Doe running around the cage when with the buck.

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Mosherd1

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I put a virgin doe in with a buck yesterday. The buck is pretty new to breeding, not his first time but still new. Her genitals were pink, not purplish. I checked before I put her in. I had to hold her and put her head towards a corner to calm her down. Finally he mounted and passed out two times. I will check in 10 days and try and see if she is bred. Could she have been running around because she just did not know what to expect when I put her in. Or would she have been running around because she had not interest in being bred? Just curious to what certain behaviors mean so I know how to read the rabbits in the future, thanks again as always.
 
Many virgin does are nervous, bewildered and intimidated by the buck's behaviour. Since her vulva was only pink instead of red or purple, she did not have the natural urges that would have guided her. In the wild or in a colony, she would have simply run away from the buck until she was ready. Bucks in colonies and in the wild tend not to persist... They simply look for a more co-operative doe.

How old is the doe? Has she ever had the darkened vulva? You may get kits from the forced breeding, but she may simply be too immature. If no kits result, I'd wait a month and then examine her for a darkened vulva. That is the time you should try to get her bred, when you have her natural urges working for you.
 
Good to know. She is about 6 1/2 months and a NZW. I have never checked her vulva to be honest before yesterday. Maybe it is just the time of year. After she started running around the buck just stood in the middle and let her run circles around him. I am glad to know so I can be aware in the future, I appreciate the advice!
 
rabbits often run around for a while before breeding. The does that freak out, or who back into a corner immediately are not ready to breed.

One way to test if a doe wants to breed is to tickle her back about half way back. If she rises up, she's ready to breed. :)
 
ladysown":1yx4nkut said:
One way to test if a doe wants to breed is to tickle her back about half way back. If she rises up, she's ready to breed. :)
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That's a good trick to know- I was petting Evil Blue with her chew stick yesterday, and she kind of did that- in fact I outright asked her if she was feeling frisky- but she is SUPPOSED to be bred already. Hmmph!
 
Lots of does will run around for a bit and play hard to get. If this goes on for more than ten minutes or so, it might be best to try again another time, especially if her vulva is pale. At 6 1/2 months, her body may be mature enough to handle pregnancy, but she may not yet have the desire. Ladysown's trick of tickling the back is a good one. Give it a try even before you turn the doe over.

Quite honestly, reluctance to breed on my time was one of the reasons I went to colony raising. Standing around waiting is boring and annoying and I have never been a fan of forced breeding.
 
Mosherd1":3s8btou6 said:
So should I just let the doe run around for 5-10 minutes before I hold her down? Thanks again,
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If she is not ready, I would not hold her down. For what ever reason, she is telling you that she doesn't want to. With mine, sometimes I can just distract them by waiting till they stop running and scratching their nose. It keeps them still long enough for the buck to "get to work"! LOL!
 
I believe Bob Bennet mentions tail flicking as a sign of readiness in a 'racing' doe.
 
Every now and then one of our does will do the 'bunny blender' when put in with the buck...poor buck will sit in the middle of the cage with his head swirling like in the Exorcist... then all at once the doe stops running... and the buck moves in and breeds her... i think the does like playing hard to get.. or the running is a part of the courtship. ( i have watched the cottontails do the same thing... racing all over... but they have acres to run in...)
 
It's normal with confused new does. I usually make sure to plan for plenty of time to watch them so I can let them wear themselves out and calm down for the buck to get down to breeding before I have to go do something else. Every now and then I'll scruff one in the middle of the cage and let the buck mount her. Sometimes it's like a little lightbulb clicks on. "Oh! That's what we are doing. Ok, I can do that" and then they sit there mostly still for 2 more breedings. Sometimes they clamp down and just aren't ready.

I also just have a spaz who does those things for no good reason. A lot of my indoor cages had open fronts or tops because there was nowhere they could go and the sides were 28-40" up for laid back netherlands and a mini rex doe who won't hop over a 6" cage lip. Well that silly blue netherland doe I got a few months after starting this setup would get going so fast she would spin herself right out the cage. I had to finish all the doors and wire roof. She does the same if introduced to a buck. I have to make sure the cage is solidly closed and block off anything she can sit on (including feeders) because she will spin herself around and around until she starts running on the sides of the cage and ends up on top of things. The bucks just sit or hop in circles going "what the heck?" until she gets tired but if you don't block the bin feeders or hay silos she will stop on top of them when she gets tired. I have to pitch her off objects and wedge a box temporarily between feeders and the ceiling until I'm done breeding her.
 
Blender Bunny! hehehehe
:mrgreen:

akane":wsqot81e said:
It's normal with confused new does. I usually make sure to plan for plenty of time to watch them so I can let them wear themselves out and calm down for the buck to get down to breeding before I have to go do something else. Every now and then I'll scruff one in the middle of the cage and let the buck mount her. Sometimes it's like a little lightbulb clicks on. "Oh! That's what we are doing. Ok, I can do that" and then they sit there mostly still for 2 more breedings. Sometimes they clamp down and just aren't ready.

I also just have a spaz who does those things for no good reason. A lot of my indoor cages had open fronts or tops because there was nowhere they could go and the sides were 28-40" up for laid back netherlands and a mini rex doe who won't hop over a 6" cage lip. Well that silly blue netherland doe I got a few months after starting this setup would get going so fast she would spin herself right out the cage. I had to finish all the doors and wire roof. She does the same if introduced to a buck. I have to make sure the cage is solidly closed and block off anything she can sit on (including feeders) because she will spin herself around and around until she starts running on the sides of the cage and ends up on top of things. The bucks just sit or hop in circles going "what the heck?" until she gets tired but if you don't block the bin feeders or hay silos she will stop on top of them when she gets tired. I have to pitch her off objects and wedge a box temporarily between feeders and the ceiling until I'm done breeding her.
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This is all great to know. I will be a bit more patient in the future before physically putting her in a corner for breeding. I have always seen in the videos the doe sitting there and the buck mounting and that is that. This is great to know, I really appreciate the feedback.
 
i have had the odd doe that I just have to touch their head to get them to settle... i don't pin, I just touch and hold just for a moment so the buck can mount. If she clamps down or freaks she's not held so she can get away. Then I remove her and try again another day.
 
i have had alot of does do that..either they dont want to be bred or they are playing hard to get. I mostly table breed and hold the doe for the buck so i dont have that problem except when the buck wont table breed and will only do his duty in his cage.

__________ Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:18 pm __________

i have had alot of does do that..either they dont want to be bred or they are playing hard to get. I mostly table breed and hold the doe for the buck so i dont have that problem except when the buck wont table breed and will only do his duty in his cage.<br /><br />__________ Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:18 pm __________<br /><br />i have had alot of does do that..either they dont want to be bred or they are playing hard to get. I mostly table breed and hold the doe for the buck so i dont have that problem except when the buck wont table breed and will only do his duty in his cage.
 

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