Registered Pedigree Breeder
Registered Breeder
Breeding Your Rabbits
So you want to be a breeder?
The first thing to think about when considering breeding is room for cages. You need adequate facilities. Large cages that will accommodate a doe and litter comfortably are a must. Breeders must keep accurate record. Time must be taken to keep track of all the pertinent information like which doe was bred to which buck and when, test breeding dates, kindling date, litter size, weaning dates and so on. Without proper records, breeding can turn disastrous quickly. Good breeders keep good records. Once the litter arrives breeders must be prepared to dispose of babies that were born dead (sometimes the entire litter) or show signs of genetic deformations like double dwarf gene (peanuts) or malocclusion. Many pet owners have a hard time with this one. It isn't pleasant for anyone to have to do this task, but it is necessary for the health of the doe and her remaining litter.Before you start breeding your rabbits, you need to consider what you are going to do with the babies? If you are breeding for show, of course you will save some babies to show and to breed with later to improve your own line of rabbits. But what do you do with the rest? You can sell some as pets. Be sure to give prospective buyers as much information as you can about the care and commitment it takes to have a pet rabbit. You may be able to sell some as breeding stock to other breeders at rabbit shows.
First your doe and buck need to be old enough to breed. Wait until both the doe and buck are at least 6 months old (older in larger breeds) before breeding them. Before you breed, look at both the buck and doe. Do your rabbits feel in good condition? Are they bony or moulting? Don't breed anyone who isn't in the very best of health. When breeding rabbits always take the doe to the buck's cage, or put the pair in neutral territory. If you don't, the doe may act aggressively towards the buck, or the buck may be so preoccupied with marking this new territory he won't take interest in the doe. A successful breeding should go something like this: You put the doe in the buck's cage, buck and doe sniff each other. The buck will then mount the doe from behind. If the doe is ready to breed she will lower her front-end and lift her backend to accommodate the buck. When the buck is successful he will usually let out a little squeal and then fall off the doe. Sometimes the doe will mount the buck or they will run around in circles. This is normal behavior. You will need to watch the mating to see if it is successful. This way you will know when the babies will be due and you can start making plans for their arrival. She should kindle anywhere from 28 to 32 days after mating.
Most rabbits will kindle (give Birth) 31 days after mating, but it could occur as early as day 26 or as late as day 35. While your doe is pregnant, you should try to keep her as stress free as possible. Don't make drastic changes in her daily routine. Strange sounds, people, or odors could make the doe feel threatened causing her to react in panic. During kindling the doe should be left with no distract or interruptions unless it is necessary.On the 28th day after mating you will need to put nesting materials in the does cage, hay is an ideal nesting material. She will use the bedding to build her nest. She will scoop up an amazing amount of hay in her mouth and construct her nest. She will also add hair that she pulls from her own under side to the nest. Rabbits only take about 15 minutes to actually give birth. It is very important that you not disturb her at this point. If you do catch her in the act you will see her hunched forward with her nose down between her back legs. She will chew through the umbilical cord, eat the placenta and lick the new kit’s (baby‘s) clean. When the doe has finished she will usually jump out of the nest. Now you will want to check the nest. Remember, rabbits will not eat their young just because you’ve touched them! If your rabbit knows you, she knows your smell and won’t care in the least if her babies smell like you. It’s important to check on the babies. You cannot simply leave them in there and wait for them to start coming out of the nest box weeks later. You should remove any dead kits or remaining after-birth. If the doe has already nursed the kits they will have big bellies. Sometimes a doe will wait several hours before she nurses the kits for the first time so don't panic if they don't appear full. Just check the kits again in 8 hours or so. If the kits still haven't nursed then you may need to think about fostering to another doe. If no foster doe is available your only option is to hand feed, but this can be a discouraging experience. Be sure to check on the doe and litter once day for the first few days just to be sure everything is going well.
Nesting Box.
This is great for nesting in from the reject shop only $4.00 just the right size for mini or dwarf lops
At 18 days into the pregnancy if you see your doe building a nest, and pulling fur she will most likely be having a phantom pregnancy. If this happens do not expect any babies to be born. Even if it looked like a successful mating, the males sperm count might not have been high enough, or the doe may not have been receptive. She may have absorbed her babies for whatever reason.
A baby rabbit will open its eyes at about 10 days. At the age of 16 –21 days they will start to explore there surroundings. Mum will still feed them once or twice a day and at about 3-4 weeks the babies will start to nibble on the food and drink from the drink bottle, at 6 weeks they should be almost weaned and by 8 weeks they will be ready to live on there own. As the babies get older make sure to increase the amount of food and water available in the cage to accommodate the needs for the growing babies. Weaning is a very sensitive time for baby rabbits, if they do not wean successfully they may get stomach upsets and they may die.
Points to Remember
Male rabbits should not be bred any younger then 5 months.
Do not under any circumstance breed a doe before a minimum of 6 months old.
Do not under any circumstance leave the buck in with the doe after mating, separate them immediately.
If the buck is still in with the doe when she give’s birth, the buck will most likely kill the babies.
If a doe becomes stressed during the pregnancy she may absorb the pregnancy which means she will self
terminate her pregnancy.
A rabbit litter will normally consist of between 3-7 kits (baby rabbits) however a rabbit only has 8 teats so if there are more than 8 you may have to foster them to another doe, hand feed them or hope for the best.
If you separate the babies from mum to early the babies may get stomach upsets and die.
The doe will now need a break for at least 1-2 months before breeding her again.
Peanuts vs. Max Factors
The terms "peanuts" and "Max factors" are thrown around a lot when there are abnormal and/or extra tiny kits in litters. These kits usually die within the first two weeks, often the first couple days after they are born. There is a difference between the two, not only in what they look like, but also what causes them.
Pituitary dwarfism is the "technical" term for the type of dwarfism seen in Mini Lops and other dwarf rabbit breeds. The pituitary gland is the master gland that controls the entire endocrine system. It controls the production of many hormones, including the growth hormone. The result is a fully proportionate, but miniaturized, rabbit. However, peanuts have two dwarf genes so the pituitary gland to malfunctions and it will not release enough growth hormone to sustain the kit. As a result, the kit dies.
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A normal dwarf rabbit has a normal gene (Dw) and a dwarf gene (dw). Its genotype is Dwdw. A peanut has the genotype dwdw. Having two dwarf genes causes the lethal combination. On average, one kit in every four will be a peanut. This is shown in the Punnett Square below with a cross between two normal dwarfs: Dw |
dw | ||
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Dw |
DwDw ("false dwarf") |
Dwdw (dwarf) | |
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dw |
Dwdw (dwarf) |
dwdw (peanut) | |
Max factors are entirely different. Max was a dwarf brought over to the United States from Germany to help improve the US’s dwarf lines. While most likely the gene that causes a Max factor was around before Max (the rabbit), it didn’t have a name. The Max factor is a recessive gene that causes the kit to be born with any or all of the following:
Open eye(s): while not lethal in itself, if often causes eye infections that most likely will lead to blindness.
Deformed Limbs: Usually one or more limb is twisted, or at least display severe "splay legs".
Weird feet: Most of the time they have flipper feet, which are webbed. They have been known to have dewclaw on their hind foot (feet).
Spiked/soft fur: Max factors if they live can have funny-looking spiked fur or extremely soft cottony fur because they lack guard hairs.
Max factors do not always die. While most die within the first two weeks of life, if allowed to live they can lead good lives. Also, it has been said that a lot of winners carry the Max factor gene. This may be a direct correlation or just coincidence.
These two images are a classic Max Factor case. Notice the open eyes, deformed hind limbs, and misshapen head 
This kit only lasted a couple of hour
Please note this photo was taken at Bloominhg Rabbits this kit was bred from mini cashmere lops
