Expert: Kelly - 8/3/2008

Question
i currently have 3 full grown adult rex rabbits. 2 does (solid opal and broken castor)and 1 buck (solid castor). i have bred my castors together but it is never successful. the first litter was stillborn and the second the doe wouldn't take care of and the babies later died a few days later. so i bred the opal with my castor and she was showing all the signs of being pregnant but she never had the babies.should i breed her again? my children always get so excited when the babies are coming but so far we never actually got to see them grow up. why do we keep having these problems? are we doing something wrong?

Answer
Hello, Beth:

There are many factors that can affect conception.

First, how old are the does? Generally, the common breeding practice is to always breed does (of all breeds) before they reach a year of age. If they have not had their first litter by that time, they tend to have more difficulty conceiving and keeping their litters.

If you are not already, I would try breeding the does in two parts.  After the first breeding, return the doe to the buck an hour later. Rabbits are induced ovulators and this method of breeding often results in increases litter size.

Aside from age and method -- there are still other reasons a doe may not be conceiving. Weather can play a huge role. Heat over 82 or 83 degrees will reduce the sperm count of the buck. Excessive heat will also be an added stress factor on the doe.

I live in Indiana and hands down the most difficult time of the year to get litters is winter, followed by summer. Spring and fall is when my litters seem to be most abundant.

Every breeder has a different practice, but a general rule of thumb in the industry is the three strikes rule in regards to does conceiving. Generally, if a doe has not conceived or has lost three litters in a row she is culled from the breeding program.

Please note, culling does not mean killing. You may know that already, but I always want to clarify that point.

Everyone has a different way of handling rabbits that do not fit into their breeding program. Some may keep them as pets or give them away as pets. Some will butcher them and others will sell them. If you do choose to sell them or give them away, be sure to do so in an ethical manner and be upfront about the difficulty you had getting them to breed.

If you have any follow-ups, please feel free to ask. I am more than happy to help.