Breeding schedule in a colony

Is it best for a doe to nurse a litter for as long as possible in order to minimize the expense of feed for the kits as well as for their health? Will a doe nurse as long as 8 weeks if she's not rebred? How long does she need to "dry off" before the next litter is born? When a buck is in the colony with the does, is there a concern with rebreeding after 12 hours (or whatever the length of time) and therefore the doe has a litter in both horns of the uterus? This sounds like a very bad thing.

Usually they wean by 6weeks even if not bred. Some people actually like to get their kits weaned as early as possible to try to get them to grow faster on high protein pellets than they would on a diet of partially milk. With a buck in the colony constantly the doe will wean the kits closer to 3weeks and have the next litter when the previous one is 4-5weeks. Unless your colony is too small the doe is unlikely to let the buck breed her again when she's bred. She will hop away or push her tail down to the floor and grunt and squeak at him. It's usually not a problem unless you made your colony too small and the doe can't get away from the buck. Then there is not only a chance of them getting bred twice but a greater chance of the doe castrating or killing your buck for being too annoying.

A little more info:
I thinking about putting the buck in the colony on a 4 weeks in , 6 weeks out, kinda schedule. I've read posts that say the buck can interfere with kindling. I'd take him out a few days before the does due date.

I wonder, wouldn't the mom's milk be even higher in protein?

I haven't had any problem with bucks interfering but when I don't want them to breed back to back I usually pull the buck for 3 weeks. 1 week before kindling and 2 weeks break for the doe before breeding again. My plan now though is to just leave the buck through 3-4 litters, remove him for 2 months to give them a break, and put him back for 3-4 litters depending how it lines up with seasonal weather patterns since I want to have the breaks be during the hottest and coldest part of the year.

I can't remember if the info I saved was on cottontail or domestic rabbit milk nor the source of the info but I can't imagine there would be a huge difference. These are the numbers I have for rabbit milk 12.2% fat, 10.4% protein, 1.8% lactose, 2% ash and 26.4% solids . I found it years ago while trying to compare formula for other baby animals to see what was most useful when hand feeding rabbits.

I was the one who posted about the buck interfering with kindling. Normally he is laid back and undemanding with the does, but he gets all fired up when the doe kindles and kits were being scattered, trampled etc. I dealt with this by dividing the colony into two pens and putting a doe in each. The buck spends about three weeks with one doe and then is removed before she kindles and put in the other pen. It's not perfect but it did solve that particular problem. Right now the bucks are in cages in our old summer rabbitry so the does can have a break. It's cooler for the bucks there as well.

From my experiences...it depends on your rabbits and your colony setup.

If the buck is left in with the group all the time, the does WILL, eventually, stop the instant rebreeding. (there will always be some that are doormats, tho). In order for this to work, the colony needs to be a fairly large size so the doe can not only get nasty at him, but run away, or into a hidey hole (like undergroung) In the meantime, they will get rebred every time they kindle.

I think it's probably a 75/25 deal on whether the buck will interfere with the kits. Other does will interfere sometimes, as well. Again..depends on if they're used to each other, have established respect, and if the colony is large enough for each to have their own section if necessary.

As to how long to let them nurse...My kits nurse a LOT for around 3 weeks, then occasionally at least 10 weeks. I don't wean, the does do it unless I've sold someone (I don't sell before 10 weeks). The kits will nurse as long as the doe lets them.

Allowing the doe to determine when to wean means the kits are introduced to pellets/grains/whatever you feed naturally...at their rate of growth..not in an artificially determined schedule. Weaning enteritis is virtually unheard of when you allow the kits to continue to nurse until mom weans them.

My schedule now is to leave the buck in with the does for 3+ weeks, then remove him to a pen next door. After the kits are out hopping around and eating pellets/drinking water, I'll put buck back in..IF I want more kits right away.

I do have one doe who lives with her buck full time. He's an excellent gentleman, and never interferes with the kits or kindling. The doe is a very assertive girl, and doesn't let him rebreed her until a few weeks after kindling.

Oh...if you DO leave the buck in the colony, and you are getting rebreeds every time a doe kindles, you'll find that the does start to have fewer kits each time...they seem to be able to adjust how many kits they have at one time if they're continuously rebred immediately. I've no clue HOW it happens, but there are others who've researched it and found that the does will only use 1 horn at a time if they're being rebred every 30 days.