I just bred both my does to my buck today. I waited an hour then let them mate again (separately of course). I have read that you know when I doe is ready to mate that her slit will be a dark pink or purplish...my question is, does this apply to ALL does, proven and first timers, or only does that are proven? my does are both first timers and I noticed their slits are pale pink. Is there a chance a pregnancy will take even though they are pale pink?
First time mothers
- Thread starter BoxerMom
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The colour of the vulva is only a guide to how receptive the doe is likely to be to the buck's advances. As far as I know it has nothing to do with the actual fertility. Does are fertile almost all the time, but they won't always be happy about being bred. If those breedings were successful (buck mounted, did his thing and fell off) it is very likely the breedings will be a success.
Thanks for clearing that up. Since I am a first time breeder, and my does are first time mothers, I'm a little worried about the pregnancy sticking, and how good of a mother they will be. Their mother is a good mom so I'm hoping they inherited her traits. He serviced them three times each, twice when I first put them in and he got each one once the second time. He did his thing, grunted quietly and fell off to the side. I have to admit I found this hilarious! I have always heard bucks do that after mating but always wondered whether or not it was true. Now I know! So fingers crossed for babies in a month!
Mark your calendar and put those nest boxes in on Day 28. You should have popples 2-3 days after that. 
SatinsRule
Well-known member
Day 28 is a good time to put the box in, although I put one into Maryse's cage at about day 25. For the trouble I went thru, she rewarded me by not dropping the kits until about day 35, and didn't pull a shred of hair until after the first one was squealing on the cage wire.
TJ Netherland Dwarfs
Member
Yes -- Maggie J is correct about the color of the vulva gaging how receptive they will be to the breeding vs. how fertile they will be.
Believe it or not, I only breed my does once -- and the breedings have always took. I have always heard that you need to breed them 2-3 times to insure that the breeding takes, because the initial breeding causes the doe to ovulate, and that the second round will be when they become impregnated, but mine become pregnant from the first breeding.
I'm not sure if this works for all rabbits, I breed Netherland Dwarfs, maybe I just have a very fertile buck!
Believe it or not, I only breed my does once -- and the breedings have always took. I have always heard that you need to breed them 2-3 times to insure that the breeding takes, because the initial breeding causes the doe to ovulate, and that the second round will be when they become impregnated, but mine become pregnant from the first breeding.
I'm not sure if this works for all rabbits, I breed Netherland Dwarfs, maybe I just have a very fertile buck!
sammysue63
Well-known member
SatinsRule":1kltrip5 said:
I put all my nestboxes in on day 27. Once bitten twice shy, I had a doe have 9 on the wire on day 27, thank goodness I was doing bunny chores when it happened and caught them. They are now 5 weeks old and all 9 are fine.
I like to put mine in 8- 10 days early. None of my does will use theirs for a potty-box, so there is no problem there. It is much easier to "lose" a week than one might think if one doesn't write the dates down immediately upon breeding. Both I (and rabbit friends) have been known to be marking a calendar and thinking, "yep, I breed her last Thursday because I remember taking out the trash container that morning" when it was in fact Thursday a week ago.
I haven't got a date wrong in several years now, but I have found myself several days after breeding trying to determined the date I bred a doe, because I did not write it down immediately. Of course, I'm an old fart, I'm sure none of you youngster's would forget. :roll:
I haven't got a date wrong in several years now, but I have found myself several days after breeding trying to determined the date I bred a doe, because I did not write it down immediately. Of course, I'm an old fart, I'm sure none of you youngster's would forget. :roll:
SatinsRule
Well-known member
sammysue63":24fouu5g said:
I hear you. Better to put the nest box in and not need to, than to need to put the box in and not do so.
And it sounds like our experiences were very similar. Mother's Day will be 5 weeks to the day that Maryse pulled that little stunt, and like you, I just happened to be doing an early morning cleanup chore when I heard the bunnicle squeal. Despite her humble beginnings as a mom, Maryse has been a fantastic mom to those bunnicles, though. But how do they reward her? By crowding her away from her own feeder when the morning dose of Calf Manna arrives. :lol:
cereshill
Well-known member
Does are not actually "fertile" all the time; however breeding will bring on ovulation and likely result in pregnancy. The vulva color does serve as an indicator of receptiveness to the buck---again, white/light pink does can be bred...
Yes, all it takes is one intromission, however I like to see multiple matings and again breed an hour later---call it insurance!
Yes, all it takes is one intromission, however I like to see multiple matings and again breed an hour later---call it insurance!
ottersatin
Well-known member
I am of the opinion [From experience and plenty of reading,
that a Doe will not be receptive if the vulva is shriveled and pale in color.
I also find it to be a waste of time to bring the Doe back for re-breeding
after the first meeting. I allow the Buck to service the Doe at least twice
at that first meeting. The Doe is then returned to it's cage.
The Buck will be used later to service another Doe, why waste time and energy
re-breeding A Doe that for all intents and purposes is already bred?
To find this information you can Read "Rabbit Production" [Eighth Edition].
Hey, we all must do whatever we feel is necessary.
Ottersatin.ldtimer:
that a Doe will not be receptive if the vulva is shriveled and pale in color.
I also find it to be a waste of time to bring the Doe back for re-breeding
after the first meeting. I allow the Buck to service the Doe at least twice
at that first meeting. The Doe is then returned to it's cage.
The Buck will be used later to service another Doe, why waste time and energy
re-breeding A Doe that for all intents and purposes is already bred?
To find this information you can Read "Rabbit Production" [Eighth Edition].
Hey, we all must do whatever we feel is necessary.
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:
SatinsRule
Well-known member
Londa, my black satin doe, had an episode very recently which brought this entire thread back to my mind. 2 nights ago, I tried to get her to breed with Dan, my black buck. She would have none of it and nearly killed him because she wasn't, for lack of a better term, "in the mood". If I hadn't intervened when I did, my herd would have been minus its black herd buck. That's how serious it can get.
There's not a doubt in my mind that if I put her and Dan together at the right time, she will accept, but at times like right now, it just ain't happening. Had I walked away and come back to "check-in" with them later on, she would have mopped his cage with his bloodied carcass.
There's not a doubt in my mind that if I put her and Dan together at the right time, she will accept, but at times like right now, it just ain't happening. Had I walked away and come back to "check-in" with them later on, she would have mopped his cage with his bloodied carcass.
TJ Netherland Dwarfs
Member
Wow! I have never had a doe react that way toward a buck unless she was already pregnant. All I have ever had them do, is run around like crazy inside the bucks cage, and in that case, I don't feel like waiting around, so I table breed them. Watching the doe run around in circles while the buck chases drives me crazy so I cut out that step, if the doe isn't being receptive right away.
