Beginning Rabbits
November
4th, 2008
Body
Types:
Ø Commercial
Ø Compact
Ø Full Arch
Ø Semi-Arch
Ø Cylindrical
Breeding Basics:
Step 1: Breeding
Ø Rabbit’s should be of mature breeding age (usually around 7 months old)
Ø Rabbit’s should be in good condition (not shedding, shouldn’t have a cold…)
Ø You ALWAYS take the doe to the bucks cage!!! You do this because:
o Doe’s are very territorial and could harm your buck
o Buck’s will spend more time “checking out” their new area because their smell is not there
Ø You can also use a play pen area for breeding
Ø Do not leave your rabbit’s unattended because they could fight
Step 2: Gestation
Ø The rabbit’s gestation period is 28 to 32 days long
Ø You can Palpate your doe starting at 10 days, but should not try to palpate after 14 days.
o At 10 days the fetus is as big as a blueberry
o At 14 days the fetus is as big as a grape
Ø You should put your nest box in the doe’s cage at about 25 days
Step 3: Building a Nest
Ø First you need a nest box
o Metal
o Wood
o Sub Terrain
Ø Start with about an inch of pine shavings in the bottom of the box
Ø Next add a good handful of straw bedding into the box. I like to give the doe an extra handful
of straw in her cage to work with as well
Ø The doe will then pull fur from her dewlap, belly and or legs to help insulated her nest
Step 4: Birth
Ø Your rabbit will more than likely give birth when nobody is around & things are quite
Ø The size of the litter will vary depending on your rabbit’s size. (Netherland Dwarfs will
only have 1 to 4 kit’s whereas New Zealand’s
will have anywhere from 1 to 12 kit’s)
Ø Leave the kit’s alone. I like to wait at least 3 days before I count them. Some doe’s
don’t mind if you mess with there babies, but other doe’s will sometimes even kill the babies after you mess with
them)
Ø Kit’s are born blind, deaf & hairless
Step 5: Birth to Weaning
Ø Week 1:
o “peach fuzz” over their whole body
o start jumping around in nest box
Ø Week 2:
o Eye’s & Ears open
o Continue to learn how to use their feet
Ø Week 3:
o Start to eat solid food
o Will start to leave the next bow on their own
Ø Week 4:
o Remove next box from cage
o Start providing “free feed” fro the kit’s
o You can tell the sex of your kit’s
Ø Week 5:
o The kit’s will continue to grow during this week
Ø Week 6 to 8:
o You can separate the kit’s from their mother anytime during these 2 weeks as long as they are eating solid food
on their own and drinking water
Showmanship Lesson 1:
Ø Know your breed
o Where did it come from
o Know your breed standard
Ø Pick out a rabbit that you can handle
Ø Practice turning your rabbit over
