# How many does per buck?



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

We are newbies at rabbits, and just curious. How many does would you recommend if we only have one buck? We are going to keep em separate until breeding time, but don't want to overwork the poor guy. Lol. Any suggestions?


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## Darkwater (Aug 15, 2010)

You are only limited by the number of times you think you will breed him. For example, for best conception rates, you should breed him to a doe, and then wait a couple of hours and breed him again to her.

After that, some say wait two days before you breed him again for his sperm count to get back up to normal. 

I doubt this happens in the wild. 

Using this logic, you could breed three does a week, 15 a month.


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## grumpy (Feb 17, 2009)

depending upon the size of your rabbitry. one buck for every 6 to 8 does.

grumpy.


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Scientifically, the ratio is one buck to every ten does. Tests have been done for determing how many times a buck can be used before there is any decrease in sperm count.... they gave up after ten times. No decrease!

As a side note, however... in my OWN observations... the more you use a buck, the faster he will age. And, of course, depending on how many does you have, you will want some genetic variety, so I would recommend having a few more bucks to "ease the burden" or "spread the cheer" as you wish, heheheh.

Pat Lamar


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Depends on the type of rabbits you are breeding. It would seem that if they are meat rabbits, then one buck for up to fifteen does would work, but all the kits will be half siblings and you'd want to bring in a new buck for any further breedings if you are keeping any of the kits for further breeding programs. If they are rabbits being bred for other reasons such as pets or fiber where you will want to keep some of them for several generations, then you'll want more than one buck in your breeding program so there will be unrelated kits to breed to each other.


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## brandkelz (Apr 15, 2011)

If you are just starting out, I would just get 2 does. That way you can learn and grow at your own pace and feed bill should still be tolerable. You can always increase in small increments when you feel more confident.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Im afraid I would say, if you only have only one buck, Dont get any does, until you get at least another. I have around 75 does and 15 bucks. Thats numerically around 1 in 5. BUT the main thing to remember is, If I have a doe who dosent forwhatever her reason is like a particular buck, she may like another. I have ran my does through a doz or so before she would take a mateing. Maybe she just gave up and had it over with, or maybe she found Mr right. I dont know. I wonder tho, how the outcome is with a doe that readily takes a breeding to one who trys to hold out and is reluctant. My point is, I have the advantage that if a buck is bad, or not intrested, I can weed him out and not be put in a hurt. I always breed to get to bucks to donate to a doe when I am breeding. #1 that guarantees shes got plenty of sperm, And it more or less guarantees that at least one of them was good. MOST, but not all does, if she takes one breeding, will take another. I dont breed 12hrs later. Here in Okieland in the late spring, summertime and early fall, It is generally way too hot to breed in the evenings, and so I try to do it early in the morn. Appairantly all of my bucks have gone sterile cause of the heat, asa I havnt had a baby born since June. IOve got around 40 or so due next month. It was getting in the 60s when I bred them, so we ll see


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