Part 4: Getting Started in Rabbits – Breeding

Breeding can be one of the most rewarding things about raising rabbits, second to showing, of course.  This activity helps you get to know your lines and really understand the breed you are raising.  Before putting the pair together, you must understand not only the process of breeding and raising litters, but also how to pair rabbits properly so you achieve superior quality in the offspring.  

Get to know your breeding stock.  I cannot stress this enough.  You have to know what each individual rabbit excels in and lacks at the same time.  Reviewing your breed’s standard will help you understand the breed more.  If you have a rabbit with lower shoulders, for example, you should try to pair it with a rabbit with good shoulders so you can work towards having offspring that have better shoulders.  If you have a doe that is amazing in all ways except you would like to see more density, pair her with a superior buck.  Work your way towards better offspring.  When retaining kits, be strict about what you will be keeping.  Do any of the offspring have superior type or wool quality than the parents?   How was the overall vigor of the kits?  Did they make good gains on their feed?  These and many more factors must be considered when keeping babies for your breeding program.  

Once you have picked out your pair, you must calculate when to breed.  A rabbit on average has a 31 day gestation period.  After the doe kindles, the kits are raised on her for approximately 6 weeks, then grown until 8 weeks of age before allowing them to leave the rabbitry.  While not all rabbitries wait until 8 weeks of age to sell kits, many do.  Waiting the extra two weeks post weaning will allow you to re-evaluate the overall quality of the animal.  You would be surprised how differently some will mature with the extra few weeks.  This extra time also allows the babies to get a better, healthier start in life, without the stress of being removed from their mothers and then sent off to reside elsewhere.  

If you have a specific time in mind for the kits to be mature, you can use that day and count backwards.  For example, if you want to aim for 12 week old kits for showing end of September/beginning of October, you can mark that day on your calendar and begin counting backwards.  Because there are about 4 weeks in a month, you can estimate that the kits will be born beginning of July, so you must breed beginning of June to meet this deadline.  

Once you have calculated the birth day and approximate sales/showing point, you can proceed to breed.  The doe should be taken to the buck’s cage for him to breed her.  This is because does especially are notorious for being cage territorial and often will not allow the buck to breed her if he is in her cage.  If you have a trouble doe who won’t allow a buck to be bred, there are a few things you can do.  One is to put the buck in a cage beside the doe’s.  Another trick breeders will do is switch cages – put the doe in the buck’s home and the buck in the doe’s.  The reasoning behind both of these methods is that the scent of the other rabbit will become more familiar to the pair, in which case they will accept each other and breed.  You will know that the buck truly bred her if he falls off all of the sudden. 

 

Age of mature bucks and does is dependent not only on the breed you raise but also the individual rabbit.  The smaller breeds generally will mature earlier than the larger.  It is not uncommon for a dwarf or Lionhead to become mature at 4-6 months of age, both bucks and does.  Just because the rabbit is sexually mature does not mean it is always a good option to breed.  The rabbits will get larger if allowed to mature before breeding.  It almost seems that breeding a rabbit before it reaches it senior weight slows its growth and delays it as it is putting its energy towards feeding its young and not getting bigger.  

After the doe is bred she can return to her cage.  I always aim for at least two breedings in one day, but you can do more especially if you are unsure if he bred her.  Some breeders even breed two days, several times a day.  Once the breeding period is over, mark down what day you bred her, and count 31 days later.  This is her estimated kindle period.  Because a rabbit can have a gestation period of 28-32 or so days, she receives a nestbox on the 28^th day on the chance she kindles early.  The nesting box should be of decent size according to breed.  It can be filled with a variety of substrates, with hay and straw being common materials. 

On the day of kindling, the doe will pluck her fur from her chest and belly and line it in her box.  It is especially important to maintain a silent atmosphere on the day she is due as rabbits get nervous and stressed easily and may kill their litter if there is too much chaos going on.  While many breeders advise not to go in and handle babies or view them, I have never had an issue with this.  I make an effort to handle my rabbits all the time so that they not only are easier to handle, but they also maintain your trust.  Check the nestbox to make sure the little ones look healthy and have full bellies, and remove any uneaten placenta and dead kits.   Be sure to wait a half hour to hour or so after kindling to make sure the doe has finished cleaning and feeding the kits as well as gave birth to all of them.  

Now all you have to do is monitor the growing family!  Check the kits periodically over the course of their growth in the nestbox and make sure they are all eating well and maturing nicely.  Feed the mother a high quality food and always provide her with an unlimited supply of fresh water.  The doe may need more food than she normally gets as she is nursing her litter.  The babies’ eyes will open at 10 days and they may begin exploring.  Be sure to occasionally change out their bedding to make sure they stay in good health.   

Once the kits reach 3-4 weeks of age they will begin hopping out of the nestbox and exploring.   When all the kits are spending most of their time outside of their nesting box, you can remove it from the cage.  Have a dish low enough for the babies to nibble on pellets, and be sure to train them on a water bottle or dish if they are not beginning to sample water.  

Continue watching them grow.  Keep records of their growth rates, vitality, the mother’s mothering abilities, etc.  If there is anything you find unusual about the litter, be sure to note that too.  

At 6 weeks it is usually easier to check the sex of the kits.  If you were planning on advertising having kits for sale, you may want to get the word out at this point, but wait the extra two weeks before letting them go to their new homes.  There are plenty of free advertising sites online you can use.  Advertising on the bulletin board in feed stores is also a good way to find new customers.  Continue evaluating their potential according to breed standards.  

At 8 weeks you can begin letting them go to new homes; however, if you wanted to wait longer, there is no harm in that.  Hopefully by this time you would have been able to observe and evaluate the offspring enough to know what you may like to retain for your program.  Be sure to have plenty of free cage space at this point to hold growing litters and retained babies.  Sometimes it takes a while to move the litters out so you want to be sure to have ample space for them if it takes a while. 

Next week will be our last post of this series!  I will give a brief overview of the show world and showing your rabbits.  Even if you were not planning on showing your rabbits, this post should help give you an idea of what is involved in showing your stock and the rewards of showing.  

 

Part 3: Getting Started in Rabbits - Choosing your Rabbit(s)

Congratulations!  You have made it this far and are ready to embark on one of the most satisfying parts of all!  Remember those questions you had to consider before getting this far?  What are your plans for your rabbit(s)?  

If you are looking to add one or two rabbits to the family, it is important to look at your options.  There are so many breeds and crossbreeds out there.  If you want a small breed that only weighs a few pounds, there are many to choose from.  If you love the humongous breeds, there are a few varieties you can explore.  If you have a soft spot for fluffy rabbits, there are many breeds in a variety of shapes and sizes to look into. 

After picking out your breed, search for breeders who have what you are looking for.  Although there are many beautiful bunnies sold in pet stores, I always recommend new owners to try to find rabbits through rabbit breeders, even if it is only for a pet.  Rabbits available from breeders are generally in better health, are handled more often, and breeders will generally know more about rabbits’ needs than an employee at a pet store.  Once you locate someone, look at what they have available.  You want a rabbit that handles well, is laid back in personality but lively (which generally indicates a healthy bunny), and is not sick.  Check underneath the nostrils and inside the front feet.  If it is wet, the rabbit may be sick.  Sometimes when rabbits stress they get a little wet underneath the nose and wipe their faces, so it may be fine, but if you see any white discharge, stay clear.  Color should be one of the last priorities you consider.  Usually if you love the rabbit you will learn to love its color regardless.  

If you want to breed for show, meat, or fiber, start out with brood or show stock.  Brood quality stock are rabbits that have some fault that makes it impossible for them to be shown.  This may be a torn ear, too much coloring on their body (as in the case of broken patterning), or perhaps a proven doe who has had quite a few litters and can’t be competitive enough in shows.  I would recommend staying away from rabbits with miscolored toenails if possible, as it may take a while to breed out.  Show rabbits should meet the breed’s standard per the standard of perfection.  When you breed, one of your goals should be to work on making kits that excel in body and fur quality, and are nicer than their parents.  Meat rabbits should make fast gains and dress out well.  Fiber rabbits should have excellent density, color, and texture to their coats.  Even if you were not planning on becoming a member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association ARBA, research the breed you will be investing your time in.  Read and memorize the breed’s standard so that you do not have to second guess yourself when you are getting your stock.  

Stay in touch with the breeders you purchase from.  Anybody who sells a rabbit should have the rabbits and your best interest in mind and should be more than happy to help you out on your new adventures.  If the customer is only concerned about making the sale, you may want to look elsewhere, as this often reflects the quality of their rabbits.  A breeder who truly loves working with their breeds will have superior rabbits to those who use it as a money making opportunity.  

Once you have gotten your breeding stock and they have settled down and adapted to their new environment, you can begin breeding plans.  When you breed will have to do with the age of your stock and environmental factors, which I will cover in more depth in the next post. 

Part 2: Getting Started in Rabbits - Supplies

Despite what one may think, rabbits are relatively straightforward animals in terms of their needs.  The breed of rabbit you decide to raise will also play a role in the needed equipment.  

First and foremost, a rabbit needs stable living quarters.  The area where you put your rabbit needs to be well ventilated.  Rabbits can be housed in wire cages or wooden hutches.  Wire cages are easy to clean, sanitary, and relatively easy to assemble.  They are also fairly inexpensive.  Wooden hutches are a practical option if you do not have a sheltered area to put a cage in.  These hutches provide rabbits with ample room to hop about, but they can be difficult to keep sanitary.  They also can cost quite a bit more than a wire hutch or cage.  For these reasons, I recommend the wire hutches if there was any question.  

Rabbit needs to have enough room to sprawl out, exercise and possible raise a family in their cage.  For this reason, it is important to ensure the cage is of sufficient size.  The smaller to medium sized breeds require a smaller cage than a large breed, such as the Flemish Giant.  Common dimensions for wire cages include 24X24, 24X30, and 30X30.  Custom sized cages can be built as well. 

A dropping pan and legs often come with a wire hutch, but if the cage does not contain these items, they must be purchased unless you have a hanging system.  Wooden hutches often are designed for the droppings to just fall through the wire floor so they must be cleaned out from underneath the hutch.   

Food crocks, water bottles, and dishes are a must.  Heavier crocks are ideal for larger rabbits or rabbits that tip over their dishes.  If the rabbit drinks from a water bottle, a crock is not necessary and vice versa.  Each rabbit will require one dish for food and either a bottle or additional crock for their water.  A smaller dish can also be included in each cage if an additional feed was being fed simultaneously.  

A high quality pelleted rabbit feed is a must for all rabbits.  When looking for a pelleted feed, try to aim for one that contains around 17% protein, 2.5-3% fat, and 14-18% fiber, which would provide adequate nutrient levels for a wooled breed, growing litter, or producing mother.  Slightly lower levels will suffice for smaller breeds or rabbits not in litter. 

Toys and hay racks are optional items.  Hay can easily be fed by grabbing a bunch and putting it into the cage or by tying it together to hold it together.  A hay rack can be a nice option for the wooled breeds to prevent them from getting chaff into their coats.  If toys are desired, be sure that they are safe for rabbits. 

 

A slicker pet brush is a necessity for wooled breeds.  This will make it possible to tease out any snarls forming in their coats.  A blower is very helpful in grooming the angoras but is not necessary, as long as you have good quality grooming tools for their coats.  

Nail clippers are something I consider necessary, but it may not be considered in large scale commercial rabbitries.  Clipping the nails not only prevents you from getting scratched when handling them, but is also healthier for the rabbit as their nails may break if they get overgrown.  It is also safer for does with litters to prevent injuries.  

If you are planning on breeding, a nestbox is an essential.  The box must be large enough that the doe can comfortably sit or sprawl in it with her litter to feed them, but not so large that it takes up most of their cage.  The smaller the rabbit breed, the smaller the box needs to be.  

If you were planning on breeding and selling kits, a tattoo pen or clamp is a must.  Although both produce good results, I prefer the pen as you can adjust the size of the tattoo depending on the size of the rabbit’s ear.  You also do not have to purchase additional letters or numbers.  

And of course, your time is also a vital part of the success of your new rabbits.  Depending on how many rabbits you have, you need to have enough time to maintain clean living quarters, feed and water your rabbits, and handle them.  While large scale rabbitries do not tend to handle their rabbits so much, I feel it is important for maintaining a laid back and friendly herd.  

While it is not a requirement when raising rabbits, I would recommend joining the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) club.  This club provides a wide variety of benefits including show winnings, rabbit registration, a bi-monthly magazine, connections, and more.  Even pet owners can gain valuable information from joining this club.  If you decided to get very involved in your rabbits, many of the breeds have their own national clubs as well.  

I hope this post helped you realize that rabbits are very straight forward animals to raise.  Please check back next week for another post on this series! 

Retained Lionhead Juniors

I wanted to share three beautiful Lionhead juniors that I retained out of some of my last breedings in 2014.  What a great way to cap off the year with these three stunning lions!

Blossom Acres' Solar Flare

Tort-Black Jr. Buck

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 Blossom Acres' Frostnip

REW Jr. Doe

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 Blossom Acres' Lunar Eclipse

Tort-Black Jr. Doe

Part 1: Getting Started in Rabbits - Research

Happy New Year everyone!  To kick off this month, I am starting a series of weekly posts related to getting started in rabbits, as the title suggests.  Rabbit raising is an enjoyable and worthwhile hobby.  I began my journey in 2009 raising and breeding rabbits, and have loved every moment of it.   Whether you are able to begin raising rabbits or not, I hope this series will help you understand the rabbit business and help you get started in pursuing it as well.  

The most important thing to do before you ever get rabbits is to do your research.  What do you need to know?  There are a series of questions you need to ask yourself so you can realize what your purpose of getting into rabbits is.   I have listed a few to get you started on considering your situation. 

   

1.)    Are you looking for a rabbit for pet, wool, breeding, or show purposes?

2.)    Where are you located (city, country, suburbs)? 

3.)    What breed or crossbreed would you like to raise?

4.)    Do you have room to expand if you decided to breed?

5.)    Do you have enough time and money to invest in your rabbit(s)?

Your intentions for rabbits will play a large role in your overall decision.  Do you just want a friendly pet to love and nurture, or are you looking to possibly begin breeding rabbits for showing, meat, or wool?  If you are looking to breed, be sure to have a goal in mind.  Breeding for pets is not considered to be practical option.  There are many pet rabbits for sale, so your chances of finding them homes will be that much more difficult.  Not every baby you get in a litter will be suitable for show anyway, so you will end up with some “pet” kits if you wanted to market in this area.  My suggestion is that if you think there may be a possibility in the near future that you might be breeding, start out with brood and show stock.  It is much more difficult to work your way up with lower quality animals than if you had better.  Keep the pet quality as pets and don’t breed them.  

Are you located in the country, city, or suburbs?  If you are in the city or suburbs, chances are there are rules and regulations for owning rabbits, so be sure to check the rules out before you get all your supplies.  

There are many breeds of rabbits.  It is not difficult to find purebred or crossbred rabbits.  Part of your decision in your breed will depend on your purpose for the rabbit.  For pets, the possibilities are endless.  If you are looking to breed to put food on the table, you should consider the commercial breeds and crossbreeds such as New Zealands, Satins, Californians, and Florida Whites, to name a few.  If the purpose of your rabbits is to supply you with a supply of wool, then the French Angora, English Angora, German and Giant, Satin Angora, and crossbreeds can supply you with your needs.  The French Angora is also dual purpose (wool and meat) so it can be a more practical option for some people.  If you want a rabbit to be able to put on the show table and compete in breed classes, there are a variety of options out there.  Make your decision on your intended purpose and what size rabbit you are comfortable handling.  Usually after doing your research on the breeds you will find you are particularly interested in a certain breed.  Explore! 

 

If you did decide that you will be breeding, make sure you have room to expand.  Were you planning on keeping your rabbit(s) in wooden hutches, wire cages, loose (as a house rabbit), in a run, etc.?  If you are breeding you need to also consider the space the young ones will use growing, and housing rabbits that are waiting to be rehomed.  The area you choose needs to be sheltered, well ventilated, and needs to have enough light in it.  You also have to make sure you have time to invest in cleaning and maintaining a sanitary environment.  

The last question I mentioned is about costs and time.  I will go over this in greater detail in the next post.  Depending on the size of your rabbitry will depend on how much time you need to invest in your rabbits.  If you only have one as a pet, there will be minimal time invested in cleanup and care.  The more rabbits you decide to own, the more time will come into play.  Wooled breeds and show rabbits also require additional grooming time to maintain health and quality.  There are a variety of supplies needed to raise rabbits and this can add up.  It is best to view your rabbits more so as a hobby than a business, at least during the first year or couple years.  

My next post in this series will be related to supplies needed to get started, so please check back again next week!  

www.blossomacresrabbitry.webs.com