# How many litters per doe per year?



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I realize that if a doe has a large number of kits each year and isn't given time to rest, it will wear her out sooner, but I wonder... how many litters per year do you ask of your does, and how often do you replace those does?
Also, how long do you wait to breed a doe back after weaning a litter? 

Trying to figure out just how many does DH and I need to keep... I'd like to feed our pets rabbit as well, just need to scheme out how workable it all is.


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## BelleL (Jun 13, 2007)

Well, i don't know all that much about rabbits, but I have learned a bit from my sister, she raises meat rabbits.
I think she breeds her rabbits twice a year, but I think it is o.k to do it more.
I hope this helps you!
May God Bless You,
Belle


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## SILEIGH (Jul 11, 2007)

i've had rabbits for a year now and this is how i started: 

i had mine on a 2 month schedual for a while--every 8 weeks they get bred

breed your does - more then one is best in case you need to foster kits 
4 weeks later you get babies 
4 weeks later your rebreed her 
2 weeks later you wean kits 
2 weeks later you get babies

they are bred every 2 months and it was ok
after 4 litters this way they looked ragged and it was august so i gave them august sept off

they are now fat and sassy with babies running around
in fact i had to thin them down some before i bred them they got a little to fat  

i'm gonna switch to a 6 week rebreeding schedual
easier on them and not so many for me to butcher at a time 

for a while it was constantly doing something 
which is great but i dont need that many rabbits to butcher

so get a calender out and do some pretending 
count on 6 kits/doe surviving --i think thats realistic 

let us know what your plan is 
we are a nosy bunch  

leigh


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## jil101ca (Jul 2, 2007)

I generally re-bred when the kits are 4 weeks, wean at 6 thus giving the doe 2 weeks with no babies. I have 1 doe that I breed depending on her condition at weaning time, she is 4 and has had 24 babies in the last year. Some people breed back sooner but I'm only raising for my freezer and selling the old few fryers. As long as the doe keeps good condition then you can keep breeding. Commercial rabbitrys cull if the doe can not have 26 kits ( I think) per year, the commercial doe also needs to have a min of 6 per litter (again, I think)


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## bunnylover (Nov 1, 2007)

I have heard that if a doe for meat production doesn't produce 20 fryers (live at 8 weeks) per year then she should be culled. I breed mine back every breed back when the kits are 4 weeks old, then wean the kits at 6 weeks, giving the mama 2 weeks off. HTH


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Alright, thanks... I don't want to ask too much of my girls, but do need them to pull their weight. Didn't know you could breed back so soon, thank you!


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I breed mine at roughly 6 weeks, wean at 8 weeks, and if all has gone well, they have more 2 weeks after that. Seems to work for them, no one looks bad, although I have had some trouble getting them to breed this month, hopefully I have babies out there waiting for me!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

So far, I've been breeding the same sort of schedule as Beanimom. I was going to breed my Lop back at 4 weeks, but she was looking pretty scrawny after fostering kits, so I held off another two weeks. Should have waited on breeding back the Cal doe, or I could have fostered those kits onto the Lop (instead of losing the entire litter).

This time, I will wait until the kits are 6 weeks old, then breed back. Hope to have another doe by then to breed at the same time.

Pony!


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