Im in central Florida. It gets a bit warm out here. Is it ok to breed in the heat or should i lay off for a while? I started this back in January with a whole lot of bad luck. Litters dying and rabbitry continuously selling me bucks instead of does. My doe just had another litter that she seems to be doing better with. I got what i think is two more does yesterday. Im 4 months into a bunch of dissapointment so I'm excited about getting litters but is the heat an issue that i should consider before mating? I don't want to create a situation where I'm causing death.
Summertime breeding
- Thread starter Gary
- Start date
mysunwolf
Herd Master
No problems that we've had, and in fact our rabbits always did better breeding April through June, then they took a bit of a break in the hottest months, and started up again in the fall, only to break for winter again. As in, our does would refuse to breed if the weather wasn't right. If the does pull too much fur and the kits seem sweaty, you can always take away some of the fur. Another good reason to breed in warmer months is that if the kits fall out of the nests, you have a lot more time to rescue them and put them back in than in the winter months. Good luck!
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Hello Gary, we are just west of Gainsville fl., bucks tend to go sterile in the heat of summer, I don't bother them when its hot even though they are in the shade of the trees.....on really hot days I put frozen bottles of water in their hutchs to help them cool off....I guess if you have a inside rabbitry with AC (i know of one in live oak ) you can breed year round....they can tolerate the cold better than our heat that we have.
If the rabbitry can't tell the difference between a buck and a doe, I would buy my rabbits elsewhere! Especially with all the issues you have had with them dying. What breed of rabbits are you breeding ?
If the rabbitry can't tell the difference between a buck and a doe, I would buy my rabbits elsewhere! Especially with all the issues you have had with them dying. What breed of rabbits are you breeding ?
- Thread starter
- #4
I had all nz trio 2 does 1 buck but this weekend i had to exchange one doe becuase she wasn't pregnant after 3 months. All the had was mini rex in female so i exchanged 1 and bought a 2nd mini rex. They assured me that it wouldn't be a problem to breed nz with mini rex
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
It's not a problem. If your breeding the MR male to a female NZ.......however if you want to breed for meat rabbits and keep size...stay with NZ to NZ ....
If you are breeding for pets keep the male smaller than the female....
I only breed meat rabbits, NZ, to NZ...there are other ways to get a larger NZ mix but I don't want to confuse the issue here....honestly, I wouldn't buy from these people anymore. What are they charging you for a NZ ? I sell mine that are under 3 months old for $9. Because I like to move them and gain some good customers, and I have enough for us to put in the freezer.
AmberLops
Herd Master
They should do fine breeding in the summer. Bucks will sometimes become sterile in the hottest months (or when it's over 90 degrees for 10 days in a row) and frozen water bottles in their cages can prevent them from becoming sterile...but some just don't want to breed because it's hot! The does are usually just fine though if you can get your bucks to breed them 
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
They should do fine breeding in the summer. Bucks will sometimes become sterile in the hottest months (or when it's over 90 degrees for 10 days in a row) and frozen water bottles in their cages can prevent them from becoming sterile...but some just don't want to breed because it's hot! The does are usually just fine though if you can get your bucks to breed them
Most days here are over 90 in the summer and the humidity is evil....it's a cool day in the summer if we are in the 80's
AmberLops
Herd Master
Ha ha ha! I've never been to Florida...Most days here are over 90 in the summer and the humidity is evil....it's a cool day in the summer if we are in the 80's
I'm betting summer here in Tenn. is going to be brutal....it's been in the 80's for the past 3 weeks!
It'll be my first summer here but I went to college in Arizona and they have terrible summers..it gets 120 degrees
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Ha ha ha! I've never been to Florida...
I'm betting summer here in Tenn. is going to be brutal....it's been in the 80's for the past 3 weeks!
It'll be my first summer here but I went to college in Arizona and they have terrible summers..it gets 120 degrees
Our humidity here in the summer runs from the high 70 's up......nonthing breeds except parasites. ...and nigerian goats
AmberLops
Herd Master
Our humidity here in the summer runs from the high 70 's up......nonthing breeds except parasites. ...and nigerian goats
Ha ha ha! Tons of mosquitos I assume?!! Oh and don't forget the roaches!
