We have had success! With two of the female Dwarf Hotot rabbits bred and a litter of kits with a not so good outcome, we are now on the winning side. Meet Callie, our 1 year old Dwarf Hotot mama to 5 perfectly beautiful baby kits.
We have learned a lot in the time we have owned this breed, I say we because although this is my 12 year old daughter's venture into the world of entrepreneurship, I am certainly helping guide her along the way. This new litter was born 6/17/16 and thus far, all appear to be perfectly marked Dwarf Hotot standard kits.
Let me start by saying that this breed is HARD to find. My daughter therefore thought it may be a good one to start with because hey, if they are hard to find, they will likely sell well! I hope she's right. In helping her research the breed I have learned so much too, fascinating information, so lets get to the point!
We have learned a lot in the time we have owned this breed, I say we because although this is my 12 year old daughter's venture into the world of entrepreneurship, I am certainly helping guide her along the way. This new litter was born 6/17/16 and thus far, all appear to be perfectly marked Dwarf Hotot standard kits.
Let me start by saying that this breed is HARD to find. My daughter therefore thought it may be a good one to start with because hey, if they are hard to find, they will likely sell well! I hope she's right. In helping her research the breed I have learned so much too, fascinating information, so lets get to the point!
1. Rabbits are Pregnant for 28-31 days
If only human pregnancies were that quick, wait, maybe not...I might have more than what I could handle if that were the case!
When breeding a female rabbit you take her to the male, not the other way around. (Females are much more territorial and you don't want a black widow kind of outcome)
Once you breed the doe it is customary to wait 12 hours and breed again. STOP THERE. Don't be tempted to continue the breeding because a double pregnancy can actually occur. Yes, someone call Maury Povich because you would have multiple pregnancies at the same time. This is not so good because when the doe is ready to deliver the first litter, she will deliver all of the kits, even ones who are not fully mature enough to be born. Sad outcome.
When breeding a female rabbit you take her to the male, not the other way around. (Females are much more territorial and you don't want a black widow kind of outcome)
Once you breed the doe it is customary to wait 12 hours and breed again. STOP THERE. Don't be tempted to continue the breeding because a double pregnancy can actually occur. Yes, someone call Maury Povich because you would have multiple pregnancies at the same time. This is not so good because when the doe is ready to deliver the first litter, she will deliver all of the kits, even ones who are not fully mature enough to be born. Sad outcome.
2. Domestic rabbits need PLENTY of nesting materials
We use hay. Give your doe a nesting box to keep the kits safe and away from the sad situation of a doe giving birth "on the wire" meaning, outside of a nesting box where drafts can cause a huge problem.
About 3 days before the due date (so day 25 after you have bred the doe) put your next box in and load it with nesting materials as well as adding plenty of extra to your doe's enclosure. It is TOTALLY normal for a doe to either make and re-make, and re-make her nest....OR... not make the nest or pull hair at all until immediately before delivery. Our doe routinely pulls her fur within the hour she delivers and not a moment sooner.
That leads me to another fact about nesting. Mama rabbits will pull the hair from their dewlap or underbelly to line their nest. If you ever have a litter pass away be sure to keep some of the doe's fur in case you need extra nesting material in the future (this stuff sells for ALOT online if you have to buy it during the winter!)
About 3 days before the due date (so day 25 after you have bred the doe) put your next box in and load it with nesting materials as well as adding plenty of extra to your doe's enclosure. It is TOTALLY normal for a doe to either make and re-make, and re-make her nest....OR... not make the nest or pull hair at all until immediately before delivery. Our doe routinely pulls her fur within the hour she delivers and not a moment sooner.
That leads me to another fact about nesting. Mama rabbits will pull the hair from their dewlap or underbelly to line their nest. If you ever have a litter pass away be sure to keep some of the doe's fur in case you need extra nesting material in the future (this stuff sells for ALOT online if you have to buy it during the winter!)
3. You ABSOLUTELY CAN handle newborn kits
I have heard so many old wives tales about this one, and it rings true for wild rabbits. But, I have talked to SOOOO MANY breeders who have a completely different take on it. Here is the deal. If you are the main caregiver for your rabbit, you generally hold and pet your rabbit, you should have no trouble.
I am not suggesting trying to play with newborn kits, but within the first 24 hours checking the nest to count kits and be sure you don't need to cull (remove) a dead one is absolutely fine. We rub the mama doe with lots of loving pets to get her smell all over our hands and then simply check out the new little ones. Holding and snuggling for longer periods should wait until at least 1-2 weeks and the bunnies at least have their eyes open.
I am not suggesting trying to play with newborn kits, but within the first 24 hours checking the nest to count kits and be sure you don't need to cull (remove) a dead one is absolutely fine. We rub the mama doe with lots of loving pets to get her smell all over our hands and then simply check out the new little ones. Holding and snuggling for longer periods should wait until at least 1-2 weeks and the bunnies at least have their eyes open.
3. Newborn kits only nurse for very short intervals
Unlike other mammals who spend the majority of their post partum days nursing new babies, mama bunnies do it quick. In fact, rabbits do EVERYTHING quickly! You likely will not see the mama doe nursing her babies at all. This can be a cause of concern but a good way to tell if the kits are being cared for is to take close stock of the nest and, if you like, place something very small on the top of the nest, a thread or something, then you can see if the doe has been moving the nest materials to feed and check on her kits.
Also, newborn kits will usually only nurse 2-3 times total in a 24 hour time span, and the nursing sessions can last as short as 5 minutes...see, like I said, its quick!
Also, newborn kits will usually only nurse 2-3 times total in a 24 hour time span, and the nursing sessions can last as short as 5 minutes...see, like I said, its quick!
4. In the winter provide extra heat, in the summer, provide cooling measures
This is just as much for the mama doe as it is for the kits. In the winter if your rabbits call a barn or other outdoor area home consider making sure they are WELL sheltered when they have kits. If in a barn, block of drafts and if possible and safe, provide a heat lamp if temperatures really dip.
In the summer be aware that rabbits can overheat, VERY easily. If you see that a mama doe has uncovered her kits in the nest, don't re-cover, leave them be. Also on especially hot days be sure you have plenty of ventilation. Right now our outdoor temps are in the 90's so we make sure to open the barn doors wide to provide plenty of air circulation throughout the day. Another cooling measure, keep old pop or water bottles in your freezer and as the temps rise, put a frozen bottle in the cage or hutch with mama (not near the kits) that way she can cool off and stay comfortable.
In the summer be aware that rabbits can overheat, VERY easily. If you see that a mama doe has uncovered her kits in the nest, don't re-cover, leave them be. Also on especially hot days be sure you have plenty of ventilation. Right now our outdoor temps are in the 90's so we make sure to open the barn doors wide to provide plenty of air circulation throughout the day. Another cooling measure, keep old pop or water bottles in your freezer and as the temps rise, put a frozen bottle in the cage or hutch with mama (not near the kits) that way she can cool off and stay comfortable.
5. Be aware of genetics, especially with Dwarf breeds
There are a few things when breeding dwarf rabbits that you need to be aware of so that you aren't caught totally off guard should you come across one in a litter. First with dwarf breed there are some genetic mutations, one being the "peanut." A peanut is a kit that is born and is a fraction of the size of the others in the litter. These kits are much smaller and weaker but unlike a runt, these guys possess a double dwarf gene and therefore are not viable. They will usually die on their own in a few days.
The second genetic misfire is the Max Factor gene. This gene is not expressed quite as often as the peanut or double dwarf gene, but is something to be aware of. The Max Factor is a genetic mishap in which the rabbit is born with its eyes open, therefore rendering it blind. The rabbit will also have frog like legs that are splayed out making hopping almost impossible. These rabbits are pretty easy to identify immediately but often will not just pass away and therefore render a breeder with a decision to make.
The second genetic misfire is the Max Factor gene. This gene is not expressed quite as often as the peanut or double dwarf gene, but is something to be aware of. The Max Factor is a genetic mishap in which the rabbit is born with its eyes open, therefore rendering it blind. The rabbit will also have frog like legs that are splayed out making hopping almost impossible. These rabbits are pretty easy to identify immediately but often will not just pass away and therefore render a breeder with a decision to make.
Luckily we haven't had any of those genetic mishaps in our breeding program, but I am glad to be aware of them so that I know what to do should I ever see such a thing. The above picture was taken on day 2, it is amazing how fast the naked little bunnies start to become covered with soft peach fuzz.
This is going to be a fun next few weeks!
This is going to be a fun next few weeks!
