Pregnancy and Birth of Rabbits

Once your doe is bred, you pretty much just have a waiting game.  Rabbit gestation is usually 28-32 days, but I have heard of some does having their kits as early as 25 days, and have seen some have them as late as 35 days.

About halfway through the pregnancy, you will want to increase her feed.  I usually let them have as much as they want at that point.  Some breeders will tell you to withhold feed from her the last couple of days before she kindles, since she probably won’t eat much anyway, and to discourage caked udder.  I’ve never had a problem with caked udder, though. Having given birth, myself, find it cruel to withhold food at that point.  If she’s not hungry, she’ll not eat.

Some people say that their doe’s behavior will change when she’s pregnant.  I’ve seen does get more complacent, and I’ve seen them get testier.  Usually, they go to one extreme or the other right before kindling.  It’s just hormones.  Every pregnant female goes through the same thing.  It’s nothing to worry about.  Those hormones will rule her behaviour through nursing, too.  She may have a different personality while pregnant than while nursing.  Some of the nastier nursing does are the best mothers, but I’ve had very sweet does make excellent mothers as well.

The doe will need a nestbox before she kindles.  Because I’ve heard of does having kits as early as day 25, I provide the nest box on that day.  Other breeders will tell you not to put it in until day 27 or even day 28.  I’d rather not risk losing an entire litter because I was too late giving her a nestbox.  The nestbox should be filled with some sort of nesting material.  I prefer straw, since it is less likely to be eaten than hay.  Some people have also used aspen shavings.  Newspaper strips can be used in an emergency, but will require changing out within a day or two.  Do not use sawdust or cedar shavings.  Avoid anything that has mold or is overly dusty.  Rabbits have sensitive respiratory systems and young kits are very susceptible to eye infections, as well.

If the doe starts using the nest box for a toilet, clean it out and put it back in her cage in a different corner.  Most likely you accidentally put the nest box in the corner she usually uses for her bathroom.  Also make sure that the nest box you’ve provided isn’t too big.  You don’t want her lounging around in the nest.

Some does will rearrange the nesting material as soon as they have the box, others will ignore it until they’re in full blown labor.  However, even does that start nesting right away, and seem to nest constantly won’t seem frantic until they’re in labor.  Once they’re in labor, you can expect the kits that evening or the following morning.  If the doe is acting frantic more than two evenings or two mornings in a row, you may want to consider taking her to a vet to make sure that a kit isn’t stuck.  The real indicator would be if you notice blood in the cage and no kits.

The doe should pull fur from her dewlap and belly right before or right after having the kits.  If you see kits in the nest and no fur, gently pluck some fur from her sides to cover the babies.

When you check the nest box, try to do so as unobtrusively as possible.  The best way is to glance into the nestbox from outside the cage.  Don’t bother the mom if you don’t have to.  Over-stressed new mothers have been known to cannibalize kits.  If it looks like there are kits in the nest, put a small dab of vanilla extract on her nose before getting into the nest to count the kits and remove any dead ones.  Do NOT leave any dead kits in the nest.

If any kits were born on the wire and are still alive, move them immediately into the nest with their littermates, and check back in a couple hours to make sure it didn’t die anyway.  If it is still alive after 4 hours, it will most likely make it.

The kits should be round like ping-pong balls.  If their sides are sucked in or you can see their spine, the mother is most likely not nursing them and you will have to raise them by hand.

Breeding

Breeding rabbits is generally a very easy thing to do, but there are a few rules to follow and some bits of information I’d like to give you.  First off, make sure the rabbits you will be breeding are indeed one male and one female (putting two of the same gender together usually results in fights) and that they are proper age.

The first rule of breeding rabbits is that you should bring the doe to the buck’s cage or a neutral place.  NEVER take the buck to the doe’s cage.  Does can be extremely territorial and can do serious harm to a buck if she doesn’t want him in her home.  Also, some does have been known to cannibalize litters when bred in their own cage.

Rabbits do not go in heat like dogs or horses, do.  Instead, they are called induced ovulators.  Mating causes the release of eggs into the uterus.  However, hormonal fluctuations may make a doe more or less receptive to breeding.  The fluctuations aren’t on any kind of determinable cycle, though.  Breeding can be forced and still be effective, but breeding a willing doe will usually result in a larger litter.  The easiest indicator of readiness is that the doe will lift her tail when stroked backwards (from tail to shoulder).  Some does aren’t trusting enough to let you just pet them, though, so you’ll have to check her vulva.  A red or dark pink, swollen, moist vulva indicates receptivity, as opposed to a drier, pale pink vulva.

Some people choose to leave the doe in the buck’s cage for an extended period of time (up to three days).  However, I don’t recommend it.  Again, does can do serious damage to a buck if unattended.  Studies have actually shown that the best method is to allow the rabbits to mate, separate them, and then rebreed an hour later.

When you bring the doe to the buck’s cage, watch to make sure that the doe does not attack the buck.  Both rabbits may grunt and whine when they first meet, and even stamp their feet.  Watch carefully if the doe starts stamping--it may be the only warning she gives before she attacks.

Sometimes the buck will try to mount her head instead of the proper way around.  Gently swing his body around until he’s properly lined up.  Some does have been known to cause serious permanent damage to a buck’s penis for mounting the wrong end (but it’s rare).  If the doe has her rump in the corner of the cage, try swinging her rump around to be more accessible.  If the doe starts to hump the buck, just pull the buck out from under her and position him on top.

When the buck ejaculates he will usually seize and scrunch up, grunt and fall over (sideways or backwards).  This is normal.  If he doesn’t seize and fall over, he probably hasn’t ejaculated.  Many bucks will then start grunting or whining and stamping his feet around the doe.  I call it “worrying”, but it’s nothing to worry about.

If at any time the doe makes a move to attack the buck or is obviously not interested, remove the doe and try again later.  Sometimes when it is too hot, neither rabbit will be interested.  It is usually best to put them together in the morning or evening hours, when rabbits are naturally most active.  If you have a doe that is particularly snarky, you may want to consider holding her in place for the buck.

When you remove the doe after breeding, feel around her rump and tail to make sure he didn’t ejaculate on her fur.  Some people actually flip the doe over and check her vulva for a deposit.

Dispatching and Butchering Rabbits: Video Links

Instead of trying to describe how to butcher a rabbit, I'll give you the links to a couple very helpful videos.  Later, I may try to add a post that has still images of butchering a rabbit.

Broomstick Dispatch Method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S6dF33f5O4

Butchering: http://www.youtube.com/user/JRSKICK1#p/f/2/iali_mkReYA

When to Breed

Some rabbits are capable of breeding as young as 8 weeks old (believe me, I’ve had it happen to me).  However, it is not healthy for the doe to be bred that young, and there’s no telling if a buck that young will actually produce kits (he could just be “doing what daddy does”).  The minimum recommended age for breeding is 6 months old.  With giant breeds, you may want to postpone that to 10 or 12 months old.  If you’re wanting better fertility, it is best to breed a rabbit before it reaches a year old, and to get at least 2 (if not 3) litters a year.  Rabbits, particularly does, that are not initially bred young enough, and aren’t bred frequently enough will never produce as well as rabbits which were bred at the optimum age or frequency.  This is because rabbits that aren’t bred develop extra fat deposits and generally get lazier.  In does, the fatty deposits are often around their ovaries, which can lead to complete infertility.

If you’re buying older rabbits to breed, ask for production records, which should tell you how old she was when she was first bred, how often she’s been bred since, and how many kits she’s had in each litter (and their survival rates).  If she hasn’t been bred in the last 6 months, don’t buy her.  Also, if you’re raising for meat, don’t buy an older doe that hasn’t averaged at least 6 kits per litter (it’s understandable if the litter size has tapered off, though), with a 90% or better survival rate.  If she’s had two litters of 4 or less, though, I would suggest looking for a different doe.

Also keep in mind that rabbit fertility is also tied to how much light they see in a day. Without artificial lighting, most rabbits will have a lower fertility rate during the winter. Also, higher temperatures during the summer often results in a lower survival rate for summer-born kits. Rabbits may also be less interested in breeding when it's hot outside.

Preparing to Breed

Before you put your buck and doe together, please read as much as you can about breeding rabbits and the care that is required afterwards.  You need to know proper ages for the breeders, when and what kind of nest to provide, acceptable and not acceptable behaviors from the doe, how YOU should behave, how to hand raise (in case mom won’t or can’t), when and how to wean, and how to sex young rabbits.  Also know what you are going to do with the kits after they leave mom.

Nesting

If you’re going to breed rabbits, you are going to need nest boxes.  Best practice is to have one nest box for each doe to prevent cross-contamination.  However, you can get by having enough nestboxes for the most number of litters you’ll have at one time.  I figure it by looking at how many does might you breed in a 30 day period, that way each doe can have her nestbox before she kindles and keep it until the kits are starting to jump out on their own.

Nestboxes can be made completely of wood, completely of metal, a combination of the two, or even plastic.  Plastic is usually only used in emergency cases or by inexperienced “pet” owners.  Don’t use plastic if you can avoid it since it can be chewed on and is no good for the rabbit.

You can make your own nestboxes out of wood if you have a few boards lying about.  Just keep in mind that hardwoods are the safest for rabbits.  Hardwoods are trees like alder, poplar, maple and oak.  Pine can be used, but avoid fresh pine that is particularly sappy or aromatic. And avoid cedar at all costs. Rabbit respiratory systems are pretty sensitive.

Wooden nestboxes are harder to keep clean, and cannot be truly sterilized.  What that means is that if you have a litter that contracts any disease--coccidiosis or mucoid enteritis, for example--you’ll have to destroy the nestbox (firewood, anyone?).  However, if you have a scrap pile of safe wood, it may still be a cheaper option.

Metal nestboxes are the ones you usually end up buying from suppliers and feed stores.  Metal has the advantage of being easily sterilized.  The downside is that because of how lightweight they are, most does will try to move them around the cage, and then may later decide that the corner of the cage BEHIND the box looks like a good nest, which usually results in dead kits.  This can be remedied by using something to secure the nestbox into its corner.  (I use a pair of spring clips attached to the floor to wedge the box into the corner).  Another downside is that metal nestboxes have NO insulation.  This can result in overheated kits during the summer, or frozen kits during the winter (meaning dead kits in either case).  Frozen kits can be remedied through the use of a nestbox warmer (available from most equipment suppliers).  Or, you can bring the nestbox inside your house when the temperature in the rabbit area is getting too extreme for the kits.

Whether you use a wooden or metal nestbox, you’ll find that the floor will wear out the fastest.  For this reason, I prefer to design my nestboxes with a removable floor.  Many commercially available metal nestboxes actually have a removable wooden floor (which helps with the insulation problem a little bit).

There are actually several types of nestboxes in use.  The most common has a rectangular floor, with a short wall on one narrow side, a tall wall on the opposite narrow side, and trapezoidal walls that have an angle cut from the top of the short wall the top of the tall wall.  Sometimes these will also have a bit of a ceiling coming out from the taller waller.  For a meat-type breed, this means a 10”x18” floor, with a 10”x4-6” front wall, 10”x10” back wall, For the sides, take two more 10”x18” pieces, and cut an angle out of it from 4-6” up one 10” side to the opposite corner.

You can also take a regular, straight-sided box, and cut an opening for the doe to hop in through.  Just make sure that it is at least 4” above the floor, and no more than 6”.  This keeps the kits from crawling out of the nest.

Some nestboxes have a “baby scraper” lip on the bottom of the opening ledge.  Essentially, it’s just a lip that hangs over into the nest area and catches any kits still attached to the teat when mom decides to jump out.

Another style of nestbox that is gaining popularity with the “natural way” movement is the “subterranean” nest, which is essentially a box that is dropped into a hole in the bottom of the doe’s cage.  However, this requires that you have a hole in the bottom of each doe’s cage.  You then either have to always leave the nest in her cage or have some way of replacing the floor when she’s not nesting.  This style doesn’t work very well for stacked cages because of the extra clearance you need under each cage.

When choosing or making your nest box, consider the size of the doe you’ll be breeding.  The nest box should be just barely bigger than her.  A nest that is too big will encourage to lounge around in it.  She may choose to turn it into a litter box, or just hang out in there which poses a risk for trampling the kits.  The doe should only be going in there once or twice a day to feed for a few minutes and then get out.  Obviously, a nest that’s too small just won’t get used.

Watering

There are three main options for watering your rabbits: crocks, bottles, or automatic system.  I advise against crocks simply for the fact that they are very prone to collecting pee (especially if you have bucks that spray), feces and fur (particularly if you have wool rabbits or rabbits that are molting).  Crocks also generally require you to reach inside the cage to deal with.  I have seen some people use some narrow hose nozzles to refill secured crocks from outside the cage, though.  The only reason I would bother getting crocks would be if you plan to take your rabbits to shows, since crocks allow you to stack carriers more easily.  If you do get crocks, make sure that you get the type that can be secured to the cage so that the rabbits cannot move them (or hide them) or tip them over.

For the backyard rabbit raiser, bottles are most likely your best option.  There are several options for the bottles, including whether the neck of the bottle is straight down (and the nozzle is curved), or the neck is at an angle; the bottles can be made of transparent or opaque plastic; nozzles can be double ball bearing or spring loaded.  I prefer to use bottles that have the angled neck because those ones usually have a wider opening, making refilling easier.  However, the nozzles that come on the straight neck bottles can usually be transferred to a 2-liter bottle.  There are even some manufacturers (like Bass Equipment, KW Cages, and Klubertanz) that sell “conversion kits” which is essentially just a bottle cap/nozzle assembly and a wire to hold the bottle in place.  If you keep your rabbits outside, I advise getting opaque water bottles because they will last longer in the sun, and withstand freezing better.  UV and freezing temperatures tend to make clear plastic brittle.  Most bottles have double ball bearing nozzles, which are easy for all rabbits to drink from.  You can get spring loaded nozzles, but usually they only come on the bottles that are top-filled.  Top-filled bottles are great if you can take a hose with you out to water the rabbits instead of hauling all the bottles back to the faucet.  But, because the top-filled bottles have a spring-loaded nozzle, some rabbits have a bit of difficulty drinking from it, especially young or small rabbits.

If you are planning to keep a large number of rabbits, it might be better to get an automatic watering system for your rabbits.  They cost slightly more per cage than bottles, but they will save you a great deal of time.  Most automatic watering systems consist of a bucket that is mounted higher than the topmost cage, and is gravity fed into pipes or tubes that distribute water to each cage via nozzle (usually spring-loaded).  Some get fancier by including pumps, water return systems, anti-freeze mechanisms, or medication delivery systems.  I haven’t personally used an automatic watering system since the time I use to gather water bottles doubles for checking up on all of the rabbits.  However, if you decide you want to use an automatic watering system, just contact the supplier and they should be able to help you get exactly what you need.