Early Spring breeding....NOT

[Hopalong Causually]

I have them in a heated structure so the cold shouldn't be an issue. I don't know exactly what "the" words are, but I did tell them that, if they don't cooperate soon, they'll be dinner.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

@Hopalong Causually I would just keep introducing the does to the buck. If they have had a break from breeding, it may take a few days to get more hormonally compliant. And as @secuono stated, does do have cycles. I never had a problem with any of mine, except that one and it really had nothing to do with her cycle...just attitude...but she is a really great mother and a sweet rabbit otherwise so I just deal with her breeding eccentricities.

 

[Bunnylady]

Do you find lower conception rates when you"assist" ?

I remember reading an article in Domestic Rabbits many years ago about a study done with the cooperation of some commercial rabbitries. Does were bred as scheduled, but if they bred on their own, it was noted down, and if they didn't, they were force bred and that was noted down, too. They were then palpated, etc, as per usual. In the group that bred voluntarily, the conception rate was over 80%, while in the ones that were force bred it was only about 20%. Clearly, the rabbits knew something that the schedule didn't.

Rabbits respond more to light than to temperature. A heated building may not make a difference as to whether rabbits will breed during cooler parts of the year, but the use of artificial lighting to effectively lengthen their daylight hours can be helpful.

 

[promiseacres]

I remember reading an article in Domestic Rabbits many years ago about a study done with the cooperation of some commercial rabbitries. Does were bred as scheduled, but if they bred on their own, it was noted down, and if they didn't, they were force bred and that was noted down, too. They were then palpated, etc, as per usual. In the group that bred voluntarily, the conception rate was over 80%, while in the ones that were force bred it was only about 20%. Clearly, the rabbits knew something that the schedule didn't.

Rabbits respond more to light than to temperature. A heated building may not make a difference as to whether rabbits will breed during cooler parts of the year, but the use of artificial lighting to effectively lengthen their daylight hours can be helpful.

do you know if the color of light makes a difference? I currently use a red light...seems to have worked in the past until this year.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

do you know if the color of light makes a difference? I currently use a red light...seems to have worked in the past until this year.

@promiseacres
Now you are talking in my area of research, some twenty years work with the physiological and psychological effects of frequencies, harmonics, and colored light. Scarlet, blue based red (think of the reddest of apples and not tomato, an orange based red) would be ideal for stimulating reproductive organs and hormones. But any red light from magenta to red a bit on the orange side would be good. (I hope to one day have a magenta greenhouse and rabbitry, best color for plants, but animals also.)

However, red can also stimulate aggressive. Think of the red cape in a bull fight. It can also over stimulate to the point of being ineffective if used too much. Also, the red coloring of the light can fade, creating more of a pink and that can be less effective for your specific purpose.

The animal does not need to "see" the colors to be stimulated by the energy, frequencies, or vibrations (whatever you prefer to call it) of the color.

 

[Bossroo]

@promiseacres
Now you are talking in my area of research, some twenty years work with the physiological and psychological effects of frequencies, harmonics, and colored light. Scarlet, blue based red (think of the reddest of apples and not tomato, an orange based red) would be ideal for stimulating reproductive organs and hormones. But any red light from magenta to red a bit on the orange side would be good. (I hope to one day have a magenta greenhouse and rabbitry, best color for plants, but animals also.)

However, red can also stimulate aggressive. Think of the red cape in a bull fight. It can also over stimulate to the point of being ineffective if used too much. Also, the red coloring of the light can fade, creating more of a pink and that can be less effective for your specific purpose.

The animal does not need to "see" the colors to be stimulated by the energy, frequencies, or vibrations (whatever you prefer to call it) of the color.

You state that red light stimulates aggression, however red lights are used to stop canibalism in poultry houses , pheasant and quail pens.

 

[Bunnylady]

You state that red light stimulates aggression, however red lights are used to stop canibalism in poultry houses , pheasant and quail pens.

My understanding of how that works has to do with tricking the eyes. Chickens like to pick at things that are red - i.e, bloody. When the only available light is in the red frequencies, blood appears to be black, not red, so it doesn't get the same reaction.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

@promiseacres I know that it sounds counterintuitive but if red lights are used continuously, it would over stimulate that aggressive tendency to the point that it is not effective as a stimulant and have a depressant affect on the aggressive tendecies. There are therapeutic methods of using certain colors of light for short periods but long periods can be suppressive or have the opposite expected affect.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

I also found this interesting study about red light and chickens : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24795325

 

[promiseacres]

Generally use the heat lamps at night only... and none are acting aggressive just clamping those tails down.