They may be sold to inexperienced owners who may accidentally kill them. Breeding rabbits won't turn a significant profit. Plus, there isn't a high demand for rabbits, especially as pets, because there are already so many pet rabbits trying to be sold.
Research available rabbit breeds. There are a wide variety of rabbit breeds available to home breeders. Before you choose a rabbit just because it is cute, be sure that it will fulfill your needs. Here is some basic information about several common rabbit breeds but this list is by no means exhaustive : [3] X Research source American: The American rabbit breed is a large-sized breed that is a good meat and fur breed.
It is typically 9 - 12 pounds, a hardy breed, and they produce large litters. These rabbits are typically bred for their wool. The wool is hand spun into yarn, which is knitted into light-weight and soft garments. Because of the nature of angora coats, this breed needs a lot of grooming, usually once or twice a week. They can weigh up to 22 pounds.
They come in seven colors, from black through white. Flemish giants were originally bred for meat and fur, but are now largely bred for show or as pets, as they are expensive to feed and have a very pleasant docile nature. Due to its small size, it is relatively cheap to feed and raise.
They are medium sized, from 9 to 12 pounds, and have docile and curious personalities. Above all, however, their fur is their winning feature, as it is exceedingly soft and enjoyable to pet. Choose the right rabbits to breed. The breed you choose might depend on availability, price, and preference. What you plan on doing with the rabbits also determines which breeds you choose.
Some people want to sell and show the rabbits, while others want to keep them as pets, and others breed for meat. If you want to sell or show the rabbits, make sure to mate rabbits of the same breed. If you are planning to sell the rabbits, mixed breeds have little value. Mixing the breeds when you mate the rabbits also lessens the quality of the stock. If you want the rabbits for meat or genetic experimentation, you can mix the breeds of rabbits.
You can breed half siblings, father-daughters, mother-sons, cousins, and so on. Unless you have a lot of knowledge about genetics and inbreeding, try not to breed pairs that are too closely related. Breed your rabbits at the proper age. You want to start breeding does female rabbits when they are reaching maturity.
For small-medium breeds, they can be bred at months old. Larger breeds can be bred at months. Ensure that you will have homes for the kits babies before you breed. Check that you will have spare hutches for when the kits are weaned, and that you will be able to afford the costs of breeding. Decide what you are going to do with the kits when they have been weaned. Male and female kits must be separated when they are 8 weeks old. By 10 weeks old for bucks and months old for does, rabbits need their own private cage.
You must have enough cages for these animals in case you don't sell them. If you overcrowd young kits, they could fight and injure each other, or live in poor conditions that will affect their health.
Part 2. Breed from healthy, happy rabbits only. The physical condition of your rabbits when mating them is extremely important. Take your rabbits to a veterinarian before breeding them, just to make sure they are in tip top shape. You should monitor what you feed the rabbits and make sure you provide the best nutrition so they are healthy.
Check the cage of both the buck and doe for any evidence of diarrhea or loose stools. Check the genitals on both rabbits for any signs of disease of infection, such as extreme redness, discharge, sores, or scabs. If your rabbit is aggressive or unhealthy, don't breed it. Breeding aggressive rabbits is not recommended. Put the doe in the buck's hutch.
A female's cage will smell like her, so the buck may get distracted by the unfamiliar smells and try to mark the territory. They may also fight. Always take the female to the male. Leave the breeding pair together for half an hour. You want to give the rabbits time to mate, preferably times. If the female is anxious, aggressive, or trying to get away from the male, separate them immediately.
You may want to check the doe's vent to make sure that the breeding didn't misfire. If you find the doe's back or tail wet, the breeding was not successful. Leave the rabbits in the cage and let them breed again. Although they may get along well, they may also fight if the doe becomes annoyed with the buck.
Does have been known to castrate bucks. Contrary to popular belief, however, there is no danger of a doe becoming pregnant with two litters at once unlike hares, which CAN carry two pregnancies, but the embryos are stored until she gives birth [21] X Research source. Feel the abdomen of the female to determine if it is pregnant. Palpation is the best way of telling if a doe is pregnant or not. This is the method of using your hands to examine her body by feeling her abdomen to see if there are any babies inside.
If she is pregnant, you will feel grape-sized embryos. For beginners, this method is most easily done days after breeding.
Dead litters are usually delivered after day 34, but does have been known to give birth to live kits up to day If the doe is not pregnant, you can breed her again immediately. Part 3. Provide plenty of extra hay and bedding. Around day 25, a nesting box should be put in the doe's cage. This is for the doe to build a nest with. The nesting box should have soft straw or hay. Leave extra material around for her so she can make her nest. She will also pluck her chest and stomach hair to fill the nest.
The nesting box should be 18" x 10" x 10". Cut the front into a V-shape or another opening that is 6" high for the doe to get in and out of. Make sure there is a small wire mesh bottom to allow urine and moisture to drain. Also place paper underneath to soak up the urine. Make a hole in the hay at the back of the box to encourage the doe to make her nest back there. This can help protect the kits from the elements and protect them from the doe jumping in and out of the box.
Give the doe peace and quiet. The mother needs a quiet, stress-free environment while pregnant. Adequate measures should be taken concerning feeding and management during pregnancy period.
Quantity of feed should be increased for 10 to 15 days of pregnancy. Plenty of fresh water should be provided. Environmental stresses should be avoided as far as possible. Pregnancy can be detected by various methods: a Through palpation of abdomen by which embryos can be felt by hand. This is best done at about two weeks after mating. This technique can be perfectly done through experience. A buck may not mate the pregnant one.
It may reach 20 mm at 13 days. Only experienced keeper may be able to predict the changes accurately. Average gain of around gm has been suggested from mating to 30 days in large sized rabbit.
It is a natural physiological phenomenon. The parturition very often takes place at late night or early morning. It may not require any interference by the keeper. The process usually completes within minutes. Sometime all the litters may not be born on succession. Some may born after several hours or a day. The pregnancy may required to be terminated through injection of oxytocin. Following parturition the does used to lick the young and may eat the placenta.
The baby rabbits will try to suckle the mother. If the number of litter is eight, all may be able to suckle since doe has eight teats. The baby rabbits those will be unable to suckle may turn weak and susceptible to diseases. Many of them may even die prematurely. The does should not be disturbed during this time and be fed ad lilbitum. Adequate food and water should be provided so that optimum amount of milk is available to the baby rabbits.
Rabbit used to nurse her young usually at night or early morning only for once. They are born naked. But at about 7 days, there is growth of hair and vitality of them. The eyes used to open after 10 days.
The baby rabbits can lead their lives without mothers' milk at about 21 days of age. The young should be removed from their mother not before 4th week. The doe should be removed from the cage. Foods like concentrates and grasses should be provided. The baby rabbits can chew and eat after 3 weeks of age. The does can be rebred provided the physical conditions of them are satisfactory in nature after one week of kindling. The baby rabbit has to be placed on the hand and by the pressure of thumb and forefinger the sex organ is to be pushed on either side.
In case of buck the penis will come out as a protruded mass having rounded tip. But, a slit will be located in case of Doe. Livestock :: Rabbit :: Breeding of Rabbit Home Selection of Breeding Stock The selection of breeding buck and doe is very much important aspect of breeding since good progeny is expected from good buck and doe.
They should be kept warm, dry, and quiet. If a lactating doe is not available to foster the kits, they can be given kitten milk replacer twice a day. Domestic rabbit kits are weaned at about 6 weeks old. Young does may kill and eat their young for a number of reasons, including nervousness, neglect failure to nurse , and severe cold.
Dogs or predators entering a rabbitry often cause nervous does to kill and eat the young. Cannibalism of the dead young occurs as a natural nest-cleaning instinct. If all management practices are proper and the doe kills 2 litters in a row, she should not be used for breeding.
Also see professional content regarding management of rabbits Management of Rabbits Management of rabbits for meat, fur, or wool production is quite different from maintenance of a pet or house rabbit.
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