skysthelimit
Well-known member
I know I read somewhere, what the life span of a meat doe was. If I continue to rebreed 14 days after kindling, and she produces 7+ live kits, what is the expected life span of my doe?
ChickiesnBunnies":1i80g4f1 said:I'd think 2wks is extreme. I wait until the kits are 4-5wks, depending on the does temperament and if the kits are still nursing a lot and how much solids they eat.
From what I've read on the large producer sites and such, does are kept only 3-4 years before they are replaced. So not very long at all. Plus all that stress, can't be good.
akane":3pca2hoc said:2 week breed back is pretty standard for commercial meat rabbit production but they probably don't keep their does for as long as they will produce. Only as long as they will produce the best. Kind of like chickens. They only keep them 1 or 2 years because they produce the most eggs before they turn 3 and then the number becomes steadily less. Rabbits probably produce a lot longer than chickens though.
Mine get bred back immediately in colony and none are skinny. My creme d'argent has had a litter of 8-12 near monthly for 2 years now and is 3 1/2 in great condition. She just popped out a record 16 after a 1 month break. She hates taking breaks. I have to force her and she becomes a hormonal pest about it. My champagne d'argent is slightly older and been in colony slightly longer and she's only had a few moments where she lost condition. Mostly during weather extremes and did fine once supplemented.
Many people on the 45 day schedule (breeding 2 weeks after kindling) keep their does for 3 years or less. And they're always replacing their breeding stock with the pick of the litters and continuously improving their breeders. So 3 years or less is about right for optimal production.skysthelimit":2kad1g5h said:I know I read somewhere, what the life span of a meat doe was. If I continue to rebreed 14 days after kindling, and she produces 7+ live kits, what is the expected life span of my doe?
SterlingSatin":17d2f6gz said:as she gets older her litter sizes will start to decrease, most meat breeders i've talked to don't breed much past the 4th or 5th birthday because the does productivity decreases. on an intensive breeding schedule like what your talking about, her life span will probably be a bit shortened, but it depends on how strong the doe is. i would say you could breed her like that up until her 4th birthday, or if her litter sizes are still consistent, her 5th. then take her out of production. but again, it depends on the doe. keep good records of her litter sizes and keep breeding until her litter sizes start to decrease obviously
AZ Rabbits":1lai96ee said:And despite what people are saying on here, the 45 day breeding program is not extreme. Extensive studies have been done with this breeding program which resulted in showing both the mother and kits in great health in this breeding program. However, always watch your does. There have been rare occurrences where I gave a doe an extra week or two before breeding because I felt they needed it. This doesn't happen often and when it does, it's usually once a year. The good, strong, meat producers don't require that. So really, the answer to your question depends on your stock. If you have bad stock, this may be a lot. If you have good stock, it's no problem.
MamaSheepdog":1lai96ee said:You might be able to sell the older does to someone just starting up. They would get an experienced doe of good quality and smaller litter sizes might be right for them until they gain experience. I wonder if there are some does that may taper off in litter sizes but still produce a lot of milk? They would be good to keep as fosters... I was thinking of culling mine for meat, but that will be a hard thing to do after having a relationship that spans several years.
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