Sad, Frustrated Buck

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Rabbits by Accident

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So, we decided to breed one of our young rabbits tonight. I put her in the buck's cage, and she fled from him - running, hiding, shaking. I finally took her back out and she was making a really sad, scared noise :(

There is no way she can be pregnant .. . . so what should I do? Do first timers take some persuading? She was so traumatized LOL . . . I felt bad for her. It was like some 15 year old coming off a bus and being picked up by a pimp LOL . . . . She was really a mess.

Any suggestions?

Liz
 
Rabbit does really do vary in how they react to the bucks- even from morning to evening. So there were no fall-offs then? Do you happen to know what her vent color was at the time? That can influence their willingness to breed. Just some things that might help to know.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions :) No fall offs, LOL he didn't even get close! She ran like a crazy person. But the sad little sound she made was just heart-breaking.

So, what do you mean vent color? What color should it be? What color shouldn't it be?

Looking online I saw a suggestion to turn on lights, so I will set up a timer on the light tomorrow.

Liz
 
Yeah, I never thought they could make so many different sounds. Some can get pretty vocal when they're in the cage with the buck.
Well, you check her vent like you would if you were sexing her. There is a color range you could see. The darker red or purple, the more willing she should be. The lighter pink or white/pale would indicate that she is not ready. Usually. Sometimes just putting her in with the buck will cause her to be ready.
Lights are a good idea in my opinion, although I know some people don't think it matters. I have them on for about 14 hours right now.
 
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My does get grumpy a lot, so sometimes I have to hold her (gently) to the bottom of the cage by placing my hand on her head, then taking my hand off and closing the cage door again when the buck does a fall-sneeze thing. O also take them into the living room so they have more run around space
 
So, we decided to breed one of our young rabbits tonight. I put her in the buck's cage, and she fled from him - running, hiding, shaking. I finally took her back out and she was making a really sad, scared noise :(

There is no way she can be pregnant .. . . so what should I do? Do first timers take some persuading? She was so traumatized LOL . . . I felt bad for her. It was like some 15 year old coming off a bus and being picked up by a pimp LOL . . . . She was really a mess.

Any suggestions?

Liz
I would be worried about the buck too; he isn't so much the pimp but the over eager fella. Any doe that is scared, honking and or running amuck is traumatizing your buck if not frustrating him; which isn't fair to how he will react to the next doe.

My suggestion for a doe acting this way is to make a wonderful crockpot soup.
 
Checking her color (as mentioned) can be a pretty big deal.

For what it's worth, a couple of my does make that stressed grunting noise every time they have snuggle time with the buck. And one of them has had 5 litters!

Other does calm down quite a bit after the first breeding. In my limited experience, it's usually kinda stressful for them the first time, though. That's pretty normal.
 
Try black oil sunflower seeds. Not a lot. I have a 1 gallon container of feed and normally add about half a handful of the seeds to their feed. I was in your boat about 2 months ago with my three 8 month old females. They would get aggressive with the buck and grunt. Also would back in to a corner and have a stare down. I tried black oil sunflower seeds and within two weeks they were lifting. They are now on their second litters. Two are one week old and the third doe is due on the 4th of January.
Also if you keep trying to breed the doe you may want to watch her very closely. Even though the buck doesn’t fall off she may still get pregnant. It happened to one of mine in October. The buck never fell off and was always chasing her. If he mount her he can still be successful.
 
Try black oil sunflower seeds. Not a lot. I have a 1 gallon container of feed and normally add about half a handful of the seeds to their feed. I was in your boat about 2 months ago with my three 8 month old females. They would get aggressive with the buck and grunt. Also would back in to a corner and have a stare down. I tried black oil sunflower seeds and within two weeks they were lifting. They are now on their second litters. Two are one week old and the third doe is due on the 4th of January.
Also if you keep trying to breed the doe you may want to watch her very closely. Even though the buck doesn’t fall off she may still get pregnant. It happened to one of mine in October. The buck never fell off and was always chasing her. If he mount her he can still be successful.
Ok, I will try that. I'm so impatient, I'm like hurry up and eat so I can get some more babies LOL .. . .
 
I really don't know how old the doe is. When I got her she was about 3 lbs and she is now 7 lbs 8 oz. The adult Tamuk that I have is 12 pounds. I read that with larger rabbits they should be at least 7 months old before you breed them. Any suggestions?
 
Yeah like ladysown, let them see and/or smell each other for a few days. I house new does right next to the buck (yes he sprays, yes on them) by the time it's their turn they are quite amenable.
 
Since you don't know the age of your doe, here are some methods people use:

Lots of meat rabbit breeders breed their does for the first time based on their weight. In the book, Raising Rabbits for Meat by Eric and Callene Rapp, they say that "A rabbit becomes sexually mature at about 75-80 percent of their mature weight, which for our breeds is about eight pounds."

So, if you go off the 12lb weight of your older doe, you may need the younger one to be 9-9.6 pounds before she'll be ready. That may well have something to do with her lack of willingness. Other people do go by age or wanting them to be their full senior weight, though.
 
Here we usually have to give them a haircut before they're bred since they're angoras. It can take a half hour to an hour to completely shear the bunny, clip the toenails, etc. so if it's a shy doe, I'll groom her first and then put her in the buck's space but take him out for grooming while she's in his space waiting. That will give her time to settle down and get used to his scent and space before he shows up. He's usually a bit out of sorts from his grooming so he won't be all that aggressive at that point, either, so it usually ends up with a bred doe.

Another option is to put them both into a space that neither one claims. I have a round exercise pen which is a good space in case they want to chase each other around for a bit before getting serious about breeding.
 
Well, I have more confusion lol. My name "rabbits by accident" may be very appropriate. The doe that would not breed might actually be pregnant already lol. She is growing that ruff of hair under her chin, and has been building a nest in her hidey hole. I have no idea how she could be pregnant. She was in with a buck, (by accident.. of course), but that was over a month and a half ago and they were very young. She had another doe in with her who I have subsequently sold ... maybe she was a buck LOL

Anyway there is actually a question in here - do they get that clump of hair under their chin if they are not pregnant?

Thanks for any help, suggestions, comments, ridicule, etc

Liz
 
No ridicule here! Learning is good!

That is called a 'dewlap', and does develop it as they grow up and gain weight. Does will pull fur from it and their belly for their nests, but a dewlap is not a sign of pregnancy. I would bet the accidental time with the buck a while back has nothing to do with this, since she was too small to be ready. The other rabbit that was with her could have been a buck (has happened for people, before!). But, having two does in a cage together can also induce something called a false-pregnancy/pseudo-pregnancy. That is where the doe thinks she is pregnant, builds a nest (some even with fur) and everything, and yet produces nothing. How long ago did the other doe get moved out? That can give an idea of if it is a false-pregnancy, since those usually happen around 9-18 days, I think. An attempted breeding can also induce a false-pregnancy, and being 8 days ago, that could be about right for timing.

You should go ahead and put in a nest box for a doe showing these signs or one that is possibly pregnant. Kits on the wire is not a nice experience, and it won't hurt to have one in there!
 
Also, some pregnant rabbits will make nests very early in the pregnancy. I have had does do it several times during their pregnancies (even as early as ten days), and then finish it at the end. I just assume a doe is pregnant every time, until they have had a time when they didn't kindle.
 
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