Breeding Undersized Minirex Doe

[ANAN]

Hi! I'm in a small breeding dilemma.

I have 2 minirexes, both 1.5 years old. My Buck is 4.5lb and Doe is 2.7lb. They're not siblings but they both have similar relatives. Ever since they're young, their sizes are far apart so I've waited a year for them to grow at their fullest, but unfortunately their weight difference remained the same.

I really wish to breed them but I've been reading articles online and most mention that it's not recommended to breed a Doe that's significantly smaller than the Buck because this will cause birthing complications.

I'm also not sure why my Doe is smaller than the standard size, which is 3lb minimum according to the internet. Looking at her papers, her relatives range from 3.1lb smallest to 4.7lb largest. She's tiny but she eats a LOT and is very energetic. She has a sister that is 4.3lb and a relative that's 2.5lb (smaller than her!). Is this tiny size normal?

My question is, do you think it's safe to breed my 4.5lb Buck to my 2.7lb Doe? Or will the size cause complications? Has anyone had good experiences with breeding significantly smaller Does to Bucks?

Thanks for reading. Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[majorv]

IMO you should be okay breeding them. When they talk about not breeding small does to large bucks they're usually referring to using different breeds of unequal size. The difference in your two isn't that much, though it might help to see the two side by side. Your doe doesn't have pinched hindquarters does she?

 

[ladysown]

turn your doe over and see if her feet are V-d. if they are I'd advise you to not breed them. Pelvic narrowness makes it hard for does to kindle easily.

 

[ANAN]

Thanks for the advice! I took photos of my rabbits separately on a patterned rug for scale. They're difficult to photograph together. Here's the size difference:

My Buck has weird front legs. They've been like that eversince I got him. He walks, runs and sits fine but whenever he lies down his legs spread outward. He never sets foot on hard surfaces unless he's too distracted. ��

Here's a photo of my Doe's legs. I hope this is normal. It's my 1st time hearing about the V-shape. I'm learning a lot!

 

[ladysown]

your buck might have splayed legs. your doe looks good. The size difference isn't bad.

It would be good with the buck to know if it's a genetic issue. When breeding rabbits you want to be breeding the healthiest most genetically secure rabbits. Passing on genetic flaws is not a good thing.

 

[majorv]

When your buck runs or walks are his front legs straight, or do they point outward. Splayed legs can be genetic or acquired when very young. It can affect the front legs in varying degrees. As far as size difference, I don't see a problem.

 

[ANAN]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

My Buck runs well and doesn't seem to have any problems sitting down even on hard surfaces. It's only most apparent when he's lying down like a meatloaf. I would try to tuck his arms inward but he'd move it outward like a turtle. The angle of his arms in the photo is the maximum it goes. I asked his original breeder about the defect and they said that all his relatives are in perfect condition. I imported him from Indonesia when he's 3 months old so it's possible it's acquired from trauma or his original cage might not have the best condition. He's slightly heavy as well. I have to control his eating cause he would gobble up everything in front of him in an instant.