What's the biggest Litter you've had?

[Cedar Point Rabbitry]

Sooo, what's largest litter you have ever had?
List breed and amount of kits Or if you have multiple breeds, list each breed.

For me:
-Holland Lops: ( larger, brood doe) 12. edit: 3 died (her dam consistently had litters or 8-11!)
-Netherland Dwarf: (smallish doe) 8

:bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

 

[Nyctra]

16 from NZ/Cal mixes happened a few times, usually with a DOA or 2, but I don't think they ever threw anything bigger. I'm sure they must of carried more, though, 'cause I'd caught does eating underdeveloped blobby fetal stillborns before, but those don't really count, do they?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

14 out of a Rex doe. I don't name my rabbits until they breed, so in honor of her accomplishment, she was named "Fourteen". :roll:

 

[Zass]

Didn't see the bit about multiple breeds, so here's my corrected list:

12 live kits a couple times from FG/NZ crosses.
9 from a Lilac,
7 from a Velveteen lop(one doa).
10 from a silverfox.

 

[dangerbunny]

13 for my Silver Fox
7 for my Hollands, average around 4 but many of my does are true dwarf.

 

[Schipperkesue]

14 from Americans.

 

[jimmywalt]

7 from our Lionhead (all lived)..... and she's due again next Saturday!
7 from our dwarf Holland Lop (but all died over 4 weeks).

 

[akane]

20 from an american sable. None survived. They were somewhat premature and the doe was too stressed to make a nest and try to care for them.

 

[Truckinguy]

My biggest litter was 11 from a NZ doe. I think eight survived to weaning.

Seven or eight is most common here, sometimes losing one. I"m not trying to reach certain numbers so I"m pretty happy with that.

 

[Cedar Point Rabbitry]

20 from an american sable. None survived. They were somewhat premature and the doe was too stressed to make a nest and try to care for them.

20??!! Wow, that's a lot!

 

[preciousgurl63]

When I was a lot younger I had a NZ mix that had 14. She ended up having some on the wire and some in the box. I put them all together and I guess she didn't like that to much so she killed all them. She was a really good mother before that. I guess she just didn't want to take care of the kid so after that litter I stopped breeding her and just enjoyed having her as a pet till she died.

 

[Ramjet]

My very first litter was 14 .... Only two survived due to owner error. I gave the doe a nest box that was too large & she thought it was a sofa .... suffocated them lounging in the nest box. Lesson learned. She produced litters of 10 & 12 after and weaned them all.

Recently had a litter of 13 all DOA to a first timer , she had them a week premature & on the wire. She was culled shortly after.

Have had a couple litters of 12 with all surviving.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

20 from an american sable. None survived. They were somewhat premature and the doe was too stressed to make a nest and try to care for them.

20?!! :shock: that's the highest I've ever heard!

Sad none made it. But holy moly, 20?!

 

[Schipperkesue]

Apparently the record is 24 kits...and it has happened twice!

 

[Zinnia]

French Angora
12 kits. Mine usually kindle between 8 and 10. But, 12 seems to be happening more frequently. I rather like the litter size of 8, though. They grow better.

 

[PSFAngoras]

10 French Angora (1 DOA)
8 is the most I've gotten from any of my meat rabbits, mutt or pure bred.
I did get 9 from a Jersey Wooley I rescued though. Pretty impressive considering her breed and only one was a peanut. The rest of the 8 were fat, happy little things and survived to weaning age.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I had a Checkered Giant doe that weened 18, many years ago. [she had 21]
now days, I have a few who have weened 12, [ they sometimes kindle 13 or 14] but- usually I have someone I can foster a few to, so I try to keep the litters to 10 or less, it works out better for the doe and individual kit 8 week weening weights.
JMHO
I think there is a balance that needs to be maintained, as these large litters most often have small individual size at birth. Those kits who are small at birth take longer to grow to 4 lbs then a kit born 2x its size.[usually] - I think that if meat is the goal in rabbit raising , -then litter weaning weights are the most important thing to consider when selecting for replacement breedstock. Litter size [number born] will be meaningless, if a lot die before weening, or worse yet, it takes them 10 weeks to get to 4 lbs.

 

[Cedar Point Rabbitry]

Neat point made, there, michaels4gardens Litter size isn't helpful if they are die or take forever to grow

 

[OneAcreFarm]

14 out of a Rex doe. I don't name my rabbits until they breed, so in honor of her accomplishment, she was named "Fourteen". :roll:

:lol: <br /><br /> -- Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:40 pm -- <br /><br /> 13 from Mocha, my chocolate Cal.

 

[aussiegirl]

One of my New Zealand White does always had between 13 to 16 kits each litter. I always try foster some onto another doe if available but she has successfully raised the full litter herself on a few occasions.