First of all, you need to equip yourself to properly welcome the baby rabbits. Accessories, hutches, and feed are critical for rabbit farming. When starting a farm, it's essential to know the secrets of rabbit breeding to assist and support the doe.
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For the breeding of rabbits, it's essential to know the sexual maturity of these animals. Depending on the breeds, this varies:
Unlike other species, there is no rabbit breeding cycle. The doe doesn't have an ovarian cycle. Sometimes, she'll accept the male, and sometimes, she'll simply push him out of her hutch!
However, some signs are telling: the vulva is red and slightly swollen; when placing your hand on her rump, the female arches her back and shows her genitalia; hyperactivity; she rubs her chin on objects.
For rabbit breeding, you must take the doe to visit the buck in his cage, not the other way around. If he loses his olfactory markers, he'll wander around without paying attention to his cage mate.
The copulation is swift, between 2 to 3 seconds, and if the female isn't receptive at all, you should put her back in her cage and try again later.
If the union of the two is successful, ovulation begins (9 to 13 hours later).
How to know if my doe is pregnant? After about ten days, you can already feel the embryos forming in the doe's belly. The pregnancy period will last between 29 to 35 days. Be careful not to press the belly too much, as you risk inducing a miscarriage, and learn about false pregnancy to avoid disappointment.
Just like any sensitive being, some does, especially shy ones, won't want to be handled. Let's respect their wishes!
During pregnancy and nursing, the doe must have a well-filled bowl, with enriched and complete food (check our range of rabbit feed with hay, pellets...). As well as, clean and fresh water at all times.
Before the birth, you must prepare the nest. With straw in a quiet place, the doe (to be more comfortable) will arrange the nest to her liking. She will pull out the hair from her belly to facilitate the suckling of the kits and make a really cozy warm nest for her little ones.
The last phase of rabbit breeding, giving birth. The kits are usually born early in the morning and can weigh between 30 and 80g. They are completely dependent on their mother to grow.
After giving birth, make sure to monitor the breeding (the birth date, the breed, the origins, the mating dates, the births with the number of kits at birth, the number and weight of kits at weaning). Also read the article on weaning kits, very comprehensive and informative.
Now it's your turn to follow the steps of rabbit breeding and warmly welcome your little family of kits!
Elsa Blacha.
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