TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I think the whole "don't breed your pet" thing comes from this.
Every time a doe gets pregnant - there is a risk. Slight risk..yes.Usually a very very slight risk. But let's face it - something can gowrong.
If you breed your pet and something does go wrong - you run the risk of losing her.
Once again - the risk is minimal - but it is there. It would be a shame to lose a beloved pet because you bred her on a whim.
GingerSpice was my first female rabbit. I didn't buy her for the purpose of breeding - I bought her as a pet. But several breeders told me I "should" breed her - and I went ahead and did so. I can go back almost to the day when I saw changes in her health - and it was when she was almost ready to wean the kits.
It just seemed to do something to her immunity system and from then on she had one thing after another go wrong...to the point that she died this spring - less than 2 years old.
I believe in my heart that had I not bred her...she would still be alive today and VERY healthy.
I have some rabbits that I look at and watch and even though they may have beautiful type....there is something about them that I just won't sell them to breeders. They probably would breed just fine...I don't know. Its sort of a gut feeling. Others - I know would do fine and I'm ok with selling them. They just seem hardier. I can't explain it because I can't say, "well..they look like this" or 'they act like that".
I love all of my rabbits- I have some that are pets and some that are kept more for breeding. Some of my does that I've bought for breeding -have turned into pets for me and they won't leave here. Sometimes it is because they're sweet - sometimes its because they're mean (only in one case - and she is mean 'cause she's scared and I'm winning her over).
Peg
Every time a doe gets pregnant - there is a risk. Slight risk..yes.Usually a very very slight risk. But let's face it - something can gowrong.
If you breed your pet and something does go wrong - you run the risk of losing her.
Once again - the risk is minimal - but it is there. It would be a shame to lose a beloved pet because you bred her on a whim.
GingerSpice was my first female rabbit. I didn't buy her for the purpose of breeding - I bought her as a pet. But several breeders told me I "should" breed her - and I went ahead and did so. I can go back almost to the day when I saw changes in her health - and it was when she was almost ready to wean the kits.
It just seemed to do something to her immunity system and from then on she had one thing after another go wrong...to the point that she died this spring - less than 2 years old.
I believe in my heart that had I not bred her...she would still be alive today and VERY healthy.
I have some rabbits that I look at and watch and even though they may have beautiful type....there is something about them that I just won't sell them to breeders. They probably would breed just fine...I don't know. Its sort of a gut feeling. Others - I know would do fine and I'm ok with selling them. They just seem hardier. I can't explain it because I can't say, "well..they look like this" or 'they act like that".
I love all of my rabbits- I have some that are pets and some that are kept more for breeding. Some of my does that I've bought for breeding -have turned into pets for me and they won't leave here. Sometimes it is because they're sweet - sometimes its because they're mean (only in one case - and she is mean 'cause she's scared and I'm winning her over).
Peg
