No kits

[home*sweet*home]

We have colony with 3 does and 1 buck. I was worried when we decided to go the colony route that we would be overwhelmed with kits. Noone has had any babies yet. Noone is even pg and it has been all summer they were together.

Our weather was over 100 most of the summer and I read that bucks are infertile when it is that hot. It has cooled off the last several weeks and still nothing. Could the heat have made him permanantly sterile? He has father two litters so far (before the colony). The does have all had kits before (one has only had one litter and they were two still births and peanut that lived 5 days.)

They seem super happy and they go in the hutch some, but mostly hang out outside. They have made a few holes (which we have checked to make sure kits did not get born that we did not know about.

They are all molting, could this be the issue? (I know my chickens dont lay well when they molt.

Thank you!

 

[MaggieJ]

Certainly the extreme heat this summer could have made the buck sterile. Usually this is temporary, but recovery times vary and it is not unknown for the sterility to be permanent. Young bucks seem to retain their fertility better than older bucks. If you have a second buck, you could try pulling out the one in the colony and see if they do better with a different one.

Moulting might delay things a bit more. Some rabbits seem less than usually interested in breeding when in the process of moulting.

 

[home*sweet*home]

Certainly the extreme heat this summer could have made the buck sterile. Usually this is temporary, but recovery times vary and it is not unknown for the sterility to be permanent. Young bucks seem to retain their fertility better than older bucks. If you have a second buck, you could try pulling out the one in the colony and see if they do better with a different one.

Moulting might delay things a bit more. Some rabbits seem less than usually interested in breeding when in the process of moulting.

Thank you. He is our only buck and he is just about a year old.

I am amazed at thow they all get along. They are like a family. They clean each other, they cuddle together. If he is let out, he will eat a little grass for a minute and then runs across the yard to the colony and tries to get in. It is so cute.

Maybe when the molt is done the girls will think he is handsome again. (We had thought about showing him at the fair, but he looks horrible! Maybe next year.

 

[MaggieJ]

One thing you might try is tweaking their diet. Vitamins A and E are vital for breeding success and for interest in breeding. If they are able to graze on lots of leafy plants like dandelions, chicory, clover etc. then they are likely getting plenty of Vitamin A. Grass is not enough, so if the colony is grazed down, cut some extra weeds and throw them in.

Vitamin E can be supplied by feeding a little wheat germ or wheat germ oil or giving them small quantities of black oil sunflower seeds. The usual amounts are 2 teaspoons of wheat germ or 5-6 drops of wheat germ oil per rabbit per day for about 2 weeks. Because you are dealing with a colony, it is likely easier just to give them a good handful of the sunflower seeds daily.

Adding some real apple cider vinegar to their water (2 Tablespoons per gallon) may also help.

These are things that some people have found helpful and in any case they will not harm the rabbits.

 

[home*sweet*home]

Well, a little update! ALL THREE DOES are pregnant. I was on vacation and my daughter (her rabbits) told me. They started putting fur in the boxes (two have, the other hasnt yet). So I guess we are getting close. They used to spend the whole day outside (they love this cool weather) but they are spending more and more time in the hutch.