Fetal giants

[BunniesinSC]

So my very first litter consisted of a single stillborn fetal giants. I picked up the mom a few months back at the local flea market. Previous owner claimed she had successfully raised litters in the past. Dad is an 11 month old harlequin of uncertain breeding. Is it likely the doe would continue to have issues? I am wondering if this is why she was sold. I was told she was around 3 years old. She is a new Zealand. I am thinking I should breed her again and see what happens and go from there, bur have only had rabbits for a few months. Opinions?

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

Poor mama! I think that delivery must have been so stressful, painful, and even injurious for the doe.

I would try breeding her again, but I have a different mindset than many other breeders as to when. She will be the most fertile right now, but I personally would not breed her right away and give her at least a couple of weeks so her body can focus on healing any trauma to the birth canal.

Also, when purchasing an older doe, unless the seller gave you detailed records you really have no idea of how she was raised, how often she was bred, what were the numbers in her kindles, and other things that affect her overall health, age, and pregnancies. I have purchased younger proven rabbits without records, but with an older doe, I prefer breeding records.

 

[promiseacres]

Hard to say. I would rebred asap, at that age you're on a limit on how many more litters she'll have. It may of been a fluke.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have occasionally had to assist in the delivery of one of these huge babies, and it's not fun. I can only imagine how traumatic and exhausting it must be for the doe.

Here's the deal, as I understand it: rabbits are designed by nature for early, fast reproduction. More than 90% of the babies born to wild rabbits don't even make it to reproductive age, and even those that survive that long won't wind up dying of old age. A 3-year-old doe may not be "over the hill," but she's not far from it. Though she will probably still be fertile, she will ripen fewer eggs when she cycles.

There is a good chance that this doe will do this again. There are things that can optimize your chances of getting decent litters from her, but time is probably not on her side.

One thing you can do is to make sure she is at the peak of her hormonal cycle when you breed her. Before putting her with a buck, check the color of her vulva. The color you are looking for is a bright, cherry red. A doe at that point in her cycle has eggs that have just ripened, and fresh eggs are the most viable. Such a doe is more likely to breed readily, and conceive a good litter. A doe showing a purplish color is past her peak; she may or may not breed, and may not conceive if she does (or just manage one or two; aging eggs are less fertile). A doe that has a pale pink color is at a low point in her cycle, and often won't breed or fails to conceive if she does.

(Note - not all does get to the bright red stage, it's just the way they cycle, so you kind of have to know the doe to know just what color is the best for her)

Another trick is to put the doe with the buck, let him breed her a time or two, then remove her, and put her back in an hour or so later. Rabbits are induced ovulators; the act of being mated causes the doe's body to release a hormone that in turn triggers the release of eggs. This hormone peaks about an hour post-mating; breeding the doe again at that time causes a second release of hormone, resulting in a higher total amount and (hopefully) causing the release of more ripe eggs.

Now, here's the tough one - a doe's body ripens the most eggs, and hits the highest hormone peaks, right after kindling. A doe bred then will most likely conceive the largest litter of which she is capable at that time. Delaying breeding more than a couple of days means missing that peak. Whether you take advantage of that peak is up to you; I often have, but I take the doe's condition into account. If she seems unperturbed by the whole business, she is probably a good candidate, but a doe that has clearly had a rough time of it should probably be given some time to heal. In fact, if she is poorly enough, it might be a good idea to take her out of the program entirely.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

What @Bunnylady said.

A second time with a buck an hour or so later may not be necessary, but it can be a good practice with any doe.