Anthea's Rabbits

I have created this page as I get alot of people asking me how easy is it to breed their rabbits?
You may think it is pretty easy to breed rabbits,you put a buck and doe together and within 4 weeks you will have babies.
But the reality is its time consuming,can be costly and not as simple as putting a buck with a doe ,as many breeders will tell you.

Before breeding your rabbits here are some points to remember:

1) Both the buck and doe need to be of a suitable breeding age (in most cases they should be over 6 months but with larger breeds it is best to wait until they are 10 months)

2) Ideally both should be of the same breed unless you are breeding for pets.

3) The buck should be smaller than the doe.

4) They should both be healthy and free from any genetic defects that could be passed on.

5) Never breed brother to sister,other combinations are ok eg: mother to son,but I would not recommend this until you have a good understanding of the genetics within line breeding.

6) Unless you are planning on keeping the kits you will need to find them all homes,(depending on the breed rabbits can have between 3-12 kits in a litter) You may have to advertise and this all costs.

7) I get my kits checked by a vet before being sold as I personally don't feel experienced enough to check for teeth and eye problems,again this all costs.

8) You will need a separate hutch to keep the kits in once weaned,and if they haven't been sold by 16 weeks you will need to separate sisters and brothers as well,requiring another spare hutch.

9) You will also need to consider the costs of extra bedding and food,you should supply a weeks supply of food to new owners so as not to upset the rabbits digestive system.

10) The most important thing is that you have the time for breeding your rabbits. Doe's produce more waste when with a litter,this in turn can attract more flies and as the kits will be too young for vaccinations it is important to keep the hutch clean.
In some cases you may be required to hand-rear a litter which is very time consuming. In the first few weeks it can take 20 mins to feed 1 kit alone and feeds are every 4-6 hours!!!

Remember there is little ,if any money to be made from breeding and selling rabbits as most breeders will tell you.One of the main reason's for breeding is for showing and in turn improving a breed by size,looks or colour ect...This also keeps some of the rarer breeds alive.
Another reason for breeding is as a hobby,I breed my rabbits purely for pleasure to produce friendly pets,I still follow the BRC guidelines though,and once my children are a bit older I too hope to enter the world of rabbit showing.

If you have considered all these points and still want to breed your rabbits
Good luck and enjoy!!!

If you are looking for rabbits to buy to breed I recommend you sign upto this forum
bunnies r us
There are lots of experienced breeders on there that will help you find the right breed and stock to get you on your way.