Question

[MarshaB022]

I have a question, I have either a Standard or American Chinchilla rabbit (Buck) and a Mini Rex (Doe) and my mom and I want to breed the two, but I’m not sure it it’ll be safe to breed the two or not. Can someone please help me before we do, I don’t wanna do it and then my female dies.

 

[ladysown]

the buck should be no more than 2 lbs heavier than the doe. Some mini rex are 6 lbs some chin bucks are only 8 lbs. That combination would work.

 

[MarshaB022]

the buck should be no more than 2 lbs heavier than the doe. Some mini rex are 6 lbs some chin bucks are only 8 lbs. That combination would work.

I’m not sure how much my doe is, she doesn’t like being handled much, but I’m pretty sure that my buck is between 7 or 8 lbs. Would it still be same to breed them even if the doe is a little under 6lbs? I mean she’s fully grown, she’s five. I’m not sure if that contributes to anything. This is Hope, in the picture, and my chin will be in the other one. This is an earlier picture of Bucky, that shows his whole body. I got him from my a family friend back in March or May of last year.

 

[MarshaB022]

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Do you not have a thing to weight them with?

 

[MarshaB022]

Do you not have a thing to weight them with?

We have a scale for people, I’ve weighted my buck on it before. But my doe (Hope) won’t even let me pick her up, let alone weight her.

 

[MarshaB022]

Do you not have a thing to weight them with?

What I’m asking though is if she weighs less than he does by three our four pounds would it hurt her? Like would she have a hard to having the kits?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Hmm... Well the only way I can think of involves some math
I've used this before when trying to weigh my cats

Weight yourself on the scale. Remember that number or right it down, then weight yourself again holding the buck, and see how much it goes up. The difference is how much the Buck weighs.
For the Doe, try holding her in a towel or a crate, then take the total weight minus your weight and minus the weight on the crate

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

What I’m asking though is if she weighs less than he does by three our four pounds would it hurt her? Like would she have a hard to having the kits?

Probably, I dont have rabbits with major size differences but one of my Does has had a big kit that took her a while to pass

 

[MarshaB022]

Probably, I dont have rabbits with major size differences but one of my Does has had a big kit that took her a while to pass

I wanna say Hope is anywhere between 4-5 pounds, but she had recently lost an older baby of hers, named Chicka. So she might not eating as much as she did, but her bowls empty almost everyday. Now my buck (Bucky), last time I weighed him, I think he was almost 8 pounds or close to 8.

 

[ladysown]

I would not breed those two rabbits together.

 

[ladysown]

Did you say your doe was five? Has she been a mother before? If not, why would you start breeding her at five? that's a bit late in life for her to start.

 

[MarshaB022]

Did you say your doe was five? Has she been a mother before? If not, why would you start breeding her at five? that's a bit late in life for her to start.

Yes she has had kits before, but she had recently lost one of her kits (She was about two, the one she lost) about a month or two ago now. I’m afraid she may be a bit underweight from being depressed about losing her. But she still eats though.

 

[ladysown]

Don't breed any animals that are in less than ideal health.

 

[MarshaB022]

Don't breed any animals that are in less than ideal health.

I know, but she isn’t underweight, she’s eating. What I’m trying to ask is it okay to breed the two even if she’s about 4 1/2 to 5 lbs?

 

[MaggieJ]

I know, but she isn’t underweight, she’s eating. What I’m trying to ask is it okay to breed the two even if she’s about 4 1/2 to 5 lbs?

I wouldn't do it. A small buck and a large doe, sure. But not the other way around. Why take chances with her well-being?

 

[MarshaB022]

I wouldn't do it. A small buck and a large doe, sure. But not the other way around. Why take chances with her well-being?

I’m just asking, I thought it was fine if the doe is two pounds lighter than the buck.

 

[Jackrabbit]

5 is too old for your doe, and delivery might be hard since the buck is big, I raise rabbits and goats and with my goats I NEVER breed “Big” bucks. That just leads to hard delivery’s for first time moms and old moms.

 

[MarshaB022]

5 is too old for your doe, and delivery might be hard since the buck is big, I raise rabbits and goats and with my goats I NEVER breed “Big” bucks. That just leads to hard delivery’s for first time moms and old moms.

Okay, I didn’t know that there was a certain age to stop though.

 

[KelleyBee]

I agree with everyone who has said not to do this. It is not in the best interest of your doe at this stage of her life. One of the things I tell my granddaughter while working with the rabbits is that it is very easy to apply human type thinking to their thinking and this is more often than not a mistake. Instead, it’s best to apply “in the wild” type thinking and you can do this only through thorough reading (studying) of the animal species you are raising.