have a similar question i have 3 rabbits 2 fixed does and 1 unfixed buck i am getting a baby holland lop and i was wondering should I keep the baby seperated from the buck? and i was also wondering if this doe could act as a mother for a short while even though she wasnt her mom

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

how old is the baby?

 

[TopDoll]

If the baby is of a suitable age then there's no reason for a female to have to act as it's mother. If the baby is too young to be separated from it's mother, then a fixed female still wouldn't be too much use since they aren't lactating & you would need to supply adequate nutrition with syringe feeding.

I'd keep the baby separate from the other bunnies. Just because it's a baby doesn't mean there couldn't be altercations between it and another bunny, it just means a fight would most likely be started by the adult bun and not the baby. You could introduce them some (I'd start with the does) but that wouldn't really be a true bond until the baby grows up, since it will still have hormonal changes to go through later on.

Enjoy your new baby, zeus! :bunny19

 

[zeuslover1]

Thanks it really helps the baby is about 4 weeks old

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

That's young, it should still be with the mom. The youngest I wean mine is at 6 weeks.

 

[zeuslover1]

Oh what should i do i mean like how should i take care of flower ( baby rabbit)?

 

[majorv]

Four weeks is pretty young to be getting a rabbit. You need to continue feeding her whatever she's being fed now. Youngsters are susceptible to digestive issues if you make changes to their food suddenly. Keep her away from the buck. You could see if either of your does will accept her, but watch them carefully for aggression towards the baby. You may just have to keep her separate. At that age she should be getting either an alfalfa based pellet or some alfalfa hay mixed with a grass hay, like Timothy.