Retired Rabbits

[Akkatia]

How old does a rabbit have to be to retire, and what do you do with them when you do retire them? Do you sell them as pets, or do you keep them? Thanks!

--Kiya--

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

I use my males until they are about 7 years old or sometimes less...depends on the rabbit. My females, I use till they are 5. Again, depends on the rabbit. My rabbits are also my pets so I try to find homes for them or they live out their days at the rabbitry. I currently have one that is 10 years old. Then, there are about 6 that are past 7 years old.

Sharon

 

[pamnock]

Our very best bucks generally stay in our barn for their lifetime. We sell most of our does by age 2 so they can go on to produce litters for someone else.

Pam

 

[flemishr2cool]

I don't go by age specifically, I think my does have all been pretty good at letting us know when they are done showing and done breeding. Does stay at home and live the retired life, or I sometimes have people who want them as pets. Bucks would die breeding a doe if they could so they usually retire from showing at the latest 2 years of age and spend the rest of their life either with me or at another pet or breeding home.

Julia

 

[Akkatia]

Okay, I have a doe that's pretty much over showing. She's over three years old. She hasn't been wanting to breed lately, and that's strange for her. Do you think she's trying to tell me that she's done? i did get her bred eventually, though. But Im kind of self concious, about this, because three years ago I was going to start my breeding with two hollands and the doe was three years old, and she died five days after her due date, and she never gave birth!

 

[flemishr2cool]

I've noticed that some of my does are done breeding at 3 years of age. They usually just won't mate with the buck, or if they do they don't ovulate. 3 years is pretty old for a doe that has never given birth before and that may explain why she died. A show rabbit and a breeding rabbit's lifespan is usually only 5-7 years of age. Showing and breeding takes a lot out of a rabbit physically.

 

[Akkatia]

Yeah, I guess it was a bit old now that I look back on it, but I was younger then, like 12 or something. You can learn a lot over 2 1/2 years! It seems like I always end up taking more bucks than does to the shows. I guess it's because they always seem to be the ones that come out more than the others, lol. I usually start breeding a rabbit when it's 4 1/2 to 5 months old. Is this too young?

 

[flemishr2cool]

You really want to wait until they are senior age. They tend to have better mothering instincts, it also allows them to grow themselves before they have to start pumping nutrients into 5 other bodies plus their own. 8 months would be a far better age. It also means you can show them longer, a lot of does start to lose condition and become flabbyafter litters, you don't wan't their show career to end before it began! lol.

 

[Akkatia]

Oh, okay. Yeah Hershey is flabby, lol.

 

[heavenlyshelties]

You know I have been wondering about this too.

The rabbitry I went to visit and saw the hollands atthey owner was talking to me and he was trying to convience me to take a buck he hadthat was pretty old. He told me he hated doing it but when they get that old he usually has to put them down. I am guessing the rabbit wasaround 8 years. Is this a normal practice to put down rabbits who seem just fine but are just older for some rabbitry's? He was a very nice looking buck andhe was going to give him to us for free, we just don't have room but for one more bun right now and we really want agirl we can show.

It was really sadbecause he was so pretty and so nice and calm. He didn't seem to be having any problems at all.

 

[Akkatia]

I don't think I like that... I mean, I wouldn't do it. I'd rather sell mine as pets to kids that want calm rabbits, or even adults. My rabbits usually live 3-5 years. This seems rather young, is it bad?

 

[TinysMom]

I know of many breeders who follow this practice and yes - it is fairly common.

I don't though follow it though...

Peg



heavenlyshelties wrote:

You know I have been wondering about this too.

The rabbitry I went to visit and saw the hollands atthey owner was talking to me and he was trying to convience me to take a buck he hadthat was pretty old. He told me he hated doing it but when they get that old he usually has to put them down. I am guessing the rabbit wasaround 8 years. Is this a normal practice to put down rabbits who seem just fine but are just older for some rabbitry's? He was a very nice looking buck andhe was going to give him to us for free, we just don't have room but for one more bun right now and we really want agirl we can show.

It was really sadbecause he was so pretty and so nice and calm. He didn't seem to be having any problems at all.

 

[heavenlyshelties]

That's ver sad I wish more people were kind enough to try to find homes for the older retired buns.



TinysMom wrote:

I know of many breeders who follow this practice and yes - it is fairly common.

I don't though follow it though...

Peg



heavenlyshelties wrote:

You know I have been wondering about this too.

The rabbitry I went to visit and saw the hollands atthey owner was talking to me and he was trying to convience me to take a buck he hadthat was pretty old. He told me he hated doing it but when they get that old he usually has to put them down. I am guessing the rabbit wasaround 8 years. Is this a normal practice to put down rabbits who seem just fine but are just older for some rabbitry's? He was a very nice looking buck andhe was going to give him to us for free, we just don't have room but for one more bun right now and we really want agirl we can show.

It was really sadbecause he was so pretty and so nice and calm. He didn't seem to be having any problems at all.

 

[tamsin]

My rabbits usually live 3-5 years. This seems rather young, is it bad?

That's very young! What do they die of?

About 7 is probably average but Dutch rabbits (which I think you breed?) seem quite long lived in general so 8-10 wouldn't be unusual. I know of a few rabbits that have made it to 12-14 years.

 

[pamnock]

Akkatia wrote:

I don't think I like that... I mean, I wouldn't do it. I'd rather sell mine as pets to kids that want calm rabbits, or even adults. My rabbits usually live 3-5 years. This seems rather young, is it bad?

In general, purebred rabbits have a lifespan averaging 6 years, although as Tamsin mentioned, 8-10 certainly isn't unusual.

Pam

 

[Akkatia]

Well, I'm not sure what they die of. I'd like to say old age, because there is no sign of disease or anything. It can't be heatstroke, either, because they have frozen waterbottles and a fan. Do you think it's because I start breeding too early? I didn't think it was that early, because in books it says start breeding when the rabbit is at least five months of age. Is this a misleading statement?

 

[pamnock]

No, I don't believe that breeding shortened their lifespan. Many factors can lead to an early death in rabbits including hereditary heart disease.

Pam

 

[Akkatia]

Does that happen a lot? Is it serious?

 

[tamsin]

I would think anything that's reducing their lifespan by atleast half should be considered serious. I'd suggest in future you get PM's to try and track down the problem. If it's a heriditory problem like heart disease as Pam suggests you need to stop using the cariers for breeding and introduce some new rabbits to your lines. Obviously you don't want to be producing rabbits that have genetic defects.

It might be worth discussing with your vet as there maybe checks they can do to rule out problems. In older unneutered females uterine cancer is a big killer.

Tam

 

[Akkatia]

Oh God... Well, I've been doing linebreeding and outcrossing, and recently, one crossbreeding...