For those who are considering breeding their pet rabbits...

[TinysMom]

I've been thinking about this post for the last couple of days - trying to decide whether or not to post it. I've decided to go ahead and do so.

For those who don't know - I breed lionhead rabbits. I love my rabbits and I am pleased with the better and better rabbits I keep getting.

BUT...I wanted to share about one experience I had....in hopes that it may help folks who are thinking of breeding a pet.

I love GingerSpice. She was my first lionhead doe - and she was a pet because she is a mismark. But sometime after I started breeding - I decided to go ahead and breed her "just once". She is from a well-known line of lionheads (Firebear granddaughter for those who know lionheads)....and I thought it was worth a try.

She gave birth about a year ago - five beautiful babies. She did a goodj ob with them until they became a month or so old and she started getting ill. I couldn't put my finger on it - she just wasn't quite herself.

Since then, it seems like every month or so she's got something new that isn't just right. Sometimes she gets a case of bloat easily.Sometimes she seems to have allergies acting up.

But the thing is - she never had any problems until after she hadbabies and nursed them for a bit. I've talked to breeders who've said it sounds like her immune system started having problems - and she's just never fully recovered.

Oh - she's somewhat healthy - I can always help her out. But she doesn't have the health she had before she got pregnant....and I don't think she ever will.

You hear about problems your doe can have with delivery or with a pregnancy itself - but you never hear about problems afterbirth. But it can happen - even with a pet.

I love Ginger dearly and I hope she lives many many more years. But I don't think she'll have the health she could've had.

Please - unless you know what you're doing (and I even knew what I was doing) - think twice before breeding your pet. Then...think again.

Peg

P.S. My other does are fine and I have very healthy stock. But GingerSpice should've just been a pet...

 

[naturestee]

Thanks for sharing that, Peg. Poor GingerSpice!

 

[ilovetegocalderon]

Wow. Thanks so much for sharing that experience. Definitly an eye opener.

 

[Haley]

Great thread, Peg.

I dont know much about breeding, so thats very interesting to hear. Poor little girl..I hope things start looking up for her.

 

[flemishr2cool]

I understand how hard it is to post that tinys.I often feel very guilty when breeding my rabbits. Especially when something goes wrong and kits die, or mom loses litter. The worst experience I had was with my doe Trinity. I bred her at 7 months because she was a flemish Giant. She had a live litter of 7 but didn't make a nest or clean them off so they died. I bred her again a week later and on the 28 day of gestation I walked out to her cage in the morning and she was dead and she had blood around her vulva. So she died from birthing complications. I felt terrible and completely responsible. But that is the hard fact in breeding anything. Does and Kits will die. No matter how much you love them, or how careful you were to make sure the pregnancy went right. So far I have not lost another doe but I have lost a few kits here and there.

Julia

 

[TinysMom]

I think that part of why I posted this - is that as a breeder - we know we're going to have problems at some point and we read and study and prepare for it.

But for someone who has a pet and just wants to breed ... they may not be aware of future issues.

I actually have 4 does that I definitely would never breed again. They just aren't themselves after wards - I notice that they either get bloat easily or just don't seem like themselves after wards.

As a breeder, I understand that and most of them were meant to bebreeders and sold as breeders and I know that whenever I breed a doethere *can* be complications even if they are minor.

But I've read about it and considered it before breeding. Lots of folks don't read about breeding beforehand and they may put a beloved pet at risk.

Anyway - Ginger is having a good day today - she's been fighting bloat off and on for a bit lately. It just bugs me how much more susceptible she is to things than she used to be....

Peg

flemishr2cool wrote:

I understand how hard it is to post that tinys. I often feel very guilty when breeding my rabbits. Especially when something goes wrong and kits die, or mom loses litter. The worst experience I had was with my doe Trinity. I bred her at 7 months because she was a flemish Giant. She had a live litter of 7 but didn't make a nest or clean them off so they died. I bred her again a week later and on the 28 day of gestation I walked out to her cage in the morning and she was dead and she had blood around her vulva. So she died from birthing complications. I felt terrible and completely responsible. But that is the hard fact in breeding anything. Does and Kits will die. No matter how much you love them, or how careful you were to make sure the pregnancy went right. So far I have not lost another doe but I have lost a few kits here and there.

Julia

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Great post Peg!!!

I have been breeding and showing Dutch and Jersey Woolies since 1991. Since then, I have lost 2 does, about 15 kits, and had3 c-sections preformed and countless trips to the vets office. One was for a little buck, who while playing, got his foot caught in the door of his cage and broke it. I had to have his rear leg amputated. I have had a baby bunny's front teeth removed due to severe maloclussion.

My advice to all new breeders or anyone wanted to breed their pet. Research!!! Read about how to tell if you doe is in labor and may be in distress. Can you palpate to find out if your doe is pregnant? If you can't, your doe may suffer if she has a stuck kit in the birth canal. How would you be able to tell and get her to the vet?

Do you have the money to pay for an EMERGENCY vet visit and any subsequent treatments? How about cages for all the babies if you fail to find homes for all of them. Do you have the time to spend with the babies to teach them to be friendly and that biting hurts?

If you don't do the research then you could be putting your doe's (and your buck's) life at risk!

Sharon

 

[Mikoli]

Wow. When I think of problems with breeding, I think of them as like the doe dying while giving birth, or the kits not making it out alive or something. I didn't know they could have problems after the birth. An eye-opening post. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Spring]

I honestly think this thread should be pinned.Too many people breed their pets, not knowing enough about breeding and the risks that are involved. Ithink highly of responsible breeders and the time, effort and money they put into what they love to do.

:nicethread