Rabbits Not Producing because of molt???

[minirexman]

I posted this before but I think in the wrong place lol
I have a serious question... I am new to Florida so the hot summers are new to me. But in Ohio I would breed all year long. I have raised rabbits for 16yrs. I have bred multiple does multiple times and they are not producing. Several different bucks involved as well. Also I am not talking about a few does. I am talking about 60+ with a combination of 10 different bucks. All does willingly bred. Some even built nests right on time. But not a single doe produced a single baby. Local breeders here tell me its because of our temperature change. That when a rabbit is molting it will not produce? To me that sounds crazy but what do I know??? Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Dood]

Sounds weird to me as mine still produce when moulting, now my chickens and quail slow down in egg production when in moult, maybe that's where they got the idea ?

Could the Bucks still be suffering heat sterility?

 

[Nymphadora]

Could the Bucks still be suffering heat sterility?

I've had does that are still somewhat in their molts produce babies, so my vote is for heat sterility, as well. :shrug:

 

[MaggieJ]

Hi minirexman and welcome to RabbitTalk.

Just a couple of suggestions to help you use the forums effectively (and to save me work. )
Please take a little time to read through the Index Page to choose a forum. In this case your post is a breeding question and should go in the Breeding and Record Keeping forum in the category BREEDING AND RAISING RABBITS.

If you need a general forum because your rabbit-related topic doesn't fit one of the forums, you can post in Random Rabbit Ramblings. The Around the Coffee Table forum is for non-rabbit topics.

Please do not double post. I have removed the duplicate topic you posted and moved the one you posted in Coffee Table to the Breeding and Record Keeping forum.

I know it takes a little time to sort out how the forum works, but please check out the possibilities before making your post. Your question is important, but not urgent . . . a little time spent first will give you a better chance of getting helpful replies and make things here at RT run more smoothly.

Thanks!

 

[minirexman]

I tried posting there and it will not let me... With that said I actually even moved my bucks to a well shaded porch with fans where temps stay low. If it was Heat for the bucks how long should it take them to bounce back to being able to produce?

 

[shazza]

i used to live in texas, where we sustained temps above ninety for months during the summer. temps started dropping below 85 around october, and even if i started breeding then, i typically would not getting any litters until december. so it can take a good two months of <85 degree temps before they'll produce again.

 

[MaggieJ]

I tried posting there and it will not let me...

Perhaps you missed a step. If you could post in the Coffee Table there is no reason I know of that you couldn't post here. If you continue to experience problems, let me know. BTW, I posted instructions for you in the chatbox when I first saw you were having trouble.

 

[michaels4gardens]

In addition to heat sterility,[bucks commonly are sterril if ambient temps are above 90]- -- make sure your feed is not old , check manufacture dates-- old feed [more than 90 days in cool climates or 60 days in hot or humid climates] mold toxins multiply, and can cause breeding complications, and fetus mortality in the first week or so.

 

[MeadowView]

I don’t think the moult has anything to do with it, and all the answers here are correct as well. I do have something to add though, which is that in the summer my does will carry a litter to term and then promptly eat their kits upon delivery, the only trace being some blood in their pans. I had two this year go that way, chalked it up to heat stress (it was pushing 95 some days in the barn) rebred them for litters born during monsoon season, and no problems. I read somewhere that does do a bit of cost benefit analysis when delivering under high stress - if caring for a litter is a risk to her survival, she may remove the threat, so to speak.

 

[GBov]

All good answers but I wanted to add......rats.

Our 4H group had something similar, does would breed and nests would be built but no signs of kits. Rats were taking them and we didn't even know we had a rat problem. We knew we had a few rats yes but not to the degree it turned out to be.

If heat is the problem, housing your bucks inside in the airconditioning might be an answer, or getting local bucks. I have bred in Florida for years and never had a buck shoot blanks but all my stock are Florida bred so bred to the heat.

How are they doing now that it is ever so slightly cooler?