# New Buck stil no joy. Help I need meat.



## rabbitmeat (Sep 14, 2013)

I wrote earlier about a buck that was pettering out and finally accepted he needed to go. I bought a new Californian Buck 7mo inexperienced. The breeder said he should be ready to breed. I gave him a few days to get acclimated. He mounted one of my does but didn't finish. There was a lot more tussling than there was with my previous buck but he did mount she raised but he didn't finish. I tried putting them in each other's cages for the night still no joy. I don't know if he's too young or what. I've tried restraining the doe and the buck just sits there and doesn't try anything. I stand back and let them try it and sometimes she fights him but then gives in and raises her behind. She immediately pees and poops when being put in his cage now. Does that mean anything? I guess I was spoiled before. I used to put the doe in the bucks cage immediate mating. Pull the doe out wait 8 hours mate again, 31 days later babies like clock work. Now so many problems. I'm very frustrated. Help with some tips. Is he maybe too young? Does she not like loosing her first mate and not like the young inexperienced one?


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## Hens and Roos (Sep 15, 2013)

not sure what breed you have, maybe give him a little more time.  It took our 1st time buck a few trys before he knew what to do.  Good Luck and hang in there


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Sep 15, 2013)

Hens and Roos said:
			
		

> not sure what breed you have, maybe give him a little more time.  It took our 1st time buck a few trys before he knew what to do.  Good Luck and hang in there


*X2. He is just inexperienced.*


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## sawfish99 (Sep 17, 2013)

Maybe consider contacting another breeder nearby and pay for a breeding with an experienced buck if you don't want to wait for the new buck to figure it out.  

We just dealt with this with a young buck.  My wife started putting him in with the does for a little while each day.  On the third day he caught on.  I'll know soon if he got the job done.


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## animalmom (Sep 17, 2013)

Rabbitmeat:  It could be your 7 month old buck is just inexperienced and will provide lots of babies... once he figures things out.

I don't think you mentioned where you are, but if your rabbits are housed outside, and you are in a warmer part of the US where the temps have been high, you may be experiencing, well ok not you personally, but your buck may be experiencing a temporary sterility due to the heat.  Once temperatures stay below say 85 during the day his potency will return and he'll be looking for love in all the right places. 

By any chance do you have a very experienced doe you can put him in with?  You know, kind of a "Mae West" kind of gal.  Sometimes the younger buck just needs an older doe.

Good luck with your breeding program.  Keep us posted... especially with lots of baby bun pictures!


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## rabbitmeat (Sep 17, 2013)

:/ Thanks for your suggestions. Unfortunately after contacting feedstores, 4H clubs, and county ext. agents I found only one breeder about 1 hour away. That's who I got the buck from. My old experienced doe bites the buck because he bites her. I'd be afraid to leave them unattended for fear what they might do to each other. If I restrain her he goes to the corner and stairs at me and won't do anything even if I put him on top of her.  It's so weird to see them with their heads next to each other nudging each other and then he jumping up into the air and grunting and hair flies and they are both biting. At least he appears to have stopped biting their faces and ears and has figured out which end to go for. I thought I had something that would help ease them into things. I had another doe who is also inexperienced and put a divider in his cage and left them in there together yesterday during the day and again today. I went to check on them and somehow they/he had pushed the divider away and could wiggle through.  Who knows what happened while I wasn't watching. Hopefully something successful. However the new doe immediately was grunting like the does do when they want you to leave them alone and I could see where he had pulled a small patch of hair from her side. Anyway I decided she was traumatized enough and put her back in her own cage. I don't have any cages where I can put the doe next to the buck. That is why I used a divider. I was thinking of putting the experienced doe there to let them get to know each other but with the way they have acted before I'm afraid to do that unless I can be sure they can't wiggle past it. It was made of 1/2 inch hardware cloth and wired in. They/he really had to work on scooting it over and squeezing by. Anyways I have only the 2 does and 1 new buck. So there are no other possibilities for finding a more compatible match. I'm going to assume he was successful with the young inexperienced doe. I believe I saw thick white milky discharge at her vent. I've thought I knew what I was doing before so the proof will be in the nest in 31 days.  So far as the older experienced doe I think I'll just have to give supervised visitation and hope I get to witness a successful mount and fall. I guess I got spoiled before. This experienced doe was inexperienced and so was the buck I just had to get rid of. First time I put them together success and everytime since like clockwork until after Nov 2012 when he pettered out. He didn't produce the summer of 2012 because it was 105degrees here but made babies after that so things started working again. It's not too hot for this new buck here now. Highs in the 70s lows in the 40s. Anymore advise is welcome. I'm trying to be patient.   I'm thankful that although things are tight I won't starve if it takes a few months to get things figured out. I just wanted to have the babies here and butchered by Christmas so I wouldn't have to worry about having to get someone to watch my breeding stock AND babies growing. I don't drive much because of health problems. I had to get someone to go with me to get the buck. For Christmas my brother comes about 3 hours to get me for Christmas and I stay at his place for a couple of days. I didn't want a barn full of rabbits to try to get someone to take care of. Anyways there's my story.


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## secuono (Sep 18, 2013)

You need to be checking the doe for readiness [google it]. And then the buck has never bred before, so he needs practice with a willing doe to get things right. I have a buck who just turned 9 months old, and 2 days ago was the first time he finally figured it out and bred a doe. While my other buck, he was able to breed way back at 5.5 months old. His swimmers weren't potent yet, but that's alright, they need practice. Now he's my back up buck when the other, older buck is too nervous or w/e.


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## treeclimber233 (Sep 19, 2013)

Your buck should not be biting the doe for any reason.  I had a buck like that once.   Every time I put a doe in his cage he would attack her with out any sniffing or anything.  He tried to attack me too every time I walked past his cage.   He did not stay very long.


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## Beachbunny (Sep 19, 2013)

Rabbit meat. How did you have your divider attached to your cage?  Try using plastic "zip ties" to hold it into place, I have a few very large cages(4x8 n 4x10) that sometimes need to be divided up .  I use 1/2"x1/2" wire and zip ties.  This always works and keeps whatever rabbits I need separated with no problems.


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## rabbitmeat (Sep 19, 2013)

Treeclimber thanks for your input. I can't afford to just give up on him I just paid money for him. He is not aggresive towards me. He bites as in he pulls hair, no blood. He does chase and sniff. He has stopped nipping nor nibbling on the face and ears of the does . When he did they would grunt and pull away but there was never any evidence that he is really causing damage. He now sticks his nose under the does backend and nips there. Is that normal? My first buck was very gentle and didn't ever even grab the hair or bite on the back of the neck of the doe to hold on like I know is common for bucks to do. Any way does anyone know anything to do to help tutor him in better flirting techniques as he learns? I don't want the girls to never want to have anything to do with him. However if I don't let him around them how will he "learn". Beachbunny I like zip ties too however I have had rabbit chew them off wire when they were tight and the numb wasn't facing them so don't trust them. Like the wire worked??


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## Citylife (Sep 19, 2013)

rabbitmeat said:
			
		

> Treeclimber thanks for your input. I can't afford to just give up on him I just paid money for him. He is not aggresive towards me. He bites as in he pulls hair, no blood. He does chase and sniff. He has stopped nipping nor nibbling on the face and ears of the does . When he did they would grunt and pull away but there was never any evidence that he is really causing damage. He now sticks his nose under the does backend and nips there. Is that normal? My first buck was very gentle and didn't ever even grab the hair or bite on the back of the neck of the doe to hold on like I know is common for bucks to do. Any way does anyone know anything to do to help tutor him in better flirting techniques as he learns? I don't want the girls to never want to have anything to do with him. However if I don't let him around them how will he "learn". Beachbunny I like zip ties too however I have had rabbit chew them off wire when they were tight and the numb wasn't facing them so don't trust them. Like the wire worked??


I don't mind if a buck is nipping at the girls trying to get them in position.  If there is no blood or wound they are fine.  Your buck is just young.  Rabbits need practice to!
I never recommend leaving them unattended as you never know if they have bred.  And leaving them together for days together is a bad deal!  
They can get pregnant multiple days in a row.  NOT good, having litters at different stages of gestation.  
Try in the morning, and at night.  Check her parts is a good idea.  The only time I get ahold of the doe is if she is being nasty to him.  
If he is a bit over weight he will be a bit less interested.  Give him time.........  once they get it, they usually get it.
Good luck


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## Moonshine (Sep 20, 2013)

We have a buck that bites the doe on the back of the neck when she doesn't lift her tail. I figured it is just normal. Also, what they are talking about when they say ready, flip the doe over pop out her sex organ red or purple equals ready. Anything lighter in color and the doe might not breed. Usually when its purple, our does will just lay down tail up and wink and whistle lol come here feller kind of thing. I do have a buck that doesn't like when we help so if you help you might have to go into stealth mode!


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## rabbitmeat (Sep 20, 2013)

Have checked rediness of doe once not ready. Another time red still didn't result in breeding. I think he is still learning so he's not ready. :/


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## Moonshine (Sep 20, 2013)

Yeah I think your right. We had a doe that wouldn't breed till she was 7 1/2 months so just give him some time. He'll figure things out.


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