Holland Lop First Breeding

by Jason
(Canada)

I am trying to breed my Holland lops. The female is 6 months old, and the male is 8 months old. I have put them together several times, but none have been successful. My doe won't sit still long enough for the male to finish, and he usually drains all of his energy trying to mount her the wrong way. My doe will also mount the male. I have checked and double checked their sexes. What can I do to encourage a successful breeding?


***** Karen Sez *****
Yeah, welcome to rabbit breeding, lol! This being winter, it sometimes takes a little more patience to get the job done. Just keep at it putting the animals together once a day or once every couple days.

The doe mounting the buck is usually a good sign, indicating willingness, but since she isn't holding still, she may not be quite ready.

If the buck heads for the doe's entrance instead of the exit, try redirecting him briefly so he can get his bearings correct. This may allow him a few more attempts before he poops out.

Perhaps the buck needs a diet so he will be more energetic, or, a bigger cage so he can exercise better to increase his stamina.

Lastly, you could try housing them together for a day or two. This creates two risks:
--The doe might rip into the buck and hurt, castrate or kill it.
--You will probably not know if a breeding actually occurred. You'll need to assume so, yet you may wish to keep breeding them until you witness a breeding. On the other hand, if the breeding did take place, the doe may signal her complete displeasure with the buck by growling and threatening it.

The option is there to put them together unsupervised overnight or longer, but you'll have to make the call whether this is wise for you and your specific animals and do so at your own risk.

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Feb 26, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Helping Hand
by: Anonymous

You can help the pair along by holding the doe still and ensuring her tail is out of the way. Typically, gently pressing her shoulders down will raise her hind end...and her tail, making it easy for the buck to mount her. First timers can take up to a week to figure out what goes where, and get the job done. Be patient.

You can also put the doe in the buck's cage, and vice versa, overnight. This can help them get "in the mood" by surrounding them in one another's scent, as well as easing the stress of being around a strange rabbit.

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