New to rabbits and breeding... will he starve himself?

[hypnotist]

I'll try to get all info and and be brief.
Rabbits are kept in a large cage (size of back of full size pick up) and there is a separation between the 2. No problem seeing when she was not ready - wow. Then the other night she decided she was ready and jumped over to his side when I was feeding them.

So they breed. Finally.

This morning I go out to check the chickens and rabbits and find all the food and water bowls dumped over, fuzz balls of hair everywhere, and she was on HIS side of the cage. (hole chewed through top, but she'd never went over before... and already fixed)

So we put her back on her side, fix the hole, put more hay in there (they knocked that through the wire too) and refilled food and water.

PROBLEM: He immediately dug all the food out of his bowl till it was empty. I filled the bowl again, and he empties it before I even walk away. Just goes over and paws it all out every time I put some in. What???? Is he mad? Is this normal? Guess he'll be hungry tonight - am hoping he'll be hungry enough to eat in the morning after a cold night and 24 hours without food. Hoping he don't dump the water too.

Reason for his behavior? Anything I should do?

Now her behavior: Use to be, all she cared about was me picking her clover flowers and keeping his nose out of her side of the cage (he'd stick his nose over the partition when the lid was open for feeding and she'd box him a good one - every time. But now... now she's the one trying to put her nose over on his side. AND, as I already said, when she get's over there it's a big ol' fight.

BTW - I have no idea what I'm doing. These will be food rabbits but spoiled and well cared for until "it's time". This is her first time being breed. Don't even know at what age the bunnies will "find a new home" and cousin Doug will "bring us some rabbit meat"

Anything at all you could tell me, sites you'd suggest etc would be great. (So much conflicting info on the web, I thought I'd ask for some good/true stuff.

Thanks so much,
Ang

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Get a pie pan to put his food dish in. So when he decides to go stupid with his food, it will just fall to the pie pan and he can still eat it. <br /><br />__________ Tue Oct 30, 2012 8:10 pm __________<br /><br />I would make sure that the top of the cage is secure so she can't get her hormonal self over to his side any more as well.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree. Maybe some kind of a tray even larger than a pie pan. Put a clean rock in the water dish... makes it harder to dump.

If I understand correctly, the doe wanted to breed and jumped the barrier but now jumps the barrier to fight with the buck? A bit odd... Keep them separate and give the doe a nest box on Day 27 after first breeding. She'll probably calm down once she's had a litter or two.

 

[hypnotist]

Thank you so much - I ran and did just that. The rock in the water bowl seems to be working, but he won't leave a bit of food in his cage :-(

What should I do for a nesting box? I've been thinking about this. With winter and all, I want to give her a snuggley warm place with lots of soft bedding etc. But they poo and potty in their... well... everywhere. So How - well - does the wire cage need to be the bottom of the nesting box? Just straw so it dries faster? Not sure how to do this. I even went and bought a plastic (big) cat litter box with a top and nice entry way thinking that would work... but then I thought about the urine and poo problem.

 

[ladysown]

are you absolutely sure that he is a he and that she is a she?

For a doe to go over to a buck and pick a fight is unusual. BUT does have been known to go after other does...and that scrabbling behaviour is indicative of a doe not a buck.

 

[hypnotist]

Well, I saw the boy's "thing" this summer. He'd lay there and let it hang out.
A breeder sold the other one saying it was a girl. And we did see them look as if they were breeding.
It's as if she decided one day that breeding time was here and want's to keep going over there. But as soon as she's done, he better stay faaaarrrrr away or she really goes after him. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to understand that. But I guess I don't really know if she's a girl, she kicks like mad if I try to pick her up. *Holds out arms to show everyone the scratches*

I should add... he let's her over on his side, but she don't even let him LOOK at her side.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

Long-sleeved denim or heavier shirt, and work gloves for you, a towel to wrap around "missy". Once you get her settled, either on a table or in your lap, turn her over, keeping the towel wrapped around torso and head and front feet. Hold her hind feet together in one hand, then either with other hand, or getting someone else's help, mash (with 2 fingers in like a peace sign) on both sides of the bit in front of her anus - if she's really a he, a penis will pop forward, if not, you'll just see a slit. Towels are great for keeping yourself unscarred, also works for doctoring sick animals, even cats!

 

[hypnotist]

Thanks, I will do that
I was just looking at the pictures showing girls and boys too. But I read on a thread that the boy is suppose to pass out if they breed. I haven't seen him pass out yet. So maybe they didn't get the job done?

 

[Miss M]

So maybe they didn't get the job done?

Or maybe you have two does, and what you're seeing is a dominance display. It looks just like mating, but with no falling off. Does do it to bucks and to other does, to show them who's boss. I had a doe who used to do it to our cat. :roll:

If your buck really is a buck, but has never fallen off of the doe, there's a good chance she wouldn't let him breed her. Give her the nestbox anyway, though.

 

[hypnotist]

Thanks

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thanks, I will do that
I was just looking at the pictures showing girls and boys too. But I read on a thread that the boy is suppose to pass out if they breed. I haven't seen him pass out yet. So maybe they didn't get the job done?

Hypnotist, welcome to Rabbittalk! :welcomewagon:

Now, as to your rabbits, the bucks don't actually "pass out", they just tense up and fall over, either backwards or to the side. They may lay there for a second or two, but they will get up pretty quick. If you did not see that, then they likely did not complete the act, but does have been known to get pregnant when the buck did not actually fall off. So, I would say, check to make sure your SHE is a SHE and your HE is a HE. Once you verify that, put a nest box in on day 27 or so from the first time you tried breeding them. Or, if you see her gathering hay in her mouth or pulling fur.

Could you post a picture of your cage setup? That may help us to understand better what is going on.

 

[hypnotist]

Sure, I'll get a picture asap, good idea (I should be getting an updated phone in the next few days and it will be my first order of business

I'm going to go look around this site to see what a nesting box looks like.

 

[curlysue]

I would get metal feeders as soon as possible,some rabbits insist on scratching feed out of bowels.you can place a board under the bowl.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi Hypnotist!

If and when you tame your wild alleged-doe, this post will help you determine when she is ready to breed:

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

What should I do for a nesting box? I even went and bought a plastic (big) cat litter box with a top and nice entry way thinking that would work... but then I thought about the urine and poo problem.

That may work. Most does do not soil the nestbox, but if it is too large they will. Ideally, they should only have about an inch of clearance on either side of them, and a few inches front to back. When I prepare a nest for a doe, I put a handful or two of pelleted pine horse bedding in the bottom and then add a couple of inches of pine shavings and shredded brown paper (I use the brown paper grocery bags or feed bags and run them through our document shredder), and then give her plenty of grass hay or straw to gather and add to the nest. You can put the hay directly in the box, but I think it is fun to watch them gather it and think it stimulates their mothering instincts, so I usually put only a small amount of hay in the actual nest.

Avoid buying cedar shavings. They contain high amounts of volatile oils which can cause respiratory problems and may damage the liver and/or kidneys.

Good luck on your bunny venture! I hope you will soon have a nest full of wiggly kits to play with.

 

[Secuono]

I have does that fight with bucks and bucks that fight with does, totally normal if they are being territorial.

Stop feeding him so much, just feed him a little in the AM, if he dumps it, who cares. Wait until the next day and give him the same small amount. Eventually he will eat and not screw around. When he's eating it all up regularly, start adding more food to how much he should be eating. If he goes back to dumping, feed him less.

A nest can be a big shoe box, cat crate half, really anything. Hay or straw is all that's needed.

 

[mystang89]

A nest can be a big shoe box, cat crate half, really anything. Hay or straw is all that's needed.

Unless you have my cali in which case anything not made from Adamantium will be torn down, tramped on and made into a trampoline.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

A nest can be a big shoe box, cat crate half, really anything. Hay or straw is all that's needed.

Unless you have my cali in which case anything not made from Adamantium will be torn down, tramped on and made into a trampoline.

:rotfl:

 

[hypnotist]

Thank you guys
I got my new camera, and first thing I took pictures.
I'd LOVE to have the rabbits on the ground running around in the grass, but thought they dig under the fence. How do you stop that? Can I build a fenced in yard for them to live in?

I'm going to try to upload pics, fingers crossed.

 

[NatureBunsRabbitry]

Just thought I'd throw this out there. I have a doe that as soon as the buck successfully breeds her she wants nothing more to do with him. She will attack him repeatedly if I try to put them together while she's already bred. When she's not bred, she'll immediately assume the position for him, but he better high tail it outta there as soon as he's done, or else!