The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Other => Rabbits => Topic started by: Clansman on December 03, 2015, 03:04:59 pm

Title: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: Clansman on December 03, 2015, 03:04:59 pm: Thats the last of my youngsters gone.

Back down to 2 bucks and 4 does for the winter again.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: Dav275 on December 03, 2015, 04:28:13 pm: When will you be getting more? Was thinking of keeping some for our own consumption.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: bloomer on December 03, 2015, 09:05:41 pm: We have a few left that I just need to find time to process, and had a litter born this week.

But that's it till the weather warms up again...
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: Clansman on December 10, 2015, 12:20:00 pm: Quote from: Dav275 on December 03, 2015, 04:28:13 pm
When will you be getting more? Was thinking of keeping some for our own consumption.

Yeah i'll start breeding again in the spring
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: macgro7 on February 23, 2016, 10:01:15 am: When do you think it's the best time to start breeding rabbits again? I was trying g to mate them last week but the females didn't want to mate.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: cloddopper on February 25, 2016, 10:39:23 pm: A couple of day with temps at 10 oC or 50 oF appears to be an easy time to try .

It's not unusual for does & bucks that have been " laid off " for a couple of months to have a sluggish restart.
One way of kick starting it to put all of them on a lower food value regime for a couple of weeks , then feed a lot of high quality food for 10 days or so. Done so it mimics natures sudden spring availability of new quality plants which triggers them to start breeding.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: macgro7 on February 26, 2016, 09:35:09 am: Ok thanks.
Those are young does that have never been bred before. They are about 7 months old now.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: cloddopper on February 27, 2016, 12:54:07 am: Look back innth rabbit threads .. I used to commercially breed them so did a lot of info on here..
I had a mild stroke a while back and it's buggered a fair bit of my memory other wise I have given you the age of 21weeks female and 18 for a buck to get started etc etc. etc. & whether to take the buck to the doe or the other way round .. one way frequently results in a nasty fight and no mating.

Always supervise the matings as well , some does get nasty if the buck tries for a second go .

You can also tell by the redder plum colour of the females vulva if she is more likely to find mating acceptable . If there is no mating try the doe again in 3 days .

Best time for the mating up session is about 19.00 to 23 .00 hrs as thats when they mate the wild .

I think it is also something to do with the buck testicles being cooler in the evening , so producing a better " shot "

Are the does in separate cages ,. if not they need to be ASAP.
Title: Re: Breeding finished for the winter.
Post by: macgro7 on February 27, 2016, 08:40:32 am: The does are in separate cages. They were taken to the buck. BUT I did it first thing in the morning. I'll try in the evening.