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STEP 1 |
Check your buck's and doe's genitals and make sure they are not infected or dirty.
If infected, deal with the disease.
If dirty, clean the area carefully. |
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STEP 2
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Take the doe to the buck's cage.
You can leave the doe in the cage for several hours or more, just check on them every so often and make sure that they are not fighting.
Once you feel they have sucessfully mated, return the doe to the cage.
I recommend repeating this the next day to ensure a successful mating. |
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STEP 3 (Optional) |
You can palpate the doe 14 days after breeding.
You do this by placing the rabbit on a flat surface and holding the scruff with one hand. Place your other hand under the rabbit and gently feel around for marble sized balls. DON'T squeeze or pinch as you can injure the kits.
Palpating is very difficult. I have had little success with my small bunnies in attempting to do it. I prefer to wait the full gestation period to see if I have any kits. Others rebreed if they cannot feel any kits while palpating. Use your own judgement. |
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STEP 4 |
You need to give the doe a little more feed until her due date. Add about a 1/4 of what you normally feed her to her rations. |
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STEP 5 |
Prepare the nest box for the doe one week from her due date. (Approximately 21-23 days after breeding.) Fill the box with straw or hay (NOT ALFALFA!) and place the box in the doe's cage. |
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STEP 6 |
Prepare a lamp for the doe one week from her due date. This may not be necessary in the warmer regions, especially during the summer. (Approximately 21-23 days after breeding.) We use basic clamp lights that can lie flat on top of our cages. Do not use a light bulb that has less than 50 watts or more than 70 watts for the lamp. |
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STEP 7 |
If the doe has kits, check on them once she is done giving birth. Remove any dead kits and dispose of them. Make sure the doe feeds the kits. They'll have little round bellies if they are full of milk. Their eyes should open between 10 days and 2 weeks. They can get Sore Nest Box Eyes, where there is crust and sometimes puss along their eyelids, keeping them closed. If so, you'll need to wash the eyes with warm water to remove the crust. You might also have to put some opthamalic ointment in the eyes. They should be out of the box by 3 weeks and eating solid food by 1.5 months. Remove bucks from the doe's cage at 2 months. Enjoy watching them grow! |
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Helpful Links |
Rabbit Diseases Information
DebMark Rabbit Education Resource on Breeding Rabbits |
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Questions? |
Contact Me
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