New Zealand buck breeding/behaviour issues

[Rex79]

Hello,

I'm fairly new to breeding rabbits for meat - only had my first Rex kits a few weeks ago. But....

I need advice concerning my 6 month old New Zealand White buck - Each time I have put in my 5 month old NZW doe he jumps around biting her, tries to do the deed any which way and misses the mark. My doe was receptive to breeding but is now agitated and the last time I put them together she lashed out. I don't know if my doe is pregnant as there may have been a successful fall off so going to keep an eye on her for now.

He is happy to be handled by myself, my husband and my two daughters and he likes to be stroked on the head. Its just when a doe is involved he goes a bit nuts!

Will this behaviour change as he matures?
Any advice?

 

[secuono]

He doesn't know what he's doing. If this continues, the doe will get more upset and potentially badly injure him or continue to be aggressive to all bucks. The buck will also get worse and frustrated and may get aggressive.
Sit the doe down and put the buck right behind her, guide him in the right direction until he gets it correct. Stop letting them both mess around.

 

[Rex79]

Thanks, I'll wait and see if my doe is pregnant and then maybe give this ago. I really don't want to freak out my doe so maybe a more experienced buck would be better.

 

[Ridgetop]

5 months is a bit young to breed your NZ doe. Are you sure she was receptive to the buck when he was jumping on her? You don't want him to get attacked and be put off breeding which can happen with a young, inexperienced buck. He is definitely inexperienced so if you can use him first on an experienced doe it will help calm him down and teach him how to go about it. Another thing you can do is to hold him in the right place when he breeds. Some of these guys get excited and need guidance. LOL

I would wait 30 days to try again. If she is bred you will know by then, if not, she will be 6 months old which is a better age to breed her. Does can get bred younger than 5 months as anyone who has delaying butchering a pen of mixed sex bunnies can attest to, but waiting to 6 months is better.

If she hops around when he tries to mount her, you can hold her in place for him. Watch for her to lift her butt. It is mch better to watch the mating since an older doe will often not want the buck around after the mating has taken place while a young excited buck will try to breed her again. Certainly if the doe is already bred she will probably not be receptive to the buck. Some does get rather savage with the bucks after they are bred. I used to put my does back in a week later and if she growled at the buck I knew she was bred Then I could palpate to feel kits at 2 weeks along. Once he learns his business it sounds like he will be an enthusiastic breeder. The worst thing is a lazy breeding buck. LOL

 

[Rex79]

Thanks @Ridgetop,

I was told 5 months was ok to breed a NZW doe. We bred her two and a half weeks ago so will know soon if it was successful - I tried palpating but I'm too inexperience! My doe was very receptive, she lifted her bum almost immediately. We put them together twice in one day and the second time was when she turned on him - I wonder if she was already pregnant then?

We'll see how things go and I'll try your advice

 

[Ridgetop]

They usually don't turn on the buck the same day, but it can happen. 5 months is not too early to breed since if she was not ready she would not have lifted. If she was receptive and lifted then she could be bred already. Wait out the 30days and don't worry about him mounting the doe in the wrong area. Young males of al species often get so excited when breeding the first few times that they don't know which end they are supposed to be on. They are pretty comical and the expression on the doe's face is amusing,

 

[Nao57]

I'm a student here.

I'm curious if the buck is acting weird partly because of not ever seeing the females and then suddenly he's thrown into more than he can handle?

By this does it mean his cage can't see any females about 90% of the time? And could this contribute to him being socially unept? (And if that were changed where he'd see females more, even if he couldn't touch them improve things? Or make it worse?)

I don't really know that much, so please only count this as an interested question and not as telling anyone what to do.

Maybe it'd help to know more about what their interaction should be like with the other gender when they aren't mating and the rest of the time? (I get that they shouldn't be together all the time.)

 

[Rex79]

I know that where I bought him from he had been introduced to a Continental Giant doe. I guess he acted in the same manner as when I put him with my doe and that is the reason he was being sold. He can't currently see any of my does. I have to admit that I am reluctant to put he with my does again.

I guess I just expected things to go the same way as when I bred my Rex rabbits. Little interference from me and a bit of running around from the doe until she was ready.

 

[promiseacres]

Honestly seems early to me also. Some individuals are slower maturing. Even some of my velveteen lops, a 4 class breed do not mature until closer to 8 to 10 months.

 

[Nao57]

I wonder if a 'look but don't touch' system where his cage can see the does when not mating might improve things, but I can only say that as an experimenter and not knowing if it will actually help.

But if his cage can't interact then there's no damage right?