Before you start, ensure you have bunnies that are not related, are from the same breed, do not have genetic problems and that you are breeding for a good reason, not just because it would be cute to have some baby bunnies. Breeding from cousins or even mom to son or dad to daughter is exeptable but not recommended. Breeding should be done with the aim of improving the breed, or for show.
Wait until the doe is at least 1 year of age and buck is at least 6 months old (older in larger breeds) before breeding them.
When a female bunny is ready to breed her genitals will become swollen and dark red. If when you put the doe with the buck she runs away like crazy and grunts, she probably won't accept the buck. This means she is not ready to breed at this time, and you can check her again in a couple of days.
Make sure your rabbits are in good condition, that they are not underweight, or shedding, or have any defects. Don't breed them if they are not in the very best of health.
Always take the doe to the buck's cage, or put the pair in neutral territory. If you don't, the female will act aggressively towards the buck, or the buck may be so preoccupied with marking this new territory he won't take interest in the doe. Unspayed rabbits are naturally territorial and the last thing you want is injured bunnies, so be careful and watch them closely!
The bunnies will sniff each other. The buck will then mount the doe from behind, or sometimes Evan the front! If the doe is ready to breed she will lower her front-end and lift her back end to accommodate the buck.
When the buck is finished successfully he will usually let out a little squeal and fall off the doe. You will need to watch the mating closely to see if it has been successful. if it is successful you may want to repeat this two or three times to ensure maximum amount of babies. DO NOT BREED A FEMALE TO MULTIPLE BUCKS AT A TIME!
If the doe refuses to allow the male to mate with her, you can try letting her spend the night in a cage right next to the buck. Sometimes you may need to put them bunnies together several times before you get a successful breeding.
When you have seen a successful mating you should see babies around 28 -34 days later. Make sure you are feeding the doe a high quality food and providing her with rest, exercise and plenty of nesting materials.
While the above advice tells you how to breed your bunnies, it is worth really taking the time to think about whether breeding them is the right thing to do when there are so many rabbits needing homes in shelters.
To add a comment to the first post, actually the rabbits CAN be related...they just cannot be brother and sister. And also, the buck will not always fall of the doe and squeal when finished so don't assume if you don't see this that the mating was not successful. It could have been! However, I would advise that you do not breed rabbits unless you are a breeder or are breeding them for show. Like the post above this states, too many "pet" rabbits in shelters. Only breed for the right reasons.
Baby Bunny
Well, first, if you want to have bunny babies you should read everything you
can on the subject and also talk to your local animal shelters and rabbit rescue organizations. (Rabbit overpopulation is a big issue... it's usually better to adopt than to breed.)
In any case, here are a few essentials you'll need to know about rabbit babies:
1) Rabbits breed very quickly. A female can have a litter of as many as nine babies each month. They can have as many as 200 baby bunnies in one year. In fact, females can get pregnant again as quickly as 24 hours after giving birth.
2) You'll be able to tell if the female is pregnant a few days after conception. Because her hormones are wreaking havoc with her, she will become moody and aggressive. You'll also be able to feel her nipples growing. Continue to feed her unlimited hay, fresh greens and limited pellets. The mom-to-be should be housed separately for her own health and comfort.
3) Once the babies are born, their mom will clean them off. Then, you should remove them from the living area to check on their conditions and take away any babies who did not survive. Keep the nest box with the bunnies inside then take them to nurse from their mom in the morning and in the evening each day.
4) You'll notice the bunnies are born with their eyes closed and naked. Their fur will begin to grow immediately, but it takes time to fill out. The babies will begin opening their eyes when they are between 10 and 13 days old.
5) You'll want to make sure the babies continue to nurse until they are at least two months old. By the third week, they'll want to start exploring outside of the nesting box. Make sure you have a flat, comfortable surface for them to run around on. You don't want them to stand on wires because they have tiny feet that could easily get stuck, causing them injury.
6) When the babies are seven weeks old, you'll want to allow them to nurse from their mother only every other day, in order to prepare them for the weaning stage. When they are two months old, you'll want to wean them completely from their mother's milk.
7) You can tell a male from a female when the male's testicles drop.
8) Start putting the babies in different living quarters when they are approximately three months old.
Post a Comment