How fertile are bucks?

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CO Int

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Location
Pretoria, South Africa
I got my buck at 6 months and have been patiently waiting for him to grow up - ok - only three months so it wasn't forever. He is a very consistent 3kg/6.5#. He's not fat and is healthy although he has the odd flareup of pasteurella now and again. He didn't at time of the breeding though.

I only have this buck and two does. I wanted to the does to kindle together in case I had problems (I was expecting issues with one).

It's summer here and can get hot during the day so I bred them around 7am when it's still nice and cool.

I bred him to a first time doe on the Saturday morning. He had his required 3 fall offs and she had lifted for him every time. She kindled 6 kits.
I bred him to the second doe on Sunday morning and he had a whopping 5 fall offs in about 15 minutes (she also lifted for him every time). I removed her after that as he was still game but I was worried about a heart attack! She only ended up kindling one kit.

I bought the second doe pregnant from a different buck and she kindled 6 healthy kits 11 weeks ago. I'm disappointed that she only kindled one kit this time.

Did I ask to much of him to breed 2 girls in 24 hours?
 
Well that's good news for the buck but not great for the doe.

I didn't think too fat would be an issue so soon - especially with her just having weaned a litter.

This is the one thing where I'm getting stuck. I cannot tell how a rabbit should feel that is in proper condition.

I've watched videos and the place where I bought them did allow me to feel a few but none were in good condition (I was told they were too thin).
The descriptions I can find on the internet are very vague. Some say you shouldn't feel sharp edges. Others talk about a "pocket full of pens and not pocket full of rulers" but I struggle to feel the ribs - even on the thin ones.

I think I understand what too thin feels like but it's how to tell what is too fat that's my issue.

Any help would be much appreciated!
 
If you run your hand over the backbone area [top of the rabbit] it should not feel smooth.
You should be able to clearly feel the top of the vertebrae points.[with gentle pressure]
If the vertebrae points are sticking up a quarter inch or more, the rabbit needs to gain weight.
Keeping a doe "breeding", and "weaning kits", is the best way to avoid excess hidden internal fat.
Adjusting feed amounts and calories, is more effective for weight control [in breeding does]
than waiting a long time between breedings.
 
Thank you so much. That makes a huge difference knowing what to feel for!

I took everyone out yesterday and ran my hands all over them and the backbone is very smooth and is some cases it actually dips away leaving a little groove with the muscles being higher than the vertebrae. I definitely couldn't feel the spinal processes on any of them - I'm going have to adjust my feeding on the younger ones and keep breeding the older ones until their condition improves.

One thing I did notice because it was so obvious is that I felt no spine until I got to the rump (in the picture below I drew a yellow line) - they were so clear to feel I could count them - including the point of hip.

Should that area not also be well covered in muscle? Three rabbits had a smooth curve with the processes not being so obvious but the others had nothing.

rabbit-conformation.jpg


Is this a genetic issue that can be improved with selection or do rabbit naturally not have any muscle there?
 
I got my buck at 6 months and have been patiently waiting for him to grow up - ok - only three months so it wasn't forever. He is a very consistent 3kg/6.5#. He's not fat and is healthy although he has the odd flareup of pasteurella now and again. He didn't at time of the breeding though.

I only have this buck and two does. I wanted to the does to kindle together in case I had problems (I was expecting issues with one).

It's summer here and can get hot during the day so I bred them around 7am when it's still nice and cool.

I bred him to a first time doe on the Saturday morning. He had his required 3 fall offs and she had lifted for him every time. She kindled 6 kits.
I bred him to the second doe on Sunday morning and he had a whopping 5 fall offs in about 15 minutes (she also lifted for him every time). I removed her after that as he was still game but I was worried about a heart attack! She only ended up kindling one kit.

I bought the second doe pregnant from a different buck and she kindled 6 healthy kits 11 weeks ago. I'm disappointed that she only kindled one kit this time.

Did I ask to much of him to breed 2 girls in 24 hours?
Stress and multiple other factors can vary litter size, sometimes my Flemish had 4 sometimes it was 22! It was probably something with the Doe, I've bred a buck to 3 does in 1 day and all had large litters, I know some people do more, I'd assume the Doe had been spooked or something
 
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