When breeding rabbits, it is crucial to receive high-quality and healthy offspring from livestock. How to choose and prepare manufacturers, choose the time for mating rabbits and check the result, we will tell in this article.
Terms for fertilization
Rabbits are prolific animals; females, depending on the breed, are able to become pregnant at the age of 4-5 months, males - from six months. At the same time, size matters: more miniature ornamental rocks are capable of breeding earlier, in large meat breeds maturity occurs 2-3 weeks later.
Did you know? Weight of adult rabbit breed "Little Idaho "- only 450 grams. This is the smallest breed of rabbits in the world.For beginner breeders, when mating rabbits at home, it is important to understand the signs of a female being ready for mating. The rabbit changes:
- behavior - she can pull out fur on her stomach around her nipples, lie down on her stomach, rush around the cage, carry hay from place to place;
- the state of the genital organs - the loop increases, changes color, becomes saturated pink.
This condition is called sex hunting, it speaks of the onset of ovulation and readiness for procreation. If at the same time to lay the female hand on the back, she will freeze and slightly back out; such a reflex is another sign of the hunt.
Since rabbits breed all year round, ovulation in rabbits in summer occurs every 5-7 days, in winter the interval increases to 8-9.
Familiarize yourself with the nuances of breeding rabbits Rex, California, Butterfly, White Giant, Belgian Giant, Gray Giant, Baran, Black Brown, Risen, Soviet Chinchilla.
First mating
Rabbits mate after the end of the first molt. Males - after the second. For breeding quality offspring, the optimal time of the first mating is 5-6 months.
During the molting period, rabbits do not mate, since the animal's body at this time is not in optimal shape. 
After the moment
In rabbits, the hunt occurs 24-48 hours after hatching and lasts up to 5 days.
How to distinguish a crawl from a rabbit
Proper determination of the sex of the rabbit is important not only for mating, but also for the safe breeding of animals. If you do not spread out raznopoly rabbits in separate cells, growing males can arrange fights for females, causing each other dangerous injuries. 
The male differs from the female by the external genital organs, which will not be examined before the little rabbit is 4-5 weeks old. In addition, testicles are not always visible in young males. Their anatomy is such that the testicles descend into the scrotum by 3 months, and when frightened, the males pull them into the abdominal cavity.
Important! When purchasing a thoroughbred rabbit for breeding, it is worth showing it to the veterinarian who confirms the absence of anomalies of the animal's reproductive system and correctly determines its sex.
On examination of the animal, it is turned over and the skin in the genital area is gently moved with the fingers in the direction of the anus. In females, this opens a loop in the form of a ring of mucous flesh of a pale pinkish hue. The males come to the surface with a pale pink or almost white (in the young) penis of a sharp conical shape. The distance from the genitals to the anus in males is greater than in females. In healthy adult males, the testicles are clearly visible.
Features of the choice of partners
They do not recommend pairing close relatives, for obtaining healthy offspring it is necessary to take producers from different lines.
When breeding rabbits at home for beginners be sure to record the following data:
- date of birth and nickname of the animal;
- parent breeds;
- dates of huntings and rounds, the number of live and not surviving rabbits.
How to choose rabbits
In order for the mating of rabbits to produce the expected result, manufacturers must meet certain conditions:
- breed standard, this is especially important when breeding;
- fatness - for mating admit animals with a weight of not less than 3 kg, but not fat, because obesity reduces productivity;
- health status - only healthy animals are allowed to mate;
- fertility: in rabbits it is determined by the number of fertilized females, in rabbits - by the number of healthy pups in the litter;
- high sexual activity;
- parental instinct, the female should not show aggression or indifference to the cubs;
- Milkiness - the rabbit must have enough milk to feed the offspring;
- age, the female in the regime of regular bonding can be 3-4 years old, fertility decreases with age in males.
What is rejection
Animals that do not meet the selection conditions are not allowed to mate and breed.
Important! There are cases of false pregnancy. The state and behavior of the rabbit changes, milk can be released from the nipples, but okrol does not occur. After 16-18 days, the signs of pregnancy stop, the female is ready for a new mating. With the repetition of false sukololnosti female reject.
At first, the female may not show enough care for the offspring. Experts allow re-reducing such rabbits, but if they fail again, they are recommended to be rejected.How to prepare animals
You need to start training for 7-8 days before mating. At this time, animals are transferred to an improved diet; must prevail fresh and fortified feed rich in minerals. In the winter, they also extend the daylight hours with lamps up to 15-16 hours.
On the day of mating, before letting the rabbit to the crawl, everything unnecessary is removed from the cage, as the animals will be very active.
Mating technology
In the warm season, mating is carried out in the morning or in the evening, in the winter - in the middle of the day.
The rabbit is put in a crawl cage. Young females are reduced to experienced adult rabbits, and females with experience are brought to the "beginner" producers. The rabbit in the hunt calmly admits to him a male. Mating occurs in a few seconds, the male after ejaculation falls on the flank and beeps. Re-mating is carried out to control on day 5.
Important! Control mating carries a certain risk. If conception occurred in one of the horns of the uterus, there is the likelihood of repeated conception, the offspring from which is unlikely to survive.
What to do if the rabbit does not allow the crawl
If the female does not allow the crawl to come closer and shows aggression, it should be immediately deposited. A second attempt is made some time later in the morning or in the evening.
Perhaps these animals will not show reciprocity, then they pick up other partners. One of the reasons why rabbits do not mate may be noise.
Learn how to properly feed the rabbits, what kind of grass can be given to animals, and which one is impossible, whether it is necessary to add burdocks and nettles to food.
How to check the result
The sukolnost females can be determined at 10-12 day after the "date". The animal has its head to itself, hold it with one hand on its withers, and with the other, gently probe the lower part of the abdomen. The fertilized uterus during this period is palpated as a seal of the oval shape in the pelvic region. Behavior changes: the female in the cage behaves more calmly, the appetite improves, and at the same time it can be wary of the owner and not be given in the hands. In the control replanting, the female do not admit to her partner.
Did you know? Australia does not recommend keeping rabbits as pets, and in Queensland it is even prohibited by law and faces a fine of up to 30,000 Australian dollars.
How long a pregnancy lasts in rabbits depends on the number of embryos. It usually lasts about 30 days; the more numerous the litter, the shorter the pregnancy. During this period, the rabbit needs peace, comfort, lack of high humidity and drafts, good food, mostly juicy food, and a sufficient amount of water.
For a successful mating of rabbits, it is necessary to take care of animals, create comfortable conditions for them, watch their behavior in order to choose the optimal moment. If you follow these principles, you will definitely achieve your goal.
