How old?

[Dutchgirl]

My rabbit, Hazel, is 3 quarters Rex and 1 quarter Satin. She was born in February so she's 10 months old. How much longer until she's too old to have babies?

 

[rabbitlady4433]

Think you got a while to worry about that.

 

[DianeS]

Years.

 

[Bunnylady]

Does typically show reduced fertility starting about age 3, with many basically sterile by the time they are 4. I have had does that were fertile well into their 6th year, though.

 

[Dutchgirl]

I know that they can produce for years, but she has not been bred yet. Don't you have to breed them before a certain point? And won't they get cancer if they are not bred?

 

[therealsilkiechick]

breed before a year old to keep pelvic bone from fuseing together is what i've always heard. they can if not bred but not everyone will have it.

 

[txcarl1258]

I have two NZW girls who are over 4 years old and each just had a litter one had 5 and the other 6. Not too bad for some "old" girls. Of course one of them killed her litter, but I think she was stressed so I am going to give her another shot.

 

[DianeS]

A lot of female rabbits do get uterine cancer, yes. And you can usually prevent that cancer by either having the doe bred or spayed.

But some bred does still get uterine cancer. The only way to prevent it entirely is to have the uterus removed via spaying.

I'm not sure what age the doe should be bred by in order to (hopefully) avoid the uterine cancer. The studies I've read don't mention the age. They just examined a bunch of 6-7 year old does, and found that almost all of the ones that had cancer had not been bred and almost of the ones without cancer had been bred.

Hope that helps. Personally, if you hadn't intended to breed her anyway, I'd get her spayed and avoid the entire issue. Can't get cancer in an organ you don't have!

 

[Dutchgirl]

Thanks, everyone. I just don't have a buck to service her before February, when she'll be one. I'm planning on getting a Holland Lop, but don't know whether to get a male to breed with her, or a a female to get going so that she can have her own bunnies soon.