When is a buck too big? Too small? Too young?

[TF3]

What is the maximum size difference you would breed between buck and doe (if the buck is the larger)?

What about the minimum size difference (if the buck is the smaller)?

At what age is buck ready to breed?
When he shows he is ready?

I ask because I'm genuinely curious!
Also because we have been discussing it at home and I said I'd find out

{I bought a Rex cross doe to kindle at the same time as my FG doe. The rex is due today, the FG in 2 days. The FG looks hugely pg and has pulled fur and nested. The Rex, who is an experienced mom, is skinny and no signs at all. I'm still hoping though!

There is a buy/sell/trade locally this weekend and I said if the Rex didn't kindle I'd be selling her because I haven't got a buck for her to rebreed (these were to be the first for our freezer) and I want a better meat doe. Hence the questions!

The Rex cross doe is about 6-7 lbs.
I have a 20 lb Flemish Giant (he is way too big)
I have a sex machine of a Holland Lop who is about 15 weeks old (too small but my daughter wants to try because she wants a bunny hopping rabbit out of the Rex for size LOL)
And I have a virginal 16 week old Cali buck (good size, would make ok meat mutts) but he is young and not raring to go like the HLop.

So I'm at "she kindles or goes"-- what do you think?

 

[bikegurl]

I am very interested in responses to this too! opcorn:

 

[Zass]

If you see testicles and he's ready to go...feel free to give him a shot.

Buck to doe size difference I think is mostly relevant to smaller pet breeds. I've crossed an 11 lb buck to a 7 lb doe. I knew she had large litters though, and she had been crossed to equally large meat bucks before I owned her. People cross FG bucks to NZ does sometimes. Seems like most of the kits never grow larger than NZs.

It's the little does who have just a few kits that you might be more wary of.

As for bucks, too small isn't really a problem. A Holland might not be able to climb up onto a larger doe.. but I can't see any harm in letting him try. Just watch to make sure she doesn't injure him, which most of us do with larger bucks as well...


If you sell the crossed doe, please don't call her a rex...Someone who doesn't understand what a rex coat is may be really disappointed...

 

[TF3]

Thanks!
We'll see what happens this week.
Oh~ and I will just sell her as a meat mutt, because who knows... *if* she caught this time we may see rex kits because she and sire are both crosses, but otherwise, she is what she appears to be,.. a mutt