Breeding through wire

bunnybunbunb · Aug 1, 2008

How is it physically posisble for this to happen? I have heard people say their rabbits did this, not just on this site butshow breeders that end with mixlitters claiming it happenedfrom this, I find it impossible. How is the buck suppose to get flat against the wire to get his penis through it? Let alone having the doe raise to the right spot and them breed? I 100% do not believe it....

TinysMom · Aug 1, 2008

bunnybunbunb wrote:

How is it physically posisble for this to happen? I have heard people say their rabbits did this, not just on this site butshow breeders that end with mixlitters claiming it happenedfrom this, I find it impossible. How is the buck suppose to get flat against the wire to get his penis through it? Let alone having the doe raise to the right spot and them breed? I 100% do not believe it....

I've had it happen.

I was using black dog crates vs. rabbit cages (same size - but the wires are different).

I had a buck and doe side by side - never realizing that it could happen...but it did.

Oh well - live and learn. When using the dog crates (with corner litter boxes) - do not put bucks and does side by side....

bunnybunbunb · Aug 1, 2008

I know a breeder that had an English Lop buck and a 4 month old Holland Lop doe beside each other, they wad getting ready for a show. Well she was checking them and the tiny doe was in with the buck and got back in her cage when she saw the breeder. She said she would have never thought she could have got in with him. The doe ended up with 4 babies by the English Lop. I don't believe the breeding through wire, people mess around with other peoples rabbits, rabbits break loose, etc but I don't believe they can breed through the wire... does not seem possible.

I have had rabbits you would never think could get through wire of which size get through it. The dog cages your talking about have 2-3 inch apparent wire? I have a 3ft x 2 1/2ft one and all of my rabbits but 2 can get through the wire if they want and I can barely get my hand through it.

TinysMom · Aug 1, 2008

Here is an old old old picture of the type of cages....from when I first had Tiny and Tio and Kyo...

bunnybunbunb · Aug 2, 2008

Yep, that is what I am talking about, I have the exact same thing only my one is bigger. Like I said one of your rabbits went through the wire into the cage with the other rabbit, I have had that happen. Normally it is the bucks but I have had 3-4 does do it. They get in and breed and after awhile either the doe runs the bucks off or the doe gets tired and goes back into her cage. They didn't breed through the wire, just went through the wire and bred

Welp, that answers that

naturestee · Aug 2, 2008

My husband had an AHA! moment reading one of these threads. When he was a youngkid, he and his family raised rabbits for 4H. They were kept in standard wire cages in a shed, hanging from the ceiling with no supports under. I think it was one long row of attached cages from how he describes it. They had several unexpected litters over the years, and not from the kids as they had trouble handling the full-grown, mostly untamed New Zealand girls. So he saw one of the breeding through wire threads and said "That's how they did it!"

It's also been known to happen in the occasional shelter/rescue situation.

When rabbits REALLY want to breed, they'll find a way!