Brand new to breeding, questions about females!

[Tbunker]

Hey all. So I’ve just finally had my first successful fall off between my buck and one of my does!!!! I’m so excited!!!! I have a few question though because I’ve never done this before lol

So my current housing situation is.... I have two does and both have a nice house out side together with a large fenced in area. At this current time only one of my does has had a successful fall off with my buck. So I’m not sure if I should separate the Does when it comes close to baby time or let them continue living in the same house and outdoor space??

If I do add a second house for the mothering doe, do I have to separate their outdoor space as well??

ALSO would it be nuts to have two does pregnant at the same time?? I’ve had them both since they were 8 weeks old, and neither have carried a litter as of yet. I mean I guess there is no sure fire way to know Lucy is pregnant as of yet (literally just happened today). Or should I wait a month or so to try my other doe?

thanks all for your answers!! I’m so excited to be joining in on this baby bunny making!!!

 

[michaels4gardens]

make sure there is plenty of space for "nesting" or a nestbox in the house, so the pregnant doe doesn't feel cramped and get "territorial" ... keep a watch on them to be sure no aggressive behavior is beginning.. look for tufts of hair laying around as a beginning sign of aggressiveness. - have a backup plan that can be immediately implemented, in the case of aggressiveness. Some does live together quite peacefully through pregnancy, and litter raising...

 

[SableSteel]

You should definitely separate them before its time for them to give birth, imo the sooner the better so they can get used to their new home before its time to start nesting. I think it's also a good idea to breed both at the same time, that way if one of them is a bad mother (or if anything were to happen to her) you can foster kits onto the other doe. Also it can be a good way to even out litter sizes - too large of litters can have problems with not getting enough milk, and too small of litters can have trouble keeping warm. If you have two litters at once you can take some babies from the bigger litter and put them in the smaller litter to even out the size (rabbits are generally okay at accepting fosters as long as the litters are within about 5 days of age.

 

[bunny love]

I recently had 2 does who were sisters living together. 1 doe was breed and the other was not. I chose to let them continue living together. All went well until the kits began to come out of the nest box. I came home one day to find the doe without a litter huddled in the nest box shivering, very scared, and traumatized. I moved her to a seperate pen. She didn't have any obvious wounds, but was in shock. She died during the night. In my personal opinion rabbits get along, until they don't. I've had several get along great, males and females, until one day for whatever reason they decide they don't like eachother. I would seperate them just to be safe. They really don't mind being by themselves.

 

[Preitler]

I keep my 4 does in mother-daughter pairs, and do not seperate them for more than 2 or 3 days, and even then they get some hours of garden time together, I fear that it might be difficult or even impossible to reunite them when they were seperated completly for too long.
They live in 4 hutches, 2 connected to each other by tunnels that I can block off. When time for kindling comes normally the second doe stays away, somewhat puzzled by what's going on. I only divide before kindling when I want a doe to use the nestbox in "her" hutch, and not build a nest somewhere else, or when there are tensions, after kindling I usually give the doe a day of rest from the other, but they have other things on their mind then than quarreling. Second mom acts as great stepmom once the kits leave the nest, never had any problems for 5 years now.

I keep them in pairs because in my opinion it benefits them, they are more active, groom and cuddle a lot, at least I feel better watching them interact. Ok, some tufts of fur flying and humping now and then, but that's normal social behaviour, never escalated. But I think it is important that they can get completly out of each others eyes to the other hutch when they feel like it, imho a pair needs more space than two seperate does together.

Only reason I didn't breed both does at the same time is because I don't need that many rabbits, worst thing that happened was that an accidential litter poped up 4 weeks apart, had to seperate the hutches in a way that the does could get over, but not the kits - they would have trampled and soiled the new nest.

 

[Tbunker]

Thanks all. Looks like we’ll be getting a second home ready for baby momma. What about outside space?? Should a divider be put into place for the girls??

I think I may go with one pregnant doe at a time for now.. we’ll see how we make it through this batch first!! My husband is afraid I won’t be able to sell the kits, 3 rabbits is far more then he bargained for :lol:

 

[Rabbitlover1]

We have our rabbits separated. There was once where we kept a mother rabbit with her baby for too long and I think they fought once. When we finally sold her baby, which we were trying to do before, that’s why she was with her for so long, the mother got traumatized and wasn’t as friendly as before. It’s a good thing to keep them separate during pregnancy if they have fought before. As far as the outside enclosure, I would put a wire barricade up so they can still see each other, but they can’t fight or the other rabbit can’t hurt the babies. Even if it is an accident. Then when the other rabbit gets used to them you can probably put them back in together and take the barricade down.

 

[Tbunker]

Well we have made it to day 31 and still no baby buns! I know she is pregnant for sure. This is just as bad as waiting for my own labour to start lol. momma has her own house now with her nest box, which she keeps pooping in. So will give is a clean out again! Not sure she knows what it’s for since it’s her first litter!