My buck is not interested in breeding my doe...

BunnyTree · Feb 27, 2018

I have a question regarding Netherland dwarfs and breeding...I bought myself some Netherland dwarfs in hopes to breed them but ran into a problem, my buck is not at all interested in breeding the doe. He generally just sits next to her or casually follows her around. Sometimes she chases him a little and he freaks out...the only thing I can think of is size, he is about half of her (see picture below.) Anyone ran into this before? BTW, I am new to BYC so hello everyone!

Athena2344 · Feb 27, 2018

Is he mature? How old is he? He still looks like a kit. And when you do breed, you put the female in the males cage. How long have you had them? After the first encounter it will take 2-3 days for her to be fully receptive. that chasing behavior she is doing to him, can be a sign of aggression.... Are they ever seperated?

BantamLover21 · Feb 27, 2018

Is he the mostly-white, broken one in the photo? If so, I agree with Athena2344 in that he may be too young to really be interested in breeding.

Athena2344 · Feb 27, 2018

I currently have 5 flemish giant x checkered giant kits, and he looks like em with that baby face lol

BunnyTree · Feb 27, 2018

He is 4 months and I had heard 3-5 months was good...at least that is what the breeder told me. I have had them for about 5 weeks. If the problem is the doe's aggression will that change? They are never together unless they are having supervised playtime. And yes he is the broken one.

Athena2344 · Feb 28, 2018

They have to be at least 6 months to properly breed, and he doesn't even look 4 months old, he is probably only 2 months old or so... If she is showing aggression, you need to seperate them. I have never allowed mine to interact with each other until breeding, and as soon as he does his thing, she gets pulled out of his cage and put back into hers.

BantamLover21 · Feb 28, 2018

Bucks can be capable of breeding as early as 8-12 weeks, though I've never bred one that young. However, it is clear that your buck is not one of these early-maturing animals.

I would first make sure you actually have a buck and a doe. With that covered, I would stop the play time and keep the buck separate from the doe for at least two weeks, then try breeding them again. If he still won't breed, I would wait another month. He may simply need time to mature sexually and develop more confidence. If your doe is really aggressive, though, a timid buck (like he currently is) may never be able to breed her, at least not without help. Hopefully his confidence hasn't been permanently damaged--that can happen when inexperienced bucks are first tried with very dominant does.

Tale of Tails Rabbitry · Feb 28, 2018

I have had NZW bucks that impregnated sisters as young as 4 months, but I have never had a successful breeding myself under 5 months. It might be helpful to place them in cages next to each other, but I think like the others that he needs time to mature a bit more.

If rabbits are your thing, you want to take at look the rabbit forums at a sister site called backyardherds.com

oldhenlikesdogs · Feb 28, 2018

Mine didn't sexually mature until 5-7 months of age. You will know when he starts to mark in earnest. Give him time to mature. People always say the can breed at 3 months, but that's an unusual circumstance.

balloonflower · Feb 28, 2018

Athena2344 said:
They have to be at least 6 months to properly breed, and he doesn't even look 4 months old, he is probably only 2 months old or so... If she is showing aggression, you need to seperate them. I have never allowed mine to interact with each other until breeding, and as soon as he does his thing, she gets pulled out of his cage and put back into hers.

You're attributing the characteristics of your giant breeds to a dwarf breed, and are not sharing accurate information. Smaller rabbits can and do breed earlier, but there is variation. Larger breeds can be physically capable of breeding at younger age, but especially for the does many hold off until they reach close to full growth so as not to stunt. I have a current litter from a doe who was not quite 5 months when I bred her to a 6 month buck. I knew it was early, but gave it a try because she was already 9.5 lbs. She did great, with a full litter of 8, plus fostering an additional 2. This is Silver Fox, which is large breed, though not giant.

That said, the buck in question may not be ready yet. Personally, I go more by the individual animals rather than generalities. He is a cutie! Wait a bit, then try again. And I would double check the sex! Always better to know that yourself rather than simply accept a breeders word.

My buck is not interested in breeding my doe...

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