Part One: Breeding Rabbits
I breed Silver Fox and Creme d’Argent rabbits for meat, breeding stock, and show. Rabbits are amazing little animals that have the ability to provide meat for even the smallest homestead, and I love helping people get started with them! Often times I’m asked questions about breeding, kindling, and raising rabbit kits (as well as choosing the best candidates from show or breeding stock). This is Part One of my 3-part series all about rabbit breeding & raising.
Sexing Rabbits
Before we can even begin to breed rabbits, we need to know the difference between bucks and does. Putting two of the same sex together can result in harmful, sometimes deadly fights (especially if two bucks are accidentally put together). Colony settings can be different, but for this blog post we will be featuring rabbits kept in cages.
To be able to tell the sex of your rabbit, you’ll need to flip it over by holding it firmly and supporting its back. I usually have them on my lap (see my video above for an example). With your free hand, use your middle and ring fingers to pin the tail back, and use your pointer finger to apply pressure right above the genitals. One of the biggest reasons rabbits are incorrectly sexed is because not enough pressure is applied. Without exposing the parts completely, young bucks are often mistaken for does.
Bucks Have Donuts
When pressure is applied on young bucks, a “donut” or “burrito” shape will appear. Note that the image above is of a YOUNG buck. Older bucks that are breeding age (anywhere from 4+ months) become very obvious. When pressure is applied on older bucks, you will see a penis. He will also have testicles on either side (but be aware that rabbits have this really strange ability to draw their testicles back into their body - don’t be alarmed if you don’t always see them).
Does Have Tacos
Both young and older does look pretty similar. When pressure is applied you end us with a “taco” shape with a slit going all the way down. Note the rounded, circular shape of the buck and the pointed, more elongated shape of the doe.
Age to Breed
This is a common question with a TON of different answers from different breeders. For the sake of this blog post I am referring mainly to 6-class meat rabbits that mature around 10lbs. (4.5kg).
I think most breeders agree that bucks can begin breeding anytime they are ready (sometimes as young as 12-16 weeks!) but most show breeders will still wait until their bucks are a bit older to evaluate their body type and grow rate. Even though a buck may be able to breed at 4 months old, bear in mind that he could be shooting blanks and not yet fertile. By the time a buck is 6 month old however, he should be able to produce a litter.
It’s the does that cause the most differing opinions among breeders. As hard as it can be to wait, it is preferable to hold out on breeding your doe until she is at least between 8-9 months old so she can properly mature. Does that are bred too early are more likely to abort her litter or be confused and stressed upon delivery.
On top of age, I also watch weight before attempting to breed my does. Most of my rabbits are also show animals, and some of the breeding does are rabbits that I plan on trying to show again later on down the line. I don’t want to breed my doe when she hasn’t reached (or almost reached) her senior weight. For my silver foxes, I like to see their weight at least 9.5lbs. (4.3kg) by the time of breeding. Ultimately though, this is just a good number for my lines. The senior weight for your rabbits could differ from mine. Pregnancy can take a toll on rabbits that haven’t fully matured and can ultimately stunt their growth or result in poor condition and lower quality of life.
Breed Two Does at Once
It’s a good idea to plan on breeding two does on the same day, or a day apart from each other. That way, if one of your does fails to take care of her litter, or in the unfortunate event that your doe passes away during or after delivery, you have a foster mom that can help you raise her litter. Baby rabbits can be extremely difficult to bottle feed, and even the most determined people have failed at the task. Mother rabbits raise babies far better than we ever could, so breeding two does at the same time can act as insurance.
Different Ways to Breed
Taking the Doe to the Buck’s Cage
If you’ve done any amount of research on how to breed rabbits yet, you’ve undoubtably heard “always take the doe to the buck’s cage.” Breeding-age does can be especially territorial, especially in a caged setting. If you choose to breed within cages, don’t intrude on her space. Instead, take her to the bachelor pad. The buck will typically be more than happy with her company!
Table Breeding
This is my preferred method of breeding rabbits. Your “table” can be anything - for me, I like to use a wagon with sides on it so the rabbits don’t jump out. Table breeding makes it possible to have more control over the actual breeding and is a neutral territory for both rabbits. If your buck gets on the wrong end of the doe because he’s confused, it’s much easier to reach in and correct him. If anyone throws an attitude, you can easily grab and remove one of them. The number one reason that I like to table breed is to prohibit the doe from backing into a corner, which makes it impossible for the buck to get the job done. I find that they tend to do this more in a cage setting.
Make sure that you always supply a grippable surface like carpet. A buck will not be able to breed efficiently if he's sliding all over the place on a slick surface!
Ex-pen or Free Breeding
This is a style of breeding that I like to do in the summer when I have more daylight and some free time. I like to let my breeding pair go free inside an ex-pen and just make a morning of it. I think the rabbits appreciate this method the most, mainly because when they’re not breeding, they get to graze. It’s also a nice neutral territory and sometimes the pair even cuddle together.
Breed for a Purpose
When breeding rabbits, keep in mind that breeding results in pregnancy which results in kits, and these kits will need a place to go. I would strongly discourage anyone from breeding rabbits “just because” especially if they are mixed breed. Rabbits should never end up in the animal shelter and should always have a purpose. For us, our rabbits are first and foremost meat for our family, and secondly they are show animals that are often treated as pets. I also sell pedigreed breeding stock. Selling rabbits responsibly is something that every breeder should strive for. It is unnecessary for any rabbit to end up without a purpose.
Breed for Improvement
You should always breed for improvement in your rabbits. For instance, don’t breed a rabbit with bad shoulders to another rabbit with bad shoulders, or you could end up exacurbating the problem. Given the choice between the following rabbits, which ones do you think would make the best pairings?
Buck A - Lacks loin but has good depth. Long and thick fur.
Buck B - Has a very full hindquarters and short, stocky shoulders with nice depth.
Doe A - Lacks fullness, lacks depth and long shoulders.
Doe B - Has great loin fullness but lacks depth. Fur a bit too short.
If you answered Buck A and Doe B, and Buck B and Doe A, you’d be correct! (actually, I really wish that we could pair Buck B with both of the does but in this scenario we could not). The point is, don’t make a problem worse if you can help it. Don’t breed a doe with bad depth to a buck that is going to make that problem even worse.
These things should not just be important to the show breed though. Breeding rabbits to the Standard of Perfection results in rabbits that ultimately have more meat on them. Who doesn’t want a herd of meat rabbits with thick shoulders, good depth, and a full loin and hindquarters?
In my video all about breeding rabbits, I bred these two pairs of rabbits. I’m hoping that over time we will see improvement through the babies based on selective breeding.
Breeding Your Rabbits
The very first thing you should do before breeding your rabbits is to check them over for health problems. Make sure their ears are clean with no sign of ear mites. Check the back of their neck for signs of fur mites. Make sure their eyes are clear and their teeth are aligned and not overgrown. Check their noses for any sign of discharge and make sure their genitals show no sign of infection.
If your rabbits are old enough and healthy enough to breed and you know what method of breeding you want to use, it’s now time to breed your rabbits! For a successful breeding, we need the buck to mount the doe, the doe needs to be receptive, and the buck needs to have a fall-off. I like to see at least three fall-offs during breeding session, and then I give them another go later that same day.
Here’s a couple of things you could see when placing the doe with the buck, and what they mean.
Normal Sniffing
Rabbits smell each other to get to know each other. Some rabbits spend a lot of time sniffing, but many times bucks get impatient with that fairly quickly.
The Doe Might Mount the Buck
If you know with 100% certainty that you have one buck and one doe, but your doe starts mounting your buck, don't freak out. Sometimes if a doe is really ready to breed, they get impatient with bucks and sort of “show them what to do.” This always cracks me up honestly, and it’s a sign you have a healthy doe ready for some babies!
The Doe Might Run In Circles
If your doe starts running from your buck it usually can mean one of two things:
Your doe is playing hard to get. Some does want the buck to chase after them. This is reminiscent of what rabbits would do in the wild, so I typically just let it happen. I remember reading a long time ago that if our doe is running from the buck but flicking her tail while running, she will usually be receptive to breeding once he catches her.
Your doe isn’t ready to breed. Some does will run to get away from the buck. If the doe runs around for more than 5-10 minutes or so, I will typically reach in and position her in the middle of the wagon or cage with my hand over her eyes. Every once in a while this will work and when the buck is finally able to catch up she will be receptive. If she still isn’t, I would try doing a cage swap and trying again later that day. Swapping the buck and doe’s cages for a while can help them to become more comfortable with each other’s scent, helping to easy any tension as they are placed together later on.
The Doe Might Back Into a Corner
If your doe insists on backing up into a corner of the cage, table breeding is a must. It’s too hard and stressful for both the human and rabbit when you have to continue moving her out of a corner so the buck can have access to her. A wagon with overhead access is a much better option.
The Doe is Not Receptive
This is the more common issue that people run into, where the doe does not want to breed. It’s a real issue that can be ongoing, but with adjustments to care, you can overcome help your does overcome their unreceptiveness.
Check for health problems. This should be done before breeding, but if you didn’t check her before, now would be the time to look her over for any sign of illness, injury, or infection.
Swap the buck and doe’s cage. Let them live in each other’s space for a day or two. Sometimes all it takes is a few hours. This can help the doe to get to know the buck better and not be as shy.
Add supplemental lighting. The dark days of winter can be especially depressing for rabbits, and if your doe is depressed she is not going be in the mood. This is why I consider the LED’s in my rabbit hutch a necessity! Rabbits don’t like liking in the dark.
Assess weight problems. Many does will not lift or be interested in breeding if they are overweight. Try switching their feeding regimen to unlimited grass hay, limited pellets, and the occasional green treat (no fruit). Unfortunately this is a problem that can’t be fixed overnight, but give her a good month on this diet and see if she is more willing after slimming down a couple ounces (or even pounds, if she’s very obese).
Assess nutrition. What are you feeding your rabbit? I feed mine a fresh, balanced pellet along with unlimited hay and the occasional veggie or fruit treat. If you are only feeding your rabbits hay they are missing many essential vitamins and nutrients in their diet. If you are feed them out of an old dusty bag of pellets and you’re not even sure what percentage of protein it is, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade in the nutrition department for your rabbits. They are working for you, after all.
How old is she? Sometimes a young doe will tell you that she is not ready to be a mom by not lifting. Forcing a young doe to breed when she is unwilling is a recipe for a failed litter, so wait until she’s a little older.
Hold your does more. This is an observation that I have made throughout my years with rabbits, both as a teen in 4-H and now present-day with my own aspiring line of silver foxes. I find that the does that are most willing to breed are the ones that I spend the most time with holding, posing, and letting exercise.
The Buck Does Nothing
This is hardly ever the case, but if your buck does nothing or is very lazy about trying to breed, he could be overweight or have poor nutrition. I would do a thorough health check and rule out any health problems before attempting to breed. Check out my list of things to do for a doe that won’t lift (above).
The Buck Mounts the Doe
This is the most likely thing that will happen pretty soon after placing the rabbits together, and this is what we need to happen! Bucks are usually more than happy get straight to it. If your doe is receptive, she will lift her tail and the buck will dramatically “fall off” the doe, which typically means that he had a successful breeding with her. When bucks fall off they can often make grunting noises and sometimes even squeal, which can sometimes be alarming but it is quite normal. If your buck is confused at first and mounts the wrong end of your doe, feel free to correct him by pushing him off and redirecting him.
As I said above, I aim to see at least three fall-offs, and we will repeat the same procedure later that same day.
Success!
With any luck, your rabbits will have a successful breeding, and you can mark your calendar for babies. Here’s some dates to remember.
On DAY 27-28, you need to place a nest box in the doe’s cage and give her some hay or straw to nest with.
On DAY 31-35, you can expect to find some babies nestled into a bed of the doe’s fur within the nest box.
I live in north-central Indiana in the country with my husband, our two dogs, and a lot of animals :) I love to craft and DIY and I’m obsessed with learning new things. I am driven by coffee and my love for animals. Learn more…