FAQ

A doe is pregnant for 28–33 days, and most give birth on day 30–32. Note the mating date and put a nest box with dry hay in the cage on day 27–28; if it goes in earlier, she will use it as a toilet. Carrying hay and pulling fur from her belly are signs that kindling is close. If she has not kindled by day 34–35, or she is restless and bleeding, contact a vet.

A doe nurses her kits only once or twice a day, usually at night or early morning, for 3–5 minutes, and stays away from the nest the rest of the time; this is normal. Check the kits instead: round, warm bellies and smooth skin mean they are fed, while wrinkled skin, cold bodies and constant squeaking mean they are hungry. Give her 24–48 hours after kindling because milk can come in late, and make sure she always has water and feed. If the kits are still hungry after that, gently hold the doe so they can nurse, or foster them to another doe that kindled around the same time.

This is common in first-time mothers. Gather the kits quickly, warm them in your hands, place them in the nest box on dry hay and cover them with fur gently plucked from the doe’s belly; do not use cotton wool or synthetic stuffing, which tangles around kits. The nest box should be in the cage from day 27–28 so she has time to get used to it. If the same happens at her second kindling, it is better not to keep her for breeding.

The best option is to foster the kits to another healthy doe that kindled within 2–3 days of them, which is why it helps to mate several does a few days apart. Rub the kits with fur from the foster doe’s nest so they carry her smell, and add them when she is calm, for example while she is eating. Cow’s milk does not replace rabbit milk, which is far richer, so syringe-feeding cow’s milk rarely works. If hand-rearing is the only option, ask a vet what to feed and how much.

Kits are usually weaned at 30–45 days; for beginners 35–45 days is safer. Move the mother to another cage and leave the kits together in their familiar cage for a few days to reduce stress. Do not change their feed at the same time: the 20–30 days after weaning are the most dangerous period, when gut disease is most common. Separate males from females once they pass 3 months.

The most common causes are: - disturbance during or after kindling, or the smell of dogs, cats or strangers; - no water or too little water before kindling, so the drinker must be full the day before; - a first litter and inexperience; - eating stillborn kits or the afterbirth, which on its own is natural; - poor body condition or a diet short on protein. If it happens once, give the doe another chance; if it happens twice, do not keep her for breeding.

The most reliable simple method is to feel the belly 10–14 days after mating: smooth, firm, pea-sized lumps can be felt low in the abdomen. Unlike droppings, they are all the same size and lie in a row like a chain; do not press hard. A doe refusing or fighting the buck is only a rough sign, because a doe that is not pregnant may refuse him too. The belly grows visibly after about day 25, and from day 27–28 she starts building a nest.

Does of medium breeds such as the Californian or New Zealand White are usually first bred at 5–6 months, and giant breeds such as the Flemish Giant at 8–9 months. Weight and condition matter more than age: the doe should be well grown for her breed and neither fat nor thin. A doe bred too early stops growing properly and tends to have small, weak kits. Start using bucks at the same age or slightly later.

Common causes: - summer heat: above about 29–30 °C bucks become temporarily infertile and need 8–10 weeks to recover; - the doe is too fat, too thin or still too young; - short winter days, so lighting the rabbitry for 14–16 hours a day helps; - using the same buck too often. Always take the doe to the buck’s cage, never the other way round; a doe whose genitals are pink-red and slightly swollen usually accepts the buck readily.

Beginners are advised to rebreed a doe 4–6 weeks after kindling, around the time her kits are weaned, which is the gentlest rhythm for her. Experienced farms rebreed 10–14 days after kindling, but that needs good feed and close watching of the doe’s condition. Rebreeding within 1–2 days of kindling wears a doe out quickly and is not recommended for beginners. Give a doe that has lost weight time to recover before mating her again.