New Buck

Since I'm limited to 6 rabbits per city ordinance and one buck can breed 20 does, I prefer to just keep one. I do occasionally breed a doe to someone else's meat breed buck so I have something to compare against and to offer prospective breeders stock not so closely related.

My main buck Peter broke his back after I left him out with a doe that was being shy. Not sure how it happened but I ended up having to put him down. I did hold back a buck from a litter and he was almost five months when this happened. He has an agouti colored dutch pattern, so I'll just call him Dutch.

Dutch a NZxFG buck at 4 months

This week I used Dutch on four different does. He's about five and a half months old so a bit young but did get fall offs on three out of four. We've got decreasing day length now so none of the does was very enthusiastic. I'll try the last doe again tomorrow. His testicles are dropped and full so we'll find out in a month how fertile he really is. 

His behavior is what I like to see in a buck. He has good stamina and does not tire easily. Dutch has a good grip and is firm but is not overly aggressive or mean. He lets me position himself and the doe without getting distracted which can be very important in the winter when some does become hard to breed. Being able to hold the doe in breeding position can make a huge difference in fertility. 

Normally, if I can get a fall off, I have a litter, regardless of the doe's receptivity. However, you need to make sure the doe is in good condition. A skinny doe feeding a litter of 12 needs more time between litters. Fat does in general are harder to breed and have smaller litters, so breeding her quickly again might be what she needs to get her down to a healthy weight. Lots of factors to consider. I don't stick to an exact schedule for rebreeding, it all depends on the doe's condition. I still expect 6 litters a year from a doe.