What age do you start breeding? Doe/Buck?

[Amy]

My does are American Chinchilla, my buck is Silver Fox.
What age do you start breeding your rabbits?
I've heard 6 mo's and 8 mo's (for does)
My oldest doe is nearing 5 mo's, my buck is only 2 1/2 mo's.
So, what age are bucks usually ready?
When are does considered full grown/ready to breed?
Thanks for any help!

 

[SatinsRule]

I generally don't like to start breeding does until they're 7-8 months of age, although some do so earlier and are successful at it.

The bucks I usually wait a bit longer with. I like to know what a rabbit is going to look like when fully developed, and my bucks have almost always taken longer to show what they're really going to look like. In terms of being "ready", bucks will usually attempt to breed within a few short weeks of being separated into their own cage (although I guess that's really more a case of "willing" than anything else!! :lol: )

 

[Amy]

I should've stated that I'm breeding for meat, not planning on showing...

 

[skysthelimit]

I should've stated that I'm breeding for meat, not planning on showing...

Even still, I like to wait for bucks to grow out, I don't want to introduce a rangy looking buck into my meat line, I want the buck with depth and width, to give me nice big meat bricks.

 

[akane]

If you've only got one buck you plan to use irregardless then there is no point waiting that long. You can attempt breeding at 4months but many bucks won't have enough hormones driving them to mate and can be intimidated by the does leading to skittish bucks that don't breed well. It's best to wait until 6months unless you know you have very laid back does and a lot of patience to wait out a young buck who doesn't know what he's doing. At 6-8months they have a lot more drive to try breeding and will usually go after does immediately and not be turned away as easily.

 

[SatinsRule]

I should've stated that I'm breeding for meat, not planning on showing...

The labor of a buck's loins will carry the same genes at 4 months that it would otherwise carry at 8 months. The key is so often to know that he possesses the genetics you want passed along to the rest of your herd.

With does, it can be a little different. I want a doe in my barn to be developed before I commit to breeding her so that I know which buck would work best with her, along with whether or not she should be used for the purpose in the first place.

 

[skysthelimit]

That's why I like to wait a little more, to see what the close to finish product will look like. When you have the faster growing breeds, you get the full picture earlier than the slower growing breeds. At five months, a buck might not be full over the hips, he lacks finish and needs to grow. At 8-9 mos, senior prime, if he doesn't have that finish he won't get it, and if I use him early, now I've passed that fault into my herd, and I've got a problem with not enough meat on the bones.
I've never had a buck have descended testicles before 6 mos anyway, nor a ready doe before then, so my rabbits have a chance to fill out and show me what they are before breeding anyway.

 

[SatinsRule]

6 months before a buck showed testicles? My bucks are always dropping theirs before their 4th month. Grand Master Sex Change (aka, Nikita) dropped his at about 12 weeks.

 

[skysthelimit]

6 months before a buck showed testicles? My bucks are always dropping theirs before their 4th month. Grand Master Sex Change (aka, Nikita) dropped his at about 12 weeks.

I wish. Rex grow soooooo slow, I assume because vital nutrients are sucked up by the fur! Most of mine don't reach 5lbs till 16-18 weeks. I got luckly and had the sole survivor of the split penis culling show his stuff at 5 mos. He was surely going to be culled, and I only kept him because he was an opal, or else I would have culled him before I could see a visible penis. Of course late I discovered that it might not have been split penises, because his didn't close till well after 4 mos.

 

[SatinsRule]

6 months before a buck showed testicles? My bucks are always dropping theirs before their 4th month. Grand Master Sex Change (aka, Nikita) dropped his at about 12 weeks.

I wish. Rex grow soooooo slow, I assume because vital nutrients are sucked up by the fur! Most of mine don't reach 5lbs till 16-18 weeks. I got luckly and had the sole survivor of the split penis culling show his stuff at 5 mos. He was surely going to be culled, and I only kept him because he was an opal, or else I would have culled him before I could see a visible penis. Of course late I discovered that it might not have been split penises, because his didn't close till well after 4 mos.

I'll never forget the day I realized that GMSC was a he-male. I came home at lunch to top off water crocks, and he stood straight up in the cage like, "Hey Daddy, check out these things!" He was barely 12 weeks old at the time. :lol:

 

[MKirst]

That's why I like to wait a little more, to see what the close to finish product will look like. When you have the faster growing breeds, you get the full picture earlier than the slower growing breeds. At five months, a buck might not be full over the hips, he lacks finish and needs to grow. At 8-9 mos, senior prime, if he doesn't have that finish he won't get it, and if I use him early, now I've passed that fault into my herd, and I've got a problem with not enough meat on the bones.
I've never had a buck have descended testicles before 6 mos anyway, nor a ready doe before then, so my rabbits have a chance to fill out and show me what they are before breeding anyway.

So then I should be able to visually see Johns testicles when they have fully dropped ? I did call an found out Jane was born March 14 2012 and John was born March 8 2012. So then John and Jane are too young to breed and John too young for visible testicles ? Because I don't see any gonads yet when he sits up, I'll check again today.

 

[skysthelimit]

6 months before a buck showed testicles? My bucks are always dropping theirs before their 4th month. Grand Master Sex Change (aka, Nikita) dropped his at about 12 weeks.

I wish. Rex grow soooooo slow, I assume because vital nutrients are sucked up by the fur! Most of mine don't reach 5lbs till 16-18 weeks. I got luckly and had the sole survivor of the split penis culling show his stuff at 5 mos. He was surely going to be culled, and I only kept him because he was an opal, or else I would have culled him before I could see a visible penis. Of course late I discovered that it might not have been split penises, because his didn't close till well after 4 mos.

I'll never forget the day I realized that GMSC was a he-male. I came home at lunch to top off water crocks, and he stood straight up in the cage like, "Hey Daddy, check out these things!" He was barely 12 weeks old at the time. :lol:

When I get my satins, I'm getting some of yours!!!!<br /><br />__________ Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:34 am __________<br /><br />So then I should be able to visually see Johns testicles when they have fully dropped ? I did call an found out Jane was born March 14 2012 and John was born March 8 2012. So then John and Jane are too young to breed and John too young for visible testicles ? Because I don't see any gonads yet when he sits up, I'll check again today.[/quote]


Yes, or feel them. So I went out and checked my blue buck, he and his sister were the size of my 10 week olds at 6 weeks. He was born 3-22, and he is sporting a matching pair, though he hardly seems ready for action. He is 5lbs 3oz.

I am not sure where Am Chins and Silver Foxes fall in the speed of growth factor, I think somewhere in between NZ's and Rexes, I think Satins grow faster (?). So I would say yes, at least for the buck. Is the doe showing color?

 

[SatinsRule]

So then I should be able to visually see Johns testicles when they have fully dropped ? I did call an found out Jane was born March 14 2012 and John was born March 8 2012. So then John and Jane are too young to breed and John too young for visible testicles ? Because I don't see any gonads yet when he sits up, I'll check again today.

They won't likely be dragging the cage floor when he walks, but you should already be able to see his testicles by now. My goodness, he's almost 5 months old. I have a broken blue satin buck which was born on April 17th, and his nads are already showing.

 

[Nyctra]

Ssssoo is it not a common thing for the little bucks to start showing their junk at 11 weeks? :shock:

 

[skysthelimit]

Ssssoo is it not a common thing for the little bucks to start showing their junk at 11 weeks? :shock:

I suppose if you have a NZ it might be. Somewhere I read that sexual maturity occurs somewhere around the time the rabbit reaches 75 to 80% of their mature body weight. Mine don't reach that weight until 4-5 mos, or a bit more.