Many rabbit owners eventually start to think about breeding from their pets. The idea of having baby rabbits is very appealing! However, you need to give this some serious thought as breeding rabbits is a huge responsibility. There are too many unwanted rabbits in shelters nowadays, so make sure you have homes planned for the babies before you breed.
You should only breed from your rabbits if they are in excellent health and are free from any genetic defects which may be passed on to the babies. Ideally your rabbits should have a pedigree or certificate to confirm that there are no genetic defects in their ancestry.
Caring for baby rabbits is notoriously difficult and unfortunately they can die very easily. If you do decide to breed from your rabbits, you will need to make sure that you are as prepared as possible to give the babies the best chance of survival.
The mother rabbit will need enough room to raise her litter in comfort. As the male rabbit should be removed from the babies shortly after birth, you will need a separate cage for him too. The babies may need to be separated whilst they are being weaned, and will need access to outdoor runs when they are older.
Female rabbits (does) can breed from the age of 6 months onwards, although most breeders prefer to wait until they are at least 9 months old. The doe should be introduced to the male rabbit (called a buck) as soon as she is ready. It can be hard to tell when the doe becomes pregnant, although she may start to reject the buck’s advances. A doe’s behavior doesn’t usually change when she is pregnant. She may require a little more food, although generally her food intake won’t increase much.
Rabbits have a gestation period of about 31 days. After a fortnight, the fetuses can usually be felt as small hard balls in the doe’s abdomen. At around 28 days, the doe will start ‘nesting’- she will start to pull her fur out and make a nest for the babies.
The process of giving birth is called ‘kindling’. There are usually between 7 and 13 babies in a litter, known as ‘kits’ or ‘kittens’. You will need to check the mother regularly when she is nearing the birth date, as you should be there when she kindles in case of complications. It is a good idea to inform your vet beforehand in case their intervention is needed.
Does often leave the kits shortly after giving birth, so if this happens, don’t worry. She will return to feed them when it is quiet. It is safe to handle the kits; unlike other animals, rabbits don’t mind human contact.
Rabbit kits are generally weaned at about 8 weeks old, and will be ready to leave their mother shortly afterwards. Although some go to their new homes at 6 weeks, it is best to wait until they are 8 weeks or older as they will still be taking milk from their mother.
Ideally you will have found loving homes for the kits before you made the decision to breed. Any interested buyers will probably want to see the kits with their mother and may also want to see the father. If the kits are pedigree rabbits, you will need to prepare pedigree papers to give to the new owners.
Be aware that there is very little money to be made from breeding rabbits, and it can be very time consuming, so you should think very carefully before you decide to breed them.
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