Small litters, how many years do you breed an animal?

[ckcs]

Recently my Lionhead litters have been small. One doe hasn't had a litter the last 2 times we breed her. She is do a third time today/tomorrow. Previously she had 2-3 litters of 3-5 babies. 2 other does have had 2 kits each (each had 1 dead). 1 of the does was a first time momma so I'm not too concerned. The other doe has had 5-6 babies her last 3 litters. The does are each no more than 2 years of age and only been breeding for a year. My buck on the other hand is around 7 years and I'm wondering if he may be the problem. He mounts the does 2-4 times in 1 sometimes 2 sessions. I was wondering if there are other things that I may want to look at. All the rabbits are housed indoors at around 70 degrees. The does are near a set of french doors and see the sunlight for however long it is out each day. I have another buck that is unproven so far. He is just over 6 months now and I'll be giving him another shot in a few days.

 

[Dood]

My 10 year old NZ x Flemish buck is still fathering litters of 12 and he is in a barn with artificial light heated to just above freezing.

My current oldest doe, a 4 pound Mini Lop, is also in the barn and will be 5 in June, she is still very fertile and had 7 in her last litter.

In my youth I had a Netheland doe still producing kits at 8 but I only bred her once every couple years.

 

[Peach]

I have a meat mutt doe that starts producing less and less kits the more intense i breed her. With suffic ent time between them, she has big litters from 8-12. She's ann ever misses though. She's a great mom and she takes excellent care of her babies. She is about 4/5

If I'm purchasing a rabbit, I prefer under 4 years old, but many people breed up to 4/5 or whatever the doe manages best.

 

[BlueMoods]

With my New Zealands which I breed mostly for meat (and a few pets for the grand kids, myself and neighbors that want them as pets) I breed the doe through 1 litter at age 4 and that's it, she's done. The buck gets to breed until he's 6, then he's done. If the breeder is one of my pets, they come inside and live out their lives as house pets, if not my wolfdog gets a nice meal (I butcher it for him)

 

[skysthelimit]

I've never gone past 3, usually because I need a continuous supply of new buns each show season, so I need older does cage space.

Except the JW doe, she was 4, and had a litter a few mos back, but she hated me and I hated her, so I culled her.

I won't ever buy a maiden two year old again, but a proven one yes, and I expect my own 2 year olds to produce well, the last litter of the two 3 year olds culled last fall were 9 and 12.

 

[ckcs]

Thanks for the input. The doe that had missed the lasts two times had 2 kits last night. No record breaker but she has nice kits and I'm glad she is not done.

 

[amandainohio24]

We raise Lionheads and our litters average anywhere from 3-7 (did have 1 litter of 2 this early fall though). For me it is just a matter of how the babies that are being produced are turning out. If the doe is only having 2 or 3 and they are spectacular babies I would be more than happy with them, where as if they are having 5-6 per litter and none are really worthy of being shown/bred when older each litter I would not continue to breed her. Since your buck is getting older I wonder if the numbers might have something to do with his age. For the 3 strike rule most breeders go by, if I am trying to bred at a difficult time of the year (lets say summer or the dead of winter) I do not hold that against my does for missing.