How to breed rabbits

It is wise to breed pedigreed rabbits as they have documented pedigrees and characteristics that you can rely on to better understand the outcome of a planned breeding. The goal of a good cross is to produce offspring that are at least as good as the parents and that meet the breed standard. So one smart thing to do is to keep in touch with the breeder who breeds your chosen breed for advice.

Everyone knows the proverb “breeds like a rabbit!” Based on real events. Rabbits are fertile from an early age, they are easy to mate, the young grow quickly and do not require much human intervention.

However, to ensure the health of your animals, it is wise to wait until they have reached full reproductive maturity before breeding. There are four main weight categories for rabbits: small, medium, large and giant breeds. The age at which a rabbit is ready to breed depends largely on the maximum weight they are expected to reach as adults. Small breeds, as a rule, reach puberty faster than large ones.

The general age rule for mating rabbits is as follows:

small or dwarf breeds (max. up to 2.7 kg) - 4 ½ months.

Medium and large breeds (max. 2.7 kg to 5 kg) - 6 months.

Giant breeds (max. over 5 kg) - 9 months.

Also, in general, males tend to be about a month behind in maturation. Thus, if you want to cross, for example, small rabbits, then the female will be ready for breeding at the age of 4.5 months, and the male closer to 6 months of age.

You have probably also heard that rabbits are ready to mate at any time. This is not entirely true. Although in most temperate regions most rabbits mate willingly all year round, cold weather reduces their libido. If you need to mate rabbits in winter or in cold spring, install a heat lamp in the female's cage a day or two before mating and extend daylight hours in the rabbitry with artificial lighting (in winter), move the cage to the most lit window in the spring.

It is logical that the better the general condition of your animals, the better producers they will be. Try to avoid mating rabbits with shedding coats, signs of illness.

You can tell that a male is interested in mating when he starts vigorously sniffing the table you just placed a female on a few minutes ago.

Rabbits, on the other hand, do not express their desires so clearly. Female rabbits are polyestrous, meaning they do not have regular estrus cycles, instead ovulation is stimulated by mating.

This gives the owner more flexibility regarding breeding. Some signs of a female's readiness will be restlessness, a slightly swollen, reddened penis, chin rubbing against the cage.

Most often, mating rabbits is a quick and painless process. The main thing to remember is that you need to put the female in the male's cage, and NOT vice versa.

Sexually mature females are incredibly territorial and strong, and can cause serious damage to the male if he suddenly enters her territory. In a good mood, the female will raise her tail, the male will mount and finally fall on her side. It is wise to immediately take the rabbit in her place.

If you are not sure that the mating was successful, try again after 6-10 hours, and after 7-10 days, add to the male again. Reluctance to communicate will confirm that the rabbit,

After two weeks, you can palpate. Remove the female from the cage and place it on a table covered with a cloth. Grasp the female by the shoulders with one hand, and with the other hand, grasp her with your thumb and forefinger opposite each other and press down on the belly just in front of the pelvis. Sufficient pressure can be used to lift the rear of the female almost off the table. Novice owners are afraid to palpate for fear of damaging the cubs. The chances of this happening are very small. Each embryo is in its own amniotic sac, so what you really feel is the fluid-filled amnion, not the embryo itself. Once you have secured your position, move your hand back and forth along each side of your abdomen and slightly towards the middle. On day 10, the embryo feels like a hard blueberry. At 12 days they are more like balls, and at 14 days they should be more like large grapes or olives. As soon as you feel an embryo or two, calm the animal petting and cage it.

Pregnancy in rabbits is usually 28-34 days. However, many rabbit breeders say that almost always childbirth occurs on the 31st day.

Around day 26, place a nest in the rabbit's cage - a wooden, plastic or metal box that is easy to clean and disinfect. Fill the nest box with wood shavings and plenty of fresh grass hay. The female instinctively begins to pull out the fur from her chest to line the nest. It is important to provide access to fresh hay and water, pellets (if available). Set the silence mode, the frightened rabbit will trample or eat the cubs at birth.

No need to constantly pull out and check the nest. Most rabbits give birth late at night or early in the morning. You will understand that the babies have appeared when you see how the fluff in the nest box moves, it would seem, by itself. Extremely carefully on the first day after birth, inspect the box and remove the dead rabbits (this happens), the remains of the placenta.