How to get more doe kits than buck kits?

[Diamond]

Any old wives' tales on how to get more doe kits in your litters? Most of my litters run 70% bucks on average. I had ONE red doe give me 7 does and 3 bucks (she's a keeper!) out of a litter of 12 (lost 2 in the first week).

I know folks put a lot of effort into this when trying to have children, do you think any of it corresponds to rabbits?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

LOL, nope. Taking Anatomy and Physiology I and II have smashed most old wives tales for me.

The reality is it is based primarily on the male. All males are XY, all females are XX. From the doe, a kit gets an X, then the sire donates either an X (making the kit female) or a Y (making the kit male). If your buck is siring predominantly one gender, that's the chromosomes he's donating. The doe has no say in the matter, LOL. Temperature, seasons, whatever, no effect. It's almost just a flip of the coin...while heads and tails are 50-50 with each flip, if you flipped a coin 100 times you are NOT likely to get exactly 50 heads or 50 tails.

So it's partially your buck(s), and partially luck. Hard to tell without genetically researching your rabbits which is the predominant factor.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

some people swear by ACV upping doe-buck count in rabbits and goats.

some people swear by breeding by the moon. {thread I started on that a while back: breeding-by-moon-phases-t6059.html?hilit=breeding by moon phases }

i'm sure there is more but I cant think of them right now.
good luck. be sure and come back and tell us if any seem to work for you!

 

[Sinnfox]

I think there might be a way...but it probably sounds silly um try housing the buck where he thinks there are no does...like can't smell them or see them or anything. If possible surround him in other bucks instead of does. Make him think their is a girl shortage, and it should make his instincts force him to throw more does. survival of the species kinda instinct. the reverse if you decide you want more bucks. Granted its mostly just a theory I have but it seems to work for me ~shrug~ I keep one buck to throw bucks and one to throw does depending on which I think I need more of...the one to throw does is surrounded in the bucks that are growing out >.> It could be a coincidence that it has been working though. <br /><br />__________ Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:26 pm __________<br /><br />oh...and it takes a little bit to kick in...isn't a right away thing...buck has to realize there aren't any girls and let his body try to adjust to throw them instead. once he is switched to throwing does he should throw mostly does if kept in that set up..but um it's how I do it anyway ....> I'm gonna go hide cause i feel silly ..>.>

 

[Zab]

Sinnfox: may be a coincidence but sounds logical enough that Id like someone to make a good test. Hmmmm... my to-be-breeding buck is housed where theres more bucks...

 

[dayna]

Find a buck that throws mostly does. If I have a buck producing way to many males either rabbit or goat, the animal finds a new home or gets eaten.

I bred my goat to a buck that has thrown almost 100% does in the last 5 years. And I had three does born.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

There is a genetic tie in to the numbers of male/female sperm produced. Cattle breeders look for bulls that have higher proportions of female calves when they are breeding natural cover ( As opposed to AI where the sperm can be separated in favor of X vs Y) I Know of several sheep breeders who swear by ACV-- the idea bein, the female swimmers survive an acidic environment better than the males do. So, conceivably (pun intended) one can focus a breeding program on producing higher percentages of one sex over another...

 

[LauraNJ]

some people swear by ACV upping doe-buck count in rabbits and goats.

some people swear by breeding by the moon. {thread I started on that a while back: breeding-by-moon-phases-t6059.html?hilit=breeding by moon phases }

i'm sure there is more but I cant think of them right now.
good luck. be sure and come back and tell us if any seem to work for you!

My one son is really into the universe and space. He is planning on being on the Mars mission in 20 something or other. I bred my does on the new moon to see what I would get.

Ironically, he said something about it could be true because the gravitational pull from a new moon is more force than normal or something.

When I mentioned it to my dd who is premed she agreed and quoted some study about a new moon more females. So, maybe there is a little bit of truth to it. Wouldn't bet on it but it is fun to see.

I haven't tried sexing kits yet, I may try this weekend, I thought it would be an interesting experiment.

 

[MKirst]

I dunno, but, if anyone knows how to get more bucks than does let me know. I'm lucky if I even get a buck with a breeding. Or at least that's how my first year of breeding rabbits has turned out. :?

And the few bucks I did get over the past year were not showable for one reason or another.

 

[desertcat]

I was going to say we were getting more bucks than does...and then I pulled up the records. Granted, it's only 4 litters, but we're running 10 does, 11bucks out of 21 kits.

 

[stone soup farm]

I'm gonna go hide cause i feel silly ..>.>

You made me smile!

If it works for you no need to hide. Statistically, more boy babies are born in times of war. Kind of along the lines of thought you have with need more does and there are way to many bucks around here.

__________ Sat Jul 20, 2013 1:08 pm __________

This post has made me chuckle. I love all the comments and sometimes there is truth or magic to the old wives tales. What does it hurt to try one thing at a time from the suggestions and see what works. You just can't try them all at once otherwise you won't know which one it was. You will end up giving ACV while keeping a buck next to other bucks and waiting to breed on a new moon or full moon, etc.

Best of luck on the doe situation. If all else fails then get a new buck. Or you could save one from all the ones he is producing and see if it is genetic.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I think I'm going to have to put my bucks inside to cool off when I want to start breeding again, so I'll try the housing the bucks together away from the girls thing. Sounds logical from a biological standpoint. I'll have to try it both ways and compare results.