Breeding Rabbits - Do's and Don'ts When You Breed Rabbits

When it comes to breeding rabbits, one should not only know about the proper care for them but also the genetics involved. There are certain rules to follow when it comes to properly breeding rabbits and in order to produce the best, you have to keep in line with them. Whilst some people might think of breeding rabbits as a simple task to accomplish, it is not always this way. First off, let's talk about the basics. A small breed doe or female rabbit is ready to mate by the time she reaches 5 months old. On the other hand, a buck or a male rabbit would be ready once he reaches 6 months old. Typically, it would be wise to breed rabbits whose ancestries have proof of good genetics and overall great productivity. For this reason, you would need the pedigree listings and various show winnings. In fact, as a breeder, you should keep your own records as well. As for the ratio, you can keep it at 1:10 if you wish. That is, 1 buck to 10 does. The buck would be able to breed up to 7 times a week effectively.

Now, let's talk about the do's and don'ts of breeding rabbits.

-    Do mate rabbits of the same breed. The only exception to this rule would be breeding for the sake of meat or pets. Otherwise, you may not mate rabbits that aren't of the same breed. This is because you won't be able to sell a pedigree rabbit that has mixed blood and can't trace its background for up to 4 generations.

-    Don't keep more than one rabbit in a single cage. This is imperative once the rabbit reaches 3 months or older. The reason for this is the fact that rabbits actually mature faster when they are kept in solitude.

-    If you feel like you are ready to start breeding rabbits, bring the doe to the buck's cage. Don't do it the other way around because the buck would be to busy sniffing around the doe's cage to even pay attention to mating.

-    There are people who live the doe in the buck's cage overnight whilst there are those who take the doe out once the 2 rabbits have mated. If you choose to go with the latter, you need to put the doe back in after a couple or more hours as this would actually increase the likelihood of pregnancy and might even increase the number of offspring.

Quite obviously breeding rabbits isn't as easy as it seems. However, with enough effort and research, you would be able to do it correctly. After all, breeding rabbits is a science and is something that everyone can learn given enough time to do it.