However, if they are used to service several does within a day or two, they should be allowed to rest for a few days before mating again. Mature bucks can be used daily for single matings over long periods without affecting their fertility. Does should be expected to produce seven or eight young in a litter, but they may occasionally have smaller or bigger litters, depending on the specific breed of rabbit. Kindling will take place at about the same time (28 to 32 days later), which will make fostering the young easier if it becomes necessary. When possible, mate several does on the same day or within a few days of one another. Make sure the doe is in acceptable health conditions to limit risk of potential problems. This could result in poor fertility, a small litter or high death rate in the young produced. It would not be wise to mate a doe again in poor condition or one nursing a large litter 21 days after kindling, as it could affect her reproductive performance. No matter what breeding schedule you use, always check the condition of the rabbits before mating them. However, intensive breeding programs may increase the number of does culled (put down) annually due to “burn out”. You can shorten the interval between kindling and breeding as you gain experience. A 35-day breed-back schedule is recommended. Many commercial rabbit producers will breed does back 14 to 21 days after kindling. Rabbit breeding schedules are usually based on 7-day intervals for ease in recordkeeping. If you’re mostly interested in showing rabbits, you may want to have only a few litters each year and time them to provide stock of the proper age for showing. If you’re raising rabbits for meat, you may want to produce as many fryers as possible. When setting up a breeding system for your rabbitry, your first consideration should be your purpose for raising rabbits. Such intensive breeding is not recommended, however, for the beginner and is seldom used in commercial production. With an intensive breeding program, a doe can be expected to have 60 weaned young a year. They produce large litters and are unique in that they can be rebred immediately after kindling (giving birth). They become sexually mature within a few months of birth and have relatively short pregnancies. Rabbits have a high reproductive rate compared to other livestock.
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