Mary Allen
For most breeders, spring is the loveliest and most exciting time of the year when the rabbits are expecting offspring. In order for everything to work well, there are a few things to consider.
During the winter months, every rabbit breeder thinks about the new breeding season: what is my goal? What do I want to improve and which matings could produce the desired offspring? The first prerequisite is healthy, vital breeding animals, of which I also know exactly the ancestry. It is not absolutely necessary to try new crossings year after year. Proven pairings should be kept in breeding as long as possible. In addition, however, strive for certain improvements with new, young breeding animals.
In the winter before breeding begins, the breeding animals should be fed sparingly, but with a varied and healthy diet. Obesity, lack of energy, vitamins, and minerals as well as trace elements can lead to failure. The sex vitamin E is also important for successful reproduction. This is mainly found in green forage plants. However, it is also found in carrots, turnip greens, beets, and fennel. Hardly any fruit contains more vitamin E than rosehip. These are collected in the fall, dried well, and given to the rabbits two to three times a day before the breeding season.
Rabbits do not develop regular heat, but ramshackle females draw attention to their willingness to mate by scratching and changing their behavior in the stall compartment. The follicles (mature eggs) are only released by the doe after mating. The period from the act until the egg is released is called ovulation. Many breeders are successful in having their rabbits mated on a larger table covered with coarse-grained carpet. For example, immediate action can be taken if aggressive behavior occurs. In addition, the buck’s work is made easier because there is no bedding to hinder the act and he has a better grip.
The number of buck jumps is not decisive for the number of young animals. This is influenced solely by the female’s ovary by providing mature egg cells. A successful mating act is usually sufficient, but it is advisable to try again after three days so as not to lose valuable time in breeding planning. After a few days, the doe will also show through her changed behavior whether she has taken in by rummaging through the entire stable and gnawing the litter to pieces.
Find the Right Time
Depending on the size of the breed, the ideal time to start breeding (birth of the young animals) is six to eight months before the exhibition dates. If the doe is mated in the morning, under normal circumstances there is almost always a guarantee that the birth will also take place during the day. Professional breeders like to choose Wednesday for mating so that the birth after 30 or 31 days falls on a weekend. It also happens again and again that newly born animals lie next to the nest or are not adequately covered. Cold but still alive newcomers can be rubbed off with lukewarm water until life returns. Then you can dry them back in the nest. Usually, the doe is grateful for this help. Rub a tuft of the mother’s hair on the bunnies to restore the original taste. It is also advisable to set the time for mating according to the phases of the moon!
As soon as a pregnancy can be guessed, the doe is placed in a double compartment. After about three weeks, she will indicate in which corner she wants to build her nest. The nest box is then also placed there. This has a number of advantages: the nestlings stay together and are not scattered throughout the compartment after suckling because they get caught on the mother’s teats. There is also no risk of suffocation because the mother cannot “wall up” the nest.
Litter boxes are very popular with rabbit mothers. They should be open at the top to avoid nest sweating. When the birth is approaching, the doe should be protected as much as possible and observed more often. It is also wrong to clean up shortly before birth to give the offspring a clean start. This would disrupt the mother’s preparations. In addition, finely chopped bedding is significantly warmer and has much better support.
It is ideal if the mother giving birth starts by pulling her hair and then goes through with the birth without delay. Once the young are in the nest, they are immediately suckled by the mother with the important first colostrum. The breeder should carry out a nest inspection within the next two days. It is important to check whether the young animals have full bellies and are therefore well fed. In addition, it should also be checked whether all the little ones are still alive, dry, warm, and well covered.
If mother and children are doing well, the prerequisites for successful offspring have been laid. If the doe can produce enough milk, the nestlings are suckled once or twice a day. The focus should now be placed more on a sufficient and healthy diet for the dam.