What’s wrong with my buck?

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

Hello rabbit community,

I decided to become a member because my household recently acquired rabbits and we need help. We have 3 does, 2 NZ and 1CA; and 1 NZ buck. We can’t get the buck to breed. I’ve moved different does into his hutch and he doesn’t seem to be enthused by their presence. I thought maybe he’s heat sterile… it’s been really hot recently. We have a swamp cooler running in the rabbitry all day but it’s still around 70-78 degree in there midday. We’ve only ever seen him interact with a doe once but we didn’t catch a fall off. We thought about maybe borrowing a friend’s buck. Idk. We’re somewhat new to raising meat rabbits but this site has been extremely helpful. God bless this rabbit community! If anyone can help out that would be much appreciated. Any solutions…

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hello rabbit community,

I decided to become a member because my household recently acquired rabbits and we need help. We have 3 does, 2 NZ and 1CA; and 1 NZ buck. We can’t get the buck to breed. I’ve moved different does into his hutch and he doesn’t seem to be enthused by their presence. I thought maybe he’s heat sterile… it’s been really hot recently. We have a swamp cooler running in the rabbitry all day but it’s still around 70-78 degree in there midday. We’ve only ever seen him interact with a doe once but we didn’t catch a fall off. We thought about maybe borrowing a friend’s buck. Idk. We’re somewhat new to raising meat rabbits but this site has been extremely helpful. God bless this rabbit community! If anyone can help out that would be much appreciated. Any solutions…

First thing to ask is if you're really sure he's a buck. We had a person bring us a "doe" that would only ever fight the bucks "she" was put in with...uh, actually not a doe. Poor guy!

So, check his privates to be sure he's a he. While you're there, check to see that there isn't some problem like injury, sores, abscesses, pimples or crustiness. Check his hind legs, feet and belly, too. If a buck is uncomfortable down there, they will not want to breed.

Is he molting? I have had otherwise vigorous, proven bucks lose most of their interest in the does for a brief period when they were in full-blown molt.

70-78F hasn't really been a problem for my rabbits regarding sterility, and if that's the peak temperature, I would doubt that he was sterile. It might make him sluggish, though.

How old is he? Maybe he's young and clueless - it does take a while for some of them to catch on.

Is he fat? That can also interfere with mating interest.

If you do have the option to borrow a buck, I'd be inclined to get the show on the road and get those does bred. Meat rabbit breeds that just sit around eating tend to develop problems... Maybe in the meantime your buck will come out of whatever funk he's in and figure out his job. (I have found that having a discussion with an uncooperative rabbit about rabbit pot pie can do wonders... only partly kidding ). Good luck and God bless!

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

First thing to ask is if you're really sure he's a buck. We had a person bring us a "doe" that would only ever fight the bucks "she" was put in with...uh, actually not a doe. Poor guy!

So, check his privates to be sure he's a he. While you're there, check to see that there isn't some problem like injury, sores, abscesses, pimples or crustiness. Check his hind legs, feet and belly, too. If a buck is uncomfortable down there, they will not want to breed.

Is he molting? I have had otherwise vigorous, proven bucks lose most of their interest in the does for a brief period when they were in full-blown molt.

70-78F hasn't really been a problem for my rabbits regarding sterility, and if that's the peak temperature, I would doubt that he was sterile. It might make him sluggish, though.

How old is he? Maybe he's young and clueless - it does take a while for some of them to catch on.

Is he fat? That can also interfere with mating interest.

If you do have the option to borrow a buck, I'd be inclined to get the show on the road and get those does bred. Meat rabbit breeds that just sit around eating tend to develop problems... Maybe in the meantime your buck will come out of whatever funk he's in and figure out his job. (I have found that having a discussion with an uncooperative rabbit about rabbit pot pie can do wonders... only partly kidding ). Good luck and God bless!

Thanks for the post,

I checked. He’s definitely a he; his parts looked fine to me. I didn’t see any issues. He does have a wire flooring in his hutch. Maybe that’s uncomfortable for him? What’s the max temp they should be exposed to? It can get pretty hot out here in western Colorado. I thought above bringing them both to a “neutral” area, (maybe in a cooler environment too)vs bringing the doe to the buck’s hutch.

I don’t think he’s fat or molting. We got them in March and we haven’t gotten any kits yet . Please let me know how you breed; I could really use your experience and appreciate your help… all praying and hoping that our rabbits can be a reliable source of food in these uncertain times…
Thanks!

 

[Alaska Satin]

Thanks for the post,

I checked. He’s definitely a he; his parts looked fine to me. I didn’t see any issues. He does have a wire flooring in his hutch. Maybe that’s uncomfortable for him? What’s the max temp they should be exposed to? It can get pretty hot out here in western Colorado. I thought above bringing them both to a “neutral” area, (maybe in a cooler environment too)vs bringing the doe to the buck’s hutch.

I don’t think he’s fat or molting. We got them in March and we haven’t gotten any kits yet . Please let me know how you breed; I could really use your experience and appreciate your help… all praying and hoping that our rabbits can be a reliable source of food in these uncertain times…
Thanks!

So you are discovering that "breeding like rabbits" is considered something of an ironic phrase among rabbit breeders, eh? Don't give up - eventually you'll probably be overrun with bunnies, there's just sometimes a bit of a shaking out to go through. Like most other ventures, there's a learning curve. Rabbits are a very good way to produce excellent meat in good quantities in a relatively short amount of time, so I think it's definitely worth the effort.

Good to hear he's not obviously sick or injured. Maybe he is just young and inexperienced?

All of our rabbits are on wire and that's where I breed the majority of them... I do know someone who put rabbits in a cage that had chicken wire as flooring, which did very much tear up the buck's hind feet. But the 1" x 1/2" heavy-gauge galvanized steel normally used for rabbit cages should be fine. Also, if the wire is bothering your buck, you'd probably see evidence on his hind feet (raw and/or bloody spots, or callouses), and he would try to mount but then pull back as his feet started to hurt.

Moving them to a different situation is an idea that I have also used, and it can work. However, my suggestion would be to put the buck in the new area first and let him explore and get settled in, then bring the doe. When I've put them together in a new place in the past, the bucks tend to be curious and may spend a long time investigating their surroundings rather than mating. If your buck is inexperienced that may be doubly the case, and if the doe is at all aggressive it may put him off breeding for a long time. (In fact, if your buck was attacked by a doe during his first experiences, that may be his problem.)

You might try different times of day as well. Different rabbits can have different preferences for their romantic interludes, although that is more a doe thing - most bucks are usually ready most of the time.

Normally I take the doe to the buck's cage, and usually it's a done deal within a few minutes unless the doe is uncooperative (which is a problem I have much more often than bucks not being interested). I watch for 2-3 fall-offs, then remove the doe. Sometimes I bring her back in an hour, which some study (so far I have not been able to find it published anywhere) suggested was the best way to increase conception rates and litter sizes, but I don't tend to have any problems with either so I don't always bother. One thing I do is stay right with the rabbits the whole time they're together; that way I can be sure to know if there was a mating (it can take just seconds, literally), and also break up any fights that happen if the doe objects strongly to the buck's attention.

Again, I'd encourage you to borrow a buck if necessary to get your does into production. Not only do meat breed does tend to stay healthier when they're kept in production, but if they get too old (2 years+) without having a litter they can have a harder time kindling, and they also tend to get fat, which causes even more problems with conception and kindling. And, the normal breeding season for rabbits is early to late spring. As the fall approaches and the light dwindles, does' reproductive hormones naturally drop off, and getting the does bred gets harder, and they're not always as good about caring for the litter. You can breed rabbits all year with some effort and artificial light, but winter litters seem to have more problems all round, so getting going ASAP would be best.

One thing to think about is that eventually you'll get what you breed, so if you have an animal that is problematic in some way, down the road you may end up with more animals with the same issue. My first guess is that there is something specific going on with your buck and once he gets past it he'll be fine, but you might think about finding a different buck. There are enough potential problems on the side of the doe and babies that dealing with an uninterested buck seems like wasted angst.

Hopefully St. Martin de Porres will intercede on your behalf.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Thanks for the post,

I checked. He’s definitely a he; his parts looked fine to me. I didn’t see any issues. He does have a wire flooring in his hutch. Maybe that’s uncomfortable for him? What’s the max temp they should be exposed to? It can get pretty hot out here in western Colorado. I thought above bringing them both to a “neutral” area, (maybe in a cooler environment too)vs bringing the doe to the buck’s hutch.

I don’t think he’s fat or molting. We got them in March and we haven’t gotten any kits yet . Please let me know how you breed; I could really use your experience and appreciate your help… all praying and hoping that our rabbits can be a reliable source of food in these uncertain times…
Thanks!

So you are discovering that "breeding like rabbits" is considered something of an ironic phrase among rabbit breeders, eh? Don't give up - eventually you'll probably be overrun with bunnies, there's just sometimes a bit of a shaking out to go through.

Good to hear he's not obviously sick or injured. Maybe he is just young and inexperienced?

All of our rabbits are on wire and that's where I breed the majority of them... I do know someone who put rabbits in a cage that had chicken wire as flooring, which did very much tear up the buck's hind feet. But the 1" x 1/2" heavy-gauge galvanized steel normally used for rabbit cages should be fine. Also, if the wire is bothering your buck, you'd probably see evidence on his hind feet (raw and/or bloody spots, or callouses), and he would try to mount but then pull back as his feet started to hurt.

Moving them to a different situation is an idea that I have also used, and it sometimes works. However, my suggestion would be to put the buck in the cool romantic area first and let him explore and get settled in, then bring the doe. When I've put them together in a new place in the past, the bucks tend to be curious and may spend a long time investigating their surroundings rather than mating. If your buck is inexperienced that may be doubly the case, and if the doe is at all aggressive it may put him off breeding for a long time. (In fact, if your buck was attacked by a doe during his first experiences, that may be his problem.)

You might try different times of day as well. Different rabbits can have different preferences for their romantic interludes, although that is more a doe thing - most bucks are usually ready most of the time.

Normally I take the doe to the buck's cage, and usually it's a done deal within a few minutes,unless the doe is uncooperative (which is a problem I have much more often than bucks not being interested). I watch for 2-3 fall-offs, then remove the doe. Sometimes I bring her back in an hour, which some study (so far I have not been able to find it published anywhere) suggested was the best way to increase conception rates and litter sizes, but I don't tend to have any problems with either so I don't always bother. One thing I do is stay right with the rabbits the whole time they're together; that way I can be sure to know if there was a mating (it can take just seconds, literally), and also break up any fights that happen if the doe objects strongly to the buck's attention.

Again, I'd encourage you to borrow a buck if necessary to get your does into production. Not only do meat breed does tend to stay healthier when they're kept in production, but if they get too old (2 years+) without having a litter they can have a harder time kindling, and they also tend to get fat, which causes even more problems with conception and kindling. And, the normal breeding season for rabbits is early to late spring; as the fall approaches and the light dwindles, does' hormones naturally drop off and getting them bred gets harder, and they're not always as good about caring for the litter. You can breed rabbits all year with some effort and artificial light, but winter litters seem to have more problems all round.

One thing to think about is that eventually you'll get what you breed, so if you have an animal that is problematic in some way, down the road you may end up with more animals with the same issue. My first guess is that there is something specific going on with your buck and once he gets past it he'll be fine, but you might think about finding a different buck. There are enough potential problems on the side of the doe and babies that dealing with an uninterested buck seems like wasted angst.

Maybe St. Martin de Porres will intercede on your behalf.

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

So you are discovering that "breeding like rabbits" is considered something of an ironic phrase among rabbit breeders, eh? Don't give up - eventually you'll probably be overrun with bunnies, there's just sometimes a bit of a shaking out to go through.

Good to hear he's not obviously sick or injured. Maybe he is just young and inexperienced?

All of our rabbits are on wire and that's where I breed the majority of them... I do know someone who put rabbits in a cage that had chicken wire as flooring, which did very much tear up the buck's hind feet. But the 1" x 1/2" heavy-gauge galvanized steel normally used for rabbit cages should be fine. Also, if the wire is bothering your buck, you'd probably see evidence on his hind feet (raw and/or bloody spots, or callouses), and he would try to mount but then pull back as his feet started to hurt.

Moving them to a different situation is an idea that I have also used, and it sometimes works. However, my suggestion would be to put the buck in the cool romantic area first and let him explore and get settled in, then bring the doe. When I've put them together in a new place in the past, the bucks tend to be curious and may spend a long time investigating their surroundings rather than mating. If your buck is inexperienced that may be doubly the case, and if the doe is at all aggressive it may put him off breeding for a long time. (In fact, if your buck was attacked by a doe during his first experiences, that may be his problem.)

You might try different times of day as well. Different rabbits can have different preferences for their romantic interludes, although that is more a doe thing - most bucks are usually ready most of the time.

Normally I take the doe to the buck's cage, and usually it's a done deal within a few minutes,unless the doe is uncooperative (which is a problem I have much more often than bucks not being interested). I watch for 2-3 fall-offs, then remove the doe. Sometimes I bring her back in an hour, which some study (so far I have not been able to find it published anywhere) suggested was the best way to increase conception rates and litter sizes, but I don't tend to have any problems with either so I don't always bother. One thing I do is stay right with the rabbits the whole time they're together; that way I can be sure to know if there was a mating (it can take just seconds, literally), and also break up any fights that happen if the doe objects strongly to the buck's attention.

Again, I'd encourage you to borrow a buck if necessary to get your does into production. Not only do meat breed does tend to stay healthier when they're kept in production, but if they get too old (2 years+) without having a litter they can have a harder time kindling, and they also tend to get fat, which causes even more problems with conception and kindling. And, the normal breeding season for rabbits is early to late spring; as the fall approaches and the light dwindles, does' hormones naturally drop off and getting them bred gets harder, and they're not always as good about caring for the litter. You can breed rabbits all year with some effort and artificial light, but winter litters seem to have more problems all round.

One thing to think about is that eventually you'll get what you breed, so if you have an animal that is problematic in some way, down the road you may end up with more animals with the same issue. My first guess is that there is something specific going on with your buck and once he gets past it he'll be fine, but you might think about finding a different buck. There are enough potential problems on the side of the doe and babies that dealing with an uninterested buck seems like wasted angst.

Maybe St. Martin de Porres will intercede on your behalf.

Thanks,

Yes I think that was part of the problem… I haven’t been praying enough to Blessed Martin de Porres.

A lot of owners especially on this site talk about the “immediate” mating; that’s completely foreign to me. The buck seems more or less unaffected when I put a doe in. He could just be sluggish from the heat or maybe he is kinda young. The donor said he should be old enough to breed. Granted our does haven’t been breed in months so I hope their bunny-bearing abilities are still in good repair. They did have a long car ride to get here (12 hours) maybe the stress caused some problems? What is the max temperature rabbits should be exposed to for the bulk of the day?

 

[ladysown]

just because he "should" be old enough to breed doesn't mean they are.
There are a lot of factors that go into a buck's willingness to breed. For young bucks...they need to not just be physically mature, but mentally mature as well.

Also, not all bucks mentally or physically mature when you expect them to.

For instance, I've never had a dwarf buck not be ready to breed by four months of age. I recently had one that wasn't ready until he was seven months old AND it took living with a young, very calm doe to get him to be okay with hanging out with a lady. When she changed her attitude toward life I made an assumption that FINALLY he had made a move and three weeks later we had babies. But until then... he just wasn't ready. His first son that I kept back.... is hitting five months and is just starting to think about the ladies... I expect it will be another 3 weeks before he'll truly be ready.

6 months is better than 7!

 

[hotzcatz]

Sometimes if we have a "shy" buck around here, I'll put the doe in with the buck next door to give the first buck the idea as well as hopefully make him wildly jealous. Before the teaser buck gets the job done, (or he has a different doe) the doe will be put in with the first buck that I want her mated to. However, you only have the one buck so that probably isn't an option for you.

Usually rabbits are busy in the morning and evening, so he may be more likely to breed at those times?

Sometimes they like to run around a bit first, does he have enough room for a bit of a chase? Not too much room, you don't want him tired, but just enough that he has to hop after her for a hop or two. That seems to get them excited.

 

[Scooter1A]

Hello rabbit community,

I decided to become a member because my household recently acquired rabbits and we need help. We have 3 does, 2 NZ and 1CA; and 1 NZ buck. We can’t get the buck to breed. I’ve moved different does into his hutch and he doesn’t seem to be enthused by their presence. I thought maybe he’s heat sterile… it’s been really hot recently. We have a swamp cooler running in the rabbitry all day but it’s still around 70-78 degree in there midday. We’ve only ever seen him interact with a doe once but we didn’t catch a fall off. We thought about maybe borrowing a friend’s buck. Idk. We’re somewhat new to raising meat rabbits but this site has been extremely helpful. God bless this rabbit community! If anyone can help out that would be much appreciated. Any solutions…

Are the does lifting for him? I always take my buck to the doe or let them out to do their thing free of the cage world. Let him hang out with one doe and see what happens. If the does aren't in heat they will come in after being around him.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Are the does lifting for him? I always take my buck to the doe or let them out to do their thing free of the cage world. Let him hang out with one doe and see what happens. If the does aren't in heat they will come in after being around him.

Putting a Buck into the Doe's place can be dangerous, considering how territorial they can get

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

Good news…

So I figured that our buck was just sluggish from the heat so I tried breeding at the coldest time of the day, right before sunrise. I thought since it was cool all night he’d be more active. I put the doe into his hutch and he immediately tried to mate! Although, the NZ doe is kinda young so she wasn’t too interested. Maybe it was too early in the morning for her? She kept on trying to run away so I did what one rabbit breeder recommended: I held her by the scuff so she couldn’t escape. I got one fall-off; does a fall-off necessarily mean she lifted? When I tried again later for better certainty of conception she did the same thing: just running from the buck. Given how does work I hope one session will induce her to mate again. What does everyone think?

 

[Scooter1A]

Good news…

So I figured that our buck was just sluggish from the heat so I tried breeding at the coldest time of the day, right before sunrise. I thought since it was cool all night he’d be more active. I put the doe into his hutch and he immediately tried to mate! Although, the NZ doe is kinda young so she wasn’t too interested. Maybe it was too early in the morning for her? She kept on trying to run away so I did what one rabbit breeder recommended: I held her by the scuff so she couldn’t escape. I got one fall-off; does a fall-off necessarily mean she lifted? When I tried again later for better certainty of conception she did the same thing: just running from the buck. Given how does work I hope one session will induce her to mate again. What does everyone think?

I think she is probably pregnant now.

 

[Scooter1A]

Putting a Buck into the Doe's place can be dangerous, considering how territorial they can get

They live side by side and are used to each other. The lady I bought my doe from was raised with the rule of taking buck to doe and so ? She said you will know when she's bred because she will kick him out. I said wow rabbits are smart ha. Now I simply let them run together when I'm wanting to breed.

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

I think she is probably pregnant now.

After one fall off? Do you think that’s why she isn’t interested in mating again? What happens if you try to mate a pregnant doe?

 

[Alaska Satin]

Good news…

So I figured that our buck was just sluggish from the heat so I tried breeding at the coldest time of the day, right before sunrise. I thought since it was cool all night he’d be more active. I put the doe into his hutch and he immediately tried to mate! Although, the NZ doe is kinda young so she wasn’t too interested. Maybe it was too early in the morning for her? She kept on trying to run away so I did what one rabbit breeder recommended: I held her by the scuff so she couldn’t escape. I got one fall-off; does a fall-off necessarily mean she lifted? When I tried again later for better certainty of conception she did the same thing: just running from the buck. Given how does work I hope one session will induce her to mate again. What does everyone think?

Great news! Persistence and prayer pays off.

In my experience, holding the doe for the buck can work, depending on why she wasn't being cooperative. Whether he "made contact" or not is harder to say. Sometimes inexperienced bucks misfire, so to speak.

The doe's lack of interest could be her age, her condition, her inexperience, or some particular quirk of the individual doe. If you have been putting her with the for several days running, she might be a bit bored or lacking in enthusiasm since there's been no success so far? Or, she could have been just playing the mating game.

Does often do try to run away at first, sometimes for a fairly long time; as @hotzcatz pointed out, there can be some frenzied activity needed to get them in the mood...kind of a rabbit mating dance. Sometimes that will escalate into the doe trying to mount the buck, which can get out of hand especially with an inexperienced buck, and is why I don't leave pairs unattended - when the mood suddenly hits the doe, sometimes she will get so frustrated that she acts aggressively and can put the buck off breeding for a while or even for good. A trick old-time breeders use is to put a reluctant doe in a carrier and drive her around town for while (or take her to a show), and get her hot and bothered. But really, the attentions of the buck are what should do it. Female rabbits do have something of cycle during which they are more or less interested, but rabbits are "induced ovulators" so does actually need some amount of pestering by the buck, to provoke the release of eggs to be fertilized.

After one fall off? Do you think that’s why she isn’t interested in mating again? What happens if you try to mate a pregnant doe?

Yes, a single fall-off can and often will do the trick. There's no hard and fast rule about mating pregnant does. Sometimes a doe that has not been successfully bred will refuse the buck anyway; other does will mate again and again right up to the day they kindle (and again immediately after they kindle!).

Putting a Buck into the Doe's place can be dangerous, considering how territorial they can get

I agree with @RabbitsOfTheCreek, taking the buck to the doe's cage can be disastrous. They're all individuals so you can't say it will always end in tragedy, but does are often very territorial. If they are living in a colony things are probably different - the buck can get away if needed - but I would never risk it with mine in the breeding cages. Occasionally I do put them together in a pen in the grass, but that's not the doe's home territory so she doesn't defend it like she might her cage. Still, I put the buck in there first, mostly because like I metioned earlier he'll generally want to explore for a while and will ignore the doe while he does that.

 

[RabbitDad]

Maybe the buck self-identifies as a doe.

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

Update:

So I figured that our sole buck is really only interested in mating at around 5 am. The issue is our doe wants nothing to do with him. She runs away; even if I hold her down I don’t think she’ll lift. I put her into his hutch at a later morning hour and he didn’t even try to mate. Has he given up with her from so much rejection? I put a different doe in there and got the same results. Maybe he only wants to mate pre-sunrise? That’s when he is extremely reliable, if only our does we’re ready at that time as well… I checked their parts; the does should be receptive. Are they just not interested in this particular buck? We are considering getting either a new doe or new buck. The local breeder has them for $20; we just don’t want to get more than what we need, especially if it just spells more trouble. I thought if we can get a experienced mature doe who is receptive, we’re guaranteed a good breeding tomorrow pre-sunrise, given that’s our buck’s preferred time.

What do you experienced rabbit owners think???

I appreciate all the help!!!
God bless you all

 

[Captaincatholic]

Update:

So I figured that our sole buck is really only interested in mating at around 5 am. The issue is our doe wants nothing to do with him. She runs away; even if I hold her down I don’t think she’ll lift. I put her into his hutch at a later morning hour and he didn’t even try to mate. Has he given up with her from so much rejection? I put a different doe in there and got the same results. Maybe he only wants to mate pre-sunrise? That’s when he is extremely reliable, if only our does we’re ready at that time as well… I checked their parts; the does should be receptive. Are they just not interested in this particular buck? We are considering getting either a new doe or new buck. The local breeder has them for $20; we just don’t want to get more than what we need, especially if it just spells more trouble. I thought if we can get a experienced mature doe who is receptive, we’re guaranteed a good breeding tomorrow pre-sunrise, given that’s our buck’s preferred time.

What do you experienced rabbit owners think???

I appreciate all the help!!!
God bless you all

Maybe the heat is making both buck and does indisposed to breeding now.

 

[RabbitDad]

Maybe the heat is making both buck and does indisposed to breeding now.

Or... somebody used the wrong pronoun and the offended has made it very clear, punishment is in order.

 

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

Update:

Interesting development. First it was the does who weren’t interested in the buck. Now our buck doesn’t seem too interested in the does. This is almost getting facetious… it seems to be either one or the other with these rabbits. Is it just a matter of chemistry?These does don’t like this buck and vice versa? We’re considering just getting a new buck and doe to give more mating options. Our current rabbits don’t seem too interested in each other; are they just bored with each other? Have we just kept them chaste for too long and now they don’t want to mate?

What do you guys think we should do?
Say a prayer we can get some kits!