Rabbit breeding after kindling cracker

Once born, we usually leave the nest alone for a few days. Rabbit farming varies all over the world, and while it is on the decline in some nations, in others it is expanding. After they are over 9 months of age they should be used, the same as adult bucks, for breeding one doe a week the usual number of does kept for each buck is ten. President of the world rabbit science association, gallina blanca purina s. Favorite answer does can be rebred as little as 2 weeks after kindling in intensive commercial situations, but more commonly, they are rebred when their litter is 6 weeks old or even after weaning. Usually baby rabbits are kindled during the night and are born small, blind and hairless.

Frequency of breeding can also affect the performance of males. Rabbit does are birthing machines and their bodies are designed to recover quickly and are actually better breeders when they are nursing a young litter. It is important to keep records when breeding rabbits so you have a clear understanding of when your rabbit was last bred so you know when you can breed again. After the rabbit breeding, watch for these milestones as the does pregnancy progresses toward the rabbit giving birth to the litter just 31 days after breeding. Learn about the veterinary topic of breeding and reproduction of rabbits. However, a doe can be bred back to the buck who produced her, and the same goes for bucks and the does.

If you are starting out, you may have heard of line breeding rabbits. If five litters are required a year then breed the doe 6 weeks 42 days after kindling. After discovering the litter of kits we immediately removed the buck who. Bunny brigade sc rescue in liberty always gets a bunch of rabbits. After all, the doe is the one that does most of the work. Generally, smaller breeds up to 8 pounds can be mated at 5 to 6 months old. After the doe has kindled, she can be rebred at 6 weeks and wean the litter at 57 weeks. Breeding rabbits gila barnbusters rabbit group home. Rabbit weaning eventually the kits will open their eyes, become active and grow like little weeds. Keep good records of breeding dates, kindling dates kindling is when the doe gives birth, size of litter, survival rate, and other important facts. Impact of body weight of rabbit does at first mating.

The kits wind up huge, and she has a lot of trouble giving birth to them. Rabbits usually have four to five litters per year. Understanding the mating process for breeding rabbits. In a commercial rabbit farmers would like to have five or six litters per doe per year. The gestation period time between breeding and kindling is 31 days. Does tend to lose weight after weaning their first litter until the kindling of their second litter. Learn about topics such as how to determine the sex of a rabbit, how to tell the age of a rabbit, how to take care of a pregnant rabbit, and more with our helpful stepbystep instructions with photos and videos. And it sure doesnt take long 31 days, once rabbit mating has happened.

Cows calve, horses foal, pigs farrow, sheep lamb, and rabbits kindle. Rabbit breeding article about rabbit breeding by the free. After that, we generally gently check the box for any dead babies and to check the condition of the litter. Last summer i started with 2 does and a buck, theyve really grown over the fall and winter. The first, and most crucial of these is the condition of the rabbits at the time for mating. The doe should have her litter during the week on day 30 or day 31 after breeding remember you marked the breeding date on the calendar. The practice of breeding rabbits is called cuniculture and is an agricultural practice of breeding and raising rabbits.

While kindling, doe will sit on its back leg and take the bunnies out using mouth. This also means that after a rabbit has given birth, if the male is still present, she can and most likely will become pregnant within 24 hours of giving birth. But first i would try to determine why the babies are dead. I will probably leave the litters and the mothers in their current cages until the kits are ready or close to ready to wean. Meat rabbits what you need to know about raising rabbits. Retiring a rabbit from breeding three little ladies rabbitry. A veterinarian should be consulted regularly prior to, during and after the pregnancy. The release of eggs in female rabbits is triggered by sexual intercourse, not by a cycle of hormones as in humans. I have had to assist in several of these oversized kit deliveries. May 05, 20 7 kindle litter rebreed 21 days after kindling wean kits at 35 days kindle next litter 52 days 8 kindle litter rebreed 14 days after kindling wean kits at 28 days kindle next litter 45 days 4 to 6 litters a year are more likely with a natural feeding program, 6 to 8 litters a year will require more management and the need for a high. This one shows how i prepare the nest box for a doe that is getting ready to kindle. After the first litter, the doe can be bred again when the litter is 7 weeks old. Two does and one buck should produce 180 pounds of meat per year.

Rabbit mating facts breeding cycle, limits, chart petsial. With proper care and sound feeding the productive life of a doe is about 3 years. Soon after kindling mom will clean the bunnies and feed the milk. Each cage will accommodate one adult rabbit, and her unweaned kits babies. Females on a more intensive breeding program more than five litters per year will be productive for fewer years than those bred less frequently. Mar 10, 2008 that is true, but only if the doe is already pregnant, if you mean mating twice in one breeding to make sure then that is fine. Suitable homes should be secured for all the offspring arising from a pregnancy, planned or otherwise. Aug 11, 2012 the active breeding life of a rabbit can range from 46 years. Clickinga happy sound often made after a welcomed treat is given. Breeding and reproduction of rabbits all other pets merck.

Also, part of dealing with new life is dealing with death. When used in an intensive breeding program, keep one buck per 1020 does. The last week of pregnancy and after they kindle they are fed. Bowls a rabbit s box for nesting can be a breeding ground for bacteria that might cause infections. Can a female rabbit get pregnant with a second litter of kits while she is pregnant. Can a female rabbit get pregnant while she is pregnant.

A young litter of rabbits grows up fast, so make plans to separate the litter by sex at weaning. And never breed kits from the same kindling with each other. We hope these notes will have given you an insight into what breeding involves in terms of the time commitment and dedication required. Rabbits unwilling to breed causes and cures rise and.

So, in order to prevent this cycle perpetuating, we urge you to firstly not buy your rabbit in a pet shop and secondly, to not breed your rabbit simply for the sake of it, or a bit of fun. Raising meat rabbits homegrown self reliance reasons. Taking care of baby rabbits immediately after kindling, and especially if the doe needs a helping hand during or shortly after kindling. Rabbits unwilling to breed causes and cures rise and shine. Chew sticks with honey and seeds on them, chocolate, bread, breakfast cereals, oats, crackers, cookies. When to start breeding rabbits homesteading and livestock. Rabbit does kindling litters for their first time the. Best rabbit nesting box dimensions, homemade and sale. Raising meat rabbits what you can and cant feed a rabbit duration.

Rabbit handb ook breeding and kindling the age of bucks and does for first mating depends on the animals breed and development. Medium breeds, such as the white or red new zealand, can be mated at 6 12 to 7 months. However, intensive breeding programs may increase the number of does culled put down annually due to burn out. After mating with a buck, a doe is pregnant for about 30 days and gives birth to a litter of about 4 to 12 kits. How long do you wait to breed a rabbit after it has just. This is particularly the case in dwarf rabbits, where 25% of the offspring side. Rabbit handbook breeding and kindling the age of bucks and does for first mating depends on the animals breed and development. When i started in rabbits i often heard, youll do best to line breed, but it was a long time before i realized the value of line breeding.

If you are raising meat rabbits in hutches, each cage should be at least 3 feet by 3 feet, and 2 feet tall. This is our 5th post in our getting started with meat rabbits series. Aug 31, 2012 rabbit breeding can be full of headaches. Rabbit will deny for breeding though it looks good and beautiful. For those of you unfamiliar with rabbits, kindling is the word referring to them giving birth. Keep an eye out for little kits dropped accidentally outside the nest box. This is why it is suggested to re breed her five hours after the. A day or so before giving birth, the doe pulls fur from her body and builds a nest in the. The doe must carry the kits, deliver the kits, and then nurse the kits. Understanding the mating process when breeding rabbits in order to breed your rabbits, there are a number of things that you must first consider and prepare before beginning the process. How soon after your female has had babies should you breed. Also they will start breeding as soon as she has the rabbits. She gives her newborn kits all the nutrients they require by feeding them some of the richest milk in the mammal kingdom.

Rabbit does experience a severe energy deficit during their first lactation. Rabbits will usually kindle at night so if you work days you should be. I started by trying to put the diaper on backwards and was baffled by the task of getting that tiny arm through the sleeve of the undershirt. This is one of the most important ways in which rabbit keepers can increase production. Does have been known to kindle give birth up to 23 kits at one time. She may have a smaller chance of catching if shes still nursing, but i can always rebreed again in two weeks when i palpate her. A significant percentage of baby rabbits do not survive past weaning age. You can shorten the interval between kindling and breeding as you gain experience. When breeding rabbits, it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the welfare needs of both the parents and the offspring are met. Do you have to separate rabbits when pregnant answers. Jul, 2009 evaluating a rabbit s reproductive life a rabbit may normally start breeding at the age of 6 months for the small to medium size breeds and 8 to 9 months for the heavy breeds.

Graham cracker is a flemish giant a popular breed thats. Rabbit breeds of medium to large size are sexually mature at 4 to 4. The female rabbit is taken to the male rabbit cage for breeding and it is done either in the morning or in the evening. Theyre a larger breed and grow to between 9 and 11 pounds. This rabbit breeding calculator gives 3 rebreed defaults of 45, 60 and 90 day. A rabbit may normally start breeding at the age of 6 months for the small to medium size breeds and 8 to 9 months for the heavy breeds. It is important to remember that breeding schedules really are determined by the individual doe. This is due to the high energy needs of fetal growth combined with the does drop in feed intake during the last 10 days of gestation. Rabbit kindling and rabbit weaning purina animal nutrition.

During this growth period, the kits have been drinking mothers milk, but also eating a highquality rabbit feed, the same provided to their mother. They have got fast reproductive process and are able to remate within 24 hours of giving birth kindling. You shouldnt breed a doe more than 12 hours after the first mating. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals may lead to the following problems. A rabbit differs from other mammals in that the female ovulates after being mounted by a male. Kindling the birthing process this is a term used in rabbit production to denote the parturition birthing process, when the kits are born. Well, the doe has been trying to get on top of the male and she has an attitude, is she pregnant she just had a litter 3 day ago can she be pregnant. Managing rabbits kindling for those of you unfamiliar with rabbits, kindling is the word referring to them giving birth. We added a beautiful breeding pair of cinnamon rabbits to our herd over the winter, they are the spice of the rabbit world and we are excited to have them join our rabbit family. Breeding and reproduction of rabbits all other pets veterinary. After the doe has finished kindling, i move them back to the barn and place the kits in a nestbox. Although rabbit does are often capable of conceiving at the tender age of 12 weeks, most people will tell you to wait until a doe is at least 6 months old to breed her even later for giant breeds.

I hope you find it useful and as always, i look forward to your. Gestation the average gestation period for rabbits is 31 days. Rabbit breeding calculator hostile hare homestead rabbits. The greatest production year in rabbit breeding in the postrevolutionary period was 1961 56. Rebreeding does after kindling if i am on an aggressive breeding plan with a doe, i may rebreed her when the kits are five weeks old. The doe begins a fertile postpartum estrus within 24 hours of kindling, however her receptiveness decreases once lactation begins and this lack of interest in breeding continues until after weaning omalley 2005. After they mature, breed these offspring back to the parents and repeat again for the secondgeneration offspring back to the parents and grandparents, always selecting the strongest pairs and keeping only the best kits. After all, when it comes to breeding, the bucks have the easy part. A 4yearold female dwarf lop rabbit was presented with dystocia after mismating. We first considered breed and breed stock in establishing the rabbit herd. Many commercial rabbit producers will breed does back 14 to 21 days after kindling. You could effectively breed 2 weeks after birth and not rest the doe ever for the next 5 years and shell do well.

Re breeding should take place at this time, and is usually successful. Rabbits can interbreed you have to separate the boy and girl baby rabbits at 8 weeks to avoid this. The hutch should be cleaned thoroughly about five days before the doe kindles, and a new box bedded deep with straw or pine shavings should be provided. Also, there is a period of time between breeding and kindling of about a month which should be noted when breeding rabbits. Kindling occurs at the end of the rabbits gestation period, which will be 2832 days after the doe is mated. After researching rabbit breeds that are good for meat, fur, and selling offspring as breeding stock, i found the champagne dargents and the american chinchillas were the 2 breeds i wanted to try. Best practices in breeding rabbits for higher returns. This can also be achieved by mating the doe 21 days after kindling. Wherever you would use chicken meat, use your canned rabbit. Abdominal palpation, vaginal examination, and radiography confirmed that the doe was carrying 3 kits. Just pop open a can of precooked rabbit meat and you can make great stews, chili, casseroles, et cetera.

Unless you are a professional and very experienced rabbit breeder, you should plan on leaving the kits with the doe until 8 weeks of age. Mar 10, 2017 since youre breeding meat rabbits, i would also be less forgiving when it comes to unproductive does that are poor mothers. Its a huge responsibility and you should make sure you have a good understanding of proper husbandry and breeding techniques. Raising rabbits for beginners animals grit magazine. For smallmedium breeds, they can be bred at 67 months old. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat mother. Treatment for the dystocia consisted of gentle manual extraction of the fetuses and fetal membranes, and administration of oxytocin and calcium borogluconate. Bucks male rabbits are usually ready around 6 months old if a small breed, 7 months if medium, and 9 months for a large breed.

Perhaps youve seen a line breeding chart and perhaps it didnt make much sense. Jul 30, 2015 we have also made rabbit sausage patties. The doe will feed her litter once or twice each day for about 2 to 5 minutes at each feeding. European accelerated rabbit breeding program by jaime camps, d. Breeding rabbits is an emotional experience, and rightly so, for its taking on a lot of responsibility to bring new lives into the world. Cinnamons are a true american heritage breed of rabbit, created in montana in 1972. Rabbits will usually kindle at night so if you work days you should be home in time to check on the new litter. After the doe has kindled, i normally rebreed her at 6 weeks and wean the litter at 57 weeks. Breeding rabbits, age of maturity, help on birth yahoo. All the secrets and tips for rabbit breeding from the top experts in the world compiled from over 20 years of handson rabbit breeding experience, including what to do when something goes wrong, how to handraise baby rabbits, and a detailed breakdown of the breeding process.

Part of rabbit breeding is taking care of the pregnant doe from conception to kindling. Youll want to know all the important rabbitbreeding milestones the doe will cross as she progresses toward giving birth just 31 days later. Ensure you clean it after 3 to 7 days by removing the bedding except for fur if it is dry and replacing them with dry ones. Rabit nest boxes and preparing for kindling youtube. Nov 01, 2019 all great lines start with two good rabbits. She may have a smaller chance of catching if shes still nursing, but i can always rebreed again in two weeks when i. Homestead rabbit breeding has become very popular in the ussr, in certain years before 1970 producing about 95 percent of the total output. This is possible only by weaning the litter at five weeks of age and mating the doe immediately following weaning. They produce large litters and are unique in that they can be rebred immediately after kindling giving birth. The reason is does have two uterine horns and can get pregnant in both sides at once, with different age litters if you mate them when already pregnant. First time mothers can be a little crazy, but seeing as alice has done the same thing twice, i dont think that is a good excuse.

Nest boxes should be added to the cage 28 to 29 days after breeding. After all, the foster parents, social worker, and andrew were all staring at me. Wild rabbits do not adapt well to cages, often fail to breed, and. She must be at a good weight and in good condition. A good rule of thumb is to mate rabbits of the same breed to each other rather than crossbreeding large and small breeds. The rabbit raising problem solver storey publishing, 2014, by karen patry, addresses questions and concerns about housing, feeding and breeding rabbits at every stage in their lives. Guidelines on keeping pet rabbits rabbits other pets. Breeding rabbits female rabbits attain sexual maturity at 4 5 months of age and male rabbits attain sexual maturity at 6 7 months of age. Rabbit breeding netherland dwarf rabbit breeding can be an intersting and rewarding hobby or even a profitable business. Rabbits are known to reproduce quickly, and elliott explained that some rabbits can get pregnant again even before giving birth.

They breed and you keep their best offspring, culling the rest from breeding. This to help people with new first time does kindling. Breeding rabbits learn everything you want about breeding rabbits with the wikihow breeding rabbits category. Handling the breeding doe it is advisable to mate does when they are coming into maturity. Rabbit breeding schedules are usually based on 7day intervals for ease in recordkeeping.

In the winter, having canned rabbit is so wonderful, especially with a large family. If a doe only conceives one or two kits, she will often go well over the normal 31 days gestation. Between litters, it is very important to make sure that the doe doesnt get too fat. Apr 03, 20 i have discussed housing and feeding, and buying and breeding rabbits so far in this series of posts on how we manage our rabbits at willow creek farm. You can use the following links to catch up on the entire series. A meat rabbit that isnt producing and sustaining live kits is a waste of money. Rabbit reproduction ebook is entirely focused on reproducing rabbits, walking you through the process of mating, and then covering the entire season of a rabbits life from conception to teenagehood, so you will be able to avoid many of the typical losses. The bucks, well lets just say, its all fun and games for them. Careful selection of rabbits for breeding can lead to improvements in the herd. You want to start breeding does female rabbits when they are reaching maturity. About 36 hours or so after kindling, i give the doe a small treat in the front of the hutch, and, wearing gloves, i. Kindling usually occurs during the early morning hours and normally takes about 30 minutes vella 2012.