Is this a "Summer of the Buck"?

[Wooly Hopper]

So, I found a breeder that has Jersey Woolies for sale. He was happy to learn I want to get a buck. He said this summer he's been flooded with bucks. It seems that for every four kits, only one would be a doe.


So now I'm wondering if other breeders have found this to be true this summer.

Does weather, like the exceptionally dry hot summer, contribute to this?

Just me being curious.

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

I have 3 kits in a nest box and no clue what they are lol. I'm interested in hearing the responses to this!

 

[wendymac]

Out of Adeline's 7, I got 4 does and 3 bucks. Twila's litter produced 7 does and 2 bucks. Alfie's litter is 3 does and 2 bucks. Ruby has 4 does and 3 bucks. Rosa's I haven't sexed yet, so curious there. In all my breedings, I have had more does than bucks, thankfully!

 

[Samara]

This is a wicked neat idea; I know that temperature does affect many reptile eggs. I wonder if it does the same with wee buns?

 

[wendymac]

I don't think temperature affects the sex, because that's the chromosomes from the buck that determine that. Unfortunately, I just found out that a buck is usually sterile for a month or so after a major heat wave. Which means my Cher breeding was probably for naught.

 

[woahlookitsme]

lol did you look at that post on the ARBA facebook? I replied to it about my tans.

My mom has been having so so luck with does/bucks. I havent though. My tan litter is two girls and three boys.

Her polish litters are 3girls 1boy, 1boy, and 2girls 1boy. Every baby has a 50/50 shot at becoming a boy or girl and it is the fathers doing that decides to say the least lol. Temp has nothing to do with it

 

[MiniLopHop]

Perhaps you need to give the bucks a little pep talk and explain what you would like before letting him in with the doe?

 

[KittyKatMe]

Thats weird... my 2 week old litter is 4 does and 2 bucks.

 

[majorv]

wendymac wrote:

I don't think temperature affects the sex, because that's the chromosomes from the buck that determine that. Unfortunately, I just found out that a buck is usually sterile for a month or so after a major heat wave. Which means my Cher breeding was probably for naught.

That's why we don't, or rather can't, breed during the summer. It stays hot for several months and the bucks go sterile, and besides, neither they nor the doe is all that interested when it's hot anyway. Since we needed to breed for convention we brought a Tan buck inside for a week and then two does for about 3 days before we tried to breed them. We're pretty darn sure that they both took! Anyway, we've been lucky so far that except for one week of 100 degree temps we've stayed in the upper 80's and 90's during the day. You wouldn't think that sounds like much difference....hot is hot...but it really does around here.

 

[wendymac]

We had about 2 weeks where the temps were pushing 100 (with super high humidity). The doe was in my barn, which is always cooler, but the buck was in a hutch outside (I just got him at the end of the heat wave). I just hope it took, because I really want to get a litter out of Cher.

I hope they took! I still think 90 is too hot, and don't hit me with that "but it's a dry heat" stuff. I'm a 70s kind of gal.

Do the tans have the same attitude as the Checkered's and the Brits?

 

[woahlookitsme]

They can be especially at a show. Its almost like at a show they put their game faces on. They know what theyre supposed to do and dont like it if you interfere. At the house they are more relaxed. Of course the more you handle them the better they are

 

[Blaze_Amita]

WHile I know it's true that the buck throws the sex on the offspring, but I have noticed more bucks during summer months than does. I've also noticed a few of my bucks tend to throw more of one gender than the other. I've got a litter of hollands- 4 babies and all were does, but that buck tends to throw does and very few bucks.

 

[kwilds]

Lol - I have had a summer of does! Two litters so far, 4 does and 3 bucks in one and 3 does, 1 buck in the other. Waiting on litter number 3 - due today so won't be able to tell sex on them for a little while yet.

On a slightly different note - I read somewhere once that temperature when kits were born could affect ear length. I kept track of my mini rex ears from several litters, some born in June and others born in November. There was a very definite difference (shorter ears on the Nov babies.)Interesting, and possibly useful if your intent is to show them and are worried about ear length but I would imagine the genetics for big ears is still there and breeding the short eared winter babies could easily produce big ears again if the litters are born in the heat . . . it was admittedly a very unscientific study!