I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to breed two of my rabbits for a while now. Both NZs, the doe almost a year old and has had at least three litters. Buck is not proven, and he is 6 mo old. It’s almost like he can’t figure out how to do it. He’ll go up to her, sniff her then sort of half mount before getting off of her, or he’ll just investigate her intently by puttin his nose and mouth all over her. The doe seems pretty receptive, shes crouching and sometimes circles the pen before crouching again. I can’t quite tell if she raises for him or not, but when I scratch her rump gently she rises up. Is there anything I can do to help him figure it out?
Rabbits not breeding?
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RabbitsOfTheCreek
Netherland Dwarf Breeder & Well-known Member
Too dangerous, especially without moderation
At six months he should be raring to go; he may not know which end is the operative one, but he should be trying hard! When I have a buck that behaves as you're describing, my first suspicion is that he's uncomfortable somehow. I'd check his vent area and hocks.
If he has a cut or pimple or is otherwise sore around his vent area, he'll go to mount then change his mind when it hurts. Similarly, if he has sore hocks, as soon as he starts pressing down on them he'll want off, although usually that's more obvious as he'll generally stop and lick his hocks. Also check him for split penis - sometimes when it's a severe case the buck won't breed.
If he is out of condition in any way, that can also diminish his interest. Make sure he's at a proper weight and in good health. When I don't see any obvious injury, I usually try worming the rabbit. I'm not sure if Fenbedazole (Safeguard for horses) actually kills worms in rabbits, but whatever it does, it can bring rabbits that just aren't quite right around, when nothing else I've done for them has helped.
I agree with @RabbitsOfTheCreek that it would be risky to leave them unsupervised. Even if they don't actually hurt each other, if the doe gets frustrated with his lack of action and becomes aggressive, she can ruin him - he may end up afraid of does and unwilling to breed.
Also, you will not be able to know for sure whether or not she's been bred, so you'll have to wait a month to find out, which is a pretty significant waste of time for anyone trying to raise meat or show rabbits, which I'm assuming you're doing since you've got NZs.
I’ll check him over more thoroughly. I gave him a very quick once over, but he got squirmy so I wasn’t the most attentive as I could have been.
And you are right on the money with the showing, because I am attending an auction where the rabbits have to be 10 weeks old, so if I can’t get them to breed this week, I’m in for a lot of trouble
Since time is of the essence, if it's possible to find another buck to do the job just this once, that might be your best bet at this point. Maybe the breeder you got the rabbits from would give you stud service?I’ll check him over more thoroughly. I gave him a very quick once over, but he got squirmy so I wasn’t the most attentive as I could have been.
And you are right on the money with the showing, because I am attending an auction where the rabbits have to be 10 weeks old, so if I can’t get them to breed this week, I’m in for a lot of trouble
Whether or not you are able to figure out what is going on right away, there may be no way to fix it in time to get your doe bred timely. Also, if it turns out that the buck has vent disease or something else communicable, you don't want your doe to get it.
In any case, once you've satisfied yourself that he doesn't have any disease, I'd keep putting them together daily and just watching to make sure the doe doesn't get frustrated. Maybe he's just a late bloomer and will suddenly get with the program.
well, I attempted to look him over for disease and promptly got my eyeball scratched when I tried to flip him over 
I’m going to deal with that- then look him over first thing tomorrow and try to get them settled again. The breeder I purchased him from is not local- she is in Oregon and I am in Washington. It will be a long shot to try and find another buck within the week, but I will start reaching out to people while trying to make what I have work.
I’m going to deal with that- then look him over first thing tomorrow and try to get them settled again. The breeder I purchased him from is not local- she is in Oregon and I am in Washington. It will be a long shot to try and find another buck within the week, but I will start reaching out to people while trying to make what I have work.Did a full physical of him today- he’s got no lesions, sores, or pimples on his eyes, nose, or on his genitals or anus. He does not have sore hocks or a split penis, either.
I tried putting the doe into the bucks hutch instead of having them in completely neutral territory. It went horribly. Not only was the doe running and growling, the buck was still doing the weird pawing behavior. I’m starting to think he’s just not mature enough, but he did get on her and do his thing once, but only when I was holding the doe still. She did not raise for him, and when I tried to lift her up myself, he was not interested.
I tried to take a video of his pawing, but he only did it once before the doe ran away, so just imagine the behavior at the beginning repeated a couple times
View attachment IMG_3635.mov
I tried putting the doe into the bucks hutch instead of having them in completely neutral territory. It went horribly. Not only was the doe running and growling, the buck was still doing the weird pawing behavior. I’m starting to think he’s just not mature enough, but he did get on her and do his thing once, but only when I was holding the doe still. She did not raise for him, and when I tried to lift her up myself, he was not interested.
I tried to take a video of his pawing, but he only did it once before the doe ran away, so just imagine the behavior at the beginning repeated a couple times
View attachment IMG_3635.mov
I agree that the buck may just be young, I had a buck that, literally, didn't know which end is up and kept trying to copulate with the doe's head. To make it worse, the doe would then start mounting him. Maybe she was trying to show him how it was done! It took several tries (every-other day) with me holding the doe up before he was able to make contact. After that he's a regular Romeo. I'm sorry you are having to count on an unproven buck. It's so frustrating.
Put them in a neutral spot and if he goes for her head move him to the back. If now she is not receptive then she may be pregnant. I have 8 to dispatch this week and am looking forward to being back to just two rabbits. Good luck on your breeding.
Tried to breed them in neutral spot, and the buck had zero interest in mounting. He did sniff her out a bit, but I think he’s just too young
good luck with your processing though! Hope it goes smoothlyI would write the date on a calendar just in case the deed is done. Probably not but ......Tried to breed them in neutral spot, and the buck had zero interest in mounting. He did sniff her out a bit, but I think he’s just too young
alright, last update for awhile, and I have a few more questions lol. They had at least one successful mate and fall off this morning, but when I put ‘em together this evening, the doe was super not into it and was running away and growling. I can tell the buck is now super into the whole breeding thing because he was hopping around with his junk out. Is one fall off enough? I’m not sure the doe is in heat right now either. Another question- how long do you think it would take for the doe to start refusing breeding after copulation because of pregnancy? I’m going to get up super early to try and get them in a couple times in the morning because they seem pretty interested in breeding then.
So it sounds like he's just a bit slow on the uptake.
The pawing behavior you mentioned is what a frustrated buck will do; in your buck's case his frustration was apparently his own inexperience rather than a reluctant doe (at least at first).One fall-off can do the trick. People try for several with the thought that repeat breedings might increase the chance of conception or litter size, but if the mating was successful she should be pregnant.
Rabbits don't actually go into heat; they are what is called an "induced ovulator," meaning that the attentions of a buck/mating behaviors trigger ovulation. Does do go through short cycles when they are more or less interested in mating (3-5 days or so), but theoretically they can conceive any time they're bred.
It varies with the doe and the season. Some does will allow one mating and that's it, totally unresponsive after that. Other does will allow themselves to be bred pretty much every day up till the time they kindle. A bred doe's refusal to be bred again is NOT a good test of pregnancy. I've had a doe accept a buck and then kindle 4 hours later.
Many breeders, myself included, will mate the pair for 1-5 fall-offs, wait one hour, and repeat. I still haven't been able to find the published study but that particular time interval does seem to produce the the best results. However I've had a number of litters result from one fall-off.
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Years ago when I first had rabbits (and knew absolutely nothing) I started with three does. I would put them in with the buck and he immediately bred them if the doe was responsive. It never occurred to me to breed more than once and I never had a doe that didn't conceive from that one breeding. Now, back into rabbits some thirty years later, I have does that are prima donna's and want soft lights and music to get in the mood. I don't know if rabbit genetics has changed over the years or because now I know more. I'm trying to develop the attitude of letting nature take it's course, but it's not easy.
We now always check the doe"s privates prior to trying with the buck. If the doe's private parts are deep pink or maroon red, she is in estris/ receptive. If pale pink or slightly pink, she will not lift and does not appreciate the buck at all! We had a doe we could not get pregnant until we started monitoring the color. No problem anymore. Some does not ready can really ruin a young buck mentally and physically!
