# Tips on getting rabbits to conceive



## Hopalong (Jun 10, 2009)

Does anyone have any tips on things that can prevent conception in rabbits? Is there a plant they could eat that would prevent them from getting pregnant? 
On the other side is there something that will help them conceive? 
We have been trying to breed our rabbits and they haven't been getting pregnant. We have never had this problem before and we cannot figure out why we are having this problem now. 
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.


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## polly (Jun 10, 2009)

I have been told that if you are struggling to get your does to conceive then its likely they are carrying excess fat. If you reduce their feed ibtake and give unlimited hay and water for 2 weeks they are usually hunting for a buck  works for us


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## RAL Rabbitry (Jun 10, 2009)

I agree with Polly. If a doe is carrying excess weight they have a harder time conceiving. I would also make sure she is in a bright spot. Light plays a factor in getting does to breed and conceive.

Roger


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## murph72 (Jun 10, 2009)

It might also be an "old wives tale"...or "old bunny breeders tale" in this case, but I've been told to take her for a car ride before putting her in with the buck. A fellow breeder has a doe she does this with every time before she breeds her as she's very hard to breed. She swears it works like a charm.


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## Jenson (Jun 10, 2009)

Another old tip, add a little apple cider vinegar to the water for a week or so, this has worked for me!


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Jun 11, 2009)

First of all, how old are the rabbits? Does over the age of 8 months to a year may have a hard time concieving and delivering, if it is their first litter. Smaller breeds generally need to be started around 6 months, larger breeds around 8-9 months. Otherwise, they may never be successful in delivering a litter. Bucks don't matter so much when they're bred, as long as they're eager.

Secondly, what is the condition of the rabbits? As mentioned, chunky does can have a harder time concieving. Many breeders like to keep their does sleek, but healthy. This improves their fertility.

Next, check the buck for split penis. This is a genetic condition where the penis is split down the middle. It lowers fertility and although some rabbits can still reproduce successfully, it should be culled from the herd, since you don't want it in your line.

Also check the bucks to make sure both testicles are descended. Cryptochidism can lower fertility, or even make the buck infertile.

If none of these factors are a problem, consider these:

- Where are the rabbits located. Natural sunlight is the best condition for breeding rabbits. If your rabbits are inside, try taking their cages outside during the day or getting outdoor hutches for them. The natural long hours of sunlight in the spring make rabbits eager to breed.

- Also try a few drops of apple cider vinegar in the water bottle daily. This helps sometimes.

Hope some of this helps!


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## BlueGiants (Jun 11, 2009)

:yeahthat: A lot of my does are "in the mood" after going to a show. Whether it's the car ride or being exposed to all the other rabbits...

I've also used wheat germ oil (or wheat germ) on their food for 5-7 days. Seems to help. 

I'd ask if the buck is proven... has he sired live litters before? Is it one buck or several? It's early in the season to worry about heat sterility... but are they kept cool enough? 

Are the does proven or are you working with a bunch of "first-timers"? What breed and how old?


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## Hopalong (Jun 12, 2009)

Alright I am going to try and get everything here.
I guess the first thing that would be important would be that all the does we are breeding are very eager to breed. So no problem there. They are mating about 3-4 times when we put them in the cage with the bucks.
The two breeds are French Angoras and Holland lops. 
Two of the holland lop does 
Have been bred before resulting in litters of 5-6 babies. They are 3 and 4 years old, trim and healthy. The other doe has never been bred before and is about a year old, so expected her to take a few times possibly before she took. She is also a good weight and healthy. 
The Holland lop buck we are using is 9 months old and we only just started trying to breed him ( he is out of our first holland litter). We had tried when he was 6 months but the doe didn't take so we decided to wait until he was a little older. He did just sire one litter which was just two babies. One was a peanut and the other was fine( we lost him later to exposure because he kept getting out of the nestbox). I havent noticed a split penis and he was shown several times.
The French angora's we just bought in march and april. I have bred the doe three times and none of them took. I thought that I was told the doe had been bred before but I was going to contact the breeder just the check. She is in good shape and is about a year and a half (born August o7).
The Angora buck is almost a year old (born june 18 2008). I haven't noticed a split penis with him either and he has been show several times also ( has two grand champion legs). 
All the bunnies are in a "barn" with two windows and one end has a garage door in it and so we have another door like a giant screen door that is closed during the day and the garage door is up. There are also floresent lights in the barn. There is alot of sun usually shining in at different times of the day. 
To cool them we have a big barn fan our dad put in the wall for circulation and then we give them frozen bottles of water when it gets to warm. We started trying to breed these bunnies though in april when is was still getting into the 30s at night.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Jun 12, 2009)

The age of the Holland does strikes me. It is pretty rare that Holland does will be successful much after about 3 years of age. Some may be if they are kept in a good production schedule, but even a few months of downtime can end their breeding career. This may be what's happening. Even if they're eager, it eventually just doesn't work anymore. Kind of like how humans age and can no longer produce babies. The 4 year old definitely sounds done to me...the 3 year old is iffy, depends when the last time she was bred was.

The one that is about a year old may be done too. Hollands are very difficult to get bred, and I've known few people who can start their does at 1 year old and get a live litter. I try to get my Holland does bred right at 6 months, and so far that has only helped me. Those that I know who have waited till 1 year have had to deal with kindling complications, dead litters, etc., etc., etc.

Sorry for the bad news here, but IF they continue to be unsuccessful, this could be why. Like I said, Hollands are a tough breed. Their breeding schedules are pretty specific, which can be frustrating to us!


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## DeniseJP (Jun 12, 2009)

*Jenson wrote: *


> Another old tip, add a little apple cider vinegar to the water for a week or so, this has worked for me!



This worked for me, too.



Denise


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## SilverBirchRabbitry (Jun 17, 2009)

Another French Angora breeder! Hallaluah! (< I think I spelt that wrong) Anyways if you are wanting to breed your Frenches, I breed mine when they turn 7 months.

Also I find clipping their coats down helps alot :] Also if they don't really want to breed, put the doe in the bucks cage, and the buck in the does cage over night  I find that always helps!


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## Hopalong (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks everybody for all the advice! I had wondered if our holland does were getting older and that was causing some of our problem. So we have decided to start looking for some new young does. We do think that we may have two does that took this time as they are getting snippy as those girls usually do! So hopefully we will have some does out of our girls to replace them with. 
It is nice to find another french angora breeder Silverbirchrabbitry! How long have you been breeding them? Maybe you could help us as we learn. 
You said you start breeding yours at seven months, is it alright to start at six months or is that to young for this breed? 
As to the original doe we are trying to breed, I will keep trying to breed her and see if it will work. Yesterday I bought a beautiful 6 week old chocolate french angora doe! So if things don't work out with Fluffy then when she is old enough Cookie will take her place. 
Again thanks so much for all the help!


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## terrellflyer (Jun 17, 2009)

my biggest problem in breeding with and older doe is getting her to lose the excessive fat,more fiber,oats,hay,less protein pellets,1/2 teaspoon of wheatgerm oil after the fat is lower in animal, works for me,if this doesn,t work then doe is removed from breeding herd.


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