Firstly: I would like to offer
some sound advice if you are just a normal one or two bunny family pet house
hold get your rabbits de-sexed. In Australia there is a growing problem of
unwanted pet rabbits brought on by families who just want one litter of kits(
this is never the case as the rabbit will mate and have kits every 31 days)
to show the children the facts of life and then sell/give away to pet shops
and friends. These rabbits are usually not pure breed rabbits and are quiet
often brother and sister or family mating which in later life end up with
all sorts of problems including major teeth disorders, breathing problems
and many others possibly life threatening illnesses.
Most families who let their pet rabbits have kits find that they can not get
rid of them when the time comes and end up with those rabbits breeding with
each other they can breed from 3-4 months of age and then the whole thing
ends up being such an ordeal that you get rid of all your rabbits and hate
them forever never to have one again. Being that I run S.A. RABBIT RESCUE
AND ADOPTIONS I have seen this scenario hundreds of times, yes it will happen
no matter how careful you are.
GET YOUR RABBIT DE-SEXED they are friendlier, calmer, cleaner and healthier,
be a responsible pet owner. Please.
Secondly: if you decide you
are going to show your rabbit and you do wish to breed with it be responsible.
After selecting the type of rabbit you wish to show and breed the most cost
effective, clean and easy to manage set up is to have.
1. Buck, male rabbit. ( unrelated )
2. Two Does, female Rabbit ( unrelated )
3. 4 Hutches, 2 with nesting areas
4. 2 Nesting boxes to put into the hutches
When breeding the rabbits mate them at the same time so if one of the does
has any problems you can foster her young ones on to the other doe.
For show purposes you need only have 1-2 litters a year, showing and keeping
the best rabbits and moving on the others to authorised pet homes. Be aware
that some people buying your rabbits may be after meat rabbits, snake/reptile
food, blooding hunting animals with live rabbits and many other horrors. Question
each potential owner fully before you let your bunnies go to these people.
You will know them when you see them and they seem to always want more than
one rabbit.
I would like to offer help to any potential breeder as the process is to in
depth to go into fully here you may contact me in person over the phone for
added advice.
Terms used when breeding rabbits.
Buck = male rabbit
Doe = female rabbit
Kit = Baby rabbit
Nesting Box is a place reserved for Doe to give birth to the kits.
Litter = group of new born kits.
Weaning = usually from 16 to 24 days of age, when kits start eating solids
e.g. pellets, fruit and vegetables and Hay.
Sexing = to determine the sex male/female of rabbit usually done from 8 weeks
of age.
History of Rabbit breeding:
Rabbit breeding started centuries ago but was
first mentioned in Monastic scripts in medieval times, monks breed rabbits
as food and later for their pelts and other bi-products. They were kept in
walled gardens, rabbit pits, barns and allowed to breed naturally on church
lands where they were hunted or trapped. Later in France they were developed
into fibre producing animals including the Angora.
The first indoor rabbitries were documented around 1799 these were housed
in purpose built wooded sheds, the numbers of rabbits reportedly housed in
these sheds were between 500-1000 animals mostly being does. These were breed
as food and bi-products for clothing and fur for clothing trims.
These days’ rabbit breeding on the large scale is for the meat industry
and huge rabbit’s sheds housing 2000 or more rabbits are seen in most
countries in Europe, Spain being the number one in breeding and exporting
meat and other rabbit products.
Copyright © SA Rabbit Rescue 2007-2008