Flemish Giant doe doesn't want to lift!!!

[RachelleM]

I purchased Gigi (doe) and Mad Max (buck) in June, locally. The previous owner said she was able to successfully breed Gigi twice, but for the life of me I can't get her to give it up!! I put her in with Max and she simply doesn't lift. I tried assisting and lifting her hips for her, but she pins her tail down. When she did that, I tried - only twice - to reach back and lift her tail also, but Max ended up mating with my hand instead, and I'd rather not go through that experience again... After that I tried table breeding a few times. Then putting them in an outdoor pen for a few hours. She just doesn't want anything to do with the situation lol.

I've been breeding for a little over a year, mostly with Californians, Dutches, and Satins. I've had a few does who were picky about their bucks, and refused to mate with the ones they didn't like. Since I only have one FG buck, I can't really test this theory on Gigi; but I'm wondering if she doesn't like him, or if it's something else. I tried breeding her to my other bucks also, just to see if she's being picky - but she didn't lift for them either.

This summer was pretty warm, and I had a gal in the store tell me that they don't breed well in the heat (makes sense). But now I have another gal telling me they only breed in the spring. ALL of my other rabbits will breed no matter what the temperature is - I've successfully bred during winter and summer (except for the hottest months, because that would just be cruel). Everybunny is under a carport shelter, which is boarded up during the winter and opened up during the summer.

Gigi is almost 4 years old, turning 4 in January. She's healthy and not over or underweight.

What can I do to breed her??? Should I just get another buck? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Dood]

I have one picky doe - I "tease" her with her prefered male who does a lot of courting behaviour and doesn't get straight to business He gets her "in the mood" then I pull him out and put in the buck I want to be the father the kits.

But your doe doesn't seem interested in anybody :shrug:

Have you been checking her vulva for readiness to breed?

If so and she never looks ready then her peak cycle might not be working and she will never lift voluntarily

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Are you boys very affectionate? My SF will spend a bit grooming them (before, between and after) and my holland is a bit more 'go get 'em' like Dood was saying. Perhaps if all your boys are like the latter they're annoying her?

And during the cold months most rabbits don't like breeding. So if it's been very cold or dark she could simply not be in the mood at the time.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I tried - only twice - to reach back and lift her tail also, but Max ended up mating with my hand instead, and I'd rather not go through that experience again...

:lol: Use one hand to lift her hindquarters, grab her by the scruff with the other and pull her skin forward toward her head, and voila! Up goes the tail.

Good luck getting her bred... it is always frustrating when you have a difficult doe.

This thread might help you, since it discusses tips on getting rabbits "in the mood":

judging-a-doe-s-readiness-and-breeding-tips-t9869.html

 

[Homer]

:yeahthat:

Had the same problem with one of my F.Gs. Put her in with the buck and she'd suck down to the floor for all she was worth.

Her's what I would do and it worked every time.

Set her in the hutch and the buck would try to get her up but it wasn't going to happen. Push, nip the whole routine but she wasn't moving.

Move her into the middle of the hutch, (so he doesn't fall out when the deed is done), with her head to your left. Take your right arm and slide it under her right in front of the back legs, hold her head down with your left hand. Apply the "bunny jack" (raise her back end) , slide your left hand back over her shoulders and grab a hand full of fur, slide it toward her head. Tail will pop up...

You got to be kind of fast though because he is. Be ready to catch our buck if he falls off toward the open hutch door.

Kits in 32 days.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You might want to wear gloves and a heavy shirt too- the buck might bite you instead of her by accident.

 

[RachelleM]

Thank you all for the info and advice

Dood - unfortunately no, she doesn't show interest at all. I have been checking her for readiness and she seems to always be "ready" lol, nice dark pink, and off-and-on engorged. I'm familiar with signs of readiness too, at least with my other gals; are FG's any different?

CochinBrahmaLover - Max is affectionate, and honestly kind of dur-de-durr lol... He sees her, goes in for a kiss and a little facial/ear grooming, and when she runs away he just kinda watches her and waits for her to stop, then starts the lovies again. He doesn't take long to get on though, he lets her know he's not going to hurt her and when she seems calm he goes in for the goal, for lack of better terms :mrgreen: My chocolate Dutch takes his merry time lol - he likes to groom for a long time, which she likes that, but she doesn't let him mount either. I have a Satin buck who's more to-the-point and tries to get it done quick, but she's not into that either. :? It has been cold the last month or so, but it was warm over the summer, mostly in the 90's and reaching a little over 100 for a few days. I didn't try breeding in August and for the first 2 weeks into September because I knew it would be too hot, and I know I wouldn't want to be pregnant during those temps lol!

MamaSheepdog - lol bless you for your laughing face, cracked me up I'll try the scruff the next time I attempt to breed her I will also wear gloves next time, hadn't considered the possibility of being bit.

Homer - Thank you for that advice, perhaps it will save my hand the embarrassment of getting bred lol

On a side note, I'm a little frustrated (actually a LOT frustrated) - I have her listed on craigslist for a possible trade, and I received an email from a gal stating she has the EXACT same pedigree as my Gigi. How disappointing :evil: I'm no expert with pedigrees, but I'd never cut that kind of shortcut and simply hand out copies of one pedigree for multiple rabbits. So now I'm not even sure if I have "Golden Girl" as my pedigree says. Ugh :storm-cloud:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

MamaSheepdog - lol bless you for your laughing face, cracked me up

I had to laugh because I have "been there, done that" trying to hand breed, and the eww factor is something I don't want to experience again. I wasn't laughing at you, but with you, lol!

I have enough rabbits that I don't normally "assist" them in any way, but for those really difficult to breed does the above technique works very well.

 

[Dood]

I received an email from a gal stating she has the EXACT same pedigree as my Gigi. How disappointing

Ummm ... Every kit from breeding Doe X to Buck Y will have the exact same pedigree as they are all full brothers and sisters just like you and your siblings have the same family tree.

If a doe has 6 litters of 8 kits a year for 5 years you'd end up with 240 rabbits all with the same pedigree.

 

[RachelleM]

MamaSheepdog - definitely laughing with!!!

Dood - you're right, but the problem is that our pedigrees both list the same names/birthdates/genders. So the name on my doe's pedigree reads "Golden Girl" (the rabbit being sold to me), her gender is the same, and her birthdays are the same... Essentially, someone photocopied a pedigree and sold a rabbit under the same information. Looking at it closer too, I can't make out any ink prints on the paper, so mine is definitely a copy of something else.

Another side note on the gal emailing me, she said she's still in contact with the last known owner of Golden Girl - this gal had loaned her buck to Golden Girl's owner, and she just had a litter not too long ago. So my doe is definitely NOT Golden Girl :evil:

 

[Sagebrush]

I hate to say it but I think she passed off a cull on you. One who is probably passed her prime.

 

[RachelleM]

Well crap :groooan:

I guess that would make sense, but that friggin sucks.