# How Many Does Can One Buck "Service"?



## figsonwheels (Jun 21, 2012)

For our family backyard rabbitry, we are planning on having 6-8 does and breeding them 6 times a year. Can one buck "handle" them all?  What is the preferred ratio?


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jun 21, 2012)

*My buck does 6 does just fine, but I don't breed 6 times a year. In very short order you will have hundreds of rabbits at that rate.*


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## figsonwheels (Jun 22, 2012)

I am raising meat rabbits, so hundreds of rabbits will be just fine for our families.


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## DianeS (Jun 22, 2012)

Yes, one good buck will be plenty. You'll learn in the first month or two if he can handle all the does on the same day or not. But many bucks can handle at least 3 on the same day. You may want to break the does into 2 or 3 bunches and breed them on different days - if you give him 48 hours between bunches that will be plenty for him to "recharge".


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## PinkFox (Jun 23, 2012)

for 6 does id say 1 buck would be fine, 8 id probably add another buck depending on how many you plan to have bred at each "setting"  since your breeding for meat youll probably want all your litters ready to butcher at the same time, but to get the best fertility rates you dont want to "overwhelm" the buck...so breeding 3 does on day one and 3 does on day 3 would give you kits born around the same time (ready to butcher at the same time) and should get ok fertility (2 does in a day would be eve better for "recovery") but by the time your heading up past that theres about a week betweenyour first litters and your last and rabbits grow so fast (especially meat breeds) that that week cold make a difference in size if your planning on doing ALL your litters at once...

Howvee rif you plan to stagger your breedings so your not having all your kits butchered on the same day, 1 buck would be fine as you can give him a rest between girls to "replenish"


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