Feeling Frustrated

[wamplercathy]

I have a doe, one year old, that is getting an invite to dinner.
Breeding record:
1. Only 1 fall over no litter
2. 3 fall overs a litter of 7, made almost no nest, but at least all the kits were in the box.
3. Only 1 fall over no litter
4. 3 fall overs litter of 8 made a very nice nest. But forgot to recover litter after feeding=frozen litter.
5. 2 fall overs no litter.

Last night I got 4 fall overs on her but it was a fight. If she produces a litter she gets to stay around till their weaned, if no litter, she's going in a pot.

Planning to keep one of Mama's kits, and of course little Lavender from Rosa's litter. So I'll have a couple back ups.

 

[Aggie03]

I've been frustrated with trying to breed ours, too. I put them in the cages together and they have tea instead of taking care of business. I'm starting to think "multiply like rabbits" is a myth.

 

[Rainey]

Reading posts from different members it seems that maybe they only "breed like rabbits" when you don't expect them to, weren't planning on kits

Here's hoping that all of you who really want kits have does that kindle soon.

 

[Aggie03]

I've just been out with the rabbits. I'm have to hold the does up for the bucks to get their job done. We'll see if it takes :x

 

[Zass]

If they aren't breeding well, weight is usually my first suspicion.
They might feel or look OK to us, and still have surprisingly large internal fat deposits. It doesn't take a lot of body fat to mess up reproduction though, since rabbits are not meant to carry much at all.

In your shoes, I'd still freezer camp if she doesn't do well, because taking weight off just to see if that's the problem is time consuming and expensive.
I just culled a favorite of mine because she wouldn't take. Husband had been free feeding fatty purina pellets. I'd never seen so much body fat in a rabbit before. It was awful. She really didn't look or feel that bad on the outside...I mean, I knew she was a bit plump..

 

[Rainey]

If they aren't breeding well, weight is usually my first suspicion.
They might feel or look OK to us, and still have surprisingly large internal fat deposits. It doesn't take a lot of body fat to mess up reproduction though, since rabbits are not meant to carry much at all.

In your shoes, I'd still freezer camp if she doesn't do well, because taking weight off just to see if that's the problem is time consuming and expensive.
I just culled a favorite of mine because she wouldn't take. Husband had been free feeding fatty purina pellets. I'd never seen so much body fat in a rabbit before. It was awful. She really didn't look or feel that bad on the outside...I mean, I knew she was a bit plump..

One of the things I like about natural feeding is that the rabbits can have plenty of stuff to chew on without getting overweight. If anybunny starts to seem a little thin, giving roots or grain corrects that quickly and if anyone is getting a little plump, then cutting back on or cutting out roots or grain corrects quickly too. Guess you can do the same with feeding pellets and hay--adjusting the amount of pellets to control weight while having hay for gut health and for something to chew.

 

[wamplercathy]

If anything, mine are a little on the thin side. A half cup of pellets, by volume not by weight, and all the hay they can eat. It's just good grass hay, not the fatty alfalfa. :lol: :lol:

You would figure that once she was breed that it would be simple to keep her that way. She was in breeding color she should have lifted right away.

But no she had to through a fit. Through herself down on the cage floor, stuck her legs in the air. Grunted. Ran her a couple lap around the cage and then she lifted. Had to do that 4 times. :evil: