Breeding Rabbits: 4 Critical Considerations Before You Begin to Breed Rabbits

When it comes to rabbit breeding, there are many things to consider and learn before you can really consider yourself somewhat knowledgeable about it. There are certain rules that you must not break such as breeding brothers to sisters should never be done. Other combinations, however, should be fine such as father to daughter, mother to son and so on. Of course, until you gain enough knowledge about how their genetics work, it is recommended that you don't breed closely related pairs. Also, you should only mate pairs of the same breed unless you are breeding them for their meat or as pets. This is because you will not be able to sell a rabbit that has mixed block and does not have a background that goes back 4 generations. Besides the ones mentioned above, there are more things to consider when it comes to rabbit breeding. Here are a few more:

- You should never keep more than one rabbit in each cage especially if the rabbit is 3 months or older. This is because rabbits actually mature faster when they are alone. They will not fight nor breed and this basically eliminates unexpected results.

- Before you begin rabbit breeding, do check the bottom of their cage for any signs of loose stools or diarrhea. If you find a rabbit with these conditions, do not breed it with another unless it's been properly treated. Also, do check for other signs of infections that might require medical treatment.

- Some people would leave the doe overnight with the buck whilst others put the doe in and remover her once they have mated. If you do this, it would be best to put the doe back in the buck's cage within 2- 12 hours after the initial breeding. Doing so would increase the likelihood of pregnancy and might even increase the number of offspring.

- Avoid breeding rabbits that have defects such as tooth malocclusion or moon eye because it is highly likely that they would pass the same genetic effects to their offspring thus eliminating them from being candidates for rabbit breeding purposes.

Lastly, rabbit breeding requires a lot of work and research. Of course, proper planning is a must because otherwise, your chances of failing would only increase. So, before you even begin your new hobby do consider learning more about it as well as the genetics of the rabbits. This would give you the knowledge you need and help you make better and wiser decisions.