MaddieLynn

Does anyone on here know anything about breeding rabbits? I'm doing a lot of research because I'd like to start sometime in the next couple of years after I have saved up enough money. I'd really like to to this breed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plush_Lop

The miniatures (which are the ones I want to breed) are a cross between Holland lops and mini rex rabbits. They look just like Holland lops except for the fur, which is like Rex's fur.

The thing is, they are not recognized as a new breed by the ARBA because one of the ARBA's rules about accepting new breeds is that if the new breed's only difference from the old breed is it's coat, it's not recognized as a new breed.

So, I'm wondering, can they be shown as Holland lops since the only difference is coat length? Does anyone know?

bolivianbaby

I'm not sure, but maybe the below link with help you find someone who can answer your questions.

http://www.arba.net/

From my limited research, there are health issues to be considered when allowing rabbits to breed. It's great you're doing your research beforehand. I really hope you're able to research the proper ages of the rabbits when they breed and the health issues that can occur due to breeding them.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

MaddieLynn

BB: I haven't seen anything yet about health issues when allowing rabbits to breed. Do you mean issues to the rabbits, or to the humans? I have seen that a) if you have an un-spayed do that you never breed, she has a higher risk of getting cancer, b) if you breed a doe too much it can shorten her lifespan, and c) rabbits can contract diseases that make them un-breedable, but I haven't seen anything about it being hazardous to the rabbits to breed them responsibly. Are any of the things I listed issues you were talking about?

bolivianbaby

The cancer issue was one thing I was referring to. Please remember, I don't breed rabbits, so this research was limited. I'm trying to decide if I should spay Goliath to prevent her from getting cancer since I won't be breeding her.

Another issue is the correct age to breed the female. Their hip bones or one of the bones in that area grows and if they're not bred by a certain age, they can't birth the babies correctly so they can have serious issues delivering. This is information I discovered while researching the pros and cons of spaying rabbits. Once again, it's limited research, but definitely important to research more thoroughly since you're looking at breeding in a few years.

I hope this helps. I wish it was more thorough, but I'll continue researching since I haven't made my decision on what's best for Goliath, so anything I discover, I'll gladly share with you.

MaddieLynn

Thank you very much BB!!

From the research I have done, if I were you I would spay Goliath if you aren't planning on ever breeding her. It seems that spaying female rabbits helps them to have much better temperament as well as lengthening their lifespan.

Lucy

I don't know anything about rabbits, but can't the breeding process be rather hostile, with the female often times being hurt?
(Thought I read that somewhere, so I could be way off base)

MaddieLynn

Lucy, I don't think the female usually gets hurt. You are supposed to monitor them just to make sure, but the males & females are not living in the same pen (you only keep 1 rabbit per hutch except for does w/ kits) so you are able to keep an eye on them when they are together.

whisper

I used to breed rabbits. The female will not get hurt during the breeding. The one thing to remember is to NEVER put the male in to the females hutch. She will fight him. Always put the female in to the males hutch. If they are both mature the breeding will start right away. Then the funnest thing happens. The male will mount her and when the job is done he doesn't get off her. He falls off her sideways like he's in a trance. The first time I saw this I thought he died of a heart attach or something. Now put the female back in her hutch. When she is just about ready to have her babies she will start to pull fur out from under her chin like all of her neck fur. This is what she will make her nest out of. Ofcourse you will have a completely closed in nesting box in her cage for her to have her babies in. Opening just enough for her to get in and out. The other nice thing to have on it is a trap door that you can open to see the babies if you want to. When the babies are about two to three weeks old they will start coming out of the nest. Believe me when I say these are among the cutest babies I have ever seen and I've raised lost of animals in my time but nothing beats a two week old bunny.