What is the "average" age a Holland Lop stops having kits?

[jimmywalt]

Well I'm really confused by searching Google and the conflicting information. So I thought I would ask some of you well respected Rabbit Talk breeders........

What is the "average" age a Holland Lop stops having kits? We have one that will be 4 yrs old at the start of October. We have had her for about 4 months and she had a litter of 3 (1 died) shortly after we got her. We bred her again and think it was a false pregnancy or just didn't take. The breeder we got her from got rid of her because they thought she was getting old and the last 1 or 2 times they bred her she didn't have any kits.

So we are curious..... Is she just way over the hill? I'm sure there are stories of Holland's having babies well after this age, but "on average" when is the reproductive years over.

Thank you for your help!

 

[akane]

Sometimes rabbits will continue to reproduce for 8+ yes but the older they get the harder it tends to be to get them pregnant. Part of it may be a slow fat buildup in the abdomen. Slimming them down a little can sometimes improve fertility. Most people retire does for the next generation before they get to that point.

 

[ladysown]

holland lops are no different from any other breed. They get old depending on how used they are. I've had four year old does produce quite nicely.