Breeding Tips:
Here are some breeding tips that we have gathered from a lot of reading and talking to other breeders or our own personal experience:-)
**I try to breed at least 2 does at the same time if possible. That way I can foster babies from a very large litter to one with a smaller number of kits. EX:one of our does like to have 11-12 babies at once and another averages 6-7 **
* First, if the weather is hot when you breed...The males will go sterile when the temperature is higher than about 85 degrees. Wait until you have a couple cooler days to breed.
* For the large breed rabbits. Your does first breeding should be no earlier than around 7 months.
* Also don't worry too much if you loose your first litter to an inexperienced doe...
*Always put your doe in the bucks cage. Does can be VERY territorial!
* You can check you females by gently pulling back on the genitals so that the vulva is exposed. If she is ready, it should be swollen and purple-ish in color.
When your rabbits are bred:
* Is your doe lifting her rear where they are bred?
* To make sure your buck is actually breeding her: When he finishes, he should hunch, squeel/grunt and fall to the side. It's hilarious!
*You can also find some good videos on You Tube to see what it's supposed to look like.
**I like the buck to get 2 good breedings, then take him back for 1 more breeding an hour later.**
*Also, when we start to loose day light, you need to consider: Rabbits breed according to day light hours. They need 14 hours of daylight to continue breeding. So you may have to trick them into continuing to breed through the winter with artificial light!
-Now that you think your doe is bred...
* Between 12-14 days I palpate my does. I do it in the morning before feed time so that she has an empty stomach.
Put your doe on a table with a towel under her. Also, sometimes a towel over the eyes helps her stay calm.
Keep one hand over her shoulders and neck.
Slide your hand through her back legs and up behind the last ribs.
Bring your thumb and middle finger just under the back bone on either side and bring them as close together as possible. (You can not hurt the babies with this)
I start to feel by sliding my hand toward the rear.
*If she is pregnant, you will feel what feels like large 2 ripe olives, somewhere above the knees.
It takes some practice but once you feel it and confirm with a litter, it becomes second nature:)
I hope this is helpful!
The big day!
Now that we are getting close to her due date...
28 days from the day she was bred, we will give her a nest box.
For the New Zealand rabbits, we use a 20in x 12 in wooden nest box. We line our nest boxes with card board and fill them about half way with straw.
DO NOT USE WOOD CHIPS!!!! They can cause major upper respiratory infections because of the dust and the oils can burn the babies skin.
You do not want the nest box too big or too small.
If the nest box is too small, mom will have a hard time feeding.
If the nest box is too big she may decide to lay in there and end up smothering them.
Between day 28-32 the doe will give birth.
If she goes off feed around this time, that is completely normal, as long as it picks back up after the babies are born.
She will generally pull hair just before giving birth.
Rabbits are very independent and the best thing to do for her is to make sure she has plenty of food, water and quiet!!!
After the babies are born... I wash my hands and check each baby. Take out any dead babies. Domestic rabbits generally will NOT kill their babies if you touch them.
I clear all the soiled material from the nest box so you don't draw in flies or predators.
If the nest box is very messy/bloody, I just move them to a new one.
Making a new nest...First lay down the card board, a thick layer of straw, then half of the fur.
Place babies in the nest and cover with the other half of the fur.
Give your doe a small apple slice and place the box back in the cage.
Rabbits only nurse their young once, maybe twice every day, so don't worry if you don't see her feeding them.
When the babies have eaten, their bellies should be larger than their rib cage.
The ideal litter size is 8.... So if I have 1 doe with 10 and one with just 6, I will give 2 to the doe with the smaller litter.
I dab mom's nose with vanilla and ALL of the babies in the box on the head. We have never had a doe reject the new ones.
**I try to breed at least 2 does at the same time if possible. That way I can foster babies from a very large litter to one with a smaller number of kits. EX:one of our does like to have 11-12 babies at once and another averages 6-7 **
* First, if the weather is hot when you breed...The males will go sterile when the temperature is higher than about 85 degrees. Wait until you have a couple cooler days to breed.
* For the large breed rabbits. Your does first breeding should be no earlier than around 7 months.
* Also don't worry too much if you loose your first litter to an inexperienced doe...
*Always put your doe in the bucks cage. Does can be VERY territorial!
* You can check you females by gently pulling back on the genitals so that the vulva is exposed. If she is ready, it should be swollen and purple-ish in color.
When your rabbits are bred:
* Is your doe lifting her rear where they are bred?
* To make sure your buck is actually breeding her: When he finishes, he should hunch, squeel/grunt and fall to the side. It's hilarious!
*You can also find some good videos on You Tube to see what it's supposed to look like.
**I like the buck to get 2 good breedings, then take him back for 1 more breeding an hour later.**
*Also, when we start to loose day light, you need to consider: Rabbits breed according to day light hours. They need 14 hours of daylight to continue breeding. So you may have to trick them into continuing to breed through the winter with artificial light!
-Now that you think your doe is bred...
* Between 12-14 days I palpate my does. I do it in the morning before feed time so that she has an empty stomach.
Put your doe on a table with a towel under her. Also, sometimes a towel over the eyes helps her stay calm.
Keep one hand over her shoulders and neck.
Slide your hand through her back legs and up behind the last ribs.
Bring your thumb and middle finger just under the back bone on either side and bring them as close together as possible. (You can not hurt the babies with this)
I start to feel by sliding my hand toward the rear.
*If she is pregnant, you will feel what feels like large 2 ripe olives, somewhere above the knees.
It takes some practice but once you feel it and confirm with a litter, it becomes second nature:)
I hope this is helpful!
The big day!
Now that we are getting close to her due date...
28 days from the day she was bred, we will give her a nest box.
For the New Zealand rabbits, we use a 20in x 12 in wooden nest box. We line our nest boxes with card board and fill them about half way with straw.
DO NOT USE WOOD CHIPS!!!! They can cause major upper respiratory infections because of the dust and the oils can burn the babies skin.
You do not want the nest box too big or too small.
If the nest box is too small, mom will have a hard time feeding.
If the nest box is too big she may decide to lay in there and end up smothering them.
Between day 28-32 the doe will give birth.
If she goes off feed around this time, that is completely normal, as long as it picks back up after the babies are born.
She will generally pull hair just before giving birth.
Rabbits are very independent and the best thing to do for her is to make sure she has plenty of food, water and quiet!!!
After the babies are born... I wash my hands and check each baby. Take out any dead babies. Domestic rabbits generally will NOT kill their babies if you touch them.
I clear all the soiled material from the nest box so you don't draw in flies or predators.
If the nest box is very messy/bloody, I just move them to a new one.
Making a new nest...First lay down the card board, a thick layer of straw, then half of the fur.
Place babies in the nest and cover with the other half of the fur.
Give your doe a small apple slice and place the box back in the cage.
Rabbits only nurse their young once, maybe twice every day, so don't worry if you don't see her feeding them.
When the babies have eaten, their bellies should be larger than their rib cage.
The ideal litter size is 8.... So if I have 1 doe with 10 and one with just 6, I will give 2 to the doe with the smaller litter.
I dab mom's nose with vanilla and ALL of the babies in the box on the head. We have never had a doe reject the new ones.