Breeding in a Colony

[micah wotring]

I hope this is in the right section.

So, I don't own any rabbits yet but my brother has promised me a buck and a couple does and I'm waiting for a litter with the coolest color.

Anyway, how do y'all manage breeding in your colony settings? I know of a couple people who have their bucks in a separate cage and so I assume they just take out the does and breed the with the bucks individually. Would there be a way to keep the buck in the does' pen and just take him out when they have their kits?(farrow, kidding, calving? birthing.)

Or would you have to take the does out to have their babies? Could you just leave everybody together throughout the whole process??

Thanks all,
MW

 

[chiques chicks]

The one person i know with a colony keeps their does together with multiple nest boxes. more boxes than does, and plenty of space. boxes are old mailboxes, tops of cat litter pans, old metal or wood boxes etc. they keep hay on the floor.
Buck(s) are in separate cages and does are taken to his cage to breed. Last I was there, they had about five does in the colony, seemed to work for them.

 

[micah wotring]

The one person i know with a colony keeps their does together with multiple nest boxes. more boxes than does, and plenty of space. boxes are old mailboxes, tops of cat litter pans, old metal or wood boxes etc. they keep hay on the floor.
Buck(s) are in separate cages and does are taken to his cage to breed. Last I was there, they had about five does in the colony, seemed to work for them.

Awesome! Thanks.

 

[Alexz7272]

We keep our buck(s) seperate from the does and introduce them when we want kits then separate them again. We never let the girls and guys run together with the exception of mating. Our does also have several nesting boxes and plenty of space. We've had no issues so far!

 

[micah wotring]

We keep our buck(s) separate from the does and introduce them when we want kits then separate them again. We never let the girls and guys run together with the exception of mating. Our does also have several nesting boxes and plenty of space. We've had no issues so far!

So, I'd think the does would fight with each other having kits and all. Thanks though! I guess the doe would get weak raising litters constantly if you left the buck in. Iv'e heard does are very territorial. Is there something you do with them in a colony to counter-act this somehow.

 

[Bunnylady]

"Space - the final frontier . . . ."

Sorry about the levity, sometimes, I just can't help it.

But that is the secret to colony breeding - space, and plenty of it. Lots of room for does to get as far away from each other as they need to; plenty of places for them to rest and nest, and keeping a watchful eye out and removing any doe that just can't seem to get along with the others (they aren't all savages!). Some folks report that breaking up sight lines seems to be helpful - placing boxes or other objects in the space so the does don't have to see each other all the time.

 

[Alexz7272]

My does definitely get annoyed with each other but for the most part they do great! As @Bunnylady said (and she is the real expert here!) We have things that break their line of sight, so they can go to their respective 'places'

 

[micah wotring]

Ok, thank you. I'm still in the planning stage now so I'll try to make it as big as possible. And yes, add toys and such.

 

[micah wotring]

So, how about 2 hog panels bent into a U shape and tied together at the ends to make a big oval and then put it on concrete? Would you have to put a tarp over the whole thing to keep them from jumping out? And the sides, would you need something other than a hog panel? Obviously yes to the last one with a cattle panel but how about a hog panel?

Thank ya all!

 

[Alexz7272]

They will definitely get through a hog panel.