Tale of Tails Rabbitry
Loving the herd life
Yep. Generally generalizations work...except with the exceptions.
Good luck.
Early Spring breeding....NOT
- Thread starter Hopalong Causually
- Start date
Yep. Generally generalizations work...except with the exceptions.
Good luck.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
The studies about red lights were interesting. I am in southern California and was able to breed all year round. We do get cold temps here, but the reason I was able to keep my does receptive was because I used regular lights in my barn all year to keep the "daylight" long. I bred continuously year round. We also used heat lamps when necessary but here a regular 100 watt bulb sufficed for warmth. My 4-H kids would only breed for the fair and then couldn't figure out why their does would not breed the following year. Giving them a "vacation" is bad for their breeding cycle, In the wild rabbits breed constantly depending on season, and are most fertile a week after giving birth. Consequently in the wild the doe will kindle again 5 weeks after a litter and abandon the month old kits.
That said, if you want to breed year round, you have to mimic not the warmth but the daylight hours. I did the same thing to keep my chickens laying all year. It sounds like the increase in light hours did the trick on the does. The younger one is ready to breed too since her humping the buck is a sign of readiness in an inexperienced doe. If you put her in a cage next to the buck for a couple days then put her back in with him she should breed. I have also switched cages - doe with buck - and it works. If she still tries to hump him, hold her still by the head so the buck can mount her and she should rise for him. Rabbit foreplay can be exhausting for the male LOL and can out off a young buck so I used to put my first time does with experienced bucks and use young first time bucks on my experienced "welcoming" does. It makes for a good experience all around.
Another tip if you have a doe that doesn't want to breed is to put her in a carrier and take her for a ride in the car, then breed her. We used this all the time when we bred Champagnes which is a breed notorious for not wanting to rise for the buck.
If you eventually have a doe that absolutely will not breed, think peas, carrots and potatoes! Good Luck!
That said, if you want to breed year round, you have to mimic not the warmth but the daylight hours. I did the same thing to keep my chickens laying all year. It sounds like the increase in light hours did the trick on the does. The younger one is ready to breed too since her humping the buck is a sign of readiness in an inexperienced doe. If you put her in a cage next to the buck for a couple days then put her back in with him she should breed. I have also switched cages - doe with buck - and it works. If she still tries to hump him, hold her still by the head so the buck can mount her and she should rise for him. Rabbit foreplay can be exhausting for the male LOL and can out off a young buck so I used to put my first time does with experienced bucks and use young first time bucks on my experienced "welcoming" does. It makes for a good experience all around.
Another tip if you have a doe that doesn't want to breed is to put her in a carrier and take her for a ride in the car, then breed her. We used this all the time when we bred Champagnes which is a breed notorious for not wanting to rise for the buck.
If you eventually have a doe that absolutely will not breed, think peas, carrots and potatoes! Good Luck!
Tale of Tails Rabbitry
Loving the herd life
@Ridgetop Great advice! Neighboring cages have an effective way to introduce a first timer for me also.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
We don't have rabbits anymore. 
Really sad since we all love rabbit and dumplings LOL. We raised NZW and Cals along with Hollands, Havanas, Champagnes, etc. for variety. My main love was Cals. Easy to manage, calm temperaments, good mommas, made fryer weight in 6-8 weeks. We have been toying with the idea of breeding them again but have a lot going on right now. Also, getting older and are wondering about the advisability of going back into breeding when we have started traveling a bit. W still have all our equipment, babysaver 36x30 cages, watering system parts, etc.) All those litters were a lot of fun, easy to keep - we hung the cages in our pole barn over worm pits with automatic waterers and misters. With our adult children at home, they could take care of the rabbits along with the sheep when we go out of town too, right? It might be fun to go to rabbit shows again, along with playing bridge! LOL We keep thinking about it - they were DH's delight so a good hobby to get him moving around outside. He is pretty stove up (his knees are shot) and can't really do as much with the large stock any more, but rabbits are much easier to handle and we really enjoyed breeding, raising, showing, and eating them.
Really sad since we all love rabbit and dumplings LOL. We raised NZW and Cals along with Hollands, Havanas, Champagnes, etc. for variety. My main love was Cals. Easy to manage, calm temperaments, good mommas, made fryer weight in 6-8 weeks. We have been toying with the idea of breeding them again but have a lot going on right now. Also, getting older and are wondering about the advisability of going back into breeding when we have started traveling a bit. W still have all our equipment, babysaver 36x30 cages, watering system parts, etc.) All those litters were a lot of fun, easy to keep - we hung the cages in our pole barn over worm pits with automatic waterers and misters. With our adult children at home, they could take care of the rabbits along with the sheep when we go out of town too, right? It might be fun to go to rabbit shows again, along with playing bridge! LOL We keep thinking about it - they were DH's delight so a good hobby to get him moving around outside. He is pretty stove up (his knees are shot) and can't really do as much with the large stock any more, but rabbits are much easier to handle and we really enjoyed breeding, raising, showing, and eating them.- Thread starter
- #35
Hopalong Causually
Loving the herd life
Good news today.
After another week with the extra two hours/day of artificial light, I tried the youngest doe again. She raised and provided a fall-off within thirty seconds. Then she went back to burying in a corner and grumbling. I let her in the buck's cage for another forty-five minutes whereupon she started climbing on the buck and then raised again for a second fall-off. Why argue with success, so I let her in there a while longer and got a third fall-off in another fifteen minutes. I now should have three pregnant does. Might have to do some scrambling for cage space come grow-out time
After another week with the extra two hours/day of artificial light, I tried the youngest doe again. She raised and provided a fall-off within thirty seconds. Then she went back to burying in a corner and grumbling. I let her in the buck's cage for another forty-five minutes whereupon she started climbing on the buck and then raised again for a second fall-off. Why argue with success, so I let her in there a while longer and got a third fall-off in another fifteen minutes. I now should have three pregnant does. Might have to do some scrambling for cage space come grow-out time
- Thread starter
- #36
Hopalong Causually
Loving the herd life
Update time.
My oldest doe failed to come through. Today is day 36 and no kits or any indication that she is near kindling. So, I gave her another go at the buck. Two fall-offs in the first five minutes, then two more in the next hour. She is three years old so this may be her last chance to give me the buck I want from her.
My broken doe kindled four days ago and had nine again for the third time. This time, she had them all in the nestbox and, so far, all are thriving.
My youngest doe, which is the daughter of the oldest doe and my lone buck, is at day 29 today. She is one year old and this is her first litter. She nipped me today when I changed out her nestbox for a bigger one. By this afternoon, she had begun pulling hair and had it all in the box. It looks like her instincts are all pulling in the right direction.
My oldest doe failed to come through. Today is day 36 and no kits or any indication that she is near kindling. So, I gave her another go at the buck. Two fall-offs in the first five minutes, then two more in the next hour. She is three years old so this may be her last chance to give me the buck I want from her.
My broken doe kindled four days ago and had nine again for the third time. This time, she had them all in the nestbox and, so far, all are thriving.
My youngest doe, which is the daughter of the oldest doe and my lone buck, is at day 29 today. She is one year old and this is her first litter. She nipped me today when I changed out her nestbox for a bigger one. By this afternoon, she had begun pulling hair and had it all in the box. It looks like her instincts are all pulling in the right direction.
promiseacres
Herd Master
- Thread starter
- #38
Hopalong Causually
Loving the herd life
Update time.
The youngest doe kindled three overnight a month ago but none survived till morning. She appeared to do EVERYTHING wrong. I re-bred her and she now appears to be carrying about 20 kits and is due next week. She is mega-huge. She tried to throw herself down on her side today, as they are prone to do, but her oversized abdomen rolled her back over on her belly. She'll get her nestbox before the weekend.
In spite of what looked like a classic textbook breeding, my oldest doe did it again today - - kindled a grand total of one. I've been trying for two years to get a buck from her. In five breedings now, she has produced a total of seven kits. Only one of the first six was a buck and it died at five weeks of age.
On the plus side, the broken doe that kindled nine did a tremendous job and all nine are doing great.
The youngest doe kindled three overnight a month ago but none survived till morning. She appeared to do EVERYTHING wrong. I re-bred her and she now appears to be carrying about 20 kits and is due next week. She is mega-huge. She tried to throw herself down on her side today, as they are prone to do, but her oversized abdomen rolled her back over on her belly. She'll get her nestbox before the weekend.
In spite of what looked like a classic textbook breeding, my oldest doe did it again today - - kindled a grand total of one. I've been trying for two years to get a buck from her. In five breedings now, she has produced a total of seven kits. Only one of the first six was a buck and it died at five weeks of age.
On the plus side, the broken doe that kindled nine did a tremendous job and all nine are doing great.
promiseacres
Herd Master
Ahh the joys of doe code. 
