domestic rabbits v wild rabbits

[onnie]

Why is it best not to let domestic rabbits havebaby's to young'but in the wild they breed at all age's'do you think alot die just through giving birth to young 'or is their body's anydifferent

 

[dootsmom]

The average life span of a wild rabbit is only 2years. In the wild, there is a breeding season that, incolder climates, lasts about 8 months. The kits can fend forthemselves and leave their mothers by the time they are 18 daysold. Within a breeding "season" up to 60 kits canbe born but, at most, only about 20 survive. If the weatherconditions aren't good & there is no food, unborn kits will bere-absorbed in the mothers body.
Nature does take care of itself, in its own way.

We could begin breeing our domestic rabbits at 3 months of age. Mill Breeders do,
one litter, after another. Their Does lives are shortened because of this. The kits are not healthy.

Let me put it this way.......just because a girl can get her period at9 years old, doesn't mean that her body is ready to have ababy!!! The 9 year old girl is still growing and has notfully matured. Therefore, her body is not ready to have ababy. It's the same with rabbits...they don't fully matureuntil they are about 6 to 8 months old (depending on thebreed). Have you ever seen women that have had one childafter another? Their teeth are bad, their bodies in terriblecondition, bad hair...not good. Babies/kits take nutrientsfrom the mothers body and unless there is a sufficient time spacebetween the babies/kits, the mother cannot recoup thesenutrients. The health of both mother & babiessuffer. In the long run, it's the babies that suffer becausewith each pregancy, the nutrients necessary for good health just aren'tthere.

hmmmm....I sure can ramble!

 

[pamnock]

It is preferred to let domestic rabbits reachfull physical maturity before breeding because a doe may not reach fullsize if all her "resources" are going into supporting alitter. This may shorten her years of productivity.Also, very young does may often lose their first litters. Ihave alsofound that does abort their litters more often whenthey are bred to very young bucks.

Wild rabbits make the best use of the short time they have and breedyoung as well as breeding often during thereproductiveseason. A rabbit will breed again immediately after givingbirth and will produce another litter in 31 days. Thisschedule is too demanding for our domestics does because we want themto breed year-round as well as have a long production life.



Pam

 

[bluebird]

I dont think a lot of them die.the rabbits weraise are developed to have larger than normal heads which causesbirthing problems.many breeds of dog are the same way many pugs need csections.bluebird

 

[onnie]

Thank you for all the reply's'there was a lot ofgood point's there'and i understand a bit more about thedifference's between the wild rabbit and the domestic