# Breeding schedules and Weaning



## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

Californian/Checkered/Wild Cottontail mix doe with six kits from a New Zealand father. They were born on 7/15, so they are about 2 1/2 weeks old. This doe is known for weaning her kits at 4 weeks, but the bunnies are all pretty insistent on eating just about all of Mama's food. They spend most of the day in her dish and are gaining weight real quick-like. Is is possible to wean them even earlier than the 4 week time? or is 4 weeks pushing it? 
Also, I have a flemish giant doe that is about 2 1/2 months old and probably about 5-7 lbs. I want to start her on a breeding schedule hopefully around January, but could I give it a shot starting around december, just to get that first mystery litter out of the way? :cute:


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## AprilW (Nov 25, 2007)

I wouldn't wean any rabbit earlier than four weeks, but I like to give mine until 5 weeks. Flemish Giants should really be bred when they are 8 months old - Giant breeds take longer to mature. I wouldn't breed her until she's at LEAST 6months.


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## jolly rabbit (Apr 30, 2012)

i second waiting on the flemish, they should be between 8-9 months but no longer than a year.there growth stages are kind of weird, first 4 months are nothing but frame, followed by muscle and then they start throwing on fat and meat. as for the weaning 4wks is pretty good IMO.


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

Also, The six kit litter was actually 10 born, with 2 stillborn and two that died. Any ideas to decrease the number of stillborn? I know this might just be a mystery of life.... But what can I do to keep my litter size up? We revamped our hutches so the kits can't get dragged out until they hop out, but is there any supplements or something special I can give to the mother? She is on a diet of grower pellets, whole oats, and whatever fruit and veggie leftovers we have. She always acts like she is starving to death when we walk by though even if her dish is full of goodies.


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## AprilW (Nov 25, 2007)

Was this the doe's first litter?


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

The first litter since we have had her. She is a little over year old, we were told she was always a good mother with anywhere from 8-12 kits per litter. The person we got her from just had a litter of 10 from her and all survived. We know why the two died after birth, because there were a couple flaws in our hutch and they got out and got cold, but the stillborn ones concern me, because there were no visible deformities and I don't know that Mama is malnourished because that rabbit can EAT and she gets a large variety.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

Cotton tails cannot cross with tame rabbits . Rabbits can be weened at 4 weeks but I like let them stay on for 6 and try to breed the doe back at 4 or 5 weeks . The giant breeds are slow matureing and need to be older than 6 months to develop breeding younger may cause stunted groth loss of the litter and mabe the doe as they some times can concive at that young age .


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

Rabbits that get treats like slices of apples ect. Are like kids with the icecream man they get excited when they see you wanting some candy .give her her ration of good pellits and easy on the fruits ect. Haveing a proper neat box to keep the kits from being draged out is a good move. raiseing 8 kits is good as is 6 ,10 or 12 kits takes a doe with exchepional milking but usally results in a smaller overall liter or a couple scrany weakleans some breeder like to start feeding a tspoon of calf manna a few days befor kindling and move up to a tablespoon by 4 weeks if there is a large litter .I like useing just good 16 teen percent pellets with some nice green hay with only a slice of apple or a baby carrot to keep them frindly and tame


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

Yeah people say that, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if somehow she was a mix. She showed up outside their cage one day as a weanling, and took her in. Some people might say oh she is just an agouti colored mix, but she has the body type, ears, and wedge shaped face.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

> but she has the body type, ears, and wedge shaped face.


So do most of my european rabbit mutts. If you don't breed for specific traits and just start mixing stuff you get what looks like a wild rabbit. It's the basic body type.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

so basically they have a random rabbit show up and decide to call it a Cotton tail mix? genetically their is no way for Domestic rabbits (Wild European rabbit) to cross with North American Cotton tails, the number of Chromosomes dont even line up enough to make a mule of the two, and if this rabbit has produced litters then its deffinatly not a mule hybred, there are all kinds of body types and shapes in Domestic rabbits, and then when you take into account that people have taken Domestics and set them up to live in a Feral type environment to revert back to their original European Wild type and call them Cain Cutters or some other cool name, even going so far as to cliaming they are actually some kind of Cotton tail cause they are colord like one doesnt change the fact that they are still feral Domestic European rabbits,

and no its not wise to wean younger than 4 weeks, they might be in the food bowl and starting to eat but 2week old kits are NOT old enough, they are still getting the bulk of their diet from moms milk, besides they are barely out of the nest box, 4 weeks is even pretty young but doable, alot of people wait 6 to 8 weeks to be sure the kits are well established and not going to die of shock,


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Where I live cane cutters are just another name for swamp rabbits. Swamp rabbits are just a larger cottontail. Not domestic rabbits.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I breed does when they hit standard weight - but then again, I also show as a hobby. 

For my mixed breeds or for meat production, I breed when they hit 8lbs. I don't see why a Flemish couldn't be bred at 5-6 months of age if you're doing it just for meat. Even if it stunts their growth, it shouldn't much matter. 

I breed does back when their kits are 4 weeks old, and wean kits at 6 weeks. This gives them a 2 week break. Yes, does can work harder but I would be inundated with kits if I did work them harder.


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

First of all, I am new to raising rabbits, so everybody who just had to sound like a know-it-all jerk about the cottontail thing, can just chill out. Last I knew this site was about communicating with others and getting advice, not that condescending crap. Raising rabbits, or any animal for that matter is a learning experience. And this particular doe has always had her litters weaned at 4 weeks, I just wanted to know who else does it that way.


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

and we aren't marketing or selling the meat. Just for personal use. We will be selling half of each litter (alive) for pets or whatever to pay for the food, and we will be keeping the other half for personal meat consumption.


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