They won't mate

[Cottie]

People lie. Rabbits don't breed like rabbits!

I have two Cali/Rex does. Both are evil. I don't like handling them because they're so skiddish and I have to move them by the scruff to avoid having my own wrists slit. My broken black was the one who kindled a week and a half ago.

Every day for a week I have tried to breed them. Out of their colony, into the male's cage. My broken red NZ will lick them or nibble their ears, but rarely tries to mount - EVEN WHEN THEY LIFT!! Put some ACV in his water to see if it would perk him up to no avail.

I've finally broken down and decided to breed them to their brother, who is hump crazy. He gets the idea and will scratch and lick like, "C'mon baby", hump their tail, their face, anything, but they won't lift for him! I put ACV in their water, too, to encourage the randiness. NOTHING!

I checked them - nice and ready, like all the pictures of rabbits prime to be impregnated. They're a good, healthy weight. They're well fed, warm, but not hot, plenty of water, plenty of exercise, not overcrowded, just gave them hidyholes to play in, too.

Ugh! What gives? Do I need to give them oysters, Egyptian cotton sheets and a nice glass of vino?? :gettowork:<br /><br />__________ Tue May 21, 2013 3:23 pm __________<br /><br />This is how the girls sit the whole time.




Sometimes they'll lift for my NZ. Never for the other buck. The just sit there all balled up. What does it mean?

 

[Marinea]

I haven't tried to breed yet, so I know I am not the best person to answer this, but I am wondering if there is something about your buck's cage the does don't like? Maybe try a neutral cage?

Hopefully, more experienced breeders will jump in on this.

*fingers crossed for popples for you*

 

[Sinnfox]

Honestly it sounds like they just don't like the other buck...I have a doe that only lifts for one buck...all others she plants herself like your girls in the pics. Your other buck...the one they like might either not like them...or be nervous since your watching...try hiding in a way that you can see them but he cant see you...might make him come out of his shell. I have a buck that wouldn't go near the girls the first several times, till walked to check on another rabbit one day. I got just out of his sight but could still see him. then he seemed to stop ignoring them. Still took him a few minutes to decide he liked them but I got a litter out of it

 

[Cottie]

I've tried hiding, or leaving the building entirely and just listening/peeking around the corner. Nothing. They just sit there. The Cali buck will hump away, but no lifting. The NZ will sometimes get a lift, but he's content to just cuddle.

I'll try mating again tonight. Maybe he'd rather do the deed under cover of darkness.

 

[Dood]

Honestly it sounds like they just don't like the other buck

:yeahthat:

Most of my does prefer my 9 year old NZ cross, he just has a way with the ladies and they will back up and help the old man any way they can, but I like to have some purebred rabbits so if a doe won't lift for my AmChin, I put her with the NZ to get her in the mood and pull him out and put the other buck in.

I also don't do breedings in a cage but in a round pen for puppies ( it's about 5 feet across) so the does cannot hide in corners and they have some room to socialize. It also makes it easy to pull someone out.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Does are picky. Like others said, she may just not like that one buck.

I have a doe who hates my buck. She growls nonstop when in his cage, clamps her butt on the floor and won't let him do ANYTHING. I finally got desperate (he's the only buck of their breed that I own) and learned how to hold her. :roll: I keep a death-grip on her scruff with my left hand, and use my right hand to hoist up her backside. If all else fails that might work for your does too.

 

[Cottie]

If they like my NZ better - the one they lift for - how do I encourage him to deploy his sperm?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

If they like my NZ better - the one they lift for - how do I encourage him to deploy his sperm?

That I'm afraid I can't help you with. :lol: Some bucks are lazy, some get so engrossed in wooing the does they forget the "goal" as it were...I dunno. My lazy buck (yeah I have a lazy buck, happens to be the same buck that my picky doe HATES) is a LAZY, LAZY buck. He did perk up and perform better after going to a show though. Like a little adventure and the stress of a judge's table got his urges up so to speak. I'm still pretty new to rabbits though, but I've had people with a lot more experience tell me they've had the same results...one gal said she brings some rabbits with her to some shows just to try and get them bred when she gets back home! Maybe take them for a joyride somewhere? Car trips seem to get them in the mood!

 

[Cottie]

Maybe I'll light some incense and put them in my bathtub. Exotic locale may do the trick. ooooo boy they just need to get it done!

 

[Cottie]

Maybe I'll light some incense and put them in my bathtub. Exotic locale may do the trick. ooooo boy they just need to get it done!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Amusing post, RJ! :clap2:

Sorry your rabbits aren't living up to their reputation for being prolific though.

Maybe try putting them in a larger enclosure so the buck can chase the does around a bit. The bathtub is probably not a good idea unless you put something on the floor to provide traction.

Incense and candles will make the experience more enjoyable for you even if the rabbits could care less, so I say go for the ambiance!

 

[Cottie]

We tried again. This is getting silly! Just spent an hour trying to get them to get jiggy. I'm going to go into excruciating detail - perhaps someone can solve the mystery!

Put broken black in with NZ buck. He licked. She lifted. He sniffed her goods. Then he cuddled up. I think he has too much respect for women.

We moved the broken black in with her brother. He humped her, but she didn't lift. The NZ was a voyeur for a while, and started thumping his cage. I thought success! He's getting the idea. Maybe he just needed some inspiration. Put the black doe in with the NZ. He contemplated humping, then settled for more cuddling. :?

Turned off the lights. Boyfriend turned on some mood music. We danced around the garage until a rooster bit me then we switched the lights back on. The NZ was still cuddling. The Cali was just sitting there.

Fan back on? Fan back off? Walking around with the buck? Walking around with the doe? Putting the females back home then returning them? Nopenopenopenopenope. There wasn't even flirting. Just immediately seeking shelter in the corner and trembling.

I really don't want to start over with new stock, which is how it's looking right now.<br /><br />__________ Tue May 21, 2013 11:31 pm __________<br /><br />Is it possible, given my Cali buck castrated (and ultimately killed) my other NZ buck that the surviving NZ buck is temporarily hormonally castrated?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have no idea other than the buck might be a bit heavy and lazy... but I am quite amused, so have asked my daughter Queenpup to make up an extra large batch of opcorn: so I can enjoy the show.

 

[Cottie]

LOL Glad my frustration is amusing to someone!!

I'm having a bad time of it in other areas of life, so I just need my rabbits to produce. At least then I can justify their expense. *sigh*

 

[Sinnfox]

After reading more since the buck the does like is just being cuddly it sounds like my sweet buck...He tried to be sweet to all rabbits. I can toss a strang buck in with him and he would snuggle it. To get him to try with a girl i left the girl in for almost 2 hours. The thing that finally got him to try was the utter frustration of the female. she decided he needed a demonstration of what to do so mounted him then ran around to lift in front of him. After the third time he took the hint >.>

You said your cali castrated your other NZ...is there any chance the remaining NZ was injured in any way?

 

[Jessykah]

Try putting the NZ buck on a diet. I see you feed pellets. Give him just what he needs. His pellets should be cleaned up before you feed again. I feed 1/3 cup of pellets 2x per day. When I go to feed, they are always hungry with no pellets leftover. I will give more or less pellets if the rabbit is needing it.
Run your hand over him each day to make sure he doesn't get underweight or overweight. You want him to be energetic and hungry when you go to feed in the morning. So BEFORE you feed, when he is energetic and looking for food early morning, put the doe with him then. After you are done breeding, then feed him. He may just be slightly over-fed and is lazy. No carrot treats, too much sugar in them... They are supposed to breed better early morning before feeding, like the lady says in this video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwhwQDhnKk
As a last resort, why not try putting the NZ buck into the colony for a month or two, or until you see nest building happening? They seem to like him best. Let him live with them. Maybe after a while of snuggling, he will get bored with that and get down to business? Of course you may not see a breeding, but time would tell.
I hope this helps. Good luck! :clover:

 

[Cottie]

I'll try that, Jessy, thanks.

I put the does back in again, I guess to keep up the routine.

My broken black lifted! My NZ assumed the position!

Then she put her butt firmly on the bottom of the cage. :?

I reached in and lifted her hind legs up. The little jerk buck tried to bite me. I just closed the cage and walked away. They can sit together for half an hour. Maybe they'll learn to play. opcorn:

 

[AmysMacdog]

I did this earlier this year in January. The girls weren't yet cooperating and the bucks couldn't have been less interested when I put a doe in with them. So I did some reading on herbs for rabbits.
BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) 1 tablespoon daily for everybody
Ginger root-"improves fertility in bucks" according to a couple of herbs for rabbits list I read at the time. Other sources said rabbits can't have ginger but didn't say why so I figured I'd try it. The amount given was piece the size and thickness of a quarter daily. I did this for about 2 weeks and WOW they bred imediately!
My first 2 pair bred Feb. 1st and have done well since then.
For the most part I gave the bucks ginger but I did give some to the does too. They all liked it.

 

[Cottie]

I'll try some BOSS. Will go search the forum for info.

Ginger...hm...I'll try anything.

 

[LauraNJ]

Take them for a car ride. Just got 2 new does. We tried to breed one of them at the breeders, she refused (story of my rabbits). Drove almost 2 hrs home and I took her from carrier to my bucks cage and wham, lifted and bred three times within 5 minutes or so.

Did the same for the 2nd doe.

I always quarantine for months on end but my luck has been so poor with the beverens and since I really only have my buck left (his area is far from my mini rexes) I decided to just see what would happen. We'll find out as time goes on if it was totally stupid or not but I am that fed up/discouraged with my beverens at this point. Over a year and no babies.

Anyway, people say the does lift after going somewhere or for a ride and it seemed to work for the ones I bought since they were non responsive and the one was nasty to the breeder's buck.

"Breed like rabbits" I'd like to talk to the person who first said that.