![]() ![]() A doe rabbit is atypical from most mammals, as she is polyestrous, meaning she has no regular heat cycles. He may also begin acting amorous toward other objects when he is out and about!ĭoes, however, are not quite as obvious about expressing their desires. You can tell that your buck is interested in mating when he starts vigorously sniffing around a table you’ve just placed a doe on moments ago, or if through cages, the buck begins acting more excited and slightly aggressive when he smells a neighboring doe. This is not necessarily the case! Bucks are typically a bit more consistently ready. Rabbits have a reputation for being ready to breed all the time. Waiting is worth it – your animals will be much more productive, or perhaps “reproductive,” if you are patient and wait until they’re really ready! Gauging Interest: So, if you want to mate a purebred Polish buck and doe, she might be ready at 4 ½ months of age to reproduce, but it would be advisable to wait until he is closer to 6 months of age. Giant Breeds (Over 11 pounds max) – 9 monthsĪlso in general, bucks tend to be about a month behind does in maturing.Medium to Large Breeds (6-11 pounds max) – 6 months.Small breeds (under 6 pounds max) – 4 ½ months.The general rule for the proper age to begin breeding at is as follows: Smaller breeds tend to sexually mature faster than the larger breeds. The age at which the rabbit is ready to reproduce depends highly on the maximum weight they are expected to achieve as an adult. There are four main weight classes of rabbits: small, medium, large, and giant breeds. However, in order to ensure the health of your animals, it is prudent to wait until they reach full body and reproductive maturity before breeding. Their young grow quickly, and the mothers and young do not require a lot of human intervention, for the most part. There is a reason for the expression, “breeds like a rabbit!” Rabbits are notoriously fertile from a young age, and easy to breed. It can be a great investment though, and get you started with young rabbits you know were bred well. Ask to have her bred to one of the breeder’s best bucks, although with an increase in quality comes an increase in price. Therefore, you must carefully evaluate your pairing to make sure the rabbits complement one another in confirmation (body type) and if it matters to the breed, color and markings as well.Īnother wise thing to do when just starting out is to contact a breeder that raises your chosen breed, and offer to purchase a pregnant doe from him or her. The hope is that the offspring will be of better quality and meet the ideal of the breed standard more closely than their parents. Be advised though, that even having two purebred, pedigreed rabbits does not ensure a good cross – the goal should always be for the animals to out-produce themselves. It is also easier to find homes and interested buyers for well-bred stock. When breeding two rabbits of unknown heritage, there is a much bigger potential for birthing problems and genetic defects. The main reason for this is because pedigreed rabbits have documented bloodlines, characteristics, and a general history you can look back on that will help you better predict the outcome of the breeding you have planned. It is advisable to breed only purebred, pedigreed rabbits. However, if you are an experienced rabbit raiser (or you are a beginner with help), have sound knowledge of rabbit care and health, and want to produce rabbits for showing, meat, or fiber, then it could be an excellent decision to start a breeding program, or at least try it out! This article contains information to provide you enough knowledge to have a successful start in raising your own rabbits. Some others include the extra expense, health considerations of your animals, and having to find homes for young rabbits you cannot keep. If you are a beginning rabbit owner, or have rabbits as pets only, there are a lot more justifications for NOT breeding your rabbit than to go ahead with it! One major consideration when deciding to breed any animals is the overpopulation of pets in general. Some of these are good reasons, but some reasons aren’t good at all. The Basics of Breeding Rabbits - Part Oneīefore we begin to discuss breeding rabbits, it is important to understand that there are several reasons NOT to breed your rabbits. ![]()
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