# how many females does a male need?



## sickbunny (Aug 10, 2011)

Benny is 2 years old.

Smiley, my 4 1/2 yr old doe, is retiring.

I bought a 2 1/2 to 3 yr old female last month at the fair.

last week i bought a 4 month old female at the other fair.

i'm supposed to be contacting a breeder this weekend and possibly getting a 3 month old female. if not, i have contact info for 3 other breeders who said they would all be having litters later this fall.


how many females does Benny need to keep him happy? 


i live in a 3 bedroom apt. the rabbits are all kept in a large foyer room. there is room for each of them to have their own cage, but any more and i would have to put them in another room, and i really dont want to do that. they are allowed to run around in other rooms for exercise as long as they are being watched.

the 2-3 yr old keep in mind will only be good for another year or so for breeding. the 4 month old will be old enough to keep him busy by then, and another baby will be old enough by then that he will still have 2 females. is this enough? 

Benny was 1 yr old when i got him and being used as a breeder. for the past year he has only had 1 time with smiley. so he's overjoyed to see 2 new females in the rabbit room. i wonder though if 2 females are enough?


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## jeanluc_pippen_merry (Aug 10, 2011)

I didn't know a male rabbits had to have females to be happy. I thought they could live quite happily with or without them. O.O


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## plasticbunny (Aug 10, 2011)

Keep in mind that if you breed even just one buck and doe, you will need more cages then three. You will need one for the buck, one for the doe, one for baby females and one for baby males, MINIMUM. And if you have to keep the babies so long that they start fighting, you'll need even more cages.

The only reason I can see to add another doe is for variety of breeding, if you're looking to improve the breed standard, and to have more babies at one time. Your buck won't care either way, I'm sure he's just happy getting it in :biggrin:


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## TinysMom (Aug 10, 2011)

*sickbunny wrote: *


> *how many females does Benny need to keep him happy? *
> 
> 
> 
> *Benny was 1 yr old when i got him and being used as a breeder. for the past year he has only had 1 time with smiley. so he's overjoyed to see 2 new females in the rabbit room. i wonder though if 2 females are enough? *


The purpose of breeding is not to keep a buck "happy". If that were the case - you'd probably need 60 or so does so he could have a different doe every day because *what will make him "happy" is to be bred every day.*

In addition - when breeding - depending upon where you live and what the rabbit population is there (rabbit rescues, etc) - sometimes breeding is not a good option - especially if you don't have specific goals and are just buying does to buy does (versus knowing the breed standard and buying does that will help you produce showable rabbits).

I just checked and at least one rescue in Indiana has 25 rabbits in their rescue....

I'm not saying "don't breed" - but _to my understanding_ - jersey woolies are a "high maintenance" breed for taking care of the fur, etc. and therefore might not be as likely to be adopted as some other breeds (not knocking the breed - I think they're beautiful).

But to just go on producing them without a "market" for them (ie other breeders and people who show) may wind up being more frustrating than you think.

Anyway - some of my bucks have only been used a couple of times in a breeding season (depending upon their strengths and weaknesses).

I don't worry about making them happy - just keeping them healthy!


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## naturestee (Aug 10, 2011)

If you want to make your buck happy in that way, just give him a stuffed toy. There's no need to do more real breeding just to keep him happy, especially with your limited space. All those babies would need more cages until they are sold. Many people have intact bucks that are perfectly happy without ever having been bred.

For the record, my neutered males are both loving their lives even without any sort of "smiley" ever.


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## hillrise (Aug 10, 2011)

:yeahthat: Pretty much there's no set number for "keeping him happy" regarding how many does. I /DO/ know that you generally don't want to use a buck for more than 8-10 does (but you most likely wouldn't want even that many since that's a LOT of babies a year).

I have some bucks that are only bred to a single doe, and they get along just fine, and still maintain their fertility. (If maintaining fertility is what you're concerned about, I know there's been some research put into it, but I think most of it just suggested reduced litter sizes with lack of breeding, and I'd bet you really don't need to aim for larger litters with jerseys).


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## CCWelch (Aug 10, 2011)

Also realize that your 4 1/2 yr old doe can go on having litters as long as she is willing. I had a doe that bred and produced until she was 7 then she lived 3 more years as a pet.

Also breeding is not about quantity but QUALITY. No one cares about the 100 poor quality babies you might have but they will want that 1 good one you get by accident if you are not breeding to improve the quality.


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## sickbunny (Aug 11, 2011)

thank you everyone for your comments!!! i appreciate it!!!


me- i want to show rabbits. i live for the 2 county fairs every year, its better than xmas to me! i love looking at all the bunnies, and i love talking to all the breeders. i learn so much from them! i want to show bunnies too. the guy who runs the rabbit barn at one fair has seen me for 3 years now, coming in and talking to everyone, and he said next year i hope we see you showing the babies you get. 

the breed- woolies are a hard breed to raise. they require a lot of work. most breeders i talk to say they keep the rabbits trimmed unless they are showing them. the woman i bought the 4 month old from said it was the only jersey she had left, she was getting out of them because they are too much work for her now (she's in a wheelchair), and she said they need special food. i said tell me about it, i go thru timothy hay at my house like crazy! the woman i bought the 2-3 yr old from said she is cutting her herd from 80 to 40-50 because feed is so expensive. 

my herd- i'd like to keep it at 7 or so. i want to make sure i have time for mine to not only brush feed and change cages, but most importantly to be able to give attention. the 4 month old i bought is scared and skitterish. my daughter is not into rabbits like i am, but even she knows- she said mom, you're gonna need to spend a lot of time with her, its obvious she is not used to being held and played with a lot. my rabbits are all tame gentle snuggle bunnies. they are used to not only being handled, but being loved. some of you will know what i mean about the difference between used to being handled and used to being loved. kisses constantly on their head are routine to them and dont startle them, but make them comforted. the older female rolls her eyes, and the younger one jumps. they are going to be getting intense socialization from me.

selling bunnies- i do know there are a lot of bunnies out there in shelters. that is sad. but the majority are other breeds. jersey woolies are rare in nw indiana. 

only one breeder at the first county fair had jerseys at the show. she had none for sale. i told her how i was having a hard time finding a good female for benny, and she agreed to sell me one from her herd, the 2-3 yr old. obviously if she was keeping and breeding her, she's good breeder quality. and her female that won best in show was a mutt compared to the one i traded back to the breeder last year. (arent i modest? lol) but giggles really is a nice female. great head and body, nice torti coloring. she said she would sell her to me cause she needed to thin her herd (had several breeds) cause feed is so expensive, plus at 2-3 she was probably figuring would be retiring in a year or so, and she told me she couldnt sell her to anyone with kids cause she is VERY cage territorial, charges and grunts and puts up a big show. i said i could work with that. i put her in a small cage with a top opening lid that i have found is good for problems like that. 

the second county fair- the woman in the wheelchair was the only one with a wooly for sale. there were two other breeders showing jerseys. that was it. the barn was full of lionheads and several other breeds.

now please dont be offended lionhead breeders, but i remarked to the wheelchair womans hubby about the overflow of lionheads there, and said i heard you gotta breed 50 to get 1 decent one, and he said they arent even recognized by some rabbit organizations, and the lady said and they are not as gentle natured as the woolies either. seriously i couldnt believe how many lionheads there were. its the "new thing". there were a couple other breeds with very high numbers also where i felt like they all looked the same and it was crazy to see 20 identical rabbits around 1 breeder. i saw one breeder with 2 jerseys, and another one with 2 jerseys, and that was it. all the breeders i talked to said everyone was getting out of them, too much work.

i told the woman who sold me giggles that the only breeders i could find were either in indianapolis area (3 1/2 hours from me) or michigan *3 hours from me, and she said there's some nice breeders in wisconsin too, but they are all really expensive, you're talking 150, and she sold me giggles for $25, and i paid the same for the 4 month old. 

so you see, there is very little competition for showing or selling in my area.

in fact, one breeder i talked to at the 2nd fair had 2 she was showing at 7 and 8 yrs old. she said she was hoping to breed one at home this fall and would gladly sell me one from her litter but wanted to buy one from my first litter. not even breeding yet and i have an offer for one! 

another guy heard me talking to people and came up and said he had a litter at home that would be ready in a month. i asked any broken colors? and he said no, and asked his daughter if she would part with a 3 month old broken one she had been planning to keep, and she agreed only after hearing about all my rabbits and how loved and cared for they are. the woman who sold me the 4 month old told another breeder after hearing about how i cared for mine, she wanted to go live at my house! i told her how giggles is cage territorial and i take her out on the porch all the time to sit on the bench with me cause my rabbits love that, and how crazy they are chasing my daughters cats around in the bedroom (doing her 20 lb tubby male a favor giving him exercise if u ask me!) and how they are all well fed- i told the judge smiley is beautiful but too big, a good 5 lbs. she has big bones and loves to eat. he said you could always cut down her food and i thought to myself NOT! smiley loves food why would i make her diet to go to a show? i'd rather she have meat on her bones, if she ever got sick it could help save her life if she wasnt eating well to have some fat to fall back on. that rabbit is like a lawnmower going thru her hay. she loves all treats, and i admit. she gets the biggest carrot in the bag. (grins) spoiled rotten.

quality- i'm not buying buying pet quality just to breed rabbits. i'm sure of giggles since the breeder kept her herself, and she is a really nice looking doe. the 4 month old i asked another breeder who said that woman has good rabbits, and i showed it to another really reputable breeder there that i ve talked to before. she said she has a _really_ nice coat, her one fault is her ears are "summer" ears and too big. benny has really tiny ears tho, so im hoping he can balance that out. benny is breeder quality, the breeder kept him a year to use, and the only thing that keeps benny from being showable is his size. benny is TINY. he weighs 2 lbs. he looks like a dwarf, and ive seen some dwarf bigger than him. but the breeders all said that was good, cause i can use bigger does with him, and bigger does do well with the litters. the judge told me the standard calls for 3-4 lbs. i told him the breeder was breeding for smallness, and he said he doesnt know why some breeders breed a 2 lb to another 2 lb and wonder why they get peanuts. but benny is perfect for what i want, because i want my does to be bigger and fatter so they can feed the babies and birth more easily. 

homes- i had one litter of mixed breed when i first got rabbits. i had homes for everyone before they left at 8 weeks. i wanted to get into lionheads at first and bought one, only his ruff didnt grow out and he turned into pet quality. i sold him to a little girl who lives on the next block and loved holding and playing with her cousins guinea pig, and the cousin came to me about getting a rabbit for her. i see them outside sometimes playing on the porch and wave, and she knows to come to me if she has any questions or problems. i have another lady who has a little girl who wants a rabbit and had one before she loved, and they are waiting patiently for me to come up with a rabbit for them. i had a woman stop once by my house and ask to see the mixed litter. she wanted to buy all 3. i told her these are male and female, they would need separate cages for all 3. she said she had a big barn and lots of old cages. i said no, sorry, im not selling you any. she seemed like an animal hoarder to me. i said i want to make sure mine will get the proper attention they need, and people who buy litters often want them for snakes. she got really irate with me, and i said sorry no, i am not selling you any of my rabbits. the babies i sold were given lists of instructions, from food to cage materials (no cedar chips!) to watching for teeth growth, to all the reasons timothy hay is vital to their diet, and they were told you know where i live, if you have any questions, any problems, cant keep them, come to me. one came back a couple months later just to tell me the bunny was fine, the pg wife had a baby girl, and now there were 2 baby girls in their house.  so you see, i will not have a problem selling baby rabbits, and i will carefully screen buyers and advise them. 

keeping babies- i wont. i wont keep them just because they are cute. i will only keep them if they are show quality or excellent breeder. no breeder is gonna sell me a beautiful show quality doe to breed (unless its totally unaffordable for me), i have to breed that myself. and i will sell those if my herd is too big. i have to keep my numbers down. the older does when they retire will be sold as pets, and then they can be replaced by show quality babies. the retired does will be placed with the same careful screening. all except smiley. smiley is my first jersey i ever owned, she is my forever rabbit who will stay with me till she goes to bunny heaven. 

why jerseys?- i am allergic to short haired animals, when they shed the hair splinters and the dander flies in the air. long haired animals fall out in clumps and the dander is trapped in the hair. jerseys i can handle fine, short haired bunnies make me itch. jerseys are beautiful rabbits. they have sweet faces and almond shaped eyes. they are smaller rabbits which makes them great indoor pets. i think a lot of people get a baby bunny and when it gets big, the size of it overwhelms them cleaning up after it. jerseys have some of the sweetest dispositions of all the rabbits i think. this makes then excellent pets, many people i have heard say we used to have a rabbit but it was mean and would bite you. the only time you hear this with a jersey is a cage territorial female, and a small cage with a door on top often works wonders in combating that problem. 

did you all read the post by the kid who is looking to buy rabbits and listed like 8 different breeds and wants 1 or 2 each? this is someone who needs to be carefully discouraged as the responders were. but thats not me. i have owned this breed for 4 years. i only want to breed that breed. i have carefully studied them at fairs for 4 years and talked to many many breeders. i am conscious of the keeping my herd size at a number that i can handle and being able to give my bunnies the food, space, and attention they will need. i am breeding a breed that is not widely available here and thus not contributing to overpopulation. (unlike all those lionhead breeders at the fair) i screen carefully for new homes. i have people on a waiting list. i make sure new owners know how to care for them. i am breeding a breed that i know will make great pets. i love the rabbit shows and want to be a part of that. ( i even love the cow shows and sat at both fairs for hours watching them being judged, and i will never own a cow, no room!) lol so hopefully you can all see now that i have the very best intentions as a new breeder.

you were all new to breeding once. i first came to this site over concern for my sick bunnies. i post in this forum because i want to be a good breeder, and i value being able to talk to other breeders. i told the old man who runs the bunny barn at the fair that i always learn SO MUCH from talking to the other breeders there. i appreciate your advice and comments because i feel you can never know too much about something. thank you for reading and commenting, i truly appreciate it! even when people post to try and dissuade me (which they wont) i look at it as they are just trying to make sure im not breeding rabbits for all the wrong reasons or not properly caring for them, and i understand. that young kid who wants 8 breeds needs to be dissuaded. but i promise you, my bunnies are well cared for, well placed, and i want to be a part of the breeders in the show rings at the fair, not standing on the sidelines like a kid outside a candy store window. i feel at home there, like i belong. the breeders there are so nice to me. and the old man said make sure you fill out a card for registration before the fairs over, next year we want to see you here with your own rabbits. god willing, my day is coming. and i cant wait!


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## GorbyJobRabbits (Aug 11, 2011)

Do NOT cut the woolies hair. From a fuzzy lop stand point you want to quickly not have anything to show, you'll trim the hair. Brush the rabbits and get a blower. It's not hard to keep the wool nice once you know what you're doing. 

also since you went on a tirade on the cull thing, you're raising a wooled breed and already admitted yourself you are lacking knowledge on caring for the hair by cutting it. Think just really think before you start dumping a lot into the pet world.... that most people do NOT properly take care of that hair. Just think about it before everyone on here goes flying off the handle.


also, my mentioning of a blower, its recomended with the wool breeds, all the dust and everything stuck in the hair really brings the quailty down. Using a blower on the rabbits you'll see all the nasty dust and dander come out and have a much better looking coat on the animals.


I also feel that keeping them in the house as pets is in the end going to run you over with babies. All my does are loved and adored and spoiled but have their cages outside. Being put together for play time they'd kill each other. Improving a breed is very difficult when you are limiting yourslef in the way you are doing with space. You already said with what you have you don't want any more adults.... what are you going to do one the babies start coming a lont?


and yes some breeders on here are gruff, and since you brought up the teenager wanting a dozen breeds a lot of our comments were deleted because we did 'attack' her. I like being gruff and to the point with new breeders because everyone comes on here with big dreams and going on about how much they know or have talked to people.... we're not being rude, we just don't sugar coat


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## naturestee (Aug 11, 2011)

Wool breeds... pet homes...

You don't want to know what wool breeds usually look like when they get dumped at the Humane Society. Some are just in unbelievable condition. It doesn't help that they often have substandard fur because they were not bred for quality, which is even harder to take care of. The worst one I ever saw had been a 4H show rabbit, so the owner had access to good information and guidance and should have provided a decent home.

Please, if you are going to breed for pets, talk to the shelters and rescues in your area first. We have no shortage of rabbits, including in Indiana. If you want to be scared, go over the state line to Chicago and find out about the purebred rabbits that get euth'd by the dozen. Then, if you still want to breed for pet purposes only (not for show or improving the breed, etc.), then please choose a breed with short fur, so that if it is neglected it at least won't be a giant ball of pee-soaked mats.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Aug 11, 2011)

Wooled breeds are harder to care for. Most people who have them do not know what they are doing. I do rabbits grooming and in the past 2 years, I have only had 1 wooly rabbit that was not a total mess. Most are so matted the wool could come off in 1 piece. They also tend to have clumps of poop stick to their bums, I had one that has 3 clumps that were each bigger than a golf ball. Please think twice about raising a wooled breed as you need to find really good homes for them. As much as I do love the angoras, I would really think hard about ever breeding them due to the amount of work they require and finding good homes. 

If you are allergic to dander, don't get a wooly rabbit. If you blow them out, dander gets everywhere. This is fine outside, but not all areas have nice enough weather all year to allow that. The more you blow the coat, the less dander there is each time, but that first couple times or if you leave it for a while there is a lot. I only have 1 angora and the dander does get to me sometimes when I brush or blow her out. 

Make sure you spend time with any prospective buyers and go over grooming. Avoid selling at shows unless it is to a breeder of that breed that has prearranged the sale. By breeding, I feel that you have a responsibility to the animals you bring into the world. This means making sure they go to good homes who know how to care for them properly and refusing any sale that you are not comfortable with. A couple hours with one person and save a rabbit years of problems associated with poor grooming.


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## jeanluc_pippen_merry (Aug 11, 2011)

*plasticbunny wrote: *


> Your buck won't care either way, I'm sure he's just happy getting it in :biggrin:


Teehee.


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## sickbunny (Aug 11, 2011)

*sickbunny wrote:*


> most breeders i talk to say they keep the rabbits trimmed unless they are showing them.
> 
> she wanted to buy all 3. i told her these are male and female, they would need separate cages for all 3. she said she had a big barn and lots of old cages. i said no, sorry, im not selling you any. she seemed like an animal hoarder to me. i said i want to make sure mine will get the proper attention they need, and people who buy litters often want them for snakes. she got really irate with me, and i said sorry no, i am not selling you any of my rabbits. the babies i sold were given lists of instructions, from food to cage materials (no cedar chips!) to watching for teeth growth, to all the reasons timothy hay is vital to their diet, and they were told you know where i live, if you have any questions, any problems, cant keep them, come to me.




benny came to me at 1 yr old from a big breeder who shows well, and benny had his hair cut off. 

giggles came to me at 2 yrs old from a big breeder who shows well and had her hair cut off. 

the baby is only 4 months old so she hadnt been cut. 

smiley, my 4 yr old that i have had since she was 6 months, has never had hers cut. smiley is very used to being constantly groomed and even sits patiently in a bath tub. 


but even tho i have never cut my rabbit, i dont judge the two who sold me rabbits for cutting them. thats what i mean by i want to make sure i have enough time for all my rabbits, cause i know how much time it takes to keep them groomed.


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## TinysMom (Aug 12, 2011)

*sickbunny wrote: *


> now please dont be offended lionhead breeders, but i remarked to the wheelchair womans hubby about the overflow of lionheads there, and said i heard you gotta breed 50 to get 1 decent one, and he said they arent even recognized by some rabbit organizations, and the lady said and they are not as gentle natured as the woolies either. seriously i couldnt believe how many lionheads there were. its the "new thing". there were a couple other breeds with very high numbers also where i felt like they all looked the same and it was crazy to see 20 identical rabbits around 1 breeder. i saw one breeder with 2 jerseys, and another one with 2 jerseys, and that was it. all the breeders i talked to said everyone was getting out of them, too much work.
> 
> 
> did you all read the post by the kid who is looking to buy rabbits and listed like 8 different breeds and wants 1 or 2 each? this is someone who needs to be carefully discouraged as the responders were. but thats not me. i have owned this breed for 4 years. i only want to breed that breed. i have carefully studied them at fairs for 4 years and talked to many many breeders. i am conscious of the keeping my herd size at a number that i can handle and being able to give my bunnies the food, space, and attention they will need. i am breeding a breed that is not widely available here and thus not contributing to overpopulation. (unlike all those lionhead breeders at the fair) i screen carefully for new homes. i have people on a waiting list. i make sure new owners know how to care for them. i am breeding a breed that i know will make great pets. i love the rabbit shows and want to be a part of that. ( i even love the cow shows and sat at both fairs for hours watching them being judged, and i will never own a cow, no room!) lol so hopefully you can all see now that i have the very best intentions as a new breeder.



I am quoting the parts of your post that I want to address - which is why I've cut it down quite a bit.

First of all - I'm glad you enjoy talking to breeders and learning from them. I know that when I started breeding I found that I learned a lot from this forum and from talking to other breeders and its always wise to learn from other experienced breeders.

[align=center]*LIONHEADS*
[/align]
With that said - I would like to point out some incorrect information about lionheads since I used to be a lionhead breeder and we frequently get questions about this breed.

You do not need to breed 50 rabbits or whatever to get a good lionhead - I know of breeders all across the country who are regularly breeding show quality lionheads of outstanding quality. If you don't start out with cheap rabbits but instead purchase good quality lionheads (they have changed over the years) - you have good chances of getting quality rabbits that can be shown.

I will admit - that perhaps 6 or 7 years ago that was true - BUT - the lionhead bloodlines have changed so much since then since breeders have started really working on breeding towards the standard.

In addition - like ANY breed - you'll have your sweet bunnies and your not so sweet bunnies. I have had lionheads that would curl up and take a nap with me and crawl all over me and be lovebugs. It depends a lot (in my humble opinion) on both the bloodlines and the environment which they live. 

Also - now that lionheads passed their first presentation in certain colors - ALL ARBA shows must accept at least those colors and recognize them. They can not compete for Best in Show and perhaps that is what you meant - but the colors that passed last year must be allowed (and many many clubs allow all of the colors that have a standard written for them).

[align=center]*BRINGING UP OTHER PEOPLE'S THREADS

*[align=left]By bringing up the other person the way that you did - it could be considered "targeting a person" and we do not allow that. We have a major thunderstorm going on right now (with tornadoes in the area) and I don't have time to go and grab the link.

But to my remembrance we have never before had someone drag another person's thread discussion into their thread and saying stuff like "You need to discourage them." 

Please do not do this in the future - it is not appropriate for the way the forum is run.

Thank you very much. I'll try to post a reminder about our forum decorum in this thread later.
[/align][/align]


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## woahlookitsme (Aug 12, 2011)

I have some things to say. First Congrats on your new breed. Jerseys are very sweet rabbits with such good manners when handled on a daily basis. The lady I know who loves her jerseys is named Kathy Moerbe and she is going to be presenting the reds at convention this year. Since you are in Indiana I would HIGHLY recommend going to convention and trying to find her. SHE LOVES helping new breeders and maybe even join the breed club Im sure they will have a table set up. 
Heres her site if you want to get in touch http://www.bbpals.8m.com/JW.htm

Another thing i wanted to add Once you get into a breed there is no doubt you will need more cages  Bunnys are very addictive. Some advice just know average litter size and have some trusting outlets for your bunnys. (Right now im having to use craigslist so im not really listening to my own advice but oh well) With my tans when i started out I had one junior buck and one senior doe. Of course i was just starting out and my rabbits were not near as good as the ones i have now. NOT even CLOSE. But hey we all have to start somewhere. My first actual herd included two bucks and three does. Two of those does turned out not being breedable so i had to stay with one for a long time. Im getting two new does at convention and am very excited. I have also aquired some other nice bunnies at the right price. So what i will have is
Three nice herd bucks, One still showable young senior who i want to show at convention. One older senior doe, one young showable doe, and two new does from convention. I told you when the show bug bites it bites hard  That is 8 rabbits not including the babies i will get. (We have many more holes) but you get the idea. I would say a trio (one buck and two unrelated does) is enough to start off with and then later decide on where you want to end up. 

Also commenting on Naturestee's comment
"Please, if you are going to breed for pets, talk to the shelters and rescues in your area first."

She already said 
"i'm not buying buying pet quality just to breed rabbits."

I think we are being to harsh. Jerseys are not very popular but people havent experienced their personality just because its a wool breed and they take more work than other breeds. I experience this too with my tans and brits! And i certainly dont breed for pet quality. My breed takes an outgoing person who can keep up with their rabbit. This breed isnt right for someone who wants a cuddly rabbit. So i understand what everyone is saying but this person is talking to the right people and i think she will learn tons more if she goes to convention. You will see many great wooly breeders and they are always so friendly no matter where they are from. Sorry for my rant. I gotta go but congrats again and good luck


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## woahlookitsme (Aug 12, 2011)

oh and what i meant by showable is that they are still in their prime showing condition. Tans have a very short show career and is a breed where juniors will take best of breed over the seniors


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## naturestee (Aug 12, 2011)

Sorry, my concern was just that when she mentioned getting homes for her babies, she only talked about pet homes. I know jersey woolies are supposed to be an "easy care" wool breed, and some of them are. We had one at the shelter that was picked up as a stray that barely had a tangle on him. But they aren't all like that and I have seen jersey woolies and fuzzy lops (which have similar length of fur) that are just horror stories. So my concern is just that these rabbits aren't the best breed to choose if most of the babies will be going to pet homes. I'm more comfortable with show people taking on a breed that is more difficult to care for, although the worst condition I ever saw was a young fuzzy lop that had belonged to a 4H kid for show purposes.

It's really something to keep in mind and that I think people should be aware of. Also, it is incredibly hard to find someone to groom your long-haired rabbit for you, unlike long-haired dogs and cats. So when it is beyond the owner's capability to deal with, they don't have anyone to help them unless they think to contact a breeder of wool rabbits, which few of them think to do.


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## SpotLover (Aug 19, 2011)

jeanluc_pippen_merry wrote:


> I didn't know a male rabbits had to have females to be happy. I thought they could live quite happily with or without them. O.O



It is a lie that rabbits need others to be happy. Buns need their humans to be happy, most buns will fight if put together


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## sickbunny (Aug 25, 2011)

*TinysMom wrote*


> *
> *


[align=left]


> By bringing up the other person the way that you did - it could be considered "targeting a person" and we do not allow that. We have a major thunderstorm going on right now (with tornadoes in the area) and I don't have time to go and grab the link.
> 
> But to my remembrance we have never before had someone drag another person's thread discussion into their thread and saying stuff like "You need to discourage them."
> 
> ...


[/align]
sorry, i didnt know. i read that thread after i read mine, and it seemed like there was a lot of antibreeding comments. i was trying to say i could see where there might be some instances to feel like you should do so, but i was sincerely trying to be a good breeder. the pinned post at the top says please dont post your anti-breeding comments here. i just felt really unfairly attacked.


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## sickbunny (Aug 25, 2011)

*woahlookitsme wrote: *


> I have some things to say. First Congrats on your new breed. Jerseys are very sweet rabbits with such good manners when handled on a daily basis. The lady I know who loves her jerseys is named Kathy Moerbe and she is going to be presenting the reds at convention this year. Since you are in Indiana I would HIGHLY recommend going to convention and trying to find her. SHE LOVES helping new breeders and maybe even join the breed club Im sure they will have a table set up.
> Heres her site if you want to get in touch http://www.bbpals.8m.com/JW.htm
> 
> Another thing i wanted to add Once you get into a breed there is no doubt you will need more cages  Bunnys are very addictive. Some advice just know average litter size and have some trusting outlets for your bunnys. (Right now im having to use craigslist so im not really listening to my own advice but oh well) With my tans when i started out I had one junior buck and one senior doe. Of course i was just starting out and my rabbits were not near as good as the ones i have now. NOT even CLOSE. But hey we all have to start somewhere. My first actual herd included two bucks and three does. Two of those does turned out not being breedable so i had to stay with one for a long time. Im getting two new does at convention and am very excited. I have also aquired some other nice bunnies at the right price. So what i will have is
> ...



thank you, thank you very much, you dont know what that meant to me.



so can i brag about the 2 new additions to you? lol 


torti female born april 2009 


her mom has 5 legs !

3 out of 4 grandparents have legs- 4, 0, 3, 5


breeder said she was very cage territorial, charges and grunts, and she couldnt sell her to anyone with kids. i put her in a cage with a top door and talk to her first before i touch her. i have no problems picking her up and then she's a sweetheart and i cuddle and kiss her a lot. 


black female born april 2011

her mom has 2 legs

her moms dad has ... 14 legs ... ! 

i am a wee bit proud of my new bunnies. lol

you said "Of course i was just starting out and my rabbits were not near as good as the ones i have now. NOT even CLOSE. But hey we all have to start somewhere."

amen. but i'm starting off with good stock dont you think? :biggrin:

thank you for your comment!


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## sickbunny (Aug 25, 2011)

*SpotLover wrote: *


> jeanluc_pippen_merry wrote:
> 
> 
> > I didn't know a male rabbits had to have females to be happy. I thought they could live quite happily with or without them. O.O
> ...




sometimes male animals that are used as breeders, but not used often, become aggressive cause they are frustrated. benny has such a sweet personality i dont want that to happen. thus my original question was how many femalllllles to keep that from happening?

i seem to be content at the moment with the two new females. one male and two females seems to be a good choice at the moment, and i might add another female later.

its true rabbits need their own cage. but bunnies thrive seeing other bunnies around them, its like bunny tv for them. benny LOVES all the females. when smiley leaves the room he sits and sulks or paces by the door. when she comes back, he races to the end of the cage and so does she and they poke noses at each other. he lays next to females and lets them hump him and snuggles and says oh protect me. he gives them all the food. he is such a suck up. females love benny. if only more men were like my rabbit, lol ! 

so i think for the answer to my question, i weeded out this general concensus- 2 females for my one male would keep him happy. true or false?


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## RabbitSmarties (Aug 25, 2011)

Spotlover is right that a buck does NOT need does to make him happy. Give him food and play time, and breed him when you have a good reason to want babies, and things will go well.


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## HappyFarmBunnies (Aug 26, 2011)

Again, the number of females has nothing to do with keeping him "happy."

But for breeding purposes, yes, a trio usually works well.


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## Brittany85 (Aug 27, 2011)

I think the reason people are posting negative comments is that the first impression of you is that you are inexperienced because you are asking how many does a buck needs to be happy. This sounded a bit silly but after reading your other posts I can tell you are dedicated to breeding to improve the breed. Best of luck in the future and make sure any pet homes know how to care for the hair. A friend of mine used to breed angoras and offered to clip down the rabbits she sold every few months if the new owners would bring them over. This may be a good idea for you. Also show the tools needed to groom the rabbits to new owners.


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