I picked up my first pair of rabbits yesterday...

[Pyxis]

Well, not the best news here. The doe kindled and had two stillborn kits. Could have been because it was her first time, could have been the stress the experienced in her last week of pregnancy, or both.

I'm going to pick up a very nice silver marten buck from a breeder on Tuesday. My BEW buck still hasn't turned up. It's going to be over two hours to get him but this breeder has been breeding for years so he will be very nice and definitely worth it.

How long should I give the female to recover before breeding her to the new buck, or is it fine to breed her to him right away?

 

[Pyxis]

Just an update, I did make a long trip out to get the buck and he's very nice. I put him and the female together and...nothing. He didn't know what to do, lol. But, she loved his company so I left them together. She was grooming him within the hour. So they're still together. I'll pull him out when her first possible due date approaches but until then I think I'll leave them together because they very much enjoy each other's company.

 

[Pastor Dave]

How old did you say the new buck was?
He will show interest when he's more mature.

 

[Pyxis]

He's nine months old. According to the breeder he's never bred another doe before, so he might have just had to get the hang of things. I have since caught them mating a couple times, I think. She's probably pregnant. I'll be splitting them up a week before her first possible due date so that he can't breed her back immediately.

 

[HaloRabbits]

Is it safe for them to be mating if she has conceived already?

 

[Bunnylady]

Is it safe for them to be mating if she has conceived already?

It might not be safe for him, if he won't hear "no" when she says it.

 

[Pyxis]

Lol! They'll be getting split up shortly. So far he hasn't pushed his luck but I wouldn't want him to get injured.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, my doe gave birth today but all is not going smoothly. I went out to check her and she had given birth on the floor of the hutch, not in the nesting box. She doesn't seem to have pulled fur either. She had five babies but by the time I found them three were dead and the remaining two were working on freezing to death. I brought them in to warm up. Any chance I can put them in the nesting box and she will care for them or should I plan on hand feeding these guys?

 

[promiseacres]

Well, my doe gave birth today but all is not going smoothly. I went out to check her and she had given birth on the floor of the hutch, not in the nesting box. She doesn't seem to have pulled fur either. She had five babies but by the time I found them three were dead and the remaining two were working on freezing to death. I brought them in to warm up. Any chance I can put them in the nesting box and she will care for them or should I plan on hand feeding these guys?

You can try. Also if you can you can hold her while they nurse. Depends on the doe if that works.

 

[HaloRabbits]

Holding her while they nurse is a much more successful approach than hand feeding. Hoping all goes well!