Doe mating, but no litter (Update!)

[GD91]

I have a proven doe whom is an excellent mother. She is approaching 2 years old (more or less) and I cannot understand why a few times I have witnessed her breeding with the buck, but there are no litters produced.
She has produced 2 litters this year, one litter consisted of 7 kits, the second of 5.
It is disappointing when she doesn't produce a litter and with the possibility of a hard winter ahead (blizzards, 70mph winds etc) I doubt we will get another litter until next spring.

Currently the two bucks are housed separately and the does are together in a pen (mother and daughters) for the winter.

Any idea's?

 

[SA Farm]

Either she's gotten a little heavy (too much fat pressing on the ovaries) or the buck is shooting blanks. Have you tried her with your other buck to be sure it's not your buck who has the problem?
Otherwise, I would check her diet and keep trying until the weather prevents. If you can palpate her at 12 days or so into her potential pregnancy, you will be able to breed her back earlier if she's not bred.
It does sound like she's winding down production-wise, just from the sizes of her litters, so you may consider retiring her and replace her or something along those lines...

 

[David]

are they the same breed of rabbit ? who was she bred to for the other litters

im still new to the rabbit thing but I have a doe that only seems to produce when breed to a differnt breed

 

[GD91]

I think she is too fat. I've put her on a hay only diet. She is bigger than she was and there seems to be folds at her hips.
She was bred to the same buck that fathered the same last 3 litters and she is under the age of 2 years.

 

[JakeM]

Sometimes rabbit just don't want to be pregnant. I am currently trying to breed four different does (2 which are proven) to four different bucks (2 which are proven). I've tried every tactic, but I've only gotten one to take. It just happens.

If she has never been bred for fall/winter babies (like mine). Her body may feel out of whack and be rejecting pregnancy due to her body needing/wanting to build up fat for winter.

You just need to keep trying. Keep them together for extended periods (an hour or so is what I do), hold the doe's rump up (or tail out of the way), or switch their cages for a little bit and switch them back before breeding again.

Hope this helps!

 

[GD91]

[TE="JakeM, post: 374350, member: 12092"]Sometimes rabbit just don't want to be pregnant. I am currently trying to breed four different does (2 which are proven) to four different bucks (2 which are proven). I've tried every tactic, but I've only gotten one to take. It just happens.

If she has never been bred for fall/winter babies (like mine). Her body may feel out of whack and be rejecting pregnancy due to her body needing/wanting to build up fat for winter.

You just need to keep trying. Keep them together for extended periods (an hour or so is what I do), hold the doe's rump up (or tail out of the way), or switch their cages for a little bit and switch them back before breeding again.

Hope this helps![/QUOTE]

Its not the season, she has not conceived since june, despite the fact she herself is very willing. As I said, excellent mother, loves her kits and alway wants more. Her entire first litter survived and on top of her seven she also raised another does 3 kits with them. Shes more disappointed than me, i think, when she builds her nest and nothing happens.

 

[David]

mabey something went wrong with her last litter pyshicaly thats preventing more

 

[Bossroo]

You stated that the does are together in a pen. Does ovulate when they are stimulated and release their eggs during the mounting act. So the does being together they mount each other often causing ovulation. Also, during the hot months the bucks experience temporary sterility until cool weather sets in and possibly a few weeks later. It would be wise to seperate the does for a couple weeks,(and keep them seperated ) then re- breed. Simple management issues as well as some of the other issues that were mentioned could be the problem !

 

[GD91]

Already been there, they were seperated for several months and she still didn't produce any litters and I now have a skinny buck because he stopped eating, we are currently putting the weight back on him. He also became very lethargic and I was concerned he was ill. Turned out he was missing the doe. He follows her around humming and spends all of his time with her. The buck does not mount her often, they have had only two litters in the past year.
I am not pushing for fast production. I'm just wondering why.
The buck and the doe are bonded, they will not breed with other rabbits, I've tried her with another buck and she simply rejects him flat out. The buck is more interested in caring for the doe than he is breeding her and the matings occur once or twice every two to three months. The doe is the dominant rabbit. She is not eating her litters, she has been monitored by camera and has not had any.. I have moved them indoors now to see if lighting and temp could be being an issue.

 

[GD91]

By the way guys, please note our rabbits are also semi - pets with benefits, just incase any of this sounds strange to you. We now have 3 bucks paired with 3 does in large areas and they usually breed well, except this pair. The bucks do not harm the litters, show more attention to the kits and they share the territory with the does. The does recognise and bond with their mates, they do not kill their litters due to their bucks presence, just like they wouldn't usually kill them if their owners were present.
I used to have them caged, but I did this wacky experimental thing and well.... This was what I got. We still eat the kits, but the adults are practically pets.