# DOES NOT GETTING PREGNANT



## valcwby01 (Sep 28, 2012)

I am VERY new to breeding rabbits.  I have Mini Rex and Dutch and have been trying to breed both with NO LUCK!!! I may be the first person in HISTORY that CANNOT get rabbits to breed!!LOL  I have put the does in with the bucks, wait till the buck does his thing and falls off, then wait to 28 days, put in the nesting box, check on day 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, etc.  NOTHING!! I have been trying for three months now with NO success.  Am I doing something wrong?  Should I leave the doe in longer?  All are seemingly healthy, good coats, eat well, no bones showing but not overly fat from what I can tell.  HELP!!!!


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## lovinglife (Sep 28, 2012)

LOLOL  I'm sorry!!  I had the exact same thing happen to me my first year!!  For a while I thought my buck was missing some important parts!!  Just keep trying, they will get it and you will have more bunnies than you know what to do with.  Try letting him fall off 3-4 times.


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## animalmom (Sep 28, 2012)

What have your temperatures been like?  Bucks can go temporarily sterile if the temps get to 90 and stay there.  Here in North Central Texas I don't even start to think about breeding until late October as it takes that long for temps to stay under 90 for at least 30 days.  The bucks are willing to breed any doe, any where, at any time but the fellows are shooting blanks.

You can always add a tablespoon of vinegar to your does' water bottles.  It is suppose to help get the girls "in the mood."

Keep trying, honest, they will successfully breed and your nesting boxes will be busy.


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## valcwby01 (Sep 28, 2012)

Thanks, lovinglife, for the encouragement and will try that with the buck.  Animalmom, we have started having days in the high 70's to low 80's FINALLY.  I never knew that about the temp and we were still in the high 90's up till three weeks ago.  Will try again on the 1st of October along with the vinegar.  Thanks to both of you for the advice.  Will keep you posted on the results and can use more advice from ANYONE else as well.  I am located in the south valley of Albuquerque, NM. Hope this works and have kits in the nesting box by Halloween.


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## GLENMAR (Sep 28, 2012)

I am having the same problem.    My bucks are both young. I put the does in with them and they try, but never "finish". 


Anyone have any suggestions.


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## Citylife (Sep 29, 2012)

Not really, I put an a/c unit in my barn at the highest heat wave.  We will find out if our boys survived or not.


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## terri9630 (Sep 29, 2012)

We can't usually breed until the middle of October because of the heat sterility issues.  One buck will try, the other will groom the does and not try.  I figure it for the best.  Its to hard on the does to feed kits in summers heat.  They drop weight fast.


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## terri9630 (Sep 29, 2012)

GLENMAR said:
			
		

> I am having the same problem.    My bucks are both young. I put the does in with them and they try, but never "finish".
> 
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions.


How young are they?


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## GLENMAR (Sep 29, 2012)

The New Zealand pair were born in Dec. The American Blues were Feb or March. I would have to check my paperwork.
So 9 mos and almost 7 mos.


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## brentr (Sep 29, 2012)

GLENMAR said:
			
		

> I am having the same problem.    My bucks are both young. I put the does in with them and they try, but never "finish".
> 
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions.


Is the doe receptive to the trying?  Is she laying out and lifting for the buck.  If the doe is cooperative, they'll get it pretty soon.  I've found that I have more success breeding first time bucks to does that are really easy breeders.  Keep the faith!


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## animalmom (Sep 29, 2012)

Glenmar, your boys may just need to be shown what to do.... Do you have an older, experienced doe you could put with the boys.  You want a doe who is patient and willing so that the boys don't have to do anything but the deed.  Later they can learn about loving on the doe.

If you don't have an older, wiser doe, then give the boys time.  Backseat fumbles from teenagers often turn out well.. for rabbits anyway.


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## GLENMAR (Sep 29, 2012)

I wish. I got most of these around the same time. The pairs that I am working with are my oldest. None of my rabbits have been bred before. The does are not running away, but not lifting their tails either. They are not used to a lot of handling, so helping does not work. I just we will just keep trying.

Should I put them in there every other day for a while? I have been leaving them for about 10-15 minutes and watching.


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## animalmom (Sep 30, 2012)

Glenmar;

Risking getting murmurs of discontent here... when I first restart my breeding season each year I'll leave the doe in with the buck for sometimes the whole day... ok not 24 hours, but from 8am to 7pm.  I figure it takes them a while running around each other to settle down and get the idea of what they are suppose to do.  Later on in the breeding season I don't need to do this as the bucks and does have a good grasp of the task and bunnyfall is quick and often.

Some folks don't like the idea of leaving the doe with the buck for a long period of time.  I've not experienced any fighting... I do see some "this is MY corner, THAT is YOUR corner" posturing, but by the end of the day the doe is no longer grabbing the front of the cage doing the Jimmy Cagney "Hey Screw, let me outta here".

I suppose it boils down to knowing your bucks and does.  The younger, inexperienced ones I keep a closer eye on, whereas the older one I don't worry so much about being together.

Another thought, I'd start doing more hands-on, if you can, with your stock.  The more you touch and handle them the better they will behave... but you already knew that.  The does that are not use to being touched tend to try to hide in the back corner of their cage where they think they are just out of your finger reach.  The does that are use to your touch tend to just hang out in the middle, or come to the front of the cage even when you move them from cage to cage.  Just my experience.


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## terri9630 (Oct 1, 2012)

GLENMAR said:
			
		

> The New Zealand pair were born in Dec. The American Blues were Feb or March. I would have to check my paperwork.
> So 9 mos and almost 7 mos.


My best NZW buck wasn't interested in the girls until almost 10 months old.  Once he figured it out he quit wasting time and has done very well for us.   He won Reserve at our fair and has sired 3 more reserve champions and 2 that would easily have beaten the ones that beat us if the heat hadn't killed them.

I don't know when the AB's mature.  I don't have any of those.


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## GLENMAR (Oct 1, 2012)

This is what I think too. That they are just young. I will keep working with them.


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