Would it be a bad idea?

[CalifornianKit]

I am breeding all my californian does to produce pens for our livestock show. We show meat pens and i want to use my 2 younger does as suppliers along with my 2 older does. The thing is, they are 5 months old right now and i would like for each of them to have a litter before i have to breed the meat pen kits. If i bred the 2 younger does would it do any harm to them? I could always wait another month but with them being so young id rather them have a month break between the 2 litters so they could recooperate but im debating on whether breeding them so young would be worth it.

Any ideas?

 

[Jaded]

I would wait until they are atless 7 months old?

 

[CalifornianKit]

Ive read anywhere from 5-7 months but i wasnt too sure and a lot of places online arent as reliable.

 

[timbaland]

Honestly, in all likelihood they'd be fine. It's ideal to breed at 7 months for meaties but as long as they are a good size, normal weight and at least 5 months they seem to do just as well as a 7 month old. Again, it's ideal to breed at 7 months because of mental maturity.

Edit: I wanted to mention I lived near a meat breeder for a year. At 4 months the does were thrown in with bucks. I don't condone that but the litters were fine.

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

don't forget there is also the chance that they may not be sexually mature. I personally wouldn't do it, but if you feel that is best, I don't condone it at all.

 

[timbaland]

AndersonsRabbits wrote:

don't forget there is also the chance that they may not be sexually mature. I personally wouldn't do it, but if you feel that is best, I don't condone it at all.

^^This too. You need to worry about damaging the doe but also the buck. If it's his first few breedings and this doe refuses to let him mount by fighting him off he may loose confidence in himself. Always check your does to see if she's purple or red first. Pink is a no go.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I think it would be better to just wait until 6 months. Even though they could do fine at five months, they are more mentally mature around 6 and as long as they're in condition, it is fine to breed them back to break and just give them a longer break after that.