Rules to Breeding Rabbits

With low maintenance pregnancies and sex-induced ovulation, rabbits have gained a reputation for multiplying rapidly. Most breeders find the rabbit industry proves economically sustainable, because does, female rabbits, give birth to multiple young rabbits, or kits, in a single litter. Does can become pregnant immediately after giving birth without disrupting lactation. With the potential to quickly create so many rabbits, breeders have created guidelines to make the process safe and profitable.

  1. Heat

    • When does reach sexual maturity, they begin to routinely show signs of being in heat. A doe in heat seems impatient and antsy as she rubs its chin against the sides of her cage and other edges. The doe's vulva swells, darkens and grows damp. The doe may also lay down a lot with her tail lifted, or she may actively try to seek out other rabbits. Only once the doe displays these signs, she is likely to accept a mate and reproduce.

    Copulation

    • Once in heat, the doe must be placed in the buck's cage for copulation, because does refuse to accept anyone in their space, even if they would otherwise wish to reproduce. If the doe refuses the buck, she may accept another buck right away. If she refuses the second buck, she will not accept any buck for a few days. If the doe accepts the buck, copulation begins within a few minutes. Once finished, the two separate, but you may not have to remove the female.

    Repeated Copulation

    • At this point, some breeders remove the doe and bring her back for a second copulation several hours later. Other breeders allow the duo to copulate again immediately. The second copulation decreases the chance the doe will have a false pregnancy, in which the doe's body ovulates as it normally does but no fertilization occurs. False pregnancies take 17 days to detect and pass, so multiple false pregnancies cost breeders time and money.

    Wait Time

    • Although does have the ability to copulate and become pregnant immediately after birth, breeders do not recommend the practice. Breeding too often results in few litters in the long term, endangering the doe and the young. The 4-H Club recommends waiting 35 days between birth and copulation, but they acknowledge that some professionals only wait 14 days. Males can mate every day, but if they copulate with more than female in a day, they should also have rest days.

    Registered Rabbits

    • The American Rabbit Breeders Association registers all breeds of rabbits to certify that the animal fits into the rules of the breed and contains no defects that would disqualify it from a competition. Although unregistered rabbits may also enter some competitions, purchasing registered rabbits for breeding ensures the quality of the lineage for show, fur and meat rabbits. The registration certificate also delineates the rabbit's pedigree, so breeding multiple generations of registered rabbits has an added benefit.