How Young Can a Buck Breed?...

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Silver Willow

Silver Willow

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At what age would it be possible for a Mini Rex cross Netherland Dwarf buck to breed?

Our Mini Rex doe had a litter of cross bred kits, and at eight weeks old one of the buck kits began to try breeding both his sisters and dam. About a week later, I checked him to make sure I got the genders correct, and he had 'dropped' already. :shock: He was sold to a pet home not long after that, so he was with his dam up to about ten weeks old.

I know I should have moved him out, but we are really tight on space at the moment. And I figured, seeing as he was so little, he wouldn't be able to breed.

So now, between two and three weeks later after he got sold, his dam has started haystacheing and pulling fur! I palpated her just before and couldn't feel anything, but is it possible for a 8-10 week old small breed buck to mate successfully?
 
It is possible, especially considering he's a dwarf breed. Now just because it is possible doesn't mean she's pregnant. He might have had a fall-off and induced ovulation, but caused a false pregnancy.

As always be safe, put in a nest box, and keep an eye out for kits. Learn your lesson and separate by gender around 6-8 weeks (lean closer towards separating them early since dwarves mature a bit faster than larger breeds).

Best of luck!
 
Thank you for your replies :)

I am away at the moment, so while I have someone to look after them I'm not sure that they'll be looking in her house. Is it possible I palpated her and she has some even though I couldn't feel anything? I've usually been pretty accurate... just wondering though.
 
Silver Willow":hvl5tafo said:
Thank you for your replies :)

I am away at the moment, so while I have someone to look after them I'm not sure that they'll be looking in her house. Is it possible I palpated her and she has some even though I couldn't feel anything? I've usually been pretty accurate... just wondering though.
Click to expand...

100% possible. Palpating is quite the skill. But it us not completely accurate. This site probably has 100's of posts of "I didn't feel anything, but it turns out she was pregnant" and "I thought I felt kits, but it turned out she wasn't pregnant".

You may have palpated correctly, but it is possible you didn't do it right.

Since you are gone, do you have a nestbox your friend can put in the cage with the doe? The rabbit in theory doesn't need your help with her kits. But human intervention is helpful should something happen. Please make sure there is a nestbox in her cage, and by nestbox we are not referring to those wooden cages where a portion is enclosed and acts as a little bedroom for your rabbit. While it is possible for the doe to make a nest in one of those side compartments, the point of a nestbox is to have a tight confined space for the kits. They aren't called wigglers for nothing. And one can easily make its way far from the nest and die due to lack of warmth.
 
I have let the people looking after the rabbits know my suspicions, and apparently nothing else has happened so far. So it looks like miss bunny was just being hormonal after all :)
I'm not surprised, but admit I am a little disappointed- I was looking forward to some kits!
 

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