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.

Feeders

There are a number of ways to deliver the feed to the rabbits.  Pellets are usually provided either with J-feeders or crocks.  Hay can be provided with a pellet-hay combination feeder, racks, loose, or even on specially-designed cages.  Some breeders like to provide creep feeders for their litters which keep the mother from eating the specialized feed.

Crocks
Crocks require you to open the cage to feed the rabbit, must have fines dumped from them, and often collect fecal waste.  However, some people still like to use them.  Crocks can be loose or attached to the side of the cage.  If you choose to use loose ones, make sure that they are the kind that cannot be tipped over, or you will be dealing with a lot of wasted feed.  Ones that attach to the cage make it more difficult to dump out the fines and feces, although you can usually mount them high enough that you shouldn't get as much poop in there.

J-Feeders
The biggest advantage of J-feeders is that it can be attached to the outside of the cage, with the trough inside the cage through a cutout, allowing you to feed the rabbits from outside the cage.  Because they are attached to the cage, the rabbit cannot tip them over.  The original J-feeders were made completely out of metal, and did have to be detached from the cage to remove fines.  Most feeders today, though are made with a mesh bottom.  Most have hardware cloth as the bottom, which sifts all of the fines out of the feed as it is poured in. Hardware cloth can be destroyed by digging, though.  For rabbits which dig in their feeder, I recommend getting feeders with diamond mesh.  The downside to diamond mesh is that it can sometimes catch pellets that will have to be poked back through.  J-Feeders are usually sold by how wide they are, in 3", 5", 7", 9", and 11", and some brands will go wider.  3" feeders are really only useful for small breed bucks and replacement breeders.  I suppose some meat breeders do use the 3" feeders, but some bucks can have rather broad heads that can make it difficult to eat from 3" feeders.  I prefer to use 5" feeders for meat breeds, and even giants can get by with 5" feeders, especially if you get the wide-trough type (also recommended for lops).  Litter pens should have at least 7" feeders, whether for small breeds or larger.  That way, there's more room for everyone to eat.  Keep in mind that in addition to the feeder, you will also need to have water access on all of the cages, so wider isn't necessarily better.

Hay Feeders
Combination feeders are great for people who feed hay with their pellets.  Because the front of the feeder isn't there, combination feeders cannot hold as many pellets.  This is really only an issue for litter pen feeders, since most bucks and replacement breeders can still be fed enough feed in the bottom of a 5" feeder.  For litter pens, you will need a wider feeder in order to provide enough pellets for the litter to have a constant supply without you having to add pellets twice a day.

Another option is a hay rack, just holds hay up to the side of the cage and allows rabbits to pull it through the wire.  These can be mounted above pellet feeders for adults, but should be mounted lower for kits to be able to access.

Some people have also designed their cages to have a sloped roof on one side, usually matching up to the sloping side on adjacent cages, which allows the caretaker to simply put hay on top of the cages, and feed several cages at once.

Creep Feeders
Creep feeders are usually long, short troughs with a cover over them that are slid into the cage along one side, and are usually designed so that the trough can be pulled out through the cage wire to be refilled.  The cover has small holes in it just big enough for the kits to eat through, so their dam can't eat it.  You only need these if you plan to feed kits a special diet that their mother doesn't need.

Cages

For most rabbits, all-wire cages are your best option, since they're the easiest to maintain, and typically cheaper than wooden hutches.  The exception is for giants which carry a lot of weight on comparatively small feet.  For giants, it is best to make floors out of planks with gaps between them (think along the lines of the deck on your house).  Some people also recommend plank floors for the more active full-arch breeds like Belgian Hares as well, since they're rather fine-boned and thin-furred.

All-wire cages are usually made with 14 gauge 1"x2" galvanized wire mesh on the sides and top, with 16 gauge 1/2"x1" galvanized wire mesh for the floor, all held together with J-clips and/or C-rings.  I recommend using the wire mesh siding even if you have plank floors.

Solid floors are not recommended because they collect rabbit waste, and quickly develop a thick ammonia odor if they're not emptied out every couple days.  On top of that, you'll risk urine burn even if you provide plenty of clean straw or other bedding (not cedar or pine).

If you decide to go with plank floors, I recommend designing them so that urine drains into the gaps rather than pooling in the middle of each plank (just a tiny, curved slope is all that's needed).  It is also good for the long run if you make it so that the floors can be easily lifted up out of the cage (by people) in case they ever need replacing.  It is no fun tearing a hutch down just to replace one part.

Generally, all cages should be at least 16-18" tall, and I recommend 20-24" tall for giants.  Meat breed bucks (mature at 8 lbs or more) should have cages that are at least 24"x24".  That also goes for single replacement breeders.  The does and litters should have a cage that is 30"x30" or 24"x36", at the very least.  I use both 30"x30" and 30"x36", but when they're triple-stacked such that the top of the stack is at 6', it can be difficult for me to reach the backs of the top and bottom cages with my average human height.  For anyone shorter than that who plans to stack their cages, I recommend keeping the cages to 24" deep.

If you have giants (mature at 12 lbs or more), bucks and replacement should be kept in cages at least 24"x30", although 30"x30" or 24"x36" would be a better recommendation.  Does need at LEAST 30"x36", and I highly recommend cages that are 30"x42" or even 48".  I don't recommend stacking giant cages more than two high unless you (and any helpers) are pretty tall with long arms.

Whether you use hutches or all-wire cages, the rabbits will need to be sheltered from wind, rain, and direct sun.  This means a roof, and solid sides to protect from at least two directions (three is better).  If you decide to put your rabbits in a shed or barn, keep in mind that rabbits are very susceptible to heat stress (it only has to be 80 degrees), and respiratory irritation (ammonia), so it is important that there be proper insulation and air flow.  I usually set up my hutches so that the open side faces north so that they have protection from as much of the summer sun as possible.  If I can't set them up facing north, east is the second choice, since the morning sun is slightly less threatening than evening sun because of the ambient temperatures.  It also helps that the major weather patterns here usually come in from the south or the west.

When cages are set up without stacking, there is no need for something to catch the waste in.  If you set up the hutch in the garden, just rake it out from under the cages to fertilize.  Or, use a shovel.  Some people have also set up a kind of gutter or funnel that directs the waste into buckets that have holes drilled in the bottom to drain any liquid.

If the cages are stacked up, you have to set something up to keep the rabbits in the upper level(s) from peeing on the ones below them.  With two-tier cages, that can be as simple as an angled board between the two levels (usually attached to the front bottom of the upper cage, and resting on the upper back of the lower cage).  Triple-tier cages usually have to be stacked with less space between levels to keep them from being too tall, in which case, the only option is to use trays.  Trays need to be dumped at least once a week, if not more.  I usually find that a tray under a litter will have to be dumped every 2 to 3 days.

Setting Up

Before you get your rabbits, have all of your cages and equipment ready to go.  You will need one cage for each buck, a larger cage for each doe (and it's a good idea to have two cages per doe so that her litter can be separated for a little more growing after weaning).  You may also want more cages for keeping replacement breeders.  Each cage will need a feeder, and a way to provide water.  You will also need to have enough nestboxes for your does (they will each use it from a couple days before their due until the kits are 3-4 weeks old).  Other equipment that are good to have are nail trimmers and straw (nesting material).

Some nice-to-have items are a scale, feed container (on wheels if you have a lot of rabbits), sifting feed scoop, cornstarch (stops bleeding when you nick the quick while trimming nails; also handy for cleaning rabbit fur), slicker brush, tattoo equipment (so you can identify rabbits, especially if they all look similar), cage cards (handy for backup caretakers), exercise pens, carrying cages, processing equipment (butchering, tanning, etc.), and a grooming table.

Compatible Colors

If you intend to raise your rabbits to be showable (either by you or the people who buy them), it is a good idea to know not only the conformation and allowable colors of your breed, but also which colors go together.  Rabbit color genetics can be rather complicated, so I'm providing you a guide that should help you without requiring you to have a good understanding of those genetics.

I'll start with the colors most common to the meat breeds.

New Zealands come in red, white, and black, officially.  Blues are also in development.  White (also called REW or ruby-eyed white in some other breeds) rabbits bred to white rabbits will always produce whites.  The genes responsible for white completely masks what color the rabbit would otherwise be, so it's a bit of an experiment when you breed them to other colors.  Some New Zealand whites can be bred to reds, others to blacks and blues.  If possible, take a look at the rabbit's pedigree.  If there are any non-white colors in the pedigree, that white rabbit will most likely be safe to breed to rabbits of the color(s) listed on the pedigree.  In New Zealands, you don't want to cross the black/blue lines with the red lines because you will get chestnuts and opals, which are not recognized varieties.  Blacks and Blues can definitely be safely crossed in any breed.

Californians SHOULD only ever produce more rabbits with the Californian markings (black nose, feet, tail and ears).  Occasionally, though, you CAN get REWs if the line has been outcrossed (usually with New Zealand whites), but they're not accepted as Californians.  In breeds that recognize the Californian and REW coloring, this isn't as much of a problem.  You can usually tell if a Californian rabbit carries white because the markings will usually be smaller and/or lighter (although, don't confuse smaller marks caused by heat or lighter marks caused by non-black color).

Now, on to the more varied colors.  Satins and Rexes both accept a LOT of colors, as do the lops and angoras, and many other breeds.  This list is going to be long, so if you're wondering about a specific color, I suggest holding ctrl+F, then typing in the variety you're looking for into the prompt that shows up ("Find" function).  All colors are best bred to rabbits of the same color or to REWs with compatible parentage, but sometimes it's fun to mix it up a little bit.

Chestnut, also called castor in rex, copper in satin, and sandy in Flemish can carry just about any other color, so even breeding two together, you have the potential to get ANY color, depending on parentage.  It also means that if you use a chestnut, you will probably get a litter that is at least half chestnuts.  Chestnuts are most compatible with opals, chocolate chestnuts (also called amber in rex, cinnamon in other breeds), black otters, blacks, red/oranges (fawn in Flemish).  Pedigrees should show which other colors are in the rabbit's background to help determine which colors are best to breed to.  For instance, if you have a castor rex from a red parent, you probably won't want to cross it with a self or otter (unless you live in Britain where Fox, aka torted otter, is accepted), and it would probably be best to avoid crossing it with non-reds (however, I have heard that chocolate chestnut/amber/cinnamon can reduce smut in reds; the flipside, though, is that you end up with gold kits rather than red, which will never be as intense red--Gold is accepted for many lop breeds, but very little else).  Generally, though, as long as the chestnut is not from red lines, it can be safely crossed with any full-color agouti, otter or self.

Opal is most compatible with chestnut, blue and blue otter, fawn (not Flemish) but can also be crossed safely with lynx.  (You can also make lynx by crossing chocolate chestnuts with opals, although the color may take some work to get nice).

Chocolate chestnut, also called amber or cinnamon, is most compatible with chestnut, lynx (lilac agouti), chocolate, chocolate otter, and gold.

Lynx (lilac agouti) is most compatible with lilac, and cream.  Occasionally, it is desirable to cross them with chocolate chestnut (amber, cinnamon).

Black otter is most compatible with chestnut (castor, copper), blue otter, chocolate otter, and black.  If your breed accepts silver marten, and the rabbit does not carry self, you can cross with chinchilla. Do NOT cross with tortoiseshells or red/oranges.

Blue otter is most compatible with opal, black otter, and blue, and can be crossed with lilac otter. If your breed accepts blue silver marten, and the rabbit does not carry self, you can cross with squirrel. Do NOT cross with tortoiseshells or red/oranges.

Chocolate otter is most compatible with chocolate chestnut (amber, cinnamon), black otter, lilac otter, and chocolate.  Do NOT cross with tortoiseshells or red/oranges.

Lilac otter is most compatible with lynx and lilac and can be crossed with chocolate otter.  Do NOT cross with tortoiseshells or red/oranges.

Black is most compatible with chestnut (castor, copper, sandy), black otter, black tortoiseshell (often just called tort).  Most Flemish breeders will advise against breeding blacks with sandies, though.

Blue is most compatible with black, opal, blue otter, blue tortoiseshell.  It can also be safely crossed with lilac, black otter, tort.

Chocolate is most compatible with chocolate chestnut (amber, cinnamon), chocolate otter, chocolate tortoiseshell.  It can also be safely crossed with lilac, black.

Lilac is most compatible with lynx (lilac agouti), lilac otter, lilac tortoiseshell.  Many breeders recommend crossing with chocolate to intensify the color.

Red/Orange (called fawn in Flemish Giants) is most compatible with chestnut (castor, copper, sandy), fawn, gold, and black tortoiseshell, depending on which colors are accepted for the breed.

Fawn (not Flemish Giants) is most compatible with opal, red/orange, and blue tortoiseshell.  It can also be crossed with cream.

Gold is most compatible with chocolate chestnut, red/orange, cream, and chocolate tortoiseshell.

Cream is most compatible with lynx (lilac agouti), gold, and lilac tortoiseshell.


Black Chinchilla (called light gray in Flemish Giants, or just chinchilla in many breeds) is best bred to other chinchillas or REW, since most other accepted colors will result in smut (undesirable miscolored hairs).  For the breeds that have a wide variety of colors, they can be crossed with blue chinchilla (squirrel)  or chocolate chinchilla, frosted pearl, black silver marten.

Blue Chinchilla (squirrel) can be bred to black chinchilla, blue ermine, blue silver marten.

Chocolate chinchilla can be bred to black chinchilla, and lilac chinchilla, chocolate ermine, chocolate silver marten.

Lilac chinchilla can be bred to chocolate chinchilla, lilac ermine, lilac silver marten.

Black silver marten (called just silver marten in many breeds) can be bred to blue silver marten, chocolate silver marten, black chinchilla.

Blue silver marten can be bred to black silver marten, blue chinchilla (squirrel).

Chocolate silver marten can be bred to black silver marten, lilac silver marten, chocolate chinchilla.

Lilac silver marten can be bred to chocolate silver marten, lilac chinchilla.

Frosted pearl and ermines are compatible with each other and their chinchilla counterpart.


Sables and seals are compatible with each other and their sable marten and point counterparts, and Californian/Himalayans.

Steels are best bred to with their regular agouti or chinchilla counterpart.  Regular agouti will produce gold-tipped.  Chinchilla with a silver-tipped steel produces silver-tipped steels.  Black (steel)s with chestnuts or chinchillas.  Blue steels with opals or squirrels. Chocolate steels with chocolate chestnuts or chocolate chinchillas.  Lilac steels with lynx or lilac chinchillas.  (Steel gray Flemish are silver-tipped black steels).  Steels to steels can produce rabbits that look self, except for some ticking on extremities, but are actually double-steeled.

With harlequins, please keep Japanese (orange) with Japanese, and magpie (white) with magpie.  Broken (spotted) Japanese are called tricolors.  Black Japanese harlequins/tricolors may be crossed with red/oranges, as well as blue and chocolate harl/tris. Blue Japanese harlequins/tricolors may be crossed with fawns, as well as black harl/tris. Chocolate Japanese harlequins/tricolors may be crossed with golds, as well as black or lilac harl/tris. Lilac Japanese harlequins/tricolors may be crossed with creams, as well as chocolate harl/tris.  It is best to cross harlequins with broken reds, etc. if you're not breeding them to tricolors.  Tricolors can be bred to solid or broken reds, etc.  Magpies can also be bred to ermines.

Blue-eyed whites should only be bred with other blue-eyed whites, but can be crossed with REWs.  Vienna-marked rabbits should be bred to Blue-eyed whites for a litter that is half BEW (BEWs are accepted in shows, while VMs are not).

There are other colors out there, but to my knowledge, they are not accepted on the show table.

How Many?

Another thing you need to ask yourself before you dive in is how many rabbits you need.  Obviously if you want to breed them, you want at least one male and one female.  If you want several colors and are concerned about what colors are acceptable to the breed standard, you will need to make sure that the pairings are of compatible colors (I'll lay that out for you in another post).

The general rule of thumb is that each male can service about 8-10 females.  If you figure that each doe will have about 6-8 kits per litter (average for meat rabbits, although some may have 13 or more; if they're producing less then they're not worth your time), which should each provide about 2 pounds of meat when butchered, and you should have 2-3 litters per year (up to 5 if without wearing them down too much) out of each doe, you get 24 to 80 pounds of meat per year per doe, depending on litter size and how often you rebreed her.  Get as many does as you need to provide a share of your family's annual meat requirement, and get enough bucks to service them.

I advise starting with as few rabbits as possible (a trio of compatible colors is a good start) until you've got the hang of it, and then add more later if you decide you really like it.  This goes for those who are raising to sell for pets or show, as well.

Start Here

You've decided that you want to raise rabbits.  Great!  Now, what kind of rabbits do you want?  The American Rabbit Breeders Association (essentially the AKC of the rabbit world) recognizes 47 breeds at the time of this post, and there are at least two popular breeds which are not recognized, plus other less popular breeds and, of course, crossbreds.  When you decide you want to raise rabbits, the first question you need to ask yourself is what you want to raise them for?  Are you looking to put homegrown meat on your table?  Would you like to try your hand at tanning and using leather or pelts?  Did you know some breeds of rabbit produce wool?  Are you interested in preserving an old, but dying breed?  What about some of the more distinct show breeds? Or, do you just want something fun for pets?


The breed(s) of rabbit you get will dictate how much space and feed you will need.  The colors you choose may also dictate how many cages you need, since some colors and patterns produce many culls, while others are very straightforward.  Most breeds come in several colors, and not all colors are compatible with each other (unless you're breeding just for pets).


I raise rabbits primarily for meat, but I also keep the hides, so that is where most of my expertise is.  However, I do also show rabbits, and sell rabbits as pets.




MEAT BREEDS
If you're wanting to raise rabbits for meat, you want to get rabbits that have a high meat-to-bone ratio, large litters, and fast growth rates.  Typically meat rabbits will weigh AT LEAST nine pounds as adults, and some may get to 12 or 13 pounds.


The most popular breeds for this are New Zealands and Californians.  The picture shown is a fair example of a young New Zealand.  Good meat rabbits will have a good rise to their body from shoulders, peaking at the loins, and sloping over the hips. 


Other popular meat breeds are the Palomino, Satins, and certain lines of Rex.  Some rarer breeds that work fairly well are American Chinchillas, American Sables, Blanc de Hotots, Champagne D'Argents, Cinnamons, Creme D'Argents, Silver Foxes, and certain lines of  Silver Martens.


Americans and Beverens are also used, but because of how weak they are in the shoulder, your production won't be as efficient.  


Giants like Flemish Giants, Giant Chinchillas, and French Lops can also be used, but giants have higher bone ratios to support their weight, resulting in less yield per carcass.


The larger angora breeds can also be used for meat, but since they also put calories into producing wool, your feed-to-growth ratios won't be as efficient.




Fur Breeds
Any rabbit can be used to produce pelts, although the larger rabbits obviously give you more to work with.  The meat breeds, especially, give you large pelts quickly.


Rabbits that are all white, or mostly white will give you pelts that can be dyed to any color.  New Zealands, Californians, Satins, Rex, Blanc de Hotots, Americans, Beverens, Flemish Giants, and French Lops are all large breeds that produce white pelts (most also come in other colors, as well).


Some breeds have unique fur.  Rex, for example, have a very short, plush fur that feels like velvet.  That fur is also on Mini Rex, velveteen lop, and plush lops, but they are all smaller breeds. (Well, there are some full-size plush lops, but they're not as common as the mini plush).  Satins have a shiny fur, caused by mutated guard hair.  Mini satins also have it.  Silver Foxes have a uniquely long fur that stands up rather than rolling back into place when petted backwards.  Their fur is specifically bred to imitate the fur found on the actual silver fox (canine) animal.


Take a look at the colors available in the various breeds, and you might find a color you think is absolutely gorgeous as a pelt.


Wool Breeds
From largest to smallest, the wool breeds are Giant Angoras, French Angoras, Satin Angoras, English Angoras, American Fuzzy Lop, and Jersey Wooly.  Giant Angoras only come in white, but the rest come in a wide variety of colors.  Satin Angora wool is very thin, and can be a nightmare to work with if you're not used to it.  English Angoras are frequently woolblind.


Old Breeds
There are quite a few rare breeds of rabbit which are on the American Livestock Breed Conservancy watchlist, including the American,  American Chinchilla, Silver Fox, Blanc de Hotot, Belgian Hare, Silver, Beveren, Giant Chinchillas, Creme D'Argents, Lilac and Rhinelander.  All of these breeds have been around for a long time, but have nearly disappeared, leaving a small gene pool.  Some of them have unique qualities not found in many other breeds.


Distinct Show Breeds
If you don't really have any other purpose to raising rabbits, but would like something unique, and to possibly show, you might consider one of the show breeds.  Each breed is different from the others, but some are more distinct that others.  Belgian Hares are a beautiful, racy breed bred to look like wild hares.  Blanc de Hotot and Dwarf Hotots are the only recognized breeds which are all white except for black eye circles.  Brittania Petites are the tiny full-arch breed.  Checkered Giants, called Papillons in Europe, are large full-arch rabbits with a distinct pattern of black or blue patches.  Dutches have a very distinct belted pattern.  English Lops have incredibly long ears.  English Spots have a unique pattern of spots on a racy body, and come in several colors.  Flemish Giants are generally considered to be the largest rabbit breed in the US, and very recognizable.  Harlequins actually have a checkerboard pattern (although it breaks down as a brindle pattern sometimes).  Himalayans are the only  rabbit  posed cylindrically.   Netherland Dwarves are probably the smallest rabbits at under 2-1/2 lbs. each.  Rex and Mini Rex have velvet fur.  Rhinelanders have a distinct tri-color pattern and a racy body.  Satin and mini satin have shiny fur.  Silver Foxes have long, standup fur (not wool).  Tans are the only breed with their distinct rust-colored underbellies.  Thriantas are vibrant red over their entire body.


The breeds with distinct color patterns (except tans) can be very difficult to breed, since many of the kits will not have a showable pattern.  That's on top of the difficulties of breeding to a standard for body type, ear length, fur density, etc.


Dwarf breeds (Netherlands, Mini Rexes, Mini Satins, etc.) may give birth to peanuts, which are kits that have inherited a fatal dwarf gene that usually kills the rabbits within a few days after birth.


Another breed that is making it's way into the show world is the lionhead, with it's distinct mane of wool, although they are not yet fully recognized by the ARBA.


Pet Breeds
With pets, the most important factor is temperament.  In my experience, the larger breeds are more docile, while the smaller breeds tend to be fussy, bitey, or otherwise grumpy.  However, most people seem to want smaller rabbits as pets since they take up less space and eat less.  Also, the racy breeds tend to be high-strung, and are not appropriate as pets in households where things might happen suddenly (children or dogs running around, other loud noises, even traffic).  Wooly breeds require more maintenance, and are typically not advisable for pet sales.


I always recommend Flemish Giants as pets, especially house pets (as opposed to being kept in cages).


Lops are popular for the cute factor.  French Lops are great because of how docile they are, but the size may turn some people away.  Mini Lops are miniature French Lops in look, and are generally the more docile of the small lop breeds.  Holland Lops are probably the most popular, although their small size tends to make them fiestier in my experience.  I don't recommend English or Velveteen Lops for pets because the long ears can be hard to take care of (they literally drag on the ground).


Rex and Mini Rex are wonderful to pet because of their velvet fur.  Satins and mini satins can catch eyes with their shiny fur.


Dutch are also popular pets, partially because the show breeders produce so many mismarked rabbits (although, even the mismarks have very distinct markings).  Dutch are incredibly smart, and can be fun to train for tricks.


Lionheads are popular for their novel manes.


Most other non-racy breeds make decent pets.