Confused About No Kits

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Last month or so, I breed 3 Does with 1 Buck, and another Doe with a different Buck(Netherland Dwarfs). A few weeks, they were due, but no kits came, except for the good mom with one dead kit, and the new mom with also 1 dead kit. Neither of the Bucks are too old to breed, and they're both healthy and the first buck has had very good litters. Can anyone explain how there were no more kits? The other two moms didn't even make nests.

 

[golden rabbitry]

If a doe is stressed, they can reabsorb a litter. Or your buck could be not as fertile, maybe your feed is causing lack of fertility

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Alright. I was just wondering, since we're going to sell the first buck and get a new one.

 

[BoydsBunnies]

When we bred Holland Lops (another dwarf breed) we had the hardest time getting babies...I was told it went with the dwarf breeds...I found out it was true. We have since switched breeds, but a couple helpful tips...apple cider vinegar in their water (mix 2 Tbsp with a gallon of water) can help with fertility. One time, a change in feed was what was needed. Another time, some outside fresh air and moving rabbits around to different cages in the rabbitry have helped us get babies out of those stubborn dwarfs Good luck!

 

[hotzcatz]

We had a huge problem with fertility a few years ago, turned out they had syphilis (Vent Disease) that had gotten into the herd when a young baby was fostered here. It took a shot of penicillin once a week for five weeks to cure the Vent Disease and even then the adults had a lowered fertility rate because they'd been damaged by the disease. Now that we have the offspring which never had the disease, the fertility rates are back up again. If you've had a closed flock for the past few years, then maybe it's something else with your bunnies, but that's what it was for us.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Alright. You two are very good help! I'm hoping that, when we get a new buck, and when he's old enough, he'll have good litters.

 

[hotzcatz]

Since we had that problem with really low fertility rates (before we discovered it was Vent disease, we had almost a full year with no litters), fertility has become something that is considered when selecting a breeding pair. Folks who raise meat buns keep track of litter size and weight gain and only breed buns who do well in both categories. I've not quite taken up weighing them all the time, but a doe who has a large litter is much more likely to be chosen to be bred again over a doe who had a small litter.

It also seems to matter how old a doe is when she has her first litter. If she hasn't had a litter before she's very much over a year old, she may have trouble conceiving. With meat rabbit folks, that's never a problem since they go for quantity and don' t have to worry about too many rabbits. Since the buns here are English angora, we keep them all and select which of the females we want as breeders before they're a year old. If we change our mind and decide we want offspring from an older doe - one that's several years old or older for her first litter, frequently she won't have a litter no matter which buck she's bred to.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

alright

 

[Canlay]

I know that bucks can become temporarily infertile at temps over 75-80 degrees, and it can take a week or so for them to get back to normal. Were your bunnies ever that hot?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

No, they live in a cool environment

 

[ladysown]

did you check the does vent before breeding? Did you see successful fall offs? Are your does in good shape? Are the bucks in excellent condition? There are too many factors we don't know.