The Dos and Don't in Raising and Breeding Rabbits

Do you want to learn how raise a rabbit? Read more of this article and learn the dos and don'ts in raising rabbits.

There are a lot of dos and don'ts in breeding rabbits. The age, size, and breed of your rabbits are important factors to be considered. If you want to have healthy bunnies, check out this article and learn more about the dos and don'ts in breeding rabbits.

Before you know more about the dos and don'ts in breeding rabbits, it is important that you learn the terminologies used in this process first. A female rabbit is called doe while a male rabbit is called buck. A mother rabbit is called dam and a father rabbit is called sire. Bunnies are also called kits. A bunch of bunnies is called litter. Breeding is the process of mating the doe and the buck. Testing is checking whether or not the doe is pregnant and breeding her again with the buck before she gives birth. Kindling happens when the doe gives birth. Weaning is when you take away the kits from the dam. Gestation period is the period between breeding and kindling.

Here are the Dos in Breeding Rabbits:

Do check the size and age of your doe and buck. A small-sized doe is ready for breeding at 5 months old and a small-sized buck at 6 months old. A medium-sized doe is ready for breeding at 6 months old and a medium-sized buck at 7 months old. A large-sized doe is ready for breeding at 8 months old and a large-sized buck is at 9 months old.

Do keep a calendar of their breeding day. Testing begins on the 10th day after breeding and ends on the 15th day. To verify if the doe is pregnant, nudge the lower abdomen of the doe using your thumb. Check out its nodules. If they are as big as a marble, the doe is pregnant.

Do place a box on your doe's cage on the 29th day after breeding. She would start kindling her litter two days after that.

Here are the Don'ts in Breeding Rabbits:

Don't mate rabbits of different breeds.

Don't keep more than one rabbit in a cage. After 3 months, rabbits mature faster when alone than when with other rabbits.

Don't breed rabbits when they have diarrhea or loose stools. They have to be treated first. To know whether or not your doe or buck has such sickness, check the bottom of their cages. Also check their genitals for any signs of diseases.

Don't bring the buck to the doe's cage. There is a tendency that the buck will lose interest in breeding the doe. He will just sniff around the doe's cage. It is advised to leave the buck in the doe's cage after breeding to have a higher number of offspring.

These reminders are important to follow. To have better and healthier bunnies, consider the dos and don'ts in breeding rabbits.

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