# Doe won't breed



## BakersAcres (May 31, 2014)

Hi everyone, 

I'm new to the site but have raised meat rabbits before, never had this problem.

I bought a doe and buck a few months ago, both commercial meat purebred New Zealand whites, and the breeder bred the doe to one of his bucks. Like clockwork she kindled correctly with a litter of 10. One died but I've got 9 healthy 9 week olds with voracious appetites, weened at about week 6. I've tried rebreeding the doe but she just won't cooperate. Everytime the buck mounts her she just flattens out and refuses to lift for him. I've tried forcing her but then he's not interested, he's about 8 months old and has never bred before but sure gives it his best efforts.

I've tried swapping them into each other's cages hoping she would pick up his scent and get interested but it didn't work. Tried black sunflower seeds and leaving them together for 20 minutes or so, still no luck. Since he won't buy her flowers and play soft music I'm stumped. I don't want to bbq her because she cost me money and kindles nice litters. Is it possible she just doesn't want anything to do with him for some odd reason? He's the only breeding buck I have right now and I want to get another litter before it gets too hot.

Any ideas?????


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## 64102 (Sep 21, 2010)

Hi, welcome to our forum. There is a lot of info already in this forum about this subject you will find very interesting. That said , I'm sure a lot of friends here will help. You can try raw apple cider vinegar (1 or 2 tsp. in the doe's water for 3 days. depending on size ). Wheat germ or oil for a few days in pellets. Keep trying. Good luck


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## 64102 (Sep 21, 2010)

Sorry, no one else has volunteered any info for you?? :shrug: It sometimes happens......I kill a thread before it gets going :facepalm: ...I do hope it did help you. As I said you do have to look through the past forum pages. Good luck


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## cnsranch (Sep 29, 2010)

I had this issue with two of my does earlier this year I finally was at a loss and an old rabbit farmer told me to let her spend the night so I did both does kindled 31 days later and they are due with the second litter of this year in 9 days with a normal quick watched breeding.


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## cnsranch (Sep 29, 2010)

Maybe she needs a little more romance.


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## Jack Burton (Aug 11, 2013)

some folk swear by a dash of cider vinegar in the doe's water for a couple of days before mating.


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## Fat Man (Mar 9, 2011)

How's her weight? We had some overweight does that had little interest in breeding. WE also had a doe that refused to breed so we moved the buck to the cage next door for a week.


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## may1802 (Feb 25, 2013)

I don't know if this will help, but just in case it does...We had a similar problem with a couple of our does. We switched out the buck and they raised right away for him!!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Please visit my webpage on breeding tips
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/breedingtips.html

Easy breeding is a thing that is desirable in a rabbit so try to keep kits born from the litters of easy breeders, males or females.

Have a good day!


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

I bought all new stock, new brand of feed and everyone is breeding like the stereotypical rabbits do! That was my 'trick.' 

Sometimes all those other tricks worked on the does, but not force breeding almost never worked, additives never worked.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

You say this is your only breeding buck. Has he successfully sired litters or do you mean this is the only one you have? I ask because losing interest even when the doe cooperates could indicate the mounting was dominance display by a doe, not a buck.


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## bjgarlich (Nov 20, 2012)

I had a similar issue...did apple cider vinegar in the water for 4 days and then she was receptive!! She had 6 kits (bigger than her normal 4 kits) a month later. Can't hurt to try it - I was amazed!!


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## Quail (Jun 12, 2013)

Hi BakersAcres,

Our doe was totally uncooperative too. The Tale of Rabbit Sex follows:

I wanted purebred rabbits for my 4-Her to sell at the fair. Noel the pedigree Satin doe was my only hope. We have a buck but Icecream is a Beveren.

I took Noel to a great satin breeder's place. She did a total evil bunny routine and beat the snot out of the poor buck. The breeder even tried holding her but she twisted and refused. Finally we dumped her in with a BEAUTIFUL, masculine chocolate but even handsome couldn't convince her to cooperate. So I drove her all over two counties visiting a school and a totally cool ranch/science/art/education place called NASCO, got gas, got lunch. After all that we took Noel back and she STILL wouldn't cooperate. The breeder says she looks dark pink and very ready but is just not cooperating. I was thinking of keeping her and our buck far apart for a few weeks then heading back there for more doe on buck action. No, wait, I mean buck on doe with doe not taking huge chunks of hair out of the poor buck. At least he didn't get neutered but she got darn close at one point.

Stupid bunny.

So I got Noel a date with a nice, local broken copper. I crossed my fingers, or um, uncrossed them!

But Noel came back. Unbred. Yep, she wouldn't lift to the broken copper buck. My friend tried every day, several times a day for a week. Her buck has lost weight and looks lean and fit and frustrated. My friend felt so sorry for him that she put in one of her older does to breed to make him feel better. Bam, bred. So we tried her broken black aggressive buck for the heck of it. Last I saw he was panting flat on the bottom of the cage looking like he'd been rode hard and put away wet. Noel didn't even wave goodbye as I lugged her virginness outta there. I left the bucks owner two big, fat quail as a thank you for all her hard work.

My local rabbit friend said to give up and toss her in with Icecream just to get her started. Next breeding Noel can wear off more pounds from the broken, or tire out the breeder's copper. So that day was Ice's day to lose weight. She was delighted. He was confused, but finally figured out which end is the fun one and which has teeth...

She had a litter of 11, with 10 huge kits surviving. Beveren X Satin = huge kits, fast grow-out.

Quail


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