Dec 11
16
Beginners Basics For Rabbit Breeding
Whether you are looking at rabbit breeding on a hobby farm, or as a full scale commercial enterprise, you will find it to be a fulfilling and profitable enterprise. Rabbits and the products derived from them are a valuable resource in many markets, including the meat market, the clothing sector, using fur products, the wool trade, and the pet and breeding rabbit trade.
The fundamentals of raising rabbits remain the same, no matter in which industry you would like to participate. Feeding habits may differ, genetic rules may be more or less significant, and the time frames involved in production may differ, but the basic caring of the rabbits remains the same.
A doe can be ready to breed from as young as 3 months of age, although this is not an advisable practice. Many problems can arise in later breeding attempts, if the doe is allowed to breed too early. A better practice is to wait with breeding until she is between 6 and 8 months old. A buck is ready to breed from the age of 7 months. Does can have as many as 8 – 10 litters in one year, with each litter having 4 – 8 kits, on average.
Rabbit does do not have an oestrus cycle that is set, as with other mammals. The doe will breed at any time she is willing to accept a male, and only after the first breeding, will the eggs be released for fertilisation. You will know that she is ready to accept a buck when her vent area becomes a darker pinkish color.
It is important to keep does and busk in separate cages, except during the breeding time, and even then only for a few hours at a time. Introduce the buck in the does cage, to ensure that the doe does not need to be moved after mating. This could prove to be too stressful for her, spoiling her chances of falling pregnant. Remove the buck after mating, or after a few hours, if the doe is not interested in him, and try again later or the next day. Even after successful mating, it is advisable to bring the buck back to the doe for a second mating after approximately 8 hours, to make sure that all the eggs are fertilised.
There are two ways in which a pregnancy can be confirmed. The first is by introducing a buck to the doe again after two weeks. If she is pregnant, she will usually not accept his advances. However, this is not fool proof, as she sometimes might accept him. And this is where the danger lies. It is possible for the doe to become pregnant from both her horns at different times, and then the kits are all compromised. The better way to confirm a pregnancy is to palpitate the abdomen gently at 14 days after mating. If the doe is pregnant, the babies will be felt as little nodules the size of peas.
Once pregnancy is confirmed, you will need to add nesting materials, and increase the does feed portions. Start by increasing a little at a time, until her portions are double in size by 3 weeks pregnancy. From confirming the pregnancy, it is advisable to handle the doe as little as is possible.
The kits will be born at 31 days gestation. They will remain in the nesting box for about 2 weeks, and can be weaned from the doe between 5 and 7 weeks of age. Although the doe would breed again when the kits are 4 weeks old when in the wild, it is advisable to give her a resting period first, and rebreed at 6 weeks. This will ensure a healthy litter for her next kindling.
By taking into account the lessons we learn from rabbits in the wild, and what we have learned as the industry has become more established, we can ensure that our rabbit breeding is successful as a stress-free for all involved, as possible.
