33 days
- Thread starter Gary
- Start date
promiseacres
Herd Master
If she settled yes... if not then try again. If she's nested she may have had a false pregnancy. Rabbits don't always follow the rule of "breeding like rabbits"
age, weight, receptivity is can play a part. If it was a few days then she may not have bred right away.
I check the does vulva color, bright pink is best receptive time though some does accept a buck any time, others only at the right time. I always take the doe to his cage and monitor the whole time, if she's ready it will take less 2 minutes. If she's not ready I try a few hours later until I get her bred. I will restrain her if need be. Not all my bucks appreciate that though.
age, weight, receptivity is can play a part. If it was a few days then she may not have bred right away.
I check the does vulva color, bright pink is best receptive time though some does accept a buck any time, others only at the right time. I always take the doe to his cage and monitor the whole time, if she's ready it will take less 2 minutes. If she's not ready I try a few hours later until I get her bred. I will restrain her if need be. Not all my bucks appreciate that though.
Tale of Tails Rabbitry
Loving the herd life
Lots of commercial breed does go to 34 to 36 days. All mine have been 32 days consistently this breeding season. You should be able to easily feel the babies at this point to confirm if she is pregnant or not. I will warn you that at this stage of pregnancy, they do tend to resist anyone feeling around their bellies more than other times, but that alone is not an indication of pregnancy.
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
My NZ go on day 35
- Thread starter
- #5
Bunnylady
Herd Master
I'm curious; how well has this worked for you? Many years ago, Domestic Rabbit had an article by someone who got some commercial breeders to gather data for her. They bred their animals as usual, but if a pair didn't breed on their own, they were force-bred and the breeders made a note of that. They then palpated, etc, as per usual. When all the data was collated, they found that, when the rabbits bred on their own, they conceived a litter about 80% of the time. When the rabbits were force-bred, the conception rate was less than 20%; clearly, the rabbits knew something that the calendar didn't. When I breed, I always check vulva color. The color I want to see is cherry red (I have yet to have such a red-hot doe refuse a buck!), but some never get that red, so any doe that shows a rosy hue will get a shot (unless experience with that animal tells me it's a waste of time, because she's not ready yet).
But yeah, by day 33, a pregnant doe should have done something, if only hay-staching. Of course, does don't read the books (they just eat the pages), so until you have seen what a particular doe does, you can't be sure what is going on with her.
promiseacres
Herd Master
@Bunnylady it varies... some of my does will lift but not hold still. If they lift on their own it's a high probability she will settle. I have some bucks that won't attempt unless I help... velveteen lop bucks are bit on the lazy side to breed.. but also if I help once then a few hours later the does are more receptive.
