[bigbirdluv]

I have a liter of 5 Mini-Lop rabbits that are 6 weeks old and just yesterday the mother started humping the babbies when they were trying to feed from her. My question is why is she behaving this way and can they survive at this point if separated from her?


Thanks


D~

 

[Tracy]

Breed the doe and then wean the litter in 2 weeks. This will give her a 2 week rest from one litter to the next. Once bred this behavior should stop. If not, you can wean at 6 weeks but most smaller rabbit breeders dont wean till 8 weeks and this would be right where you are at for weaning anyway if you breed her now.

She is acting this way because she is ready to breed. Look at her vulva, is it bright red? Sure sign sge is ready.

 

[SueD]

She isn't nursing them anymore, and is probably tired of having them try. Get them into another or seperate cages. THey are probably also over-crowded, and making her life miserable!

If you don't have the buyers or the space for more, don't bother to re-breed. But this is a sign that they are fully weaned and she is tired of them trying to get something that is no longer available.

Sue

 

[birdie_poo]

That is an act of dominance. If I had $$ for every time a doe showed a buck what it felt like, I'd be rich.

Tracy could be dead on about wanting to breed, but I've never really experienced any does displaying that type of behavior, and thought it was an uncommon trait, since does don't have a normal cycle. Either way, at 8 weeks you should seperate them, or at least have some sort of place where the mother can get away from them from time to time....I'm thinking you may have them in too small a space.

 

[Tracy]

BirdiePoo,

When a doe is mounting a buck it has no bearing on showing him what it feels like or a dominance issue. She is ready to breed and the buck is not being aggressive enough. Some bucks are not aggressive and some are. If you have an aggressive doe she needs to be bred with an aggressive buck. I have one buck that is nicknamed lover boy. He is very non aggressive and is perfect for using for breeding on first time breedings. He will nuzzle the does and nibble gently at them. I have a 98% success rate using him for first time breedings. He gets the younger does in the mood. On the same token, he is not great for older does as he is too laid back. My other bucks get right to the job and get the deed done.

 

[birdie_poo]

Our 1st doe, M-7, was VERY agressive!! She was so bad, even the agressive bucks were no match. She would show him what for, humping him and spraying. Since she was such a great mother, we put her attitude aside and hled her for her couplings with the bucks. It worked out better, and took much less time.

I'm still holding fast that it's a dominance thing, and may well be a breeding thing, but I was saying in MY experience, and what I have read (haven't read everything so maybe it's in something I haven't gotten to) does do not cycle on a regular or predictable schedule, and I have never seen one act aggressive because she was ready. Any of mine that were ready, immediately lay flat with the tail in the air.

I wasn't discrediting what you were saying, just I've observed differently.

 

[Robin Pundzak]

I agree with Tracy, when my does mount the bucks, they want to mate. Wendy, lots of my does that are ready to breed will lay flat with their tails in the air like you said, but the hornier ones will mount the buck several times and finally settle down to lift their tail. That sometimes intimidates the less aggressive bucks, but really excites the more aggressive ones. I've found that does who are rebred right after kindling (this winter when lots of litters froze) are more likely to do this.
Robin

 

[birdie_poo]

I agree with Tracy, when my does mount the bucks, they want to mate. Wendy, lots of my does that are ready to breed will lay flat with their tails in the air like you said, but the hornier ones will mount the buck several times and finally settle down to lift their tail. That sometimes intimidates the less aggressive bucks, but really excites the more aggressive ones. I've found that does who are rebred right after kindling (this winter when lots of litters froze) are more likely to do this.
Robin

You can't say FART on the Homesteading thread, and you said [email protected]!! HAHA!!

I must not have amorous does. And M-7, well, she may have been a little more the Dominatrix, then wanting female. She never laid flat, no matter what.

To each his/her own; tomato, tomahto...

 

[poultryprincess]

I haven't bred my buck yet,I plan to buy him a few girlfriends.....but reading your posts is like watching a good comedy......every line gives me the giggles & a lingering smile :haha: Thanxxxx