Hi everyone, my little ones are doing well and coming up to 5 weeks next week! As this is my first litter, I am wondering about the weaning process and rebreeding. The kits are now happily munching hay, pellets and oats and are drinking water too! I have read about gradually reducing the number of kits from the doe but as I only have 2 this concerns me!! I worry about putting one little guy in a cage by himself (or am I humanising this too much?)!! When is the best age to begin this process? Also, I would like to have another litter but when is the best time to rebreed?
Weaning and rebreeding tips?
- Thread starter flipp
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You can feed the kits every other day, then every 3rd day etc... to ensure the doe doesn't get mastitis and that the kits are gradually weaned rather than stopping cold turkey. But at 5 weeks they probably aren't drinking much milk anyway.
If a doe is in good condition then you can breed her right after giving birth. If your doe seems to have a good weight and muscle tone then go ahead and try for another litter.
If a doe is in good condition then you can breed her right after giving birth. If your doe seems to have a good weight and muscle tone then go ahead and try for another litter.
Thanks, she is in good condition but the wee guys are still living with her. I have heard rebreeding helps dry up milk too? Can the kits stay with her for another couple of weeks even if she is bred again or will she turn nasty towards them?
I've never had a doe become nasty to her kits and I've had does kindle with the previous litter still with her when I wrote down the wrong due date.
Kyle@theWintertime
Well-known member
I think it depends on the doe. My one doe LOVED her kits...til she got sick of them, lol. Weaned them ASAP when she took a chunk out of one kits face. 
Fortunately the kit healed fine.
Fortunately the kit healed fine. 
You can also feed mom sage to help dry her up. It doesn't necessarily dry her up so much as it make the milk taste horrible to the kits, who then basically wean themselves, which results in momma drying up.
Some mother will tolerate the kits for only a short time, and some mothers won't. I had a doe who started humping and nipping her kit at 12 weeks (signs of dominance) so I separated her kit from her. On the other hand, I have an angora mother who stops eating for a day or two when her kits wean (anyone who sees it could no longer argue that animals feel emotion, poor Rue get so sad) and if given the chance will still welcome her kit back and start grooming it even after being separated for months. Just one of those 'depends on the rabbit' things.
Also, keep in mind the more you breed a doe, the more potential you have of shortening her life span. Some heavily bred does only live to be about three years old. Since my angoras are more valuable to me alive ( its the only way they keep producing fiber ) I try to limit my breeding to 2x a year per doe, about evenly 6 months apart. I'd like to see them hit the ripe old age of 10. And if bred responsibly, they don't need retired as soon, either. My angora breeder has a Silver Fox doe who is still producing large, healthy litters at the ripe old age of 8. Not saying don't breed her, just bringing it up as a point.
Some mother will tolerate the kits for only a short time, and some mothers won't. I had a doe who started humping and nipping her kit at 12 weeks (signs of dominance) so I separated her kit from her. On the other hand, I have an angora mother who stops eating for a day or two when her kits wean (anyone who sees it could no longer argue that animals feel emotion, poor Rue get so sad) and if given the chance will still welcome her kit back and start grooming it even after being separated for months. Just one of those 'depends on the rabbit' things.
Also, keep in mind the more you breed a doe, the more potential you have of shortening her life span. Some heavily bred does only live to be about three years old. Since my angoras are more valuable to me alive ( its the only way they keep producing fiber
) I try to limit my breeding to 2x a year per doe, about evenly 6 months apart. I'd like to see them hit the ripe old age of 10. And if bred responsibly, they don't need retired as soon, either. My angora breeder has a Silver Fox doe who is still producing large, healthy litters at the ripe old age of 8. Not saying don't breed her, just bringing it up as a point.
