BREEDING & KINDLING
"AND GOD BLESSED THEM AND SAID BE FRUITFUL, AND MULTIPLY..." GENESIS 1:22
BABY BUNNY FACTS:
*SHARING THE THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT BREEDING MY RABBITS, PREGNANT DOES, THE KINDLING, AND CARING FOR NEWBORN BUNNIES. *BREEDING RABBITS RESPONSIBLY IS IMPORTANT. LEARN ALL YOU CAN BEFORE YOU BEGIN. *SOME BREEDERS TAKE THE DOE TO THE BUCKS CAGE AND AFTER HE MOUNTS HER AND FALLS OFF THEY REMOVE THE DOE IMMEDIETELY AND TAKE HER BACK TO HER OWN CAGE AND THEN TRY AGAIN IN A FEW HOURS. I HAVE ALSO HEARD OF TAKING THE DOE TO THE BUCKS CAGE AND IF THEY ARE GETTING ALONG AND THE DOE IS WILLING TO BE BRED THEY LEAVE THE DOE IN THE BUCKS CAGE FOR A FEW HOURS. DEPENDING ON THE RABBITS THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS THING. SOME RABBITS CAN HURT EACH OTHER. SOMETIMES THE BUCK GRABS THE DOES HAIR AND PULLS IT OUT. SO IF YOUR BREEDING A SHOW DOE IT'S BEST TO BREED ON THE TABLE AND LAY A TOWEL ON HER BACK SO THE BUCK WON'T PULL HER HAIR OUT. THIS WAY YOU CAN MAKE SURE THE BREEDING WAS SAFE FOR BOTH RABBITS. THE TABLE BREEDING IS WHERE YOU TAKE THE BUCK AND DOE OUT OF THEIR CAGES AND PLACE THEM BOTH ON A TABLE TOP TO BREED. *IF THE DOE IS READY TO BE BRED SHE WILL LIFT HER HIND QUARTERS AND THE BUCK WILL MOUNT HER FROM BEHIND. THE BUCK WILL MAKE A SQUEELING SOUND AND THEN FALL ON HIS BACK. SOMETIMES IF THE DOE IS RUNNING AROUND I PLACE MY HAND GENTLY ON HER NECK TO KEEP HER STILL WHILE THE BUCK MOUNTS HER. AFTER THIS HAPPENS PUT BOTH RABBITS BACK IN THEIR CAGES BUT TRY IT AGAIN 1 MORE TIME A FEW HOURS LATER TO MAKE SURE SHE IS BRED. *10 DAYS AFTER BEING BRED SOMETIMES I PUT MY DOES BACK IN WITH THE BUCK AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IF THE DOE GROWLS AT HIM AND IS VERY RESISTANT TO BEING BRED AGAIN THEN SHE PROBABLY IS PREGNANT. BUT TAKE HER OUT IMMEDIETLY AND MAKE SURE THE BUCK DOES NOT MOUNT HER AGAIN. *I ALSO PALPATE MY DOES AROUND THE 10TH DAY. THIS JUST MEANS I FEEL HER STOMACH TO SEE IF SHE IS PREGNANT. SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO TELL. PALPATION TAKES PRACTICE. IT ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW MANY BABIES SHE IS CARRYING. A RABBIT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN PREGNANT BEFORE IT IS HARD TO TELL BUT AFTER HER FIRST LITTER IT IS EASIER TO TELL. *ON THE 28TH DAY OF PREGNANCY I PUT IN AN ALL PLYWOOD NESTBOX. FOR OUR HOLLAND LOPS WE USE 9"X14"X81/2". FOR OUR NEW ZEALAND REDS WE USE 11"X18"X101/2". I PUT NEWS PAPER ON THE BOTOM, THEN 2-3 INCHES OF PINE SHAVINGS THEN I PILE THE TOP WITH TIMOTHY HAY. AS SOON AS THE NESTBOX GOES IN THE CAGE ALL MY DOES HOP RIGHT IN AND START BUILDING THEIR NEST. THEY RIP AND TEAR AND REARRANGE EVERYTHING JUST THEY WAY THEY LIKE IT. *THE GESTATION PERIOD (PREGNENCY) OF A RABBIT IS 30 DAYS AND MOST KITS ARE BORN ON THE 31ST DAY. BEFORE MY BUNNIES ARE BRED I LOOK AT THE CALENDER AND COUNT 31 DAYS AHEAD. I LIKE TO PLAN ALL MY BREEDINGS SO I CAN BE HOME ALL DAY WHEN MY DOES KINDLE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE THEIR TO MAKE SURE ALL IS WELL. *BABY BUNNIES ARE REFERED TO AS KITTENS OR KITS, (ALTHOUGH I CALL MINE BABIES!) *I KNOW WHEN MY DOES ARE ABOUT TO KINDLE BECAUSE THEY STUFF THEIR CHEEKS WITH HAY AND STRAW AND FRANTICALY PACE THE CAGE FLOOR. USUALLY THEY KINDLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR EARLY IN THE MORNING. *IN THE MORNING I TAKE OUT THE NESTBOX AND LOOK INSIDE TO COUNT THE BABIES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL ALIVE. I REMOVE ANY DEAD ONES. IF I KNOW A BABY IS STILL ALIVE BUT IS COLD I RUN THEIR BODIES UNDER WARM WATER. NEVER PUT THE HEAD UNDER THE WATER. ONLY THE NECK DOWN CAN BE COVERED IN WATER. OR YOU COULD THROW A TOWEL IN THE DRYER AND THEN WRAP THE BABY IN THE WARM TOWEL. I HAVE TAKEN COLD KITS AND WRAPPED THEM IN A WARM TOWEL FROM THE DRYER, PLACED THEM ON A HOT PAD AND THEN TOOK A BLOW DRYER TO THEM TO HELP WARM THEM UP. THE BLOW DRYER IS THE FASTES METHOD I KNOW OF FOR HEATING A COLD KIT QUICK. ALTHOUGH DON'T PUT THE BLOW DRYER TO CLOSE TO THEIR SKIN IT COULD BURN THEM. * THE DOE PULLS OUT FUR FROM HER STOMACH AND COVERS THE BABIES. THIS FUR KEEPS THE BABIES WARM. THEY NEED TO BE COMPLETELY SUROUNDED BY FUR AND HAY. BECAUSE IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO AIR THEY COULD GET COLD AND DIE. * THROUGH OUT THE YEAR WHEN I BUSH MY DOES, I SAVE ALL THEIR FUR. I PUT IT IN ZIPLOCK BAGS AND WRITE THEIR NAME ON IT. IF I SEE THAT THE DOE DID NOT PULL OUT ENOUGH HAIR TO COVER THE BABIES IN THE NEST BOX I TAKE ALL THE HAIR I HAVE SAVED AND COVER THE BABIES WITH IT. *BABIE BUNNIES ARE BORN WITH EYES CLOSED AND NO FIR. *FOR THE FIRST WEEK THE BABIES LOOK LIKE LITTLE NAKED MICE. BUT DURING THE SECOND WEEK THEIR BODIES ARE COVERED IN PEACH FUZZ. *THEY DON'T OPEN THEIR EYES UNTILL ABOUT 12 DAYS AFTER THEIR BORN *I CHECK THE BABIES EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THEIR BELLYS LOOK FULL. THEY SHOULD HAVE LITTLE ROUND DOUGH BOY BELLIES. IF SOME LOOK TO SKINNY, I LAY THE MOTHER RABBIT ON HER BACK IN MY LAP AND LAY THE BABY BUNNY ON HER BELLY AND MAKE SURE IT NURSES. *A MOTHER RABBIT ONLY NURSES HER BABIES ONCE OR TWICE A DAY. TYPICALLY ONCE A DAY AND IT WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SO YOU MAY NEVER SEE HER NURSE. *MOTHER RABBITS DO NOT LAY ON THEIR SIDE TO NURSE THEIR BABIES LIKE DOGS OR CATS DO. MOTHER RABBITS STAY ON ALL FOUR FEET AND HOVER OVER HER BABIES. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS SITTING ON TOP OF THEM. SOMETIMES A DOE'S FIRST LITTER DOESN'T SURVIVE. I THINK THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT IT TAKES A WHILE FOR HER MILK TO COME IN. THE FIRST WEEK OF LIFE IS THE MOST CRITICAL. THE BUNNIES NEED MILK. IF THE DOE'S MILK DOES NOT COME IN AND THE BABY BUNNIES GO WITHOUT MILK THEY COULD DIE. USUALLY THE SECOND LITTER ALWAYS SURVIVES SINCE HER MILK WILL COME IN FASTER AND THE DOE WILL BE A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCED. *BEFORE 3 WEEKS THE BABIES WILL COME OUT OF NEST BOX. *BY 3 WEEKS THEY WILL PROBABLY BEGIN EATING SOLID PELETS AND DRINKING FROM THE WATER BOTTEL OR CROCK. (THEY MAY STILL BE NURSING AND EATING SOLID FOOD) *BABIES USUALLY QUITE NURSING AT ABOUT 5-6 WEEKS, I PUT MY BABIES IN ANOTHER CAGE AT THIS POINT. * A BABY BUNNY SHOULD NEVER GO TO ANOTHER HOME UNTILL THEY ARE 8 WEEKS OLD. |
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