I am just getting started and trying to find out how many does and bucks I need. I would like to have one litter a week. Any advice would be helpful. I will be raising meat rabbits nzw most likely. They will be indoors in a temp controlled shed. I am planning to feed hydroponic fodder and hay.
How many does do I need?
- Thread starter St croix
- Start date
brentr
Ridin' The Range
Depends on how long of a rest period you plan to give your does between litters. With no rest period (i.e., breeding back the day after kindling) you need at least 4-5 does to get a litter every week. Longer rest period for each doe = need more does. Make sure you have enough grow out space, because you will have lots of rabbits all different ages with your plan.
DianeS
Ridin' The Range
Yes, that will require a LOT of does. I'll walk through some of the numbers...
A doe is pregnant for about 31 days. If your breeding day is Monday, for example, you breed one on the first Monday, then second Monday, then third Monday, then fourth Monday, then fifth Monday - and the first doe gives birth on approximately Thursday of that last week. So if you rebreed immediately - having each doe be nursing her first litter AND be pregnant with her next litter at the same time - you need 5 does.
But, doing that will wear out your does quickly. Nursing takes a lot out of a doe, and to keep the doe at her most healthy she shouldn't be pregnant at the same time she nurses. A doe that gets drained too much will lose condition, be thin, have smaller litters, and not get pregnant as often. So if you want to let her nurse her kits and then wean them before getting pregnant, that means more does. If the first doe has given birth (on that Thursday), and you intend to let her nurse for 4 weeks (the absolute minimum before weaning), you will need the original 5 does plus 4 more to cover the nursing time.
Another consideration is that meat rabbits allowed to nurse longer do tend to be larger than ones weaned earlier. So if you want to let the doe nurse for 6 weeks or 8 weeks, you need the original 5, plus 6 or 8 to cover nursing time.
And you should consider how often you want to replace your breeding does. The more often a doe is bred, the shorter her useful lifespan as a breeder is. It's like they get "old" prematurely. So if you want to build in a rest period between weaning one litter before getting pregnant with the next, then most breeders allow about a month for that. That would bring your number of required does higher - the original 5, plus 4/6/8 for nursing time, and 4 more for the rest period.
The best answer we can give you is: between 5 and 17 does ought to get you one litter a week. Your specific numbers will be dependent on how hard you want to work those does.
A doe is pregnant for about 31 days. If your breeding day is Monday, for example, you breed one on the first Monday, then second Monday, then third Monday, then fourth Monday, then fifth Monday - and the first doe gives birth on approximately Thursday of that last week. So if you rebreed immediately - having each doe be nursing her first litter AND be pregnant with her next litter at the same time - you need 5 does.
But, doing that will wear out your does quickly. Nursing takes a lot out of a doe, and to keep the doe at her most healthy she shouldn't be pregnant at the same time she nurses. A doe that gets drained too much will lose condition, be thin, have smaller litters, and not get pregnant as often. So if you want to let her nurse her kits and then wean them before getting pregnant, that means more does. If the first doe has given birth (on that Thursday), and you intend to let her nurse for 4 weeks (the absolute minimum before weaning), you will need the original 5 does plus 4 more to cover the nursing time.
Another consideration is that meat rabbits allowed to nurse longer do tend to be larger than ones weaned earlier. So if you want to let the doe nurse for 6 weeks or 8 weeks, you need the original 5, plus 6 or 8 to cover nursing time.
And you should consider how often you want to replace your breeding does. The more often a doe is bred, the shorter her useful lifespan as a breeder is. It's like they get "old" prematurely. So if you want to build in a rest period between weaning one litter before getting pregnant with the next, then most breeders allow about a month for that. That would bring your number of required does higher - the original 5, plus 4/6/8 for nursing time, and 4 more for the rest period.
The best answer we can give you is: between 5 and 17 does ought to get you one litter a week. Your specific numbers will be dependent on how hard you want to work those does.
- Thread starter
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Bunnylady
Herd Master
Your feeding program may interfere with your slaughter schedule. Pelleted feeds are more "nutrient dense" than hay and grass; rabbits eating pellets will grow faster. Since the vast majority of rabbit breeders have been feeding pelleted feed for the last 50 years or so, most of the rabbits that are available are pretty much "engineered" to work with pelleted feed. This isn't to say that they can't live on hay and fodder, they just won't show optimum growth. It may take 10 - 12 weeks to get the bunnies to slaughter weight without pellets.
brentr
Ridin' The Range
Even with a two week resting period between litters, if you start with good quality stock, a doe will be productive for 2-4 years.St croix said:
