Thursday, July 21, 2005
Surprise, Surprise
I had always heard about surprise litters, but hadn't had much experience with it until recently, that is. Up until now, I've had two litters born on the wire when I was sure the dam did not consent to be bred. (I know, don't take your eyes off them a second--I even give that advice myself!) After those happened, I've made it a policy to give a doe a box 28 days after being with a buck for any reason.
But recently, the surprise litters have been a little more interesting.
I had a combined litter, two does and a buck. One doe and the buck were siblings, solid torts. The other doe was a broken black. They were living in the same cage until about three months of age when the buck started mounting the does. So I reached in and took him off her back and placed him into his own cage. Seems simple enough.
Fast forward a month. My friend Lisa and I were barn looking at juniors. I decided that the buck was nice, but probably not as nice as some I already had and I would sell him. His sister, one of the does in the cage together, was the nicer of the two and I'd keep her.
So a few days later, I showed the rabbit to someone who was interested in buying. To my shock, "he" was a she (now I have to say I'm almost famous for making gender related mistakes--I'm just gifted at doing that). So I checked his sister and she was the he. So I swapped out the bunnies and put the real him in his own cage. Soon after I did, the doe mounted the other doe. What I had mistaken for a buck mounting a doe was really a doe showing dominance over the other doe. At least there was a reason for this mistake! I've put this on my list of things never to assume again.
I had not seen the real "he" mounting the other doe, so I thought nothing more about it.
Fast forward another month. I had sold the broken black doe to a newer breeder in Florida. I got an email that Kendall, the broken black doe, had unexpectantly had kits. Gee whiz! Did it have to happen with a doe I sold? to a new breeder? What luck! I'm just glad that the person is just new to rabbits and has experience breeding other type of animals. That's not a good way to start out.
Now for the really surprising unexpected litter. I got an email from a woman in Canada who bought a doe from me at Nationals. She had been planning to breed a doe in a few days when she walked in to find 5 kits with her. Luckily 3 of the kits made it just fine--which is great for a first litter. The strange part is that she had never been bred, never been with a buck at all.
No, I'm not claiming a miracle. Just a bit of a stretch.
The sire was a determined little fellow in the next cage. Now think about it. I put rabbits together with no wire between them and sometimes they have trouble getting it done. But these two coordinated so that she placed her backside reasonably against the wire. He stretched through, found the spot and bred her. He deserves a medal. And she should be used with any reluctant buck in the barn! She apparently knows how to bring out the best in a buck. Congratulations Tuxedo; you are the man!
Now I know another good use for the 3-inch gap between the cages housing my herd bucks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:51 AM
But recently, the surprise litters have been a little more interesting.
I had a combined litter, two does and a buck. One doe and the buck were siblings, solid torts. The other doe was a broken black. They were living in the same cage until about three months of age when the buck started mounting the does. So I reached in and took him off her back and placed him into his own cage. Seems simple enough.
Fast forward a month. My friend Lisa and I were barn looking at juniors. I decided that the buck was nice, but probably not as nice as some I already had and I would sell him. His sister, one of the does in the cage together, was the nicer of the two and I'd keep her.
So a few days later, I showed the rabbit to someone who was interested in buying. To my shock, "he" was a she (now I have to say I'm almost famous for making gender related mistakes--I'm just gifted at doing that). So I checked his sister and she was the he. So I swapped out the bunnies and put the real him in his own cage. Soon after I did, the doe mounted the other doe. What I had mistaken for a buck mounting a doe was really a doe showing dominance over the other doe. At least there was a reason for this mistake! I've put this on my list of things never to assume again.
I had not seen the real "he" mounting the other doe, so I thought nothing more about it.
Fast forward another month. I had sold the broken black doe to a newer breeder in Florida. I got an email that Kendall, the broken black doe, had unexpectantly had kits. Gee whiz! Did it have to happen with a doe I sold? to a new breeder? What luck! I'm just glad that the person is just new to rabbits and has experience breeding other type of animals. That's not a good way to start out.
Now for the really surprising unexpected litter. I got an email from a woman in Canada who bought a doe from me at Nationals. She had been planning to breed a doe in a few days when she walked in to find 5 kits with her. Luckily 3 of the kits made it just fine--which is great for a first litter. The strange part is that she had never been bred, never been with a buck at all.
No, I'm not claiming a miracle. Just a bit of a stretch.
The sire was a determined little fellow in the next cage. Now think about it. I put rabbits together with no wire between them and sometimes they have trouble getting it done. But these two coordinated so that she placed her backside reasonably against the wire. He stretched through, found the spot and bred her. He deserves a medal. And she should be used with any reluctant buck in the barn! She apparently knows how to bring out the best in a buck. Congratulations Tuxedo; you are the man!
Now I know another good use for the 3-inch gap between the cages housing my herd bucks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:51 AM
