When it comes to raising rabbits, one must not only know about the proper care for them, but also about the genetics involved. There are certain rules to follow when it comes to raising rabbits properly and to produce the best ones, you need to stay in line with them. While some people may think that raising rabbits is an easy task to accomplish, this is not always the case. First, let’s talk about the basics. A small breed doe or rabbit is ready to mate when she is 5 months old. Instead, a male deer or rabbit would be ready once he turns 6 months old. In general, it would be wise to breed rabbits whose ancestry has evidence of good genetics and high overall productivity. For this reason, you would need the pedigree listings and various show earnings. In fact, as a breeder, you must also keep your own records. As for the ratio, you can keep it at 1:10 if you want. That is, 1 dollar to 10 does. The male could reproduce up to 7 times a week effectively.
Now, let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of raising rabbits.
– Pair rabbits of the same breed. The only exception to this rule would be farming for the sake of meat or pets. Otherwise, you cannot mate with rabbits that are not of the same breed. This is because you will not be able to sell a pedigree rabbit that has mixed blood and cannot be traced back up to 4 generations.
– Do not keep more than one rabbit in a single cage. This is imperative once the rabbit reaches 3 months or older. The reason for this is the fact that rabbits actually mature faster when kept alone.
– If you feel you are ready to start raising rabbits, take the doe to the buck’s cage. Don’t do it the other way around because the male would be too busy sniffing the doe’s cage to pay attention to the mating.
– There are people who live the deer in the male’s cage during the night while there are those who take the deer out once the 2 rabbits have mated. If you choose to go for the latter, you should put the doe back after a couple of hours or so, as this would increase the chance of pregnancy and could even increase the number of young.
Obviously, raising rabbits is not as easy as it seems. However, with enough effort and research, you could do it correctly. After all, raising rabbits is a science and something that anyone can learn given enough time to do it.
