BABIES FINALLY! Can daddy stay??

[ladymother]

Yesterday i was complaining to my SO about how none if my does were producing... i was so discouraged! And he said, "might as well just knock em all tomorrow
.. they're just eating money up".... course i wasn't ready to give up that easy, but they were sobering words nonetheless.

This morning when i went out to feed and water, i almost didnt even bother checking their cubbies like i usually do. But when my Rex Buck and NZW doe didn't come out of their cubbyhole as soon as they saw me i got hopeful
So i went around and opened the lid to the boxes and found a gorgeous nest in the corner of their box, and 8 fat, wiggly babies in a luxious bed of white fur!
im so proud of my first time mommy!
I moved the nest into a lil makeshift nest box and placed it back in the corner she had chosen. Hopefully that doesn't upset her.
Now, what to do about daddy? They're sharing a 4'x2.5' cage... he seems to be leaving the kits well enough alone, and is helping to keep everyone warm. I don't mind her becoming bred immediately; they're for meat production.
Is there any reason why he couldn't stay?

[Somerhill]

She is probably already bred, so be sure to mark the calendar. :^)

[ladymother]

Lol Somerhill, i wouldn't doubt it! When i was moving the nest, he was keeping her *ahem* occupied lol.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

If they arent hurting each other, then let them alone. Its no different then a colony, just the smallest possible colony.

[ladymother]

That's what i was thinking, LFG. My ultimate goal is colony raising, but this is it for now. i have my other 7 smaller rabbits in a larger group section... hopefully the does in that group are bred as well. I thought i saw what looks to be the beginning of a nest with some pulled hair.

[FarmboyBill]

Seems to me that, haveing her rebreede right after kindleing a littler, and her trying to maintain herself so as to provide milk enough for that good litter, your just wearing her out, as beyond all that, shes restarting the rebirth process immeadiatly.

Your the first ive ever heard of where the doe would let a buck live in her area,

[KSALguy]

in a colony the babies are born under ground or at the very least in a nest tunnel man made with more space than a cage, for the most part bucks dont have reason to go any where near the kits, and the doe will burry them eather under dirt or under alot of bedding to keep them safe and warm, once they are older and comming out of the burrow/nest tunnel they are fine, the bucks leave them alone,

the only reason i would remove him from the cage is that its alot smaller and she will get a bit stressed with kits and an active buck under foot, while they are calm and every one is fine no problem let them stay so he for sure gets a chance to breed her back, she may not let him untill a day or two after kindling, but i wouldnt leave that many in that small of a cage for very long,

[KSALguy]

does kept in a colony will breed back on their own schedual, and they have no problem with THEIR buck, but they wont accept a new one untill the old is gone and they are ready to breed, my colony does bred back to back to back as long as they were in condition, some does cant handle colony life and they got culled, then they would normally take their own break for a round or two in the hot summer down here in Alabama, then start back up again on their own after about a month off or so,