# Breeding problem-What now



## P.O. in MO (Jan 10, 2013)

I am a beginner at this and have a NZW doe that is not cooperating.  She was born 5/12/12 and weighs 7 lb. 5 oz.   About a week ago I took her to the buck and she refused to accept him.   After an hour and a half I gave up and took the buck out of his cage and put him in hers overnight like Storey's guide to Raising Rabbits said.  The next morning I brought the doe back to her cage and put her back in with the buck.  Stood there for another hour and a half and she still refuses.  He chases her for a while but eventually gives up.  They groom each other and act friendly but when the buck tries to get down to business the doe runs in circles or just squats and refuses to lift when the buck mounts her.   I tried holding the doe but when I do this the buck isn't interested.   I have used this buck successfully since then on another doe and am getting ready to try again on the one that won't cooperate.  Any suggestions.   Is it possible that this doe isn't mature enough.  I read that they should be ready to breed at 6 months but is this always true.  Any help appreciated.  PO


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## alsea1 (Jan 10, 2013)

Can you try a diff. buck with her.
Sometimes they just take a bit of time.
If she don't work out though consider freezer camp


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## Prairiechick (Jan 10, 2013)

This is a tough time of year to try breeding with the colder weather and all.  I have a rabbit breeder friend who says sometimes she takes the girls for a ride in the car and it "gets them going".  She has been breeding rabbits for over 20-years, so I trust her advice.  Also, sometimes I have heard people take them into the house, a basement area or such, where it is warm for overnight, and then put them in with the buck.  Warmer weather usually gets my girls going real quick.
I know it is frustrating, but don't give up.  My daughter's Holland Lop took over 2 months of trying this fall to get her bred, then we lost the litter any way.  It was VERY frustrating.
Good luck. 
Oh, also try some apple cider vinegar in their water.


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## Gagroundhog (Jan 11, 2013)

You are not alone, mine won't breed either. As the days get longer, the girls will get ready and breeding will begin. I've got 4 new rabbits this fall, 2 are 3 mo old and I'm looking for more bunnies. I'm hoping that if I get bunnies born this time of year, I'll get bunnies this time of year later.  Culling the rest. Soooooooo wish I hadn't sold my old stock that bred year round before I moved here.  In my case my rabbits didn't breed for about 8 months the past 2 years! Feed is too expensive for that so I'm culling them and starting fresh. Good luck and hang in there. I know its frustrating but once you get your line of rabbits that produces well its so much more fun and don't do what I did and hang on to rabbits because I liked them to much only to have to replace them now.


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## P.O. in MO (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for all the advice.  I only have the one buck so at this time no options there.   I read about the apple cider vinegar somewhere before and started that about 4 days ago.  I do have them in a well insulated shed with a dirt floor.  No heat but a lot comes up out of the ground.  The coldest it has been in the shed since I got them was about 39 degrees.  I also read that day length affected them and have been using lights on a timer to get them about 15 hours of light a day for about a week.  I know this keeps my chickens laying well in the winter so maybe it will work on the rabbits.   I will try again in a day or two.  If that doesn't work I have a way to block off a small area in the end of the shed they are in and might try putting some heat in there overnite before I try them..   Again, thanks to all who took the time to reply and the people who run this forum.   I read 3 different books on raising rabbits before I decided to do this but they never cover every circumstance.  It's good to have access to all the hands on information that is already on the forum and current advice from those who are nice enough to share their knowledge and experience.  PO


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## alsea1 (Jan 12, 2013)

I'm thinking the lights should do the trick.  
LOL  maybe a poster they can see of nice sunny beaches in the south pacific. (just kidding)

Or nice chat about where failure to cooperate rabbits wind up. heehee


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## Citylife (Jan 12, 2013)

P.O. in MO said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the advice.  I only have the one buck so at this time no options there.   I read about the apple cider vinegar somewhere before and started that about 4 days ago.  I do have them in a well insulated shed with a dirt floor.  No heat but a lot comes up out of the ground.  The coldest it has been in the shed since I got them was about 39 degrees.  I also read that day length affected them and have been using lights on a timer to get them about 15 hours of light a day for about a week.  I know this keeps my chickens laying well in the winter so maybe it will work on the rabbits.   I will try again in a day or two.  If that doesn't work I have a way to block off a small area in the end of the shed they are in and might try putting some heat in there overnite before I try them..   Again, thanks to all who took the time to reply and the people who run this forum.   I read 3 different books on raising rabbits before I decided to do this but they never cover every circumstance.  It's good to have access to all the hands on information that is already on the forum and current advice from those who are nice enough to share their knowledge and experience.  PO


The extra lighting should help out a lot!  Your buck is also young.  They do get better with age.  It is the same concept as chickens so it will work, just give it a bit.  I have lighting outside of my barn and it seems to have helped.  I have 4 litters from 10 days to 7 wks.  Also, if either the male or female are over weight, that will affect their activity level at times.  I used to have one buck all I had to do was cut his food in 1/2 and he would breed  2 days later.  He was a trip.  
I do not know if ACV helps productivity but it helps in other ways.  
good luck to you


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## sawfish99 (Jan 12, 2013)

We generally allow the rabbits to breed in a temp fence in the grass. That way, neither doe nor buck get defensive.

8 months and still under 8 lbs is small for NZW.  Our NZW (pure and mixed) generally are 10+ by that age.  

The last one we had that was doing what you described got culled (she had been bred 3 times previously without a litter).  So did the buck.  The buck had breedings with 2 other does that didn't result in pregnancies (both have since had litters).  Even though the buck looked interested and seemed to be trying, we could tell he wasn't getting it done.  When I processed the doe, she had cystic ovaries.  She was 10 months and had never had a litter.


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## nancythemadsoaper (Jan 25, 2013)

hi I  am new to this site , but not so new to rabbits. Some things that we have tried -place doe in a cage very close to your buck. Put her in with him, in his cage, for one hour one day, increase it to two hours the next, etc. Also, you can check her willingness/readiness for mating by visualizing her vulva. If it is white, she is not in the mood, if pink she is getting there. In the event that area is purplish she is ready to go and then some (ha).BTW you need to do this aftr she has been with buck for awhile. Only leave a small amount of feed in the bucks cage when attemping to breed. After you see them breed you can feed them more. Keep in mind that there are 3 days out of 16 that the doe will NOT breed. No telling when those days are, so do not get discouraged _you may have hit at the wrong time of the cycle. Good luck, hope this helpls.So glad to be able to access all this info. We are Liberty Hill Rabbitry.


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## P.O. in MO (Apr 3, 2013)

Wanted to post my final update to this thread.  I know most people say not to leave the buck and doe alone together but this is what finally worked on this doe.  I took both the buck and the doe out of their cages and let them run loose in my rabbit shed for 8 hours.  My shed is about 11 x 39 so lots of room to run.  I stayed out there for about an hour to make sure they were getting along.  They had never fought before when I had attempted breeding them which included in the bucks cage and the does cage.  The buck was still pursuing her when I left.  After 8 hours I put the them both in the bucks cage and watched them for another hour to make sure they were getting along.  Then I left them together until the next morning.  Today was day 31 and when I went out to see if I had babies or rabbit stew later in the week,  there were 4 kits in the nest box.  This was her first litter so the litter size will hopefully improve and her acceptance of the buck.  I have already bought a couple more weanling does and my other doe recently had a litter of 7 with 6 being does, so if she continues to be a problem she will eventually get replaced.  Right now I only have 2 does of breeding age and it will be the August before any of my young ones are ready so I am really glad I was able to get her to produce.   Thanks to all who participated in this discussion.  PO


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## Prairiechick (Apr 3, 2013)

Great!  I think you figured this one out after all.  I am glad you got something.  1 of my 3 Cali does isn't being very cooperative.  I need to re-try her tomorrow and see if I can't get her to stick.  He has plenty of experience, so it is all on her.


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