breeding just not happening - advice?

[LittleRooster]

Hello all, I have read through much of the posts here.

I have a pair of American Chinchillas and a pair of Silver Fox. My Am. Chin doe is proven, she gave me a little about a year ago. She and I were both new and lost some of the babies. The buck, I bred her with I, unfortunately, lost this winter. So, I have one Am. Chin buck, unproven but about a year and a half old. A 9 month old unproven Silver Fox buck and a year and a half or so old unproven Silver Fox doe.

I have tried since this Spring and a couple times this Summer to breed the rabbits (just this summer for the 9 month old). Nothing has come of it so far. They seem to be doing things "right". I tried putting the doe in for a bit and taking her out. I tried leaving them together for a couple hours. I tried when it was cooler out and warmer out. They do not have a light in the barn but it is a 3 sided barn and there is definitely light and a window.

I know the Silver Fox are not too fat. I am wondering if the Am. Chins are...how do I tell if they are?

Any other advice? I am going to try taking them both out and holding them in place on a table this weekend. It is getting very frustrating though.

- Kitty
World Tree Rabbitry
LittleRoosterCroft

 

[Ms. Research]

Hello all, I have read through much of the posts here.

I have a pair of American Chinchillas and a pair of Silver Fox. My Am. Chin doe is proven, she gave me a little about a year ago. She and I were both new and lost some of the babies. The buck, I bred her with I, unfortunately, lost this winter. So, I have one Am. Chin buck, unproven but about a year and a half old. A 9 month old unproven Silver Fox buck and a year and a half or so old unproven Silver Fox doe.

I have tried since this Spring and a couple times this Summer to breed the rabbits (just this summer for the 9 month old). Nothing has come of it so far. They seem to be doing things "right". I tried putting the doe in for a bit and taking her out. I tried leaving them together for a couple hours. I tried when it was cooler out and warmer out. They do not have a light in the barn but it is a 3 sided barn and there is definitely light and a window.

I know the Silver Fox are not too fat. I am wondering if the Am. Chins are...how do I tell if they are?

Any other advice? I am going to try taking them both out and holding them in place on a table this weekend. It is getting very frustrating though.

- Kitty
World Tree Rabbitry
LittleRoosterCroft

I think maybe it could be the heat? I'm from New Jersey and it's been bad. The humidity is so thick it's tough to breath. Maybe your unproven buck is summer sterile. Why not wait until the cooler weather. It is getting a bit cooler so maybe waiting a couple weeks? It's something to think about. Understand your frustration.

 

[brentr]

I have an acquaintance who runs her breeding program this way: she has 5 does, one buck. She simply puts a doe with the buck (he is an experienced breeder) and leaves them together for a week. Then she rotates in another doe, and so on. While it means her breeding dates are not as precise as some, she swears by this as she has had only one doe missed in the few years she has done it this way. She simply puts in the nest box at 28 days based on earliest possible breeding date and leaves it until day 34 of the latest possible breeding date. She has good success with the does not using the next box as a litter box also. As I said, it works for her. Others might not think this is best.

You might try that if your cages are decent size to hold two rabbits. Pair them up and shack them up for a week. Then wait a week and do a test mating.

Just a suggestion. I know how frustrating it can be when rabbits don't "breed like rabbits" and it takes forever to get a litter. Good luck to you!

 

[poormans_99]

test mating is not a good ideal I have seen nonpregnant does fight the buck and pregnant ones raise up for him. also pregnant doe can become pregnant agin, not good

 

[poormans_99]

opps forgot to say putting rabbit in for few days works pretty well just be sure to watch them for while to make sure not gonna fight.