Breeding Magic

[Sabine]

I haven't even started and already messed up, well, sort of Today was the day I had assigned for breeding Magic. I brought her to the buck but she has absolutely no interest. they are not fighting or anything but the buck keeps persuing him and she just runs away. he is about three years old and Magic is about nine months so you can imagine who is winning th race. I thought she would be dead keen and willing since she has been displaying all the signs lately... and then the penny dropped:

Two days ago, Benny, our neutered buck, jumped out of his run and had a "great time" with Magic. In fact I couldn't catch them to come in for the night and they spent it under the shed together (Darn that shed!) Of course, a false pregnancy could have been stimulated by that, I believe, and that would explain Magic's unwillingness to mate again? Is there any other reason for this?

I think I may give up after today and see how this false pregnancy pans out (if there is any) If I remember rightly they are shorter? Am I right to think there is no point in persisting to mate her if she is reluctant at the moment? Magic is already nine months (I waited for improvement in the weather) and I wonder am I pushing the bounderies already? I had set myself a deadline till the end of this month. (Magic was born at the start of June and she is a dwarf lop cross)

I know it's a lot of questions and I would really appreciate if anyone with experience would comment. Thanks, Sabine

 

[irishbunny]

I don't really have any advice but I know you have been planning this and looking into it for a long time so I really hope everything works out for you in the end!

 

[Sabine]

That's the odd thing: I've been planning this for so long and then I overlook a simple thing like that:foreheadsmack:

 

[paul2641]

I find a buck in the end will defo get the female even if she doesn't want to be bred. So If you really want to breed magic to her sire then You should just leave her with him for a night or so.

 

[irishbunny]

It's funny when rabbits are supposed to be so easy to breed when really they aren't.

 

[paul2641]

irishbunny wrote:

It's funny when rabbits are supposed to be so easy to breed when really they aren't.

Yeah I know I planned to breed Suki and she didn't have a litter.

 

[irishbunny]

paul2641 wrote:

I find a buck in the end will defo get the female even if she doesn't want to be bred. So If you really want to breed magic to her sire then You should just leave her with him for a night or so.

That could be extremely dangerous if they start to fight they could kill eachother.

 

[Sabine]

They are "hanging out" together at the moment. But I'd say Nightshade will never catch Magic and I don't want to put them into a too small space where she can't escape. if she doesn't want to breed with him I'm sure she has her reasons and one of the reasons may be that she thinks she is pregnant already. I am not going to force them onto each other.

 

[irishlops]

hats what i would do, even if i dont breed lol. maybe she is thinking she is preggers.

 

[Flashy]

It might be that she needed a different way to 'get in the mood'. It might also be that she is just not enthralled by the buck and doesn't want his babies. They can be selective at times. Just wanted to add some different options other than a potential false pregnancy, but really, hopefully someone more knowledgable will reply soon with something insightful.

 

[Sabine]

I can imagine that does can be selective as people are about who to mate with. Maybe he just doesn't smell right to her and that could be a sign that they are genetically not a good match. Anyhow he has no chanc mating with her if she doesn't want to. that's quite fine by me.
Just had a peek over the fence and they were sitting really close to each other, almost side by side but once he moved closer she ran off...

 

[Bramblerose]

Well what color are her bunny bits? While rabbits are induced ovulaters they still have times when they are more receptive than others, if her bunny bits are pale pink its a no go, the redder the better, all the way to a purple color, thats when she'll breed. She may have been overstimulated by the neutored buck, neutored animals can still go thru the motions. Also young does often will run away from the buck like that, the buck will chase at first then normally will sit down and wait for her to wear herself out. Can take awhile. I wouldn't leave them in overnight together, does have been known to become aggressive and castrate the buck, putting them in cages next to each other and then trying her again may prove successful. She may just need to run herself out, I've sat and watched does run circles around a buck for an hour or more, its usually maiden does.

 

[Sabine]

My neighbour offered to keep trying during the week. Well, they have all day together today. I din't look at her girlie bits before, I simply assumed she was ready and completely forgot about her encounter with Benny

P.S. She was very keen on Benny and was even persuing him, flopping down in front of him as in "Take me"

If she shows signs of a false pregnancy in a few weeks and well before her due date should I assume she isn't pregnant, or can they be pregnant and also go through a false pregnancy at the same time?

 

[Sabine]

Just picked up magic and had a good look at her. Her girlie bits are light pink. So would that mean she is not interested? Is there any point in retrying over the next few days?
I watched them a bit but couldn't see much interaction although they stayed always close with Nightshade always following.

 

[polly]

you wnat her girlie bits to be purply red in colour for her to be ready to mate just keep putting her in with the buck. If she really isnt for it then sometimes it cane be a phantom pregancy in which case remate her at 14 days or it cold be she just isnt up for that buck I have certainly tried soem matings where the does have looked at me like please you want me to mate with THIS!!!

 

[Sabine]

Haha, Polly, you might be right on the money. i guess Nightshade isn't half as flashy as Benny. I guess he wasn't really taking her like a .... buck. Whenever I watched the two it looked as if she simply couldn't be bothered

 

[paul2641]

Sabine wrote:

Haha, Polly, you might be right on the money. i guess Nightshade isn't half as flashy as Benny. I guess he wasn't really taking her like a .... buck. Whenever I watched the two it looked as if she simply couldn't be bothered

Didn't your neighbour also get a new holland lop couldn't you try breed magic to him?

 

[Sabine]

The new guy is cute but is more an atypical lop with a more longish face and the ears not really hanging down but slightly sticking out. With Magic only being a half lop that would do nothing for "breeding those ears down". Another reason I'm breeding her back to her sire is to perfect the butterfly pattern. Unless I find a perfect broken from a breeder maybe I wouldn't be considering another buck.

 

[irishbunny]

I think Nightshade is a really gorgeus buck, the babies will be gorgeus! I noticed when the weather was mild a couple of weeks ago Princess was mad to get out of her cage when Thumper would be running around by her cage in the shed and she was never like that when it was cold and hasn't been like that the past week or so since the weather has gotten colder, maybe it's the same for Magic.

 

[Sabine]

Possibly, it has been very cold today and there was even some sleet. Typical - the day I had set for the breeding and it was nice all week