Young bucks not into breeding yet?

[ANH Rabbitry]

Hello everone. I have some questions to ask you all about two of my young Mini Rex bucks. These two bucks are my 2 Red Mini Rex boys (both are litter mate brothers.) One of them is a larger built boy (probably 4 1/2 lbs.) and the other is a verry small built boy (maybe just the minimum Sr. weight 3 1/2 lbs.) They are now almost 7 mos. old and I was figureing I could start using them to breed some of my does. I have put several different does (both young, never bred does, and older, proven does) in with both boys a few times, and nether have shown much, if any intrest in the does. I have tried bringing the does to their cage, bringing them to the does cage, using a different cage (that belonged to nether the buck or doe) to see if that made a difference, and still nothing! The smaller buck did decide to start grooming the doe with him some though the other day, so at least he showed a little intrest I guess, the larger boy acted like he could care less, and just decided to lay down on the side of the cage.

A friend recomened me putting a older proven Sr. buck in the cage next to the young boys, and then putting a doe in with the older proven buck, and a doe in with the young buck, and the act of the older buck breeding his doe should get the young buck excited and get him to doing the same with his doe. Sounded like a good, reasonable idea to me, so I gave it a try! Well that didn't work ether! Tried it with both young bucks, and they acted like they could care less about what was going on in the cage next to them, and about the doe in the cage with them!

Does anyone else have any suggestions of what I can do to maybe make these two boys more into and wanting to breed? I have never had any bucks at all like these two - mine have always been ready and willing to breed - wether I wanted them to or not! LOL! Maybe they are just slow maturing or something! I was really wanting to breed these two boys soon, because I have several people wanting some babies out of them, but it doesn't look like I will be getting any anytime soon! Guess I will just have to wait and see!

 

[MaggieJ]

I would think they are just a little slow maturing. Are they still housed together? My gut feeling is that separating them may make them more interested when a doe is brought to them. If feasible, I'd put them in separate cages out of sight of each other and other rabbits for about a week. Then I would place one's cage next to the doe you want him to breed. After a day or two, I'd put the doe in his cage and hope for the best.

 

[akane]

I just picked out my most laid back easy to breed doe that I knew wouldn't do much to an annoying buck and put them in a large cage together so she had room to get away from him once he did get the idea. After 2 days I walked in the room to some grunting and the doe laying flat. She seems to always flatten more than the rest when lifting her tail for breeding. If a buck just looks at her she'll flatten and lift. I immediately separated them assuming that if he was breeding her now he's probably already done it several times but we'll see in a few weeks.

 

[ladysown]

are they for sure boys? are all their parts together and in order?

 

[ANH Rabbitry]

Yes. They are separated and in their own cage, and have been that way for a couple months now (didn't want them to start fighting, and hurt each other - the smaller buck is one of my show rabbits, as he is super nice for a Red Mini Rex, the other brother is too large to be shown! LOL!) Right now, they are caged next to other bucks, but I can easily move them (or one of them) to the cage next to the doe I want to breed to them. The doe I have been wanting to breed to them, is my Red Mini Rex doe, Annie! She is my best Red doe, so I have really been looking forward to seeing her kits out of one of these bucks! I can switch the rabbit in the cage next to Annie with one of the young Red bucks, and hopefully that will get them more use to each other and such.

Annie is a pretty laied back doe, and I have thought about just leaving her in there with one of the bucks (as both are pretty laied back as well), but I just wouldn't want something to happen wile I am not there! Annie is also one of my show rabbits, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her, or her to do anything to ether of the bucks. So that's why I have held off on doing that. I just don't want something bad to happen, and someone to get hurt!

Oh, and yes! Both are bucks for sure, and have all their parts together and in order! I just really think they must be slow matureing or something! I don't know!!!! :?