TinysMom
Well-Known Member
Karine,
I can't afford to spay all of my does when I'm done using them for breeding - but my plans are to retire them at around 2 1/2 - 3 years of age and spay the ones I can afford and give them away as pets...they've earned a good life. The ones I can't spay - will also be given away as pets - but with a request to get them spayed. I'm already setting up a fund and putting $$ in it every payday towards the day when I need to start retiring does. (Of course - some does may go to other breeders who are willing to breed them a bit longer if they are really good does for type,e tc).
What I'm trying to get at is that having a litter does not reduce the chances of cancer according to what I've been told in the past.
As far as the bucks....they will get along most likely till 12-14 weeks...if you're lucky. Maybe even a bit longer. But yes - they will fight and yes - they will need to be neutered. Even once they're neutered....they may still fight. We have two Netherand dwarf neutered bucks that were littermates. They slept together at 8 weeks of age - now they need to be caged apart...no matter what I've tried.
I am a big believer in neutering does - and bucks I am somewhat a believer in as it reduces spraying and helps them behaviorally. (Sounds strange coming from a breeder...right?). But I haven't seen good evidence suggesting that neutering helps a buck avoid cancer (basically - I haven't seen that there is a high incidence rate of cancer in bucks like there is in does).
Yes - your babies can leave around 8 weeks - sometimes a bit earlier. Usually by 6 weeks, my babies are sneaking out of their cages and running around on the rabbitry floor (or in another rabbits' cage). They then run back to mama for nursing...that is mainly in my kennel style cages. My other cages they can't get out of (and I've bought some new wire for my kennel cages to fix their ability to sneak out as its so hard to not trip on them).
I have found that with my free-roaming babies - they are less afraid of humans than my totally caged babies. They see me as the "giver of treats" and will come running to ME when they hear footsteps - because they know I probably have food or water or a treat or hay or something. Unfortunately that can make them a target to get stepped on - or make me fall. I say this to say...."WATCH WHERE YOU STEP!". People just can't get over how fearless my babies are and how much they love people!
Peg
I can't afford to spay all of my does when I'm done using them for breeding - but my plans are to retire them at around 2 1/2 - 3 years of age and spay the ones I can afford and give them away as pets...they've earned a good life. The ones I can't spay - will also be given away as pets - but with a request to get them spayed. I'm already setting up a fund and putting $$ in it every payday towards the day when I need to start retiring does. (Of course - some does may go to other breeders who are willing to breed them a bit longer if they are really good does for type,e tc).
What I'm trying to get at is that having a litter does not reduce the chances of cancer according to what I've been told in the past.
As far as the bucks....they will get along most likely till 12-14 weeks...if you're lucky. Maybe even a bit longer. But yes - they will fight and yes - they will need to be neutered. Even once they're neutered....they may still fight. We have two Netherand dwarf neutered bucks that were littermates. They slept together at 8 weeks of age - now they need to be caged apart...no matter what I've tried.
I am a big believer in neutering does - and bucks I am somewhat a believer in as it reduces spraying and helps them behaviorally. (Sounds strange coming from a breeder...right?). But I haven't seen good evidence suggesting that neutering helps a buck avoid cancer (basically - I haven't seen that there is a high incidence rate of cancer in bucks like there is in does).
Yes - your babies can leave around 8 weeks - sometimes a bit earlier. Usually by 6 weeks, my babies are sneaking out of their cages and running around on the rabbitry floor (or in another rabbits' cage). They then run back to mama for nursing...that is mainly in my kennel style cages. My other cages they can't get out of (and I've bought some new wire for my kennel cages to fix their ability to sneak out as its so hard to not trip on them).
I have found that with my free-roaming babies - they are less afraid of humans than my totally caged babies. They see me as the "giver of treats" and will come running to ME when they hear footsteps - because they know I probably have food or water or a treat or hay or something. Unfortunately that can make them a target to get stepped on - or make me fall. I say this to say...."WATCH WHERE YOU STEP!". People just can't get over how fearless my babies are and how much they love people!
Peg
Nothing against cats, They have just never really been for me.
