# Breeding age of mini rex



## mamato3 (Nov 1, 2008)

Im sure this has been asked but i did a search and could not find any info on the subject. So sorry if this question has been asked.
Anyway My Mini rex rabbits are 17 wks old and i was wondering if i could breed them yet. I read somewhere that smaller breeds can be bred at a younger age but i do not want her to lose all her babies cause she is to young. Ive had lots of people asking me if ive bred her yet as there all wanting mini rexs. I keep telling them wait tell August and i should have a litter if the heat dont kill them. So when do you guys breed your mini rexs for the first time? I breed my new zealands sometime between 20 to 30 weeks should i breed them around the same age.


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## Jesse L (Nov 6, 2008)

Another four weeks and you can breed them.

5 months for the smaller breeds. I would think 20 weeks would be pretty young for a comercial sized rabbit..


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

mini rex. folks vary breeding on them from five-seven months.
I find mothering ability kicks in better at 6-7 months.

Depends on the doe of course. If they are acting mature then i'd say go for it. Otherwise I'd make sure I bred a back up doe or two to go with her.


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## mamato3 (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks guys ill hold of tell July if its not to hot. I would have loved to breed 2 at the same time but no one has mini rexs in this area ive found a few mutts but thats it. I have 7 does with babies in the nestbox and some im in the process of weaning that i bred from 24 to 28 wks and they all did a great job some had big litters and did a great job. I was told to breed them at 16 weeks but i know they still were growing so i held off.


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## Amber l Lee (Apr 24, 2020)

Help!!! So im extremely mad. My daughters and her friends played with the rabbits now im certain my 3 month old mini rexs are pregnant. Will they die giving birth being so young i see movement in both does


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

3 months is young but most likely won't really hurt your does. Make sure you have nest boxes and bedding material ready to place in their cages. Try to keep the kids and any potential predators away from the rabbits starting a week before any babies would be due.


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## heady's_buns (Apr 16, 2020)

I've heard people say breeding before 6 months will decrease that rabbits growth rate and ultimately the final size. In addition, younger rabbits are more likely to experience kindling issues like overcleaning, abandonment, not pulling hair or nesting, not nursing etc. I've seen a couple posts about accidental early breeders that turn out to be great mothers. It's all in the individual rabbit. It's just better practice to do the best we can to not let being happen before we intend it so we can take proper precautions. Count if you know the date she conceived and give her a kindling box and extra straw and hay to build a nest at day 28. Check her often from that day until she kindles. The max I've heard was 42 days (and I don't think that was necessarily an accurate date assumption on the breeders part) but they generally have them days 28-32.


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