# Doing the deed the right way?



## sc00ter4900 (Jan 19, 2012)

I wasnt sure if there was a sure way to know if a doe is ready for mating or in the mood? I had several Does due this month and no kits  I watch the buck and doe do the deed. Waited 35 days just to make sure. Is there something I'm missing? I got 2 litters this month but was suposed to get 5. Is there a way to tell if the doe got pregnat early on , So I dont have to wait a hole month? Any sugestions would be most appreciated


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## nerissad (Jan 19, 2012)

There are a few threads on here about palpitation. It has pros and cons. In short palpitation is a method to check for babies. At around day 15 into the pregnancy you are supposed to feel the does lower stomach for babies if you feel babies she is pregnant, if you don't feel babies she isn't and you re-breed sort of an approach. 

I personally don't palpitate because I have read reports of it being associated with damaging the kits when done incorrectly by novices. 

As another option around day 15 you can rebreed the doe and watch for indicators that she is pregnant and unwilling to breed. Signs would be backing into the corner, pushing her tail down low, and fighting the buck. Signs that are different from the earlier breeding when she was willing. The down side to this is that they could fight and you need to be ready to remove the doe and end the fight.

Maybe others have more options?


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## quiltnchik (Jan 19, 2012)

sc00ter4900 said:
			
		

> I wasnt sure if there was a sure way to know if a doe is ready for mating or in the mood? I had several Does due this month and no kits  I watch the buck and doe do the deed. Waited 35 days just to make sure. Is there something I'm missing? I got 2 litters this month but was suposed to get 5. Is there a way to tell if the doe got pregnat early on , So I dont have to wait a hole month? Any sugestions would be most appreciated


Rabbit does don't go into heat per say - when you're ready to breed her (as long as she's old enough - generally at least 6 months old), put her in the buck's cage and let them spend a bit of time together (doesn't take long), then put her back in her own cage.  28-32 days later you should have kits


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## quiltnchik (Jan 19, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> sc00ter4900 said:
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ETA - keep in mind that a doe can delay implantation of her fertilized eggs for several days, and/or abort them if she feels stressed in any way, so counting days with rabbits is never an exact science.


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## greenbean (Jan 20, 2012)

I usually give mine ACV (apple cider vinegar, measurements are 1 tablespoon per 1 gallon of water) a day before I breed (or the day of) and start trying, if the doe doesn't lift when first placed with him, I'll take her out and try again 15 minutes later, if she still doesn't lift, I'll continue trying everyday 2-3 times a day until she lifts, then I'll place her back with him 15 minutes later, and keep doing this until she refuses to lift, then I'll put her back with him the next day like this (sometimes they lift, sometimes they don't).  If they don't lift the second day, I just let them be if he got her the day before.  I continue the ACV until the day after the doe lifted for him, then stop.  If he doesn't get her atleast 3 times, I usually don't have too high of hopes that she's pregnant.  I do still give her a nestbox and hay of course.  I also palpate, however I don't like risking it if they palpated negative so I wait it out.  

This is just what's worked for me in the past   good luck!  I hope you get a lot of happy healthy babies soon! 

~Also, if you check the vulva before you put her in with him, if it's dark red/purple, they're ready to breed.


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## Bunnylady (Jan 20, 2012)

I say, anybody who believes in the saying "breed like rabbits" hasn't ever tried it! 

As others have said, rabbits don't do what most people consider obvious "heat." However, they do have hormonal cycles, so does have times when they are more fertile than at others. Rabbits are what are called "induced ovulators," which means that a rabbit ripens eggs in her ovaries, but doesn't release them until the hormones released by the actual act of mating causes her to do so. This greatly extends the period during which she can get pregnant, but the longer she holds the eggs, the less viable they are. The best time to breed a doe is right as the eggs ripen. If you know your doe well, you may observe signs that she is ready. For example, she may chin things to scent mark them, when otherwise, she doesn't. The most obvious sign would be a doe that "lifts" when you pet her. A doe that pulls fur when you know there's no way she was bred is probably at the peak of her cycle - or at the end of a "false pregnancy;" in either case, she will most likely breed and conceive readily. 

Whether the doe gave you other signs or not, before you breed a doe, flip her over, and check her vulva. You press in front of the vent area as if you were checking the sex of a young rabbit, which exposes a little of the inside tissue of the vulva. If the tissue is pale pink, put her back in her cage - it's most likely a waste of time to breed her. The color you are looking for is a bright, cherry red. Some of my does never get darker than a deep rose color, so you kind of have to know the doe to know what she's showing you. The tissue usually looks a bit swollen when she's ready, too. If the color of the vulva is purple, the doe is past her peak. She may breed for you, but the eggs are older, so she may not give you as big a litter as if you had caught her a few days earlier. 

If the doe accepts the buck, there is a hormone that her body releases that stimulates the release of the eggs. Each time she is bred, the hormone is released, but the level begins declining fairly quickly. Breeding her again about an hour later causes more of the hormone to be released, so that a maximum level of hormone ( and theoretically, a maximum number of released eggs) is achieved. Some people will breed a doe several times in one day, which hopefully gets the same result,  but two breedings,  one hour apart seem to get the best results with the least amount of effort on the handler's part.

We are heading into longer days, so does' fertility should be picking up. Good luck!


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## oneacrefarm (Jan 26, 2012)

nerissad said:
			
		

> There are a few threads on here about palpitation. It has pros and cons. In short palpitation is a method to check for babies. At around day 15 into the pregnancy you are supposed to feel the does lower stomach for babies if you feel babies she is pregnant, if you don't feel babies she isn't and you re-breed sort of an approach.
> 
> I personally don't palpitate because I have read reports of it being associated with damaging the kits when done incorrectly by novices.
> 
> ...


Palpating is really the only reliable way. It is hard to get the hang of, takes lots of practice. But once you get it down, you will be right almost all the time. 

"Test Breeding" which is putting her back in with the buck at two weeks or so, is not a good idea. She could be pregnant and still accept the buck. This will result in a 2nd litter conceived in the other uterine horn, so two pregnancies at two gestational ages. This can result in the loss of one or both litters and sometimes the doe herself. 

The best thing to do if you cannot accurately palpate is to WAIT. I know, it stinks. Here is a good document about palpating that may help....

http://arba.net/PDFs/palpation.pdf

Also, don't palpate on Day 13 or 17, as there are placental changes going on that can be disrupted by palpating at this time, which i think is what Nessirad may be referring to.

Hope that helps!


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