Am I Being Too Impatient?

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JudyM

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Hello All! I am new to rabbits and this forum and of course have a lot to learn! The first thing at the moment is why my buck and doe aren't breeding. I'm fairly certain the buck is blind so I wonder if that has something to do with his reluctance in a new location.

I picked up 2 does and a buck on Feb. 7 and waited 2 weeks to let them adjust to their new home before attempting to breed them. That was last Saturday and Sunday. On both days the buck just chased her around the cage, never tried to mount her. She sniffed around and nibbled on his ears and cuddled next to him. It looked like she may have been nibbling on his back too. Anyway, I contacted the person I got them from and she said the doe wasn't ready and to wait 4 days. That was yesterday and the same thing happened.

Do I give them another break? Keep trying everyday? What would you do?
 
Welcome to RabbitTalk, JudyM. :hi:

At least the doe likes him! That is a big plus. It sounds like it is the buck's reluctance that is holding them back. Some chasing is normal though there are bucks that get right to it.

Couple of questions.

Do you take the doe to the buck's cage? That is the safest way to do it and in this case, if the buck is indeed blind, it could help him to be in his own cage.

How long are you leaving them together? Some rabbits need more time than others.

Did you flip the doe and check the colour of her vulva? The darker the more likely she is to be willing to breed.

There are a couple of "sticky" threads in the breeding forum on how to judge rabbits' readiness to breed. (I see MSD has posted a link to one of them.)

And there are no end of tricks that rabbit owners try to get a successful breeding.
 
Thank you SO much for replying! I was beginning to think my question is too stupid...
I did bring her to his cage and left them together for about 20 minutes. They are on my son's property which is a big disadvantage to me for keeping my eyes on them.
Thanks for the link! I tried doing a search before I posted but boy there's a lot to read thru! Guess I missed it. The pics of the vulva were very helpful. I did try to look but she was really squirming around. From what I could tell she was just a pink slit yesterday. How long should I wait to reintroduce her?
Today I put ACV in their water and I do have another larger cage I can put them both in. I'm just afraid he won't be able to find his food and water in a larger cage if I need to leave them together overnite. The breeder I got them from said that she always left them together for 24 hours. I guess that will be my next step when her vulva is darker?
 
JudyM":gv9c2bbg said:
The breeder I got them from said that she always left them together for 24 hours. I guess that will be my next step when her vulva is darker?

Leaving them together really isn't safe, and the only time most of us do that is in an act of desperation. If she is ready, she should lift pretty quickly- I have had rabbits breed within seconds when the time is right. Just keep checking her, or if that is too difficult, just pop her into his cage every day until "the magic happens". ;)

JudyM":gv9c2bbg said:
I'm just afraid he won't be able to find his food and water in a larger cage

He will find it by smell. I have a blind rabbit and in each of my cages I have a "Bunny Bucket" which is a plant pot that is hung from the roof of the cage for the rabbits to hop into to get off of the wire... even when I move her to a new cage or a large growout pen with her kits and multiple buckets, she finds her way into them just fine. :) <br /><br /> -- Fri Feb 26, 2016 7:19 pm -- <br /><br />
JudyM":gv9c2bbg said:
I was beginning to think my question is too stupid...

No question is "too stupid" to ask- not asking, on the other hand... :roll:

Never be afraid to ask anything here at RT- you will find that our members are always happy to answer any questions you may have, and they wont make you feel silly for asking. :D
 

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