Breeding Very Soon

[jcl_24]

I have decided to breed my two Mini-Lop rabbits Ebony and Guy.

Potential mum bun Ebony is a large ML who isjust under 14months old.

The very willing Dad to be will be Guy, who is 12 months old and 'Holland lop' sized (so Ebony is noticeably larger than him).

Both rabbits have been deemed to be in good health by a vet in the past two weeks.

I am aware of the conflicting opinions on what age is too old for a doe to have her first litter. Ebony will be monitored and a vet consulted if there are any health concerns.

A place of neutral territory has been chosen where I and my Bro (who will also be there) can see how the rabbits respond to each other and act if Ebony shows aggression towards Guy.

I have a question that I couldn't find the answer to in my rabbit care books. Is it usual to let the buck and doehave one breeding session where they mount each other a few times, thenput them together fora second session hours later?From a post on this forum, I gathered the practise is linked to litter size.

Jo

 

[tori]

Hi there I, by no means, am a breeding expert, or even a breeder lol But in regards to where you are planning to do the breeding, I have always heard to put the doe in the buck's cage, otherwise he will be too interested in checking out his new surrounds rather than doing what he was put there to do. Just mentioning this as I would hate for you to get all prepared and then... nothing lol But hopefully experienced breeders will chime in, and I'm sure they will! Good luck!

 

[murph72]

Although Tori is not a breeder, she is right about the location. Some bucks get too worried about putting their scent on the doe's cage and do not focus on the task at hand if it's a new environment to them. You're better off adding her to his cage. His focus will then be completely on her.

I generally let my bucks do the deed two to three times during the first encounter. You'll know he is finished because they tend to squeel and fall off the doe...usually they kind of curl themselves up. Usually bucks will then stomp their feet a few times before they remount the doe. I have some that will snuggle with the doe and some that will kind of push at her a bit with their head between sessions. After this session I take the buck out of the doe's cage. I will then bring him back in an hour or two and let him do the deed again a time or two. You are right in that the purpose of the multiple mountings is to increase the litter size. This is much safer on your doe (especially since she is a bit older than what is normally bred the first time) because if she only had a couple of kits they would grow large in the womb because they were the only ones getting nutrients and would then be harder to give birth to. This is often why stuck kits occur...the babies are just too large for the doe to pass through. There is, of course, a risk that your doe may have complications in labor due to her age. It is better to read up on stuck kits now in case you do find that to be a problem I like to be better safe than sorry. We don't want you to lose your little girl.

You'll know if your doe is interested in your buck. She'll raise her back end to him. Some does may first want to mount the buck. I've found with some they will only let him mount her if he is willing to do the same. LOL It may seem voyeuristic, but watch them the entire time they're together. You need to know when he is successful and you'll want to watch to make sure she doesn't hurt him, or vice versa. Some does that aren't interested will bite at a buck's penis if he mounts her face. You obviously don't want her to get this aggressive as it will harm your buck....in a place nobody would want to be harmed.

On a completely side note of thought: If Guy is "Holland lop" in size, do you have his pedigree? I'd question whether he was a full-bred mini if he's that small.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[Flashy]

I bred two girls two late, and I do hear you are aware of the potential risks, but I lost both my girls and would hate to see that happen to someone elses much loved buns. They both had vet care, but it was too late by then.

I would suggest finding a breeder in yoru area and getting some very intensive lessons on things like getting a stuck kit out, culling and anything else s/he feels you need to know.

I couldn't not say anything. Even though I know you probably know you are risking your does life I just had to say. Probably more for me than you

 

[polly]

I am a bit confused with your sizes lol we don't have holland lops over here our mini lops are american holland lops we just have minis and dwarf lops. sorry just wanted to clarify it in my mind lol.

I agree you are better to use a hutch but never take the buck to the doe. does are a lot more territorial you always put the doe to the bucks hutch and watch while they do the deed. You can let them go a couple of times in one sitting but just be aware that some bucks can get a bit nasty after mating and go for the doe (or your hand if it gets in the way!) if that happens you will need to take her out while he calms himself down lol! You would then put them back together 8 hours later to increase the chance of a better litter size and also smaller babies (which is important in dwarf sized litters as they are so prone to stuck kits etc)

Mini's seem to have a better time of it than nethies as they are around a lb heavier.

Better you ask as many questions as possible now rather than regret it later.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Flashy wrote:

I bred two girls two late, and I do hear you are aware of the potential risks, but I lost both my girls and would hate to see that happen to someone elses much loved buns. They both had vet care, but it was too late by then.

There is a girl I met on the internet one time who decided to breed one of her Holland Lop does and the doe was already a year old and had never been bred. I told her about the risks and asked her to reconsider, but she said everything would be fine. Long story short, the kits got stuck in the birth canal andthe doe was rushed to the vet. The doe was fine after surgery but had to be spayed and could never be used for breeding again. The kits had to be bottle raised because they could not nurse since the doe had surgery and wasn't healed up yet. And this girl spent $300 on vet care anda bunch onformulato realize that the kits ended up pet quality. So when she sold them and the mother, she ended up with a total of $15. The only good thing is she didn't lose any of them along the way!

Moral of the story? No good comes from taking a risk like that when breeding. You have two pieces of evidence here that suggest a negative outcome, so I'd grab it with both hands. Please don't breed your doe. 14 months is too late to be having her first litter.

Look into getting a purebred, pedigreed breeding pair of the correct age. Also, please research breeding further before you begin. It is pretty common knowledge that the pair should be bred in the buck's cage or hutch, as even a pet owner here knew that. That indicates to me that you have a little bit more learning to do. We'd be happy to answer any questions youhave here and help you along.But please reconsider this pair in particular.

 

[irishbunny]

There was another person on here (not going to mention her name incase she doesn't want me to) who bred a doe when it was 11 months old, you would think she would be fine since she was only a little over the breeding age but she ended up being over due and having one DOA pencil kit, because her pelvic bones had fused. The owner told me she regretted ever breeding her it wasn't worth it.

If you still decide you want to breed her, monitor her really well, like you said you would and learn how to pull out a stuck kit and how to look for signs that things are going wrong, the knowlegable breeders on here should be able to help you.

 

[jcl_24]

Just a short note to say I have decided NOT to breed Ebony because its better for her that way.

Jo

 

[Flashy]

Well done for taking on the suggested advice. If you do decide to breed in the future with a different bun make sure you ask lots of questions and you'll get any help you need, I'm sure

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Thank you for keeping in mind the well-being of your bunny! We would be more than happy to offer help and support in the future if you take on a new breeding doe.

 

[anneq]

:thumbup to you for deciding on the wisest course.
We have a great bunch of people hear that can really help guide someone who really wants to get into breeding.
ORR....every time I look at that little bun in your avatar I just wanna grab him, lol.

 

[jcl_24]

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies . I would like to breed rabbits in the future but it may be a while in the future.To start and see through aplan of action involving two (or more)new, specially selected rabbits, I really need to be living more independently.

Will still be reading posts in the Rabbitry and probably asking questions as they occur to me.
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I must update my RO Avatar-the pic shows Ebony as a baby.

Jo x