Breeding schedules?

[ramblingrabbit]

So, I'm scratching my head and sitting at the table with a handful of colored pencils and a sheet of paper trying to come up with a sensible and healthy breeding schedule for my meat rabbits. Now that I am soon to have two breeding does instead of one, it suddenly becomes more interesting...

Okay, these may seem like really DUH questions, but forgive me... How frequently do you all breed your does? Do you wait until after weening, and if so, how long? And how soon do you ween? Six weeks seems to be kind of the magic number for weening, judging from what I've read--does that seem about right to you all?

I've calculated that--bear with me!--assuming I ween at six weeks, and if I then allow that doe two weeks to recover before breeding her again, I could stagger the two does, breeding every six weeks. And since my fryers are ready for slaughter at about twelve weeks on their natural diet, that means I should be able to rotate the use of one large grow-out hutch, weening a new litter immediately after slaughtering the preceding litter every six weeks. Having rabbit at least once a week has a nice ring to it...

Does that make sense? (It took me at least five minutes and several different colored pencils.) Any comments or suggestions are most welcome. After all I've been at this whole rabbit thing for barely six months... :lol:

Thanks...

 

[grumpy]

Rebreeding a doe should be something that happens before she starts drying up with the litter she has with her. Does with young should always be on full feed. If she stops milking, the extra food she has available will turn to belly fat. Making her extremely difficult to get bred back.

Internal fat is probably the major reason does will not conceive when serviced by a buck. Plus, it's nearly impossible to get that fat "gone".

I rebreed my does when the kits are 24-31 days old. Just depends on my schedule and abilities to do the work that needs to be done. Waiting until the litter is 42 days/6 weeks gives the doe time to build up fat. You "can" cut back on feed during this period. But, the kits suffer and won't gain the weight they need to.

grumpy

 

[skysthelimit]

Same. I breed back every 21 days. The longer I wait, the less likely the doe is willing to breed.

 

[Whipple]

I breed back quite fast, assuming the doe is in condition. I also wean very early. One doe has not regained condition, so I am waiting awhile.
This question will receive very personal answers. It seems like your system will work great for you, but it wouldn't work for me at all. Just don't free feed once the kits are out of the box.

 

[skysthelimit]

Just don't free feed once the kits are out of the box.

This is one of the reasons I breed back quickly. If I don't free feed, the kits aren't getting free fed. the doe eats when they eat. She needs to be bred the last few weeks they are with her, to balance things out.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

Is that extra weight something you can feel by handling the doe? I read, of course, about feeling along the spine to see if rabbits are getting to much or too little feed. Or is this something different? Ostara's with her kits that are almost 3 1/2 weeks old now and she still feels thin along the spine to me, though not dangerously so.

They are on a "natural diet" of oats and forage, etc., if that makes a difference, which I suppose it would... The doe and kits are getting all the oats and all the forage they will eat right now, the buck and the little doe still get free forage but the oats are a little more restricted. It doesn't seem like excess weight gain is an issue with Ostara on this diet, but how might I know?

Whipple, just to clarify, what would you consider to be breeding back fast or weening early? I'm just wondering about the range of possibilities...

Thanks! <br /><br />__________ Thu May 30, 2013 9:45 am __________<br /><br />What if I re-bred again when the kits were four weeks old? Too early maybe?

I guess the main thing is, since does and diets differ: how do I know--observationally or by physical inspection--when a doe is in "good condition" to be bred again? And how early is too early to ween?

 

[avdpas77]

It is fine to breed back most does when the kits are 4 weeks old, especially if they are meat rabbits.

The fat on does is mostly interior to the carcass, inside the abdominal cavity, not necessarily "under the skin" fat like we humans get. Often in the Fall, when people take up breeding their rabbits again, they have trouble getting them bred. It is usually blamed on the bucks, but often as not it is the does being too fat causing the problem. As soon as it starts cooling off, does will instinctively start eating more (if available) in preparation for the winter.

This is when you actually need to cut their feed down a bit. They will be able to eat all they want after they have a litter.

 

[Whipple]

I bred back the day after kindling if a) the doe is in good condition and b) the doe is receptive.
Right now I'm waiting for more litters so I can breed everyone at once, and by then my one doe will be good to go.
Basically I breed back as soon as I can.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

Cool! Thanks for the replies, folks. I'm still curious though, how do I, as a newbie, tell whether my does are in "good condition"? If the fat is internally carried, how can I tell how chubby they are? Do I weigh them or something? Or are there other signs to look for?

 

[3mina]

Condition is told by the spine, spiky knobs-poor condition- don't breed, gentle bumps- good condition-breed, no bumps-overweight- won't breed.

 

[Whipple]

I do have a doe who is constantly knobby. But we found out that's normal, *for her*. So its very case by case. Know your rabbits. My buns feel fat in winter, but naturally hold onto fat when its cold. In spring they have slimmed down. And this is with the same amount of food. If they felt like they do in summer in winter, I'd be worried.
Generally though, you don't want to breed knobby girls, the ones that look like jersey cows lol

 

[ramblingrabbit]

Alright, good stuff. Thanks!

 

[LauraNJ]

I bred back the day after kindling if a) the doe is in good condition and b) the doe is receptive.
Right now I'm waiting for more litters so I can breed everyone at once, and by then my one doe will be good to go.
Basically I breed back as soon as I can.

How do you wean the kits in time before the new litter is born?

I have struggled with that part of it. I had 6 week olds still nursing and my doe due in another 10 days. I removed them, gave her some mint, then put one back in with her because I was worried about mastitis but she wanted no part of the returned kit for nursing. So perhaps I just happened to catch the last nursing session, I don't know but I would love to know how some people successfully wean out the kits.

Sorry to go off track a little.