first timers

[coffeenutdesigns]

Uuugh. Out of my 4 main does and 2 bucks only one buck and doe are experienced. My 4 first timers are making me question all my life choices. They are a little remedial in figuring out what goes where when. I was trying to have 2 does bred at a time, but one already bred doe is acting all hot and bothered, making me wonder if she took 2 weeks ago. One doe today was eager and willing and the buck finally seemed to get the hang of it, but the 2nd doe was not very cooperative at all. Hopefully she'll change her mind in the next day or 2.

I really hope I can get each doe pair to kindle close to each other considering their first time status. They don't seem to share my goals for them, though.

 

[Miss M]

Isn't it supposed to be easy? After all, rabbits multiply like rabbits, right? :tomato:

I hope they all get it together for you soon!

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I should drive them down some back roads and give them cheap tequila.
:mrgreen: :lol: :twisted:

 

[dangerbunny]

I hear ya! I'm giving upon my young buck for a bit, he still lacks enthusiasm, I'm all "come on! get with the program!" and he's all "can I haz a carrot and why is this lady chasing me?"

 

[akane]

I had 6 does give birth for the first time and only 2 used the nestbox. 1 laid out 5 dead kits in a row in the nestbox nice and neat. :roll: The other pulled no fur but it's so hot it doesn't really matter. The kits are all spread out laying splayed on their bellies in the box trying to keep cool. The rest had 2-4 kits in corners. 1 scattered the nest and killed the kits before I could move them in to a box. 1 failed to feed them after I moved them.

Then I have 2 inexperienced does in cages I wanted bred before the heat hit. Syd though decided to be lazy and not breed despite the doe being all over him. He tried once but she didn't know to lift her tail and he gave up. I left them together over a weekend in a double cage so 8'x30" and he seems to have gotten the job done. He was much more eager when I put the 2nd doe in but the day had been hot and it seems to have thrown her out of condition because she turned on him. Luckily my husband was standing right there and grabbed her before she did more than pull a tuft of fur. She was all eager for breeding a couple days ago when it was cool.

Thus the fun of establishing a rabbit herd. Luckily it does get easier. Once I got my meat mutts going with litters they started producing up to 16 a litter and raising them all. My netherlands steadily produce litters like clockwork in their little pen with 1 buck and 3 does after several dead litters the first time.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

One of the NZ does was not impressed by the whole breeding process. The buck covered her once in the morning and once in the evening, but I'm not entirely sure that was effective because she wasn't very cooperative. I think my little Cali buck who was clueless two weeks ago may have figured out what he's doing. I guess I'll find out in a month. My young Cali doe who is dense brick of a bun is not happy with being palpated and I'm not very good at it, so I guess I'll know about her is 2-3 weeks (her mother went well past her due date). I'm going to just call this round the "preseason" to give my players some practice time and see what they got, lol. Practice for the real thing later when I want to look for keepers to breed up my NZs.<br /><br />__________ Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:36 am __________<br /><br />

I hear ya! I'm giving upon my young buck for a bit, he still lacks enthusiasm, I'm all "come on! get with the program!" and he's all "can I haz a carrot and why is this lady chasing me?"

That was my cali buck a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to get started. He's a little more interested now, but he was more interested in cuddling than baby making. :roll:

 

[dangerbunny]

He's 6 months old, how long did it take your buck to "get it"?

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Mine is closer to 7 months, but not quite.