Breeding Rabbits: Plan Ahead for a Safe Breeding Event

It's time to breed your meat rabbits. Here are a few things to consider when you put two very territorial animals together in one cage, and you'd like to still have two animals after they are finished breeding.

The safety of the animals should be the first thing on your mind. I always place a piece of carpet into the males cage floor. They both may be running around, circling the cage, and I want to reduce the risk that they hurt their feet. 

I remove anything from the inside of their cage like feeders, water dishes, water bottles, chew toys or anything that they can run into while on "the chase." If there is nothing in their running path, there is a much reduced chance that they hurt themselves. I've posted a link near the end of this article to a YouTube video I made a while back that you can actually see my (and the rabbits) process.

Now that you have the cage ready, move the female to the males cage. If you do this the other way around, you may end up with injured or even dead animals. Put her in with the male and close the door. 

If the female is extremely receptive to the mating, it will all be over before you know it. You will know that the male was successful if he "falls off" and faints for a fraction of a second. It's up to you, but you may want to see the male have a second or even a third "fall off" to make sure the breeding is going to be a complete success.

After they are finished, place the female back into her own cage. Mark the following on your "bunny journal:"

Date of breeding

Name of male and female

How many "Fall offs"

Date to place the nest box into the females cage (28 days from breeding date)

The "due date"

The "actual" birth date

How many were born...alive and dead

This, you will find, is all good information for the future. It helps to know what breeding pairs work best together, providing the best results (ie. litter size ect...)

28 days after breeding, place a nest box in with the female. Fill it with pine shavings. You can find pine shavings at the local animal feed store. At day 30, I add straw to her cage. Having the straw in her cage allows her to collect it in her mouth (called "Haystaching") and shape her nest in preparations for the babies. 

Anywhere between day 30-40 (typically day 31-32) you may see her pulling fur from her belly or her dulap (under her chin). This is an indication that she is ready to have the babies soon! Keep a close eye on her without stressing her, so that you can clean up the nest box of any mess she has left behind after giving birth. 

Again, without stressing her, pull the nestbox out and check on the babies. Count how many are alive and dead and remove any dead babies. Get your hands on each baby. I do this so that the momma knows my "smell" is safe. Momma should feed the babies soon, so just leave her alone for now

I promised a video link to my "Breeding Video" on YouTube. I hope you enjoy, and good luck with your breeding program!