# no babies for us.....



## samanthaj (Apr 10, 2011)

simpily put,i had the doe and buck together let them do the deed and no babies! we wanted to wait a few weeks to rebreed because of 4h and now we are ready. what should we look for before we put them together. i never noticed any signs that this doe was pregnant and i hear thats not to uncommon.this time we plan on breeding all 3 of our does,and are at least hoping for some babies! im woried we may be the only people whos rabbits,dont breed like rabbits LOL


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## Legacy (Apr 12, 2011)

I think who ever coined that phrase, never had rabbits.

I thought it would never happen for us either. We seemed to have the worst luck with rabbits and reproducing them. 

I gave up for a few years and then got back into them. It's been going much better this time.


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## samanthaj (Apr 12, 2011)

im just not sure what to look for before putting the doe and buck together. we put the first doe in and she seems very reseptive,the next day the second doe ran around like crazy! today i will put the 3rd doe in and we will see how she acts!


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 12, 2011)

My father n'law raises rabbits and we started our own little rabbit farm, 2 does and a buck. so far we have had one false pregnancy, 3 kits born and then died, now a litter of 4 born with only one surviving, other doe is due tomorrow and showing no signs of nesting.  Hmmmmm.     

I have come to the conclusion that it isn't as easy as we have been left to beleive, We are having much better luck with our goats. 


My father n law says, that winter time breeding is harder, over weight does and bucks are not good for production, blood-lines do matter. He doesn't seem a bit surprised that we are having so many problems.

Plus my nesting box area is tooo big, and we need to redesign ours.  OUr new zealand doe is determined to just spread her babies out all over our 2x2 foot nesting box and then the next day she tries to cover them up with fur. This is not working.  

Hope we both start having better luck. my plan is to find a new doe very soon if things don't start improving.


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## Lorelai (Apr 12, 2011)

We've had pretty good luck thus far. Our senior does always seem to get pregnant, and one hasn't lost any kits since we've had her, raising up to thirteen, and the other will usually lose one or two after having a dozen or so. The first time we bred our NZW doe, Daisy, and our Californian doe, Juliet, we ended up with no babies, but I think that had something to do with the time of year. The second time, Daisy kindled seven but only raised three - from what I understand this is pretty good for a first litter. She didn't pull a lot of fur initially, but continued to pull it after she'd kindled. Juliet pulled a ton of fur and probably exhibited the most blatant, crazy nesting behavior of any of our does (the others just get very still, except for their ears, which twitch like crazy prior to kindling... that's their "tell"). We are going to check the nest box soon to see how Juliet's first litter is doing - she kindled about 36 hours ago. Regarding nesting boxes, we played it by the book. They are pretty standard, both in design and size, for medium/large meat breed rabbits. I'm not sure if any of this is helpful, but I think the point is, everyone's experience will be a little bit different. Oh, and someone mentioned up thread that fat bucks and does do matter - it's true! Our NZW buck did not perform at all until we put him on a diet. Also, if the doe doesn't like one buck, try putting her in with another, if you have one. If that doesn't work, wait another day and try again. It will all work out eventually the way nature intended.


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## BackyardCritters (Apr 25, 2011)

Glad we are not the only ones!  I have 1 doe that has had 2 false pregnancies in a row- pulled fur both times!

Another doe had a false pregnancy - pulled fur and everything.  I haven't been successful with any of them!  I don't know if it has something to do with our buck or not??  He is really interested and does his thing but no babies.  We don't know anything about our does really, since we bought them at the sale barn.  It is so frustrating!

We just recently bought 2 more does (both with babies) so I guess we can see if it is our buck or what.  (since I know that these 2 does can be bred)

Who ever said that breeding rabbits was easy was so wrong! ugh!


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## ~*MissouriSweetpea*~ (Apr 25, 2011)

Was it your buck's first time breeding? Has he produced a litter before? Sometimes we are quick to think it is the doe, but it could very well be sterility in the buck. If he breeds your 3 does (and you see him do it - don't just assume) and they fail to produce, you should try the same 3 does to a different (proven) buck. After that...either keep them as pets and start fresh or enjoy some rabbit stew.  That's the rule around here, anyways.  

I agree...whoever came up with that phrase never did have rabbits!


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## RabbitLover11 (Apr 29, 2011)

Sounds like I wasn't the only one, either!  If you read my thread "Rabbits Won't Breed!" you'll know why!  I just posted about my doe's first kindling-- with live babies.  

I figured (as best I could) that their diet was a big part of it, and the weather probably was also.  When I put both doe and buck on a diet (gave her all she could eat, and him a certain amount)-- voila!  Her first litter didn't live (because I didn't have a proper nest box in there, wasn't expecting her to kindle...), but the second one is doing great (they're almost 3wks. now).

That's my experience.  I only have the one buck and doe, just starting out on the breeding thing.  It's good though to have an older breeder man close by who I can ask questions of (as well as the helpful advise on this forum, of course!).


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## rockdoveranch (Apr 29, 2011)

I think my first post here was about my French Lops not breeding.

We got them May 1st, last year.  2 does.  1 buck.

One doe (the one we put the bottle lamb in with) always tried to kill the buck.

The other doe liked him, but would never flag him.  The buck would mount her for every direction possible.  I finally gave up and just left them together.  

To my great surprise March 20th I woke up to see hair all over the cage.  One baby was dead, and the other was warm.  I took the buck out and put the nest box in.  All has gone well.

When I was a kid we had chinchilla colored rabbits.  We got our first at Nash's Purina Feed Store in Houston.  The feed store has been closed for many many years.  I think Mr. Nash and my mother had a thing for each other because it seems like we were always at the feed store.   We were_ always_ having baby bunnies; not my mother and Mr. Nash, but our rabbits.  They DID breed like rabbits.  That was back in the 1950s.

We had no problem breeding our French Lop in the 1980s.

So I was surprised at my rabbits, and surprised here once I started posting.


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## Margali (Apr 29, 2011)

samanthaj said:
			
		

> im just not sure what to look for before putting the doe and buck together.


On rabbittalk forum, they say you can judge whether or not the doe is ready by her vulva. White and small is not ready. Pink and starting to puff might work. Red/purple and puffy is ready to go.

I don't have any rabbits yet  but this seems to help with consistent breedings.

Margali


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## rockdoveranch (Apr 29, 2011)

Margali said:
			
		

> samanthaj said:
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I have read this too, but others will tell you that it is the buck that stimulates the doe to ovulate once he has mated with her, and that is why it is suggested to put the doe back in with the buck a second time on the same day.

I have read the same thing about sheep . . . induced olvuation.

This is what Merck has to say, "The rabbit is an induced ovulator and, contrary to popular belief, has a cycle of mating receptivity . . . "

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171313.htm


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## rabbitgeek (Apr 30, 2011)

I have put some breeding tips into an article on my website
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/breedingtips.html

Have a good day!


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