Hello there. I am Ongria. I have successfully picked my first breeding pair of rabbits (mini lops). Can you give me information or any suggestions as to reading for learning more about breeding rabbits. I have had success with horses and cows, just trying a new venue. thanks ongria. :?
breeding bunnies
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BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
Please tell us more about your bunnies. How old are they? Where did you get them from? Will you be breeding them for show or for companion pets? Are you keeping them separately or together? :bambiandthumper
And Photo's of your "kids" would be really lovely!:camera :camera :apollo: :camera :camera
And Photo's of your "kids" would be really lovely!:camera :camera :apollo: :camera :camera
My buck is 2 1/2 years old chestnut agouti, the female is 1 1/2 year old broken chestnut. We are active 4H participants and the breeders around here are charge kids outrageous amounts of money for show animals. Our goal is to provide quality bunnies and keep the price reasonable for our 4Hers. Both rabbits have blue show ribbons in the 4H realm for market qualities and very exceptional animals. She ended up having three kits today, one was 2-3 times larger than the other 2 which are wriggly and warm and seemingly full bellied. I will get pics but was under the impression and advisement not to handle them, although I have read different information on that today.
SilverBirchRabbitry
Well-Known Member
I handle mine from birth! I have never had a mother kill her kits! I would just be cautious if she is a nervous doe! Congrats on the kits 
Good to know someone is trying to breed nice bunnies for 4h. Welcome to the forum aswell! Always good too see new members
Do we get pics of the babies
Good to know someone is trying to breed nice bunnies for 4h. Welcome to the forum aswell! Always good too see new members Do we get pics of the babies
thank you. Its nice to be here. I have tried to find information on rabbits and am coming up with nothing, this is my next option. I was able to find all kinds of info when I had my mare bred and my heifers. Thanks for the friendly welcome. I will get pictures tomorrow. Any comments on the one that died that was so much bigger than the other two babies ?
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
Congratulations on your litter! By all means, handle the babies! Mom may be a little "put off", but she won't hurt the babies. (You can distract her with a treat or remove from cage to another cage or play area.) You need to check them daily to make sure they are getting fed and cleaned properly.
I'm sorry the big one passed away. Sometimes a baby is too big to pass comfortably through the birth canal and it gets squeezed too much. Is this the does first litter? (At 1 1/2 years of age, she is a little old to be having a first litter. The birth canal/hip bones aren't as pliable as when she is younger. I'm glad it went well enough.)
Do you have them in a nest box? Check and clean the nest box a few times a week to make sure it is staying clean and dry. You should leave the nest box in for 21-28 days, then remove it. They will be eating solid food by then, and don't need it. Momma will nurse the babies twice a day. It only takes 2-3 minutes. You may not see it. But you will know if they are eating by their swollen bellies and smooth skin.
Their eyes will open at 10 days. Any baby whose eyes are not open by day 12 may need help. (Cotton Ball soaked in warm water applied as a compress to eye. GENTLY separate lids to open eye.) They will start leaving the nest to venture out at 18-21 days of age. They will start eating momma's pellets and food at that time. Make sure they always have food available.
Wean the litter at 6 weeks of age. Leave the litter together and remove momma to a new cage to minimize weaning stress on the babies.
Leave the babies together for 2 weeks (until they are 8 weeks of age). Then they can be sold or rehomed.
What questions do you have? Can we help out with anything?
I'm sorry the big one passed away. Sometimes a baby is too big to pass comfortably through the birth canal and it gets squeezed too much. Is this the does first litter? (At 1 1/2 years of age, she is a little old to be having a first litter. The birth canal/hip bones aren't as pliable as when she is younger. I'm glad it went well enough.)
Do you have them in a nest box? Check and clean the nest box a few times a week to make sure it is staying clean and dry. You should leave the nest box in for 21-28 days, then remove it. They will be eating solid food by then, and don't need it. Momma will nurse the babies twice a day. It only takes 2-3 minutes. You may not see it. But you will know if they are eating by their swollen bellies and smooth skin.
Their eyes will open at 10 days. Any baby whose eyes are not open by day 12 may need help. (Cotton Ball soaked in warm water applied as a compress to eye. GENTLY separate lids to open eye.) They will start leaving the nest to venture out at 18-21 days of age. They will start eating momma's pellets and food at that time. Make sure they always have food available.
Wean the litter at 6 weeks of age. Leave the litter together and remove momma to a new cage to minimize weaning stress on the babies.
Leave the babies together for 2 weeks (until they are 8 weeks of age). Then they can be sold or rehomed.
What questions do you have? Can we help out with anything?
thank you for the response! Yes they are in a nest box and warm and wriggley this morning. It seemed to take a long time yesterday for them to finally be born. By cleaning the next box, just the middle and leave her fur in there? or will she pull more? I was told that she had previous litters and had lots of bunnies, so not sure what happened this time, although two is wonderful as far as I am concerned. One is purely dark and I assume will be a solid chestnut like the dad and the other is mainly white skinned with some dark markings and will be a broken like the mom, right? My daughter seen them yesterday and is already asking to keep them and use the for their own 4H bunnies next year so we will see how they shape up in a few weeks and go from there. Quite a unique experience for me, I was a mess yesterday and felt very lacking in my knowledge of this whole process.
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
You can move the babies to one side or remove them from the nest for a few minutes. Move the fur aside and just check that the nesting area is clean and dry. Not wet from pee or littered with droppings. As long as the fur is dry, put the babies back and the fur on top. We just don't want the babies to get damp or wet. That leads to infections and illness.
Glad everything is settling down for you. Enjoy them. In about 3 weeks, they will be a frantic handful of energy!
Of course you can do us all a favor andshare some pictures of the little darlings! (You are welcome to start a blog about them in the Bunny Blogs too!)
Keep us informed of how they are doing!
Glad everything is settling down for you. Enjoy them. In about 3 weeks, they will be a frantic handful of energy!
Of course you can do us all a favor andshare some pictures of the little darlings! (You are welcome to start a blog about them in the Bunny Blogs too!)
Keep us informed of how they are doing!
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry for your loss... best wishes for the last one. I'll be it will be very spoiled!
Blaze_Amita
Well-Known Member
Don't get discourage by your first litter. I've got one holland lop buck that appears to carry some genetic dysfuntion where his kids seem to die. I was told it was my buck. If you can, see if the people that you got her from have a buck that she's bred with before and breed her back to one of them, if all the kits are safe and sound, then I would suggest a new buck.
Gabe, my holland Buck. He's had two litters, first one was 2 to skye and the second litter was 3 to angel. out of the five, two are still alive, one from each litter. while angel's could have been her, she's not that great a mommy, i own Blaze (my avatar bunny) and I've never had a problem with his kids and angel is blazes sister. skye's baby to Gabe just dropped dead one night on me for no reason, the other is a happy pet for some under privileged child that wanted a pet but couldn't afford a dog, so i gave him the other baby. The last one of angel's litter is her doe and i've got her. she's proving to be difficult to show/breed but i'll manage.
Gabe, my holland Buck. He's had two litters, first one was 2 to skye and the second litter was 3 to angel. out of the five, two are still alive, one from each litter. while angel's could have been her, she's not that great a mommy, i own Blaze (my avatar bunny) and I've never had a problem with his kids and angel is blazes sister. skye's baby to Gabe just dropped dead one night on me for no reason, the other is a happy pet for some under privileged child that wanted a pet but couldn't afford a dog, so i gave him the other baby. The last one of angel's litter is her doe and i've got her. she's proving to be difficult to show/breed but i'll manage.
