Trouble breeding

I am out of Ideas and would like some advice.

I have 4 NZW does, a NZW buck and a Beveren Buck. I have had rabbits in the past and never had any difficulty with breeding. Now my rabbits won't breed. I put the doe in the bucks cage and they just snuggle up with no action. I have replaced one of the bucks already but still do not have any results. They are all about 7 months old and should be active. Is it possible this is a nutritional problem? Should I replace my bucks? We had a very hot summer. Is it possible this is temporary heat sterility and they will recover? It has been cool now for over a month.

I welcome any input.

Brian

Don't know where you are located, so not sure what you mean by "cool" temps. And heat sterility is not necessarily accompanied by lack of interest in breeding. I had a buck that was summer sterile but he was active in breeding attempts. Assuming it is not environmental, the next place I would look is feed/weight. Overweight rabbits are much less inclined to breeding. Another point to examine (and no offense meant) is if the bucks are really bucks. More than one person has been fooled by the "I could have sworn that rabbit was a buck/doe" effect.

Try breeding them just before regular feeding time. Sometimes hunger can spur a buck to be a bit more interested in breeding. Another method is to swap cages. Put the doe & buck into each others cages (alone) and leave them for 24 hours. That way they get each others' scent and maybe worked up a little bit. Then bring the doe to the buck (even though it is 'her' cage, he will have marked it enough to make her think it is his) and see if they mate.

Another possiblity is that they are just late bloomers and may not be ready to breed at 7 mos.

Hopefully you find something that works for you and it all works out.

rabbits are better breeders during the spring, so place some lights in their area, extending their "daylight" hours to 16 hrs a day. tricks them into thinking it is spring. also, be sure they are not overweight, fat boys don't want to breed

Ok...I've found that not all of my buns will 'breed' right away. I know different people will have different thoughts/feelings on this...but I've found two techniques that work most of the time for me.

1. put the two rabbits in cages NEXT to each other...so they can SEE each other first. Leave them like this for a day or two. Watch them...see if they're curious about each other. If they are...put the doe in with the buck and watch them. UNLESS they display aggressive tendencies (that grunting/growling sound, lunging, etc) I leave them together for about 24 hours. (I've found the putting her in, taking her out, putting her in again so many hours afterwards stresses my does out.)

2. I put the doe in with the buck. I observe them to see if there is interest or aggression. If no interest, I'll try again in another day or so. If aggression...I don't do it. If interest...I leave the doe in for a day or two.

As a side note - I'm around these rabbits every day...so they are under observation. Secondly...my "first time" breeders seem to be more "hit or miss" with breeding successfully. I've also had mixed success with the young, first time does actually successfully birth and attend to their kits. (I've lost several litters to 1st time moms.) Then again, I've had two does do it WONDERFULLY! (One had 13 kits for her first litter...12 of which survived birth and have turned about 10 weeks old now!) Her mom is a good momma too. HOwever, one of her sisters...absolutely NO idea what to do with babies - HORRIBLE mother!

Good luck! Just don't give up...it'll happen eventually.

I know exactly want your going through! I had a 7-8 month old rexes that wouldn't breed!! The bucks would but the doe wouldn't lift. Try putting the doe in the bucks cage and the buck in the doe's cage, for 1-3 days so they can survey each others smell. Then try to breed but take the doe back to her cage to the buck, and put the buck back in his cage (hope that made sense) Like Currycomb said, make sure your bucks aren't overweight because they will only be interested in food.

Let me know if this helps!! Keep us posted

I tired the light thing

The cage switch thing

You know what worked? Getting ANOTHER buck and housing them NEXT to each other in SEPARATE cages for 24 hours

The bucks will fight each other, compete for the females, and both bucks should totally mount your females after this.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22655

November 10th, 12th, and 23rd was when I was able to get the bucks to do something to 3 different does.

On the 10th, one doe didn't kindle, so I figured being how this was the buck's first shot, that maybe he missed.

On the 12th of December, 8 babies were born to one doe, but she dug a hole in her nest, placed her babies there, and they froze to death.

On the 23rd of December (yesterday), the last doe gave me 6 small babies, so far, she's doing well, good nest, and very protective.

During the 16th - 21st I tried breeding 2 does, and ended up leaving them in with the bucks for an hour or so for 2 of those days, on the 3rd and 4th day, I switch cages (sending the bucks to the does cages, and the does to the bucks cages), then on the 5th and 6th days, I put them back in the appropriate cages, and left the does in with the bucks for another hour or so.

I did this because for some reason, the rabbits seemed awfully shy this month... but when I turned my back, or walked out of the house, they seemed interested in each other. I really don't know if anything happened, but I hope so.

I read somewhere recently that apple cider vinegar and or wheatgerm oil will improve fertility in rabbits, I've used acv but never tried the wheatgerm oil. Anybody have thoughts/opinions on this, thought it could help bmorgret and I got a pair I've been trying to breed too.