Buck not interested in breeding?? : Breeding and Record Keeping

[maluma]

I keep hoping my New Zealand buck will finally start breeding my 2 does, but he doesn't seem to take any interest in them. He was born last May, so I would think he should be old enough by now? He is not fat, nor very thin, and does not have sore hocks. When I put a doe in his cage and watch for a while, they both just happily go about their business, eat, drink, maybe sit together and cuddle a bit, but that's all. I have tried leaving the does with the buck for weeks at a time, hoping they would be pregnant, but they never were. I thought the cold temperatures and short days might contribute, but I'm in Texas where it's definitely spring by now. I also tried adding vinegar to their water, since I read somewhere that could work, but it didn't.
I'm just trying to decide if I wait a bit longer and hope for any changes, or if I need to get a new buck. Any insights?? Thanks.

[Shara]

uh, i would get a new buck...is he red, btw?

[maluma]

No, he's white. And also, he definitely is a buck

[Shara]

lol. Reds seem to have a lazy rep./ Mine sure is...but even so, he has fathered quite a few litters, and he was also born last may...and they are not exposed to much light in their shed, and the lihgt has no affected them at all.

[maluma]

Uh, thanks. That really makes me think it may be time to get a new buck. I'm still kind of new to rabbits, so the only reason left I could think of is that he might still be too young - but that excuse has been getting more and more unlikely.

[OneAcreFarm]

but I'm in Texas where it's definitely spring by now.

What part of Texas are you in? I am near Beaumont, Texas

[maluma]

but I'm in Texas where it's definitely spring by now.

What part of Texas are you in? I am near Beaumont, Texas

I'm close to Waco, TX.

[curlysue]

Hes old enough too breed and its very strange that he doesnt even try,I say new buck time.anytime i left rabbits together for weeks i got babies.

[ladysown]

he's what...9 months old? Might be time to get a new buck, or you just might have a slowly maturing one. Does he have all his parts? does he act like a baby, a teen rabbit or an adult rabbit? I find rabbits quite interesting at how they can mature all at different rates.

[eco2pia]

That does seem late though. I have a NZ buck who was born in july, and he is a very enthusiastic breeder. Lost his first litter due to the doe, but there were nine.

[MaggieJ]

We had a buck like that once. Big handsome Chinchilla-type fellow. Just grinned and simpered when when I'd put a doe in with him. It took a saucy young doe named Polly who was "hot to trot" herself to show him what she wanted. She mounted him. He quickly caught on and we had no problems with him after that.

[DevonW]

I have a buck like that. I've concluded that he is indeed gay, considering he's a year old Mini Rex and I've been trying to breed him since he was 6 months. He usually just looks at me like "you have to be kidding me." every time I give him a doe.

[maluma]

Since he's only the second buck I've had (and the first one died soon after I got him), it's hard for me to tell if he acts like an adult otherwise. I do think he has all his parts from all I can tell. He can be kind of shy, so last explanation is that he just hasn't figured out what to do yet. The one thing I've been wondering about is also that he is still quite a bit smaller than my adult NZ doe. I also have another doe the same age as the buck and from the same breeder, and she's about the same size as the buck. So I'm not sure if they're still maturing, or if that breeder's rabbits just tend to be a bit smaller? I have all 3 of them together in a cage again since yesterday to give him a "last chance". But from what I'm reading it does sound that it may be time for a new buck.

[DevonW]

I have a shy buck who happens to be my bust buck type wise and he had no interest in does for the longest time, I brought him in the house where one of the house rabbits was really really wanting to be bred. She was mounting him like crazy chasing him around, he was getting rather perturbed about it and started to mimic her behavior and that is how he discovered he was a buck and he likes does.

[terri9630]

My NZW was a year before he was interested in the girls. The first doe that was put in with him attacked him so now I have to hold the does or he wont go near them.