Light- Does Intensity matter for breeding success?

[MuddyFarms]

I have always read that light length can really impact breeding, but I am curious how the intensity of the light might affect things. Have any of you noticed if increased intensity matters at all? Things like: adding a second light bulb in an area, or spring bringing brighter light, or moving rabbits outdoors with natural light, etc. Or even a situation where you still had length just fine, but the intensity was pretty low and it caused issues.

It might be hard to tell for sure, but I thought it could be interesting if anyone has noticed things in this topic.

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

This is something I've never considered! I've bred in bright, sunny daylight, as well as nearly pitch darkness at night. Never noticed any difference in willingness to breed nor conception between the two. My breeders are typically left together for an hour, so maybe I don't notice because they have so many opportunities to mate. This is something I will mark down for future breedings; maybe a pattern will emerge!

 

[MuddyFarms]

Sounds good! That will be interesting to know.

I thought about this recently because I have two does that have not been willing to breed. I have lights on a timer for 14 hours, but they are not especially bright. If they just need brighter light to counter the winter slump in breeding desire, that would be a relatively simple fix. It's just something I haven't read anything about!

What kind of light do your rabbits get?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

What kind of light do your rabbits get?

My rabbits are in the basement so they get normal house light, as well as a growing light that we have that is sometimes on

Russia lives upstairs and gets normal lamp light and natural light

 

[MuddyFarms]

My rabbits are in the basement so they get normal house light, as well as a growing light that we have that is sometimes on

Russia lives upstairs and gets normal lamp light and natural light

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

What kind of light do your rabbits get?

Outdoors, they just get the sunlight without supplemental lighting during the day. They have areas to go that would be almost completely dark if they need it, but they tend to sit in the sunshine whenever they get the chance. At night, we have a flood light of a cool temperature that is on a timer. There will be times without supplemental light at night for them. They seem happier when it's dimmer during the night.

When we have any rabbits inside, we keep the lights at a warm temperature (2000K) instead of a cooler temperature (6000K) light that we normally keep the house. We use smart bulbs, so we're fortunate to be able to do that. I suppose there are also near grow lights designed for plants when they're indoors as well. Those are also warm temperature lights. I don't really have a reason for the light temperature, but I think warmer light is probably easier on their eyes. I should also clarify that (how I'm using the term) light temperature is not referring to hot and cold here, just the color.

To add to my first comment, my breeding is normally done outdoors. I think I will breed the next pair indoors so I can note the exact light temperature. Very curious now for any trends!

 

[MuddyFarms]

I want to put up a quick update on the Rex does I had been trying to get bred for 11 days time. I have had two light bulbs on timers for 13 hours in my rabbitry this winter, but I decided to add more light due to some does not breeding.

Pair one: 6-month-old, 10LB, broken amber doe with an almost 7-month-old, 9LB buck.
Pair two: 5-month-old, 7.75LB, broken chocolate doe with a 6-month-old, 9LB buck.
Pair three: 1-year-old, 9LB, proven tri doe (has had two, large litters) with a 1-year-old, 9LB proven buck.

Feb. 8- Attempted breeding pairs one and two, three of them being first-timers (the broken amber may have had one fall-off the month before, but no litter), with does not lifting and bucks doing great regardless. Both does had light vulva color. Cleaned their scent glands and tried again that night, nothing different.

Feb. 9- Again, no lifting with either pair. Started feeding the bucks and does four drops of Wheat Germ Oil on some oats daily from here through the 16th. Hoped to correct any deficiency they might have had. During the summer they get willow as their fresh greens, so I wondered if they might have been lacking vitamins A and E since they don't have anything fresh to eat right now.

Feb. 13- Again, no lifting with either pair.

Feb. 14- Added a shop light on a timer set to 15 hours each day in their area. It's so much brighter with that, but still needed one more. Hoping the rabbits think it's spring!

Feb. 16- Added a second shop light on the timer at 15 hours each day.

Feb. 18- Success! The broken amber doe lifted nicely today (her vulva was finally a darker pink). Four fall-offs AM and four PM. The broken chocolate doe is on the bottom tier, and she likes to sit in the back where there is less light. No lifting from her (vulva light-pink and small).

Continuing on Feb. 18th- I decided to breed the proven tri doe since the broken chocolate didn't breed. Her vulva was dark pink/purplish. She would not cooperate at all. Had her in with the buck for a while, then took her out and cleaned her scent glands. Put her back in for a moment, nothing changed. Put her in her own cage for about 20-30 minutes. Took her back to the buck and she lifted immediately. Two fall-offs AM and three PM.

I don't know if it was more time, more light, more vitamins, or something else entirely that helped with the broken amber doe. We tried breeding her a month before this time, but she was very disinterested, may have had one fall-off, but never produced a litter. Just thought I would share this since I posted about light affecting breeding, added more light and vitamins, and then had rabbits breeding. I wasn't sure how long it would take more light to affect them- a few days or maybe a few weeks? It was only a few days after adding them that I had does breeding, but who knows what truly caused that.

 

[Cindy in SD]

I want to put up a quick update on the Rex does I had been trying to get bred for 11 days time. I have had two light bulbs on timers for 13 hours in my rabbitry this winter, but I decided to add more light due to some does not breeding.

Pair one: 6-month-old, 10LB, broken amber doe with an almost 7-month-old, 9LB buck.
Pair two: 5-month-old, 7.75LB, broken chocolate doe with a 6-month-old, 9LB buck.
Pair three: 1-year-old, 9LB, proven tri doe (has had two, large litters) with a 1-year-old, 9LB proven buck.

Feb. 8- Attempted breeding pairs one and two, three of them being first-timers (the broken amber may have had one fall-off the month before, but no litter), with does not lifting and bucks doing great regardless. Both does had light vulva color. Cleaned their scent glands and tried again that night, nothing different.

Feb. 9- Again, no lifting with either pair. Started feeding the bucks and does four drops of Wheat Germ Oil on some oats daily from here through the 16th. Hoped to correct any deficiency they might have had. During the summer they get willow as their fresh greens, so I wondered if they might have been lacking vitamins A and E since they don't have anything fresh to eat right now.

Feb. 13- Again, no lifting with either pair.

Feb. 14- Added a shop light on a timer set to 15 hours each day in their area. It's so much brighter with that, but still needed one more. Hoping the rabbits think it's spring!

Feb. 16- Added a second shop light on the timer at 15 hours each day.

Feb. 18- Success! The broken amber doe lifted nicely today (her vulva was finally a darker pink). Four fall-offs AM and four PM. The broken chocolate doe is on the bottom tier, and she likes to sit in the back where there is less light. No lifting from her (vulva light-pink and small).

Continuing on Feb. 18th- I decided to breed the proven tri doe since the broken chocolate didn't breed. Her vulva was dark pink/purplish. She would not cooperate at all. Had her in with the buck for a while, then took her out and cleaned her scent glands. Put her back in for a moment, nothing changed. Put her in her own cage for about 20-30 minutes. Took her back to the buck and she lifted immediately. Two fall-offs AM and three PM.

I don't know if it was more time, more light, more vitamins, or something else entirely that helped with the broken amber doe. We tried breeding her a month before this time, but she was very disinterested, may have had one fall-off, but never produced a litter. Just thought I would share this since I posted about light affecting breeding, added more light and vitamins, and then had rabbits breeding. I wasn't sure how long it would take more light to affect them- a few days or maybe a few weeks? It was only a few days after adding them that I had does breeding, but who knows what truly caused that.

Well, something prompts wild beasties to breed at the proper time of year. For poultry, one stimulus is definitely hours of light, so why not likewise in rabbits?

I just got my first several goose eggs of the year (fertilized already, too). Eagerly awaiting my spoken-for rabbits and meantime, learning lots of fascinating things by reading here.

 

[Charliehooks]

@MuddyFarms do you still run 15 hrs of light a day? How is it working for breeding?

 

[MuddyFarms]

@Charliehooks

I do still run light for 15hrs right now. One doe had too long of a break recently and got a bit overweight, so she has been refusing to breed. I have her on a bit of a diet for a week or two before trying again. Other than her, the rest of my does are doing well with breeding. I bred four does recently. One was unwilling for a couple days, but then bred easily. The others were all lifting sky-high and had no issue with breeding. Those does were very easy to get bred. I definitely think having the brighter light like I added is helping with the winter breeding. I haven't decided wether or not I will decrease the time by an hour or two, yet; I wanted to see how more breedings went with the 15 hours first.