Unfortunately, rabbits don’t always “breed like rabbits”. There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to breeding meat rabbits.
Don’t be discouraged if your doe doesn’t get pregnant or you lose a litter of kits… it’s all part of the learning process. It usually takes a few attempts to successfully raise litters of robust kits. Follow the guidelines below for the best chance of success!
Should You Breed Rabbits?
Breeding rabbits is not something to be entered into lightly. Be sure you’ve read our Quick Start Guide and have a plan to deal with all of the offspring.
If you’re breeding for meat, great, but make sure you can humanely butcher a rabbit first – so you won’t chicken out when it’s time to harvest the kits. If you don’t want to butcher rabbits yourself, find a local processor or fellow meat rabbit raiser who’s willing to do the job before beginning any breeding attempts.
Think you’ll sell the extra babies as pets… think again. There are already thousands of bunnies in shelters looking for homes – please don’t add to the problem. Large breed rabbits make a lot of waste and aren’t the best choice for house pets. Most responsible meat rabbit breeders avoid selling to pet owners for that reason.
If you want to raise breeding or show stock, that’s great too. Invest in quality purebred rabbits with pedigrees and plan to cull all kits that don’t improve the breed. Inferior meat rabbits belong in the stew pot.
Breeding Meat Rabbits
Most rabbits are old enough to breed at 6 months. They should be at least 80% of their adult weight (about 8 pounds). Does should have a small dewlap and both testicles should be descended on bucks. Don’t bother trying to breed a virgin doe over a year old. Adult does pack fat around the reproductive organs which can make them infertile or cause problems with delivery.
People who show rabbits often wait longer to breed, but older does may not be the best moms. Mothering hormones are strongest in 6 month old does. By 8-10 months, they’re more set in their ways and have begun to pack on internal fat. The only exception to the 6-month rule is giant breeds which need a couple more months to mature before breeding.
Select unrelated rabbits with complimentary characteristics. For example, pair a doe with weak shoulders and nice hindquarter to a buck with great shoulders. Don’t breed two rabbits with the same fault or you’ll concentrate it in the offspring. The rabbits can have some common ancestry, but there should be plenty of differences as well. Do not breed siblings together.
Breeding Schedule
Breed does for the first time around 6 months and regularly after that to keep them productive. Rabbits are prey animals made to reproduce. Don’t wait too long to breed your does. Ration pellets between litters to keep them slim and trim if you give them a break from breeding. With fast-growing meat lines, they’re packing on fat if they aren’t producing.
Most homesteaders raise 4-5 litters a year per doe. Re-breed does 6 weeks after kindling for 5 litters a year or 8 weeks postpartum for 4 litters a year. If possible, breed two does at a time, so you can foster kits if needed. A single buck can service does on consecutive days. Breed one doe the first day, then breed the second doe the following day. You’ll need two nest boxes if you use this breeding plan.
In areas with harsh winters, don’t attempt to breed in winter unless your rabbits have very good shelter. Most rabbits are not interested in breeding in late fall/winter because the daylength is short. This is especially true for heritage breeds like Champagne d’Argents. Put lights on for 12-14 hours a day for a week before trying to breed in the “off season.”
If you live in a hot climate, it’s best to avoid breeding during the hot summer months. Pregnant and nursing does are especially susceptible to heat stroke. Bucks are also likely to go sterile if kept at temps above 80F for a few days.
The Nest Box
A proper nest box is key to raising successful litters. There are a number of nest box styles available- wood, metal, and wire. I prefer wooden boxes because they’re warmer in the winter and are easy to make from scrap wood or plywood. All sides must be at least 6″ high to scrape off nursing kits when mom exits the nest.
Beginner Mistake: “Why buy a nest box? A cardboard box, bin, or dish pan work fine.” In reality, rabbits quickly destroy a box. If the sides are too low, nursing kits get dragged out of the nest. The nest box must be heavy or wired to the side of the cage so mom can’t flip it. The size is also important: Too small and the doe won’t use it – Too big and the kits spread out and get chilled. Be willing to make or invest in a solid nest box for the sake of the babies.
Don’t try to use a cardboard box, bin, or dish pan to save a few bucks. Make-shift nests result in lost litters and unfortunate “mishaps”. This is the #1 reason many beginners post in a panic about losing their first litters. Skip the heartache by giving your doe a quality nest box the first time.
We built our nest boxes out of 1/2″ plywood. They measure 11″ x 18″ x 10″ High. The perfect size for large commercial breed rabbits
This is the rabbit nest box style we use and recommend. They measure 11″ x 18″ x 10″ High. The perfect size for large commercial breed rabbits.
I highly recommend using the nest box design above. We’ve used this style successfully in our rabbitry for over 12 years. They work great!
If you can’t build one, nest boxes can be purchased. The front lip is too low on most premade boxes, so you need to attach a kit scraper board across the front. Just make sure it doesn’t make the opening too small for the doe to fit in comfortably. Scraper boards are not needed if the front is at least 6″ high.
Breeding Check & Screening
First, make sure you actually have a male and female. Rabbits are often sexed incorrectly. Occasionally, even a rabbit sexed by an experienced breeder turns out to be the opposite gender when it matures. Double check gender before attempting to breed rabbits for the first time.
Give rabbits a health check before breeding. Check their teeth (no malocclusion) and body condition. Stroke the rabbits back with your hand. You’ll feel rounded bumps on the spine if the rabbit is in good condition. If the spine feels sharp, the rabbit is thin. If you can’t feel the spine, the rabbit is fat.
Check the face and genitals of both rabbits to make sure there are no scabs which may indicate rabbit Syphilis. The doe is not likely to be receptive if her vulva is pale pink. If it’s dark pink or purple, she’s ready! Never breed rabbits with congenital faults or signs of disease – you’ll just perpetuate the problem.
How to Breed Rabbits
This section covers breeding rabbits in a cages or hutches, which is the most common way meat rabbits are raised.
Always bring the doe to the buck for breeding, not the other way around. Does are territorial and may attack a buck put in their space. She’ll naturally be more submissive in his cage. Wear gloves and use a couple small towels to move rabbits. Put the doe in the buck’s cage. Close the door. Take a step back and stand right there and watch.
Beginner Mistake: Put a pair of rabbits in a cage together for 1-7 days. Then, assume the doe is bred. Please don’t do this! Adult rabbits may fight and cause serious injury to each other. Angry does have been known to castrate bucks or make them unwilling to breed in the future. With this method, you also have no idea if the doe was bred or not. Never leave breeding rabbits unattended!
The pair will usually circle a few times before the buck is able to mount. If the doe is receptive, she will lift her hindquarters when he mounts. You’ll see the buck thrust repeatedly and fall off if the breeding was successful. Watch for 2-3 fall-offs then remove the doe, using towels if necessary. Don’t leave the doe in too long or she may get upset.
If the doe is not receptive, she will frantically try to escape with her head in the air and tail down. If this is the case, remove her after a few minutes. Put a towel over the buck to distract him, then remove the doe from the cage with the other towel. Try again another day.
A successful “fall-off” – this is what you are looking for…
Get in the habit of recording breeding, nest box, and due dates immediately after breeding. You will forget if you don’t write them down! Mark the breed date on the calendar. Then count down 4 weeks to mark the nest box date (day 28). Add a cage tag or calendar trigger to remind you to put the nest box in on day 28. The doe is due to kindle on day 31.
Printable Rabbit Nest Box Date Chart
Printable Rabbit Gestation Chart
Should You Rebreed?
Some people recommend putting the doe in for a second breeding to “increase litter size.” In my experience, I’ve found this to be an unnecessary and sometimes dangerous practice. My Champagne does consistently produce litters of 7-10 kits from a single breeding session with 2-3 fall-offs. I only rebreed 1 hour later if the doe missed a litter (and I want to be extra sure that she’s bred) or I’m selling her as a bred doe.
Beginner Mistake: Put doe in to breed the day after a successful breeding to “increase litter size”. If you saw fall-offs, don’t try to re-breed the next day or the next week. If bred, the doe will be extra grumpy and may attack the buck. Does can also carry a second pregnancy which may result in aborting. If you wish to re-breed, do so 1 hour after the first breeding.
Rabbit Pregnancy & Birth
Palpation
Commercial rabbit breeders often palpate does at 10-14 days to verify pregnancy. Personally, I don’t palpate. The method is difficult to learn and seems kind of invasive. A lot of pressure must be put on the doe’s abdomen in an attempt to feel the developing kits. Just assume the doe is pregnant after a successful breeding and plan accordingly. If she doesn’t end up pregnant, put her on a diet or rebreed at 40 days.
Beginner Mistake: test breed the doe at 2 weeks post breeding to verify pregnancy. Some people recommend putting the doe in with a buck 2 weeks after being bred, claiming that a doe will not allow a buck to breed if she’s pregnant. “If she refuses, she must be pregnant. If she allows him to breed, then she wasn’t.” This is a very risky practice and I strongly discourage it. Some does are very submissive and will allow the buck to breed even if pregnant. And moody pregnant does are far more likely to attack the buck, causing injury or making him unwilling to breed in the future. Does also have 2 horns in the uterus and can get pregnant with a second litter which may result in aborting.
False pregnancy
Female rabbits are induced ovulators, which means the act of breeding causes her to release eggs from her ovaries. A doe may think she was bred if she was ridden by another rabbit or handled a lot around the hindquarters. In false pregnancy, does begin nesting and pulling fur 14 days after the stimulation. You can give her a nest box and some hay to do her thing. With false pregnancy, she’ll probably build a nest, then lose interest after a few days.
Give her a nest box in on day 28 if there’s any possibility she was bred. If she begins nesting at that point, she’s probably pregnant. If she uses it as a litter box, probably not.
Care of the Pregnant Doe
Feed does their normal ration of pellets and hay throughout the pregnancy. Encourage exercise with balls or toys (like this). Fresh herbs and greens are a healthy addition to her diet. Raspberry leaf, fennel, parsley, oregano, lady’s mantle, dandelion, plantain, and clary sage offer nutritional support for pregnancy.
Minimum cage size for large breed rabbits is 24″x36″. A 30″x36″ or 24″x48″ cage is preferred for does with litters. Baby-saver wire or urine guards around the bottom 3″ of the cage will prevent newborn kits from crawling out of the cage. If you need to move a doe to a new cage to kindle, do so at least a week before her due date. Then she has plenty of time to settle into her new surroundings. Moving mom right before or after kindling causes stress and can lead to complications.
Nest Box Prep
You’ve bred your doe, waited patiently for 28 days, and now it’s finally time to give her a nest box. The babies are so close you can feel it. However, don’t just plunk an empty nest box in the cage and hope for the best. It needs to be prepped and filled first.
To Prepare the Nest Box: Line the floor of the box with cardboard or brown paper cut to size (10″ x 17″), then I put a slotted resting mat above the cardboard to keep mom from digging out the cardboard. Or you could put a removable board on the bottom. Then add add 2” of pine shavings (not cedar), and some hay or straw.
Give pregnant does a nest box 28 days after breeding. Take care not to put it in her potty corner. Don’t put the nest box in too early, or she may get in the bad habit of lounging in the nest or use it as a bathroom.
First-time moms get their nest on day 29 so they’re less likely to soil the nest (since they don’t know what it’s for until they go into labor). Once she shows interest in the box and begins digging in it, add a big handful of straw or hay to the cage. If you put straw in before she’s accepted the box, she may try to build her nest outside the box. Expectant mommas usually munch for a bit, then start gathering hay in their mouth to build a comfy nest for their babies.
Don’t worry if she eats all of the hay. She can build a perfectly fine nest in the shavings. You can give her another handful the following day, but I don’t recommend giving her any hay/straw on her due date. At that point she should be pulling fur for delivery and a pile of hay in the cage can distract her.
Good moms keep their nest clean. If the doe pees in the nest, remove soiled bedding and replace with fresh shavings. This happens occasionally with new moms before they understand what the box is for. If a doe repeatedly soils her nest after having litters, she may be a candidate for freezer camp. A few droppings in the nest are fine, but she should not be peeing in it.
Kindling
Does give birth about 31 days after breeding. I know this is very exciting, but try not to disturb an expectant momma by hovering. Keep the area quiet and give her plenty of space. Check periodically during the day to see if she has delivered. Good moms will pull some fur before delivery (to line the nest) then pull more fur to cover the kits after birth. Rabbits usually have 6-9 kits per litter. If the doe hasn’t had kits by day 35, she’s not pregnant. Remove the nest box and rebreed.
Once she has kindled, you need to clean the nest. Give mom a treat and remove the nest box from the cage. Carefully remove the kits to a towel-lined bowl. Count the babies and make sure they are warm. Remove bloody bedding, dead kits, and placentas from the nest. Make a depression in the back of the box (under the shelf). Fill it with clean fur and nestle the kits inside. Warm any chilled kits before returning them to the nest. Return the box to the cage.
Does sometimes give birth to kits on the wire instead of in the nest. If this happens, warm up the kits and put them in the fur lined nest box. If mom didn’t pull any fur, you can pluck some from her belly or dewlap. Pregnancy hormones loosen the hair follicles so it’s easy to pull out. Save extra clean fur from brushing or overzealous does in a bag for occasions such as this.
Occasionally, you may find some cold lifeless kits. Newborn bunnies are not dead until they are “warm and dead”. Warm them up with body heat, a towel-lined heating pad, hot water bottle, or microwavable rice bag. Don’t use a heat lamp – it will cook the kits. In many cases, some will revive. However, if you see blood pooled in their nails after warming, they’re gone.
Common Rabbit Myth: “If you touch baby bunnies, mom will reject them.” While it’s best to leave wild bunnies alone, your rabbits know your scent and have no problem with their babies smelling like you. Just make sure your hands are free of perfumed lotions or strong scents before touching kits. Don’t let strangers handle young kits.
The First Few Weeks
It’s perfectly normal for a doe to ignore her litter. Good moms do not lay in the nest. They are not chickens. In the wild, does only visit the nest once or twice a day to nurse them. She spends the rest of her time elsewhere so predators are less likely to find her kits.
Continue to feed mom her normal diet of pellets, hay, and forage. Nursing moms are allowed to eat all the pellets they want. Don’t feed treats the first couple weeks to minimize the chance of mastitis. Avoid feeding parsley, sage, or mint to nursing does because it cuts their milk supply.
Once a day, put your hand into the nest box fur to feel for warmth. Check babies for smooth plump bellies the day after kindling. Weak, wrinkly kits aren’t being fed. If any kits are injured or slowly wasting away, click to learn how to humanely dispatch a baby rabbit. No one ever wants to put down a baby bunny, but sometimes it’s necessary to prevent suffering.
Clean the nest when kits are 2 weeks old. Remove bunnies one at a time to a hay-lined bin. Check to see that their eyes are open. Use a wet cotton ball to gently moisten any eyes that are sealed shut until they open. Dump out all bedding and fur. Fill the nest with a layer of clean hay and replace the babies. Allow them to settle, then return the box to the cage. Put a brick in front, so adventurous kits can hop back in if they manage to get out.
Beginner Mistake: “Turn the nest box on it’s side once kits start hopping out of the nest. Then they can get in and out easily”. I don’t recommend turning the box on it’s side as many people suggest. Kits poop and pee on the wood soiling the inside of the box and sit in the mess. This leads to urine scald and dirty unsanitary conditions. Keeping the box upright prevents the problem since urine and droppings from kits fall through the wire bottom of the nest box.
Remove the nest box at 3 weeks. Once kits are out of the nest, you can start giving mom some treats. The babies are growing fast and drinking lots of milk which drains moms reserves. Feeding treats boosts her milk supply and keeps her from getting too thin. Feed 1-2 T. of treat mix (BOSS/rolled oats) a couple times a week. Small pieces of carrot, veggies, or apple can also be fed. Try to prevent kits from eating the treats. Their immature digestive systems aren’t ready for them and can cause diarrhea or bloat. Offering treats to mom in a small dish helps.
Baby bunnies can eat the same things mom eats, though they should not have fruits or veggies. Long grass, raspberry leaves, and plantain can be safely fed to young rabbits, especially if mom is already accustomed to eating them.
Beginner Mistake: “Mom, can I hold a bunny! You reach in and hand a cute ball of fluff to your child. The kit promptly pees, startling the child who almost drops the kit.” Baby rabbits are very unpredictable. They pop around like popcorn and will often pee on you when excited. Be very careful not to drop them when handling. If children want to hold a young bunny, have them sit on the ground and put it on their lap so it can’t be accidentally dropped.
Weaning & Grow-out
We wean our kits at 6 weeks old. Move mom or the babies to a separate cage. I usually wean the whole litter at once, but you can leave a bunny with mom for another week if desired. Offer newly weaned kits plenty of hay to prevent enteritis. Keep them on the same diet they have been eating to avoid digestive upset.
Don’t feed mom any treats right after weaning because it will boost her milk supply, possibly leading to mastitis. Feed her rationed pellets, sage, parsley, and mint to help dry up her milk.
Our kits get weighed, sexed, and tattooed at 8 weeks. All the boys go in one cage and all the girls go in another. We keep them in those cages (sorted by gender) until sale or butcher. You can combine litters up to 9 weeks old with little to no fighting. Don’t try to combine older litters or they will fight.
Male and female kits must be separated by 12 weeks. Since most people have limited cage space or don’t want to bother sexing kits, they butcher at 12 weeks. Another option is to butcher all the bucks at 12 weeks, then butcher the does at 16 weeks for more meat. Pelts from 16 week old rabbits can be saved for tanning.
Rabbits become territorial as they reach sexual maturity. Any rabbits kept for breeding should given their own cage by 4 months old.
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This is very helpful!
THANKS A BUNCH FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION. JUST STARTED RAISING RABBITS AND HAVE THE FIRST LITTER IN THE BOX MARCH 4th. NINE IN TOTAL. WHEEEE HERE WE GO.
Wow thank you! I’ll be near your location this summer. May I buy some rabbits from you to start with ?
Sure. We raise purebred Champagne d’Argent rabbits in central NY. We usually have litters available year-round. If desired, you can contact us to place some kits on hold a couple weeks before you come. Here’s my rabbitry website: https://bharabbitry.weebly.com/
Thank you this was very informative