breeding my holland lop concerns

[LopLionheadLady]

I have decided that I am going to breed my bunny my only concern is that will it affect my bunnies bond with the other rabbit she is bonded to?! I don’t want them to get lonely! I was wondering if I could keep them together during her pregnancy?! Pls help as this will be the deciding factor on whether or not I will breed my bunny.

 

[Preitler]

Hi,

I keep my four does in pairs, there weren't big problems when one, or both were bred. Actually, they get along better in these times - feeling better and having a purpose since that itch got scratched, I suppose. My hutches are big enough, actually it's two hutches each, connected by a tunnel, so they can go out of each others sight when in bad mood, and I can divide the hutches so that each has her own for one or max two days (but still spending garden time together) when kindling, not really necessary but makes it easier to make the doe chose the right nestbox.
The second doe always was a good stepmother when the kits left their nest, when both had litters they mixed and it made no difference anymore which kit belonged to which doe.

What didn't work well was when one doe had a litter several weeks after the other :? - the older litter trampled and soiled the new nest, so I needed to keep them away while not separating the does.

Also my buck was always friendly to the kits (does of course separated), it's just when accidentially one from group A meets anybunny from group B, like escaping the hutch when the other fraction has garden time, that conflict erupts, some chasing and tufts of fur flying.

Ah, you didn't tell much about that second bunny you have? It's not an intact male, right? That would be a quite different matter.
How old are your rabbits, and which buck would you use?
May i ask what you are planning to do with the offspring - any chance to sell them in your region? Here, that's pretty much impossible with my mixed breed now, or for any private breeders, thanks to idiots :evil:

 

[LopLionheadLady]

Hi!
Thank you so much for replying!
I have two does "Bee" a 2 1\2-year-old Lionhead rabbit and "Lola" a 3-month-old Holland Lop! I would like to breed Lola when she is about 8 months old but I was wondering if Bee would be too old to have her first litter? I am hoping to borrow a buck from a breeder. let me know what you think? :bunnyhop: <br /><br /> -- Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:52 am -- <br /><br /> oh and I forgot to mention,
I plan to sell the babies. There are many bunny owners in my area. where I live it is rare to find a bunny in a shelter.

 

[akane]

Sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. It depends some on having enough space and complex enough pen they can feel like they have enough private area when they want it. Then it depends on the rabbits. I had several live in colony while breeding just fine, a few that never got along, and one that only started fights during the 2nd half of pregnancy before she started nesting. I always had to remove her and put her back after weaning except the time she tore through the wire and plywood lined floor to make a burrow. Not only couldn't I catch her but she was quite happy with her new safe hiding spot from the other does so ended up having 2 litters there before I could catch all the kits and fix the damage.

 

[LopLionheadLady]

Hi thank you so much! The questions I have now is what age can I breed my Holland Lop? And would it make a difference if I breed them both at the same time? My other bunny is 3 is she too old to have a litter?! :bunnyhop:

 

[Ozarkansas]

I wouldn't recommend breeding the Holland until she is at least 6 months old. IMO 2 1/2 is not to old to breed IF she will get bred. I've heard not to breed over a year if they have never had a litter because of pregnancy and birth complications. Of course the older they get the more you risk complications but going off experience I wouldn't worry too much unless she is overly fat. With older does I have had tougher time getting them to actually get pregnant, however if they do they don't always have complications.

 

[LopLionheadLady]

Thank you! What do you think about if I borrow a buck from the breeder I got my Holland from? Should I buy a buck?
Thanks again! :lol: :bunnyhop:

 

[Nymphadora]

I am hoping to borrow a buck from a breeder. let me know what you think?

Do you already have some breeder friends, or have you spoken with a breeder that's agreed to lend you a buck? A lot of folks I know would be very hesitant to loan, because they will have to quarantine the buck when he is returned.
-Just saw your latest post as I was about to hit send... has the breeder agreed to lend you a buck? If not, you may have to buy one, but please think about what your plan is for your rabbits. Do you want pets? Are you getting into showing and breeding? These are important questions to get answers to for yourself.-

As others have pointed out, it's best to have a plan in place in case the two does become unfriendly once bred, or once they deliver the babies. You don't want either to injure the other, and it's always a possibility that they may not want anything to do with each other after kindling as their hormones kick in. If they remain close and content with each other's company, obviously that's the best case scenario.

The questions I have now is what age can I breed my Holland Lop? And would it make a difference if I breed them both at the same time?

I would agree with Ozarkansas and hold off on breeding your younger rabbit until she's about 6 months (a week here or there probably wouldn't be an issue, but you basically want to avoid messing with her own development).

To answer your other question, many people breed two does at a time in case one has trouble with her litter (then the other doe may be able to act as a foster for the kits). Since your does would both be having their first litters, I don't know if it would help... but if one's instincts are better than the other's, maybe?

 

[LopLionheadLady]

I have not yet contacted the breeder but If I leave my female at the breeders for a day would that be a better option? :?: :?

 

[Nymphadora]

I have not yet contacted the breeder but If I leave my female at the breeders for a day would that be a better option? :?: :?

They may very understandably not allow that. The point of quarantining a rabbit is to make sure it didn't catch anything or start showing symptoms of something that is normally suppressed by their regular immune system (diseases can hide in a healthy rabbit). In the situation you suggested, they might quarantine your doe for 30 days, breed the rabbits, and then quarantine their buck for 30 days after.

It depends a lot on the breeder, and I'm guilty of trading rabbits for a few days with exactly one friend of mine without necessarily going through a full quarantine... but that's because we are close to each other, my entire herd is from her barn, and we have almost identical set-ups. It's inherently more risky, and we've only done it once, but I don't recommend it without understanding that you could lose everything if anything is off, or if a bunny is carrying something.

 

[LopLionheadLady]

That makes sense,
but I only would want one litter and I would not like to buy a buck for only one litter. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[SableSteel]

The only way thats commonly done of getting babies without buying a buck is buying an already pregnant doe from a breeder.

Don't leave your does together if you breed them; hormones can make them territorial, and then they can attack each other and/or the babies.

It's usually IMO not a good idea to just breed rabbits for pets; unless you are willing to keep all the ones that don't sell as pets yourself or have another outlet for them (snake food, for example). The market is rather sporadic and even if there is a high demand when you bred them, there might little to none when the babies are actually ready to sell. Demand for show or meat lines is usually more consistent.

 

[LopLionheadLady]

Ok! I have a lot of buyers In my area so I don't think selling will be an issue. I know a breeder right from my town that has lops. I can always contact them.

 

[Preitler]

Don't leave your does together if you breed them; hormones can make them territorial, and then they can attack each other and/or the babies.

I'm sorry, but I can't second this, all my does are living in pairs, there was never any problem with the other doe. Is that actual experience? I know it get's written on the internet, and repeated all over by people with no clue, as so much other crap, like those deadly apple seeds..

If you experienced something different I would be surprised, but well, that wouldn't be the first time. All rabbits are different.

 

[MeadowView]

I don't think you should breed your rabbits unless you have a reason. Have you thought about your reasons? if your bunnies are pets, keep them that way! If you want to breed for show, meat, or feeders, that's great, but to add more rabbits into an already over-saturated market because you don't think you'd have a problem selling them is a little silly. Remember, just because you don't see pet rabbits for sale doesn't mean they aren't out there. They are.

That aside, I agree with SableSteel - don't breed them while they're together. You may not have any problems, but if you do, it won't be a problem you enjoy cleaning up. Just my two cents.

 

[Nymphadora]

I don't think you should breed your rabbits unless you have a reason. Have you thought about your reasons? if your bunnies are pets, keep them that way! If you want to breed for show, meat, or feeders, that's great, but to add more rabbits into an already over-saturated market because you don't think you'd have a problem selling them is a little silly. Remember, just because you don't see pet rabbits for sale doesn't mean they aren't out there. They are.

Personally, I agree with this. Raising rabbits with a purpose, whether for meat or show, seems fine to me. But the pet market gets into uncomfortable territory for me. Most pet breeders aren't breeding towards any standards, they just want to experience cute baby bunnies for a time.

I'm not saying you absolutely shouldn't breed, LopLionheadLady, but taking a moment to really think about what your reasons are is a valid suggestion. I know you said earlier you didn't want to buy a buck... but what if one or two of your new bunnies don't sell? Would you keep them? What if there are issues in a litter, or a baby gets injured beyond help? There's more to breeding than just letting the rabbits do what they do best, and sometimes that means a little heartbreak for those of us committed to raising these animals.