ReBreeding Help

[TF3]

I'm full of questions and appreciate the answers
My Flemish Giant doe was bred at 8 months (March 1)~ I bought her right after that and she kindled 11 (1 dead) April 11.
At 10 days old, the remaining 10 kits are thriving and the dam is amazing~ she remained sweet throughout pregnancy and now kindling.
She covers and uncovers the babies in our dramatic temp changes right now (outside in closed porch).
With 10 kits every other day or so i find I need to supplement 1 or 2~ and the doe is cool about being flipped on her back and feeding them.
I haven't had many repeat skinny tummies, so I think it is just large litter size and someone gets left out.

1) So I am thinking of re-breeding her in a week or so, but my main concern is her fur~ she still pulls for them, and while she isn't bald, yet, she is pretty thin under her legs.
The next litter would be in much warmer weather, so she may not *need* as much fur.
Should I give her a little longer?
Should I bag some of this abundance of fur?
(I had to move to a bigger nextbox and she has merrily over-filled it)

2) Also, if I breed at about 16-18 days post partum, do I start to cut her feed or can it wait another week or two to start to wean the current kits closer to 4/5 weeks?
Right now I am free feeding her and she is eating and drinking a LOT~ feeding 10 giants is no small task!
I'm just confused on how to transition her from lactation to gestation feed and weaning wise...

3) If she is bred again, do I remove her from the kits at some point?
If I want to leave a daughter to live with her so I can breed them together later on, should the daughter be separated for weaning and mom's next kindling or can she just stay with mom through it all?
(since it would be at least 8 months of age until daughter is bred, theoretically she could be with mom for a few litters... so is that just a misguided idea?!)

Sorry so many questions! :shock:
Lori

 

[ladysown]

why are you wanting to breed her back at 16-18 days post partum?

Litters start to wear on a doe right about then, and how does breeding them help you to access the condition of the doe and give her needed time to recover?

Are you planning on weaning right at four weeks?

Have you considered waiting until three weeks post partum, weaning kits at five weeks. she then has two weeks kits less (perhaps weaning them a bit slowly.. leaving two kits in with her to help dry up her milk) to prepare for a new litter.

You reduce her feed to a normal amount when the kits are weaned, not before then.

YES, collect the overabundance of fur before it gets dirty.

I can't answer the small colony idea... I do know that if you want to leave two does together than having a much bigger area then you think is needed, is necessary.

 

[Zass]

If she kindles again, you will most certainly have to remove the babies at that time. Otherwise the old kits may trample and disturb the nest, or compete with the new kits for milk. Or the doe may see them as a threat and attack them to try and chase them off.

Some people wean earlier and some wean later. Anytime between 4 and 12 weeks. I personally do not wean before 6 weeks, as my does really do nurse that long (and longer.) And I don't usually leave bucklings with the doe longer than 9 weeks. Almost everyone agrees that buckings should definitely be out by 12. Sometimes, if I'm not in a hurry to re-breed, doelings can stay with a laid back mother for longer.

There is the possibility that your doe may not be able to handle large sized back-to-back litters, especially if the kits are heavy feeding and fast growing like Flemish Giants. For that reason, I think it would be good to monitor her condition through the next couple weeks before deciding when to re breed.

Oh, and you can hold your doe upright on your lap to nurse, instead of flipping her over. I do that with mine, as it's a bit more natural of a position for them to feed from.

 

[Truckinguy]

I"m not sure what size enclosure you have your rabbits in but I've had no problems with an older litter being an issue for the new litter in the colony. My does usually just chase the older litter away from the nest if they get too inquisitive. Lucille just kindled another litter of 11 yesterday (Fred may be going for a time out!) and there have been no issues that I can see of the older litter invading the nest box. They already sleep in a pile under the feeder, of all places.

If you're raising them in cages then I can't really answer the weaning question. My rabbits are generally housed together and the does wean as they feel necessary. Feed is always available and the kits start eating it pretty soon after they are out of the nestbox. Lucille's older litter is 31 days old and they have been gathering around the feeder for a few days now.

 

[TF3]

Thanks!
I am not actually in a hurry, just trying to sift through info.
I feel better letting them wean off a little later and giving her more time in between due to litter size~ especially since her genetics are in question and I don't want to breed her to my Flemish buck for colour reasons (he is light grey).
And my thought of getting a fawn buck is on hold.
I'll have to do some more reading on colonies, not likely feasible.
Again, thanks for answering so many questions!

I will bag some clean hair and try the upright feeding makes more sense!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thanks!
I am not actually in a hurry, just trying to sift through info.
I feel better letting them wean off a little later and giving her more time in between due to litter size~ especially since her genetics are in question and I don't want to breed her to my Flemish buck for colour reasons (he is light grey).
And my thought of getting a fawn buck is on hold.
I'll have to do some more reading on colonies, not likely feasible.
Again, thanks for answering so many questions!

I will bag some clean hair and try the upright feeding makes more sense!

With it being her, and your, first litter, I would wait until 4-6wks to rebreed. If she maintains condition, with the next litter you can rebreed sooner and see what happens. I don't like to do quick breedbacks on does that I am unfamiliar with.

 

[Zass]

I"m not sure what size enclosure you have your rabbits in but I've had no problems with an older litter being an issue for the new litter in the colony. My does usually just chase the older litter away from the nest if they get too inquisitive. Lucille just kindled another litter of 11 yesterday (Fred may be going for a time out!) and there have been no issues that I can see of the older litter invading the nest box. They already sleep in a pile under the feeder, of all places.

If you're raising them in cages then I can't really answer the weaning question. My rabbits are generally housed together and the does wean as they feel necessary. Feed is always available and the kits start eating it pretty soon after they are out of the nestbox. Lucille's older litter is 31 days old and they have been gathering around the feeder for a few days now.

Yep, in a colony, there is a lot more space for the doe to wean naturally and chase the kits away than in a cage. For reference, at what age do you usually re-breed your does? I think I remember something about the buck being rotated between separate doe's pens?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

With it being her, and your, first litter, I would wait until 4-6wks to rebreed. If she maintains condition, with the next litter you can rebreed sooner and see what happens. I don't like to do quick breedbacks on does that I am unfamiliar with.

I agree.

I feel better letting them wean off a little later and giving her more time in between due to litter size~ especially since her genetics are in question and I don't want to breed her to my Flemish buck for colour reasons (he is light grey).

What are you breeding for? Meat? Pets? Show? I saw her in your other thread, and she looks like a Flemish cross... so I would use her only for meat or pet production, in which case I wouldn't bother getting another buck.

Your buck looks full Flemish, so maybe you should look for a Flemish doe instead.

 

[Truckinguy]

Yep, in a colony, there is a lot more space for the doe to wean naturally and chase the kits away than in a cage. For reference, at what age do you usually re-breed your does? I think I remember something about the buck being rotated between separate doe's pens?

Swapping the buck back and forth didn't work, the doe that he went to chased him around for three days and he hid in the nestbox. I may try it again with my two current does.

At the moment Fred and Lucille are together. I had Fred and Morgan (Lucille and Black Doe's mother) together for more than a year and she popped out a litter every few weeks except for a pause here and there. I think she knew when she was tired and refused to breed now and then. It was hard on her, though, and it's not my intention for the does to put out back to back litters. I may divide the colony in three or four sections so Fred can have his own section and the does just go there to breed and then back in their own area. They really seem to enjoy each others company, though, I always see them lying in the straw together and Fred doesn't mind the kits. I saw him lying in front of the feeder a couple of days ago and one kit was standing right on his head to reach the feeder and he just lay there.

 

[TF3]

Thanks!
I'll definitely hang on (also gives hubby time to finish my barn LOL).
Just pet/meat production.
We have a couple Calis growing out, so honestly the Flemish are just going to be small hobby, and with their slow maturity it will be that, just mine to enjoy.
I'm on a list for a light grey doe for summer if I want to go pure Flemish, but we'll see.