How to Breed Cageless Meat Rabbits

Select the breed of meat rabbit that you are interested in working with. New Zealands and Florida Whites are two breeds that do well in cageless settings. Californians and Champagne D'Argent rabbits are also well suited for this purpose.

Decide when to breed the parents. If you are working with a medium-sized breed, the parents should be between 5 and 6 months of age when breeding is attempted. When working with larger breeds, wait until both potential parents are at least 8 months old.

Place the buck into a cage and leave him alone for a few days. This allows him to establish his territory and is an important part of breeding.

Place the doe in the buck's enclosure. It is very important to introduce the doe to the buck's territory, rather than vice versa. Otherwise she might attack the buck or even kill him.

Observe your rabbits. Ideally, the buck will mount the doe almost immediately. If the doe rejects the buck repeatedly, remove her from the cage and try again in a few days. The doe will only produce eggs after some sexual stimulation has occurred, so kits are unlikely to occur from the first mating.

Remove the doe from the cage if a mating has occurred and return her to her cage.

Return the doe to the buck's cage within 8 hours to try a second mating. This provides a better chance for a successful breeding.

Wait for 17 days, as this is the average length of time it will take a female rabbit to produce eggs. She may start to produce milk during this time, but this is frequently a false pregnancy.

Place the doe in the buck's cage again after 17 days. This is when she will be the most fertile, and this mating has a much higher chance of success.

Watch the doe for 3 or 4 weeks. Does she start to build herself a nest? Is she being more reclusive? These are signs that she potentially is pregnant. Kits are born about a month after a successful mating.