AGE Of Bunnies To Get Pregnant

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coronadelmarsue

coronadelmarsue

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Mar 5, 2008
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Location
Murrieta, California, USA
:bambiandthumperI have a new bunny, and brought home one of the babies that is about 2-3 mos old, and the new bunny that I just got, i found out when i brought home the baby is a male.. OK wait that didnt come out right. I have a baby, Runt that is a female and the new bunny that I jsut brought home yesterday that I got from freecycle turns out to be a boy when we jsts put them together when I brought Runt home from my boyfriends this morning. I want to know when is the safe time for them to get Runt pregnant, and not have any problems??



thanks so much

sue:anotherbun
 
Thanks so much. I need to find out. Runt has been out of a cage, and my daughterput her into the cage that Ive got because she is afraid that she will get pregnant, andRunt is usedto being out of a cage.I dont belive in caging animals. Thanks for your help.



sue
 
There is a difference between when a rabbit "can" get pregnant (the earliest) and when it is safe to get pregnant. A lot of the answer we can give you will depend upon the breed of your rabbit(s). Can you share that information?

I used to breed lionheads. They can get pregnant around 4 months old but most breeders I know won't breed them until they're 5 months old as they are usually larger and able to give birth easier at that age.

Why are you breeding? To improve the breed and have show bunnies?

I'm asking because there are so many unwanted bunnies already in shelters in California that I would recommend not breeding unless you have purebred rabbits (and yes, I have bred mixed breeds to get lionlops). If you are wanting to breed a litter and then keep them for yourself - that is fine....but from what I see of posts in our rescue section - there are just a large number of bunnies in California that are already looking for homes.

Also - there really isn't money to be made in breeding....and you can go in the hole if you need to go to a vet due to stuck kits, etc.

Just some things to consider....

....oh...and welcome to the forum! If you can share the breed with us - I'm sure we can help you with the best age for breeding.


 
It depends on your breed I breed my mini rex at 5 monthes my sons mini lops at 6-7 monthes depending and larger breeds need to be even older . If these are a bunch of mixed breeds(sorry if there not I'm assumingfrom your post)you really shouldnt be breeding them any way you'll just be adding to a large population of unwanted mix breed rabbits in shelters . I do breed but I breed improve my breed .I do not condone the practice of breeding mix breed rabbits to sell for pets .It costs the same tobreed(house feed)a purebred rabbit as it does to breed a mix . And I know my rabbits are going to great homes with my fellow breeders and not some pet owner who only wants it while it's little and cute( I dont mean all pet owners of course there are lots of great ones but theres also lots of bsad ones and it's sometimes hard to weed out the bad ones).There'd be alot less unwanted rabbits if people didnt breed there cute little pet bunnies just so they could see baby's being born or because there so cute.

Fallon
 
I let mine Mini Rexes breed at 6 months. I think that is the safest way to go. Lots of people breed at 5 months though.
 
I don't thinkSue was saying they are planning on breeding, they are worried the doe may have gotten pregnant by accidentbecause they didn't know the new one was a buck. Is that right, Sue?

Anyway, from your post I was a little confused, how old is the doe? Like you were already told, a safe age to get pregnant depends on the breed. If the doe is six months old or over, you would also be able to get her spayed now so that you wouldn't have to worry about her getting pregnant. The buck is old enough to neuter as soon as his tesicles drop, but he can still get a doe pregnant for 6-8 weeks after he is neutered so you would still have to be careful for a while.
 
No her daughter is afraid of that her post said" I want to know when is the safe time for them to get Runt pregnant, and not have any problems??" To me that means they want to breed.

Fallon
 
Hi, sorry for the late response. I have no idea of what kind they are. I think that they are cottontails, but not sure. They are so sweet tho. Anyway, we are breeding because we have wanted bunnies, and we have the yard for them. They are not show, and we are doing just because we want to.



We just discovered that one of our other rabbits had babies under the house, and he saw them yesterday, and the nite before running around the yard. They look like they are about 3-4 weeks old.



But we are having fun with them and know that there is a rabbit problem in the shelters in California.

I can't say anything negative about having bunnies or rabbits, they are so cute, and lovable...

Have a greatholiday weekend

thanks for the advice everyone

Sue
 
NO, we knew that the 2 rabbits were pregnant, and my daughter was worried that Runt would get pregnant being so young at abt 3-4 mos or so.

The new male that we jsut got was trying to hump Runt and the other female that we have, and he was doing it on the wrong end, meaning her head, and wasnt low enougt to make it towards.....well im not going there. anyway, you know whatI mean.



Thanks for the advice.

Sue
 
Unless you are planning on spaying/neutering and keeping all of the babies, please don't breed just for fun. Every rabbit you give away to a new home is one more that will die in a shelter. I run a small rescue, and I see this first hand every day. Plus, if the rabbits are cottontails, it is most likely illegal to evenhave them, much less breed/raise them.
 
illegal to have cottontails??? I have no idea of what kind they are. you can see them in my picture that ive got on here.

I didnt know that it was illegal to have cottontails????? Why???

thank you

sue
 
The rabbits on your avatar are not Cottontails. Cottontails are the wild brown rabbits that live in our yards. It is against the law in most states to own or possess one, unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Do yourself a favor and neuter the boy. Keep him away from your girls. Runt sounds like she is way too young. And dealing with babies can be a real hassle. You have to know when to wean them, seperate them, then find new homes. In the mean time you are feeding and caring for them. If you don't keep them seperate, within a year you will have dozens and dozens of rabbits running around your yard. Now while this may sound cute and fun, they are suseptible to a lot of parasites and diseases from local wildlife, not to mention, they are easy pickins' for any hawk or falcon that flys over orany wild dog/coyote/weasel/opposum/preditor in the area. You could have a problem that quickly spirals out of control if your rabbits get sick or attacked.

And you should check out the local laws regarding how many animals you can keep in your area. Domestic Rabbits running lose in a neighborhood can be very destructive and may get you in trouble.


 
Um those are definately not cottontails. One of them looks a bit like an off color dutch but I can't tell from here.

If I were you I would have your bunnies spayed and neutered and that way you can have fun with them for many years without worry. It may increase their life span and decrease health issues and you won't have to worry about the buck spraying everywhere.

I only know about Flemish can't answer for other breeds. Flemish Giant does IMHO should not be bred before ten months. Mine breed at 12-14. That is why I never sell a Flemish doe before she reaches minimum senior weight and age. Too many bad experiences with new owners breeding the precious bunn too early.

So there. My two cents on one breed.

But good luck and I really encourage you to spay your bunn.
 
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