Buck or doe

[KyleeB]

New Zealand rabbits. So I have a new “unproven” buck. I have 4 females. Litter one was a new unproven doe with the buck. Litter one was 4 kits. All heathy. Litter two was with a proven doe and also had 4 kits. Litter three was with another unproven doe 2 huge kits. Litter four just was born. Again only 2 kits all passed. Mom didn’t give birth in the box gave birth on the wire. They were very large kits again and she obviously didn’t know what to do. Didn’t build a nest. It just wasn’t good. In the past with my other buck which I no longer have I would have litters of 6+. So is the small litter size because of the bucks? The unproven does? I just am not sure what to do. Also how many litters do you allow a doe to have before you say sorry no more. The doe that just gave birth is a very nice show New Zealand with a lot of awards. I’d love to continue her lines but she had an entire litter die. Also how long would you wait to breed her again? Thanks. Sorry so many questions. Just a very disappointing breeding year for me.

 

[Alaska Satin]

New Zealand rabbits. So I have a new “unproven” buck. I have 4 females. Litter one was a new unproven doe with the buck. Litter one was 4 kits. All heathy. Litter two was with a proven doe and also had 4 kits. Litter three was with another unproven doe 2 huge kits. Litter four just was born. Again only 2 kits all passed. Mom didn’t give birth in the box gave birth on the wire. They were very large kits again and she obviously didn’t know what to do. Didn’t build a nest. It just wasn’t good. In the past with my other buck which I no longer have I would have litters of 6+. So is the small litter size because of the bucks? The unproven does? I just am not sure what to do. Also how many litters do you allow a doe to have before you say sorry no more. The doe that just gave birth is a very nice show New Zealand with a lot of awards. I’d love to continue her lines but she had an entire litter die. Also how long would you wait to breed her again? Thanks. Sorry so many questions. Just a very disappointing breeding year for me.

Starting with four inexperienced breeders might have kind of stacked the deck against you. Sorry to hear of your frustration. I can understand the disappointment, and if it's any consolation, most of us, no matter how many years we've been doing this, have a year like that occasionally.

As far as determining whether it was the buck or the does, especially if they were all inexperienced, that could be hard to say. If this was the first time for all of them, I'd give them another chance. You do know that both the buck and the does are fertile, at least.

Although I have found that most of my Satin does have litters of 10-16 kits during the first year, with smaller litters after that, other breeders have the experience that first litters are smaller than subsequent litters.

Regarding kindling on the wire, that's another thing I would forgive if it was the first time it happened. If the kits were very large (which they can tend to be if there aren't very many of them), it may have been a difficult and distressing delivery and they may have very well been DOA, in which case the doe may have been traumatized enough not to do what she needed to do.

Some does also have preferences for or against certain boxes. However if she didn't attempt to build a nest anywhere at all, that doesn't sound like it was the issue. On the other hand, some does actually wait till they kindle to make a nest. That can work out fine, but I have a doe I bought to get red into my lines who has a 2-week-old litter right now, and she had them on the wire, and didn't begin pulling fur till they were 4 days old. They survived because they fell out of the cage onto the ground below where they burrowed into the warm litter (ugh, but it saved them) and because I had spare fur on hand to put over them when I gathered them into the box. She did start feeding them, but I will not be breeding that doe again - it's her second fail, and I don't want finicky, problem-prone breeders.

Some other thoughts: if you bred all four does to a young inexperienced buck at the same time, that may have impacted his fertility. As for how many strikes a doe gets before she gets culled, it depends on the circumstances and the quality of the doe, meaning how much you want certain of her characteristics in your herd. Since all of the does failed similarly, I'd be hesitant to cull any of them right away, as it sounds like something else might have been up.

I usually give the doe about 3 days after losing a litter to rebreed her. They do tend to be quite receptive after kindling.

Don't give up - maybe it's just a matter of new rabbits "settling," and the next round you'll have bunnies out your ears.

 

[Cotton Rabbitry]

Agreeing with Alaskan Satin here, I would give everyone another chance.

My current litters are from two proven bucks (my oldest is now culled) and an unproven buck. 1 proven doe (litter of 5 one DOA) who always gives litters of 10, 1 unproven doe (litter of 5), and a doe that is on litter three (litter of 7, 2 pulled from the nest and passed) bred to the unproven buck. I also just rebred the little unproven doe to an unproven buck (Not my own) hoping for his thick short coat that was his grand dam's. Do not care what the color, just want a little female. LOL

These are the smallest litters I have ever had (ave 7). So a slow year.

As for how many litters to allow a doe. that I think is between you and your doe. I only allow my does two litters a year and allow her to tell me when it is time to cull or retire to a home (this depends on the personality of the girl. Is she sweet or stand-offish.) It also depends on if you are producing meat production or food supplement I would think. I breed to Suplimenting my freezer, pets, and sale of decent breeders to other homesteaders in the area. I do have a few oldtimers that like meat in their freezer as well and sell there as well, so I don't mass produce, although we are growing slowly and are looking into getting purbreds. (any ideas there, looking at size, meat, and furs)