breeding buck issues

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

I also breed and sell mini rex and you should be having at least 6 in each litter. Is your buck or doe super small? I also breed and sell for my FFA SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

Yes you’re right, it stays fairly cheap when you only have two babies, and when everything goes smoothly. But in the event that things go wrong and you need a vet, or you have a litter of 9 babies, thins start to get pricier. Just warning you, because it’s not uncommon that we have people on this forum who make the choice to breed but then don’t put any money aside for vet fees etc, leading to rabbits suffering.

thank you for the warning!

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

I also breed and sell mini rex and you should be having at least 6 in each litter. Is your buck or doe super small? I also breed and sell for my FFA SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).

usually she has 4 but 2-1 is the survival rate so far, only have had two litters so far.

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

usually she has 4 but 2-1 is the survival rate so far, only have had two litters so far.

correction my most is 5 born 2 survived, that was her first litter tho, and in my more recent one she had 3 1 peanut 1 "healthy" stillborn and 1 survivor

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

I also breed and sell mini rex and you should be having at least 6 in each litter. Is your buck or doe super small? I also breed and sell for my FFA SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).

and also my doe is kind of small? i have no clue where she came from but her head and ears are really tiny for her body this is her:

a blurry photo of the dad:

the dad is a pedigreed chinchilla/mini rex and he is from a really good breeder and out of all the babies (even the stillborns) they had 2 black otters 2 chinchillas 1 ruby eyed white/ albino (it had white whiskers so i am pretty sure it was an albino) and 2 charlies/some sort of broken color? it was white with grey ears paws and little masks on their eyes? no clue what it was so i know they can throw alot of colors i am rambling i love talking about them to people who actually know what they are talking about lol

 

[Watermelons]

Point blank. You should not be breeding rabbits with unknown histories!
If you are not going to breed to "Better the Breed" you should NOT be breeding at all. This is extremely irresponsible.

 

[Crazybunnylady27]

Hi there I'm going to try and give you advice on your original question rather than get into the debate about breeding rabbits. I bought a lionhead buck from an irresponsible breeder - they had used him to stud and decided to move on to Holland Lops so were selling him cheap online. I could see from the photo he wasn't in great shape so I picked him up combed out his matted fur (quite a few bits needed cutting out) and trimmed his nails. With the hair out of his eyes I could see they were a bit weepy and his nose was damp too. No colour or lumpy discharge but similar to what you may be seeing. I took him to the vet and they confirmed he had pasteurella, he has had an eye flushing and is on eye drops but looking much better for it.

Infections like these can be quite contagious and I would recommend taking your little fluff for a full vet check before considering any mixing of him with your current rabbits - for breeding or otherwise. You could end up with lots of vets bills if he passes on something nasty to his mate.

If you're then 100% sure you'd like to breed him I would try and get them into a neutral area or in his hutch. Females that don't want to be breed can do a lot of damage to the buck if not supervised properly.

Sorry to hear that you haven't had many survivors in your litters. Can I ask what your nest set up is?

 

[Velveteen Lop]

Point blank. You should not be breeding rabbits with unknown histories!
If you are not going to breed to "Better the Breed" you should NOT be breeding at all. This is extremely irresponsible.

Before I start, let me state that I do not want to start an argument, or a heated conversation. I just want to educate and help you understand, as you sound like you really love rabbits and want to do things right. I also admire your maturity in this forum, taking the advice with good comments.

I just have to say, I do agree with this. Us breeders trying to improve the breed get bashed all the time by 'animal rights activists' or 'rescue groups' because of people who breed irresponsibly, for the money, because baby bunnies(!!!), or by not doing the research and don't get good quality rabbits with a good pure pedigree, and buying rabbits to breed that do not conform with the ARBA standards.
I understand you want to breed, but in order to do so responsibly, find a local breeder in your area that breeds the breed you are wanting to work with and have them mentor you. Get good quality rabbits, that the breeder can answer all sorts of questions on like their weight, if they're proven, litter history, temperament and so on. Be prepared to spend $80+ for these rabbits. It is worth it to have good rabbits. Do research, lots and lots! There is so many good websites out there on breeding Mini Rex's and great color guides too!

In regards to @Augustus&HazelGrace comment, Mini Rexs actually can have peanuts, since they are a dwarf breed and carry the dwarf gene. And let me just put it out there, a pedigree isn't really history on the rabbit. Sure, it tells you their lineage, but not if any health problems (or litter survival rates, if he/she is a good brood animal, if the doe is a good mother and so on) arose in the parents, or grandparents, or even the rabbit itself. You can only get that from a breeder who's willing to talk to you and give you information, a 'responsible' breeder.

Again, I don't want to cause any arguments or turn this into a heated conversation. Just want to help inform people. If you've got any questions, @Out of this world bunnies I'd be more than happy to help you!