Winter Breeding Question

[Lopsided]

I currently own a breeding pair of rabbits. They were housed in my two-car garage but then it go to be a little too cold outside for them. So now they are living in the unfinished basement of my house to keep them warm. Since they are indoors for the winter, should I breed them? I was going to wait until spring but I wasn't expecting them to come indoors. Now that they are is it safe for them and the future kits with this cold weather? The lowest it was this week was in the single digits with a wind chill slightly in the negatives. It ranges from high fifties to mid sixties in the basement and I was just curious as to if I could breed them now, instead of waiting until the spring. It is supposed to be warmer in the next couple of day, up in the thirties I believe. But then it is going to get cold again. I am a beginner breeder but I do have past experience with breeding bunnies, not my own. My friend breeds rabbits and I used to help her out. Your thoughts?

Also, if anyone knows genetics out there I would like to know what their babies might look like. The doe is a REW, a NZ and Californian cross. I have no clue what breed the buck is, but he is a broken orange/broken blonde. A picture of him is my avatar. Please note I currently am just breeding for pets, due to our temporary housing situation, I cannot start a full blown rabbitry. Thank you in advance!

 

[EnglishSpot]

Welcome to Rabbittalk!!

I would think if your rabbits will be housed indoors and weather vagaries will be nil since they're basementized, breeding now should be fine. I know many on here (including myself) are dealing with the cold--my doe I'll put in the garage the week she's due to kindle. She's been enjoying the single digits.

I'm new at the genetics game but I'll give the standard tag line: they'll look like rabbits!!! Now, no one else can use that line on you, LOL. There's a very nice thread on rabbit genetics in 'Rabbit Colors and Genetics' with websites listed indicating color. I hope you like genetics because REWs are genetic anythings!

rabbit-colours-and-genetics-f31.html

 

[Lopsided]

Thank you so much for your quick reply! I'll have to look into the genetics, thank you for the link! I will most likely breed them during the winter, once I can find a nesting box for sale. Thanks again! lol

 

[EnglishSpot]

If you can, build your own nest box! Tractor Supply was charging $20 for the metal nest box with a crappy wood floor; I built two from with 1x10s (and scrap plywood) for $12 from Home Depot. Look in the DIY Section for instructions.

my-nest-boxes-t23471.html

-- Sat Jan 10, 2015 1:14 am --

Here's what I built in about two hours.

http://www.azrabbits.com/useful-informa ... boxes.html

 

[Lopsided]

Okay wow, thank you! I will have to look into buying some wire and wood to build one. Or see if any neighbors have scrap wood lol

 

[akane]

It is hard to say what you will get from a rew because it covers all other colors. It's described as throwing a white sheet or paint over a colored rabbit. You can't see what is under. Most likely in NZ you will find chestnut, steel, black, or red and cali are almost always a black based himi. If you have a rew the cali was not pure and contributed a rew gene instead of a himi gene so that side of breeding doesn't really matter. You could get any of those NZ colors I listed under the white when crossed to a red. Note steel is partially a pattern than a color. You can apply steel to many agouti colors except things like red/orange. You get a red/orange or you get a gold tipped steel chestnut. Not both combined.

 

[Dood]

My rabbits breed fine in a barn kept at 32' and with 12 hours of light so your basement should be perfect.

The broken pattern is dominant so around 50% of the babies will be broken "something" and the other half solid. As others have said, we've no way of knowing what colour genes your REW doe carries but you will most likely get chestnuts and maybe steel, black, REW or himilayan and other colours are possible as well

 

[Homer]

Okay wow, thank you! I will have to look into buying some wire and wood to build one. Or see if any neighbors have scrap wood lol

Pegboard works well for the bottoms too.

 

[Lopsided]

Thank you everyone! I cannot wait to see what the babies will look like! I will probably wait a couple of weeks to let them get used to their new surroundings, and to let it warm up a bit more (hopefully). So I will most likely breed them next month, and I will for sure post pictures of the babies!