Line Breeding is the process of breeding “like with like”. That means that the rabbits the line breeder uses all come from the same family line, and have similar all around genetic makeups.

Line Breeding allows the rabbit breeder, professional or hobbyist, to produce a quality line of animals in a relatively short amount of time.

The Dangers of a Line Breeding Program

The biggest problem with line breeding is that it will intensify all of the genes, good or bad. Starting a line breeding program with quality rabbit stock is essential.

Purchasing rabbits from online breeders is becoming more common these days, but before an aspiring rabbit farmer does so, he or she must remember, without seeing the animal in person, and being given the chance to examine them, they cannot be sure that they are going to get what they pay for.

A smart consumer will ask other rabbit breeders for recommendations for a reputable site that they have used successfully.

Take the Time to Educate Yourself

In the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association Handbook, a must read for any aspiring rabbit breeder, there is a standardized chart which clearly lays down the best way to breed a line of related rabbits, and it spans six generations.

The diagram begins with the initially selected buck and doe and moves through all the possible relative to relative breeding combinations.
Genetic weaknesses do occur in line bred rabbits, and it is not out of the question for a breeder to introduce an unrelated animal or two to an established line to attempt to correct specific defects.

Learning the very basics at least about rabbit genetics as they might apply to the selected breed can be very helpful to beginner.

Choosing the Right Rabbits for First Time Breeding

Choosing the right rabbits to begin a new breeding line is essential to its success or failure. Finding healthy, physically sound specimens is the first step for any breeder just starting out.

Making Sure Your Bunnies are Ready to Mate

When selecting rabbits for breeding the animals should be thoroughly checked for disease, preferably by a good vet.

Many does suffer from uterine and ovarian cancers at an early age, and to attempt to breed them could prove disastrous for all involved.Bucks should also be checked too, just to make sure they are disease free and ready to mate.

Inexperienced breeders may consider mating rabbits of two different breeds, just to see what they might come up with. Mixed rabbits such as these however are of little value and the potential for disfiguring or fatal genetic abnormalities is high.

New rabbit breeds are the result of long and often heartbreaking breeding programs, as the number of kits that die within days of some unexpected cause is high.

Breeding for Quality, One Step at a Time

When starting a breeding program to produce higher quality rabbits, which may be suitable show rabbits, the breeder should only try to improve the line one fault at a time.

If you have an otherwise good looking rabbit with too broad shoulders and too short ears, introduce a rabbit with better looking shoulders to the line first. Once you have rabbits with the correct upper body type, you can then move on to improving the ears with the introduction of another unrelated animal to the line.

Becoming familiar with color genetics, and experimenting with new color combinations can produce very attractive, though possibly not show worthy, rabbits.

A working knowledge of color basics can also help the breeder avoid litters full of “Charlie Marked” kits, rabbits who are usually white with only a few splashes of uneven color.

Breeding the Holland Lop, a Beginner’s Guide

For Holland Lop Rabbit Breeding you’ll need separate cages for the buck and the doe. They will happily breed unsupervised if they’re caged together.

You will also need a different cage for the offspring, and a lot of cages if you care to acquire them up for meat or appearance.

This can be quite a considerable financial investment to start with…feeders, trays, water bottles etc. You’ll also need a nestbox for the doe.

Make a sure your rabbits are free of diseases. Rabbit VD can cause the doe to lose her fur. Make certain your chosen rabbits are well conditioned and in good shape. Overweight does have a difficult time giving birth.

Getting Off to a Good Start

To start controlled breeding, add the Holland Lop doe to the buck’s cage. He will try to mount her. Hopefully, your doe will collaborate and will advance her rear up for him. Within a identical short clip will bang his feet, and may grunt and drop-off.

I usually allow a buck three conjugations, and then remove the doe from the cage. It is usually recommended to try rebreeding again within six hours. Go write this date on the calendar so you don’t forget!!!

Also, count up 28 days on your calendar and write “Nestbox”. Finally, count day 30 and write “Bunnies Due”. Don’t think you are going to remember. Little is worse than seeing a perfectly nice litter born dead on the cage floor.

Keeping Watch is Key

Does are induced ovulators, which means they don’t have a heat cycle like dogs do. They do have times when they are need less forced breeding than others, but it is hard to predict.

If your doe doesn’t collaborate on the first day, keep trying every day until she does. Light plays a big part in the Holland Lop doe’s receptivity. Try to simulate the number of hours of light in spring by leaving the lights on, and you may have better luck.

Some does can be very stubborn about rising for the buck. You could try to encourage her by lifting her rear slightly (make sure you have long sleeves on in case she tries to bite). If she appears to be completely disinterested or is grumbling, you should remove her and try her later as a disgruntled doe may attack and injure the buck.

Always watch. No it isn’t being rude or nosy…it is important for several reasons. You’ll know if she was actually bred and you will be there to step in quickly if the pair begins to fight or bite each other too hard. When the breeding is through with, take the doe back to her cage.

The Trick to Sexing your New Rabbit

Although it is not always the easiest task, sexing  baby rabbits is important and something anyone can learn with just a bit of practice.

Brothers and sisters should be separated by the time they’re sixteen weeks old at the latest to avoid unwanted litters.

To begin, turn your kit onto its back, holding him in your lap or on a flat surface that is not unreasonably cold. Hold its heads at a lower angle than its back legs and it should calm down within a few seconds or so.

Be gentle, stroke your rabbit. It is not going to be at all comfortable being held like this, and will more than likely struggle and protest at first.

The All Important Little Differences

You now need to locate the prepuce, a fuzzy mass found between the rabbit’s hind legs. If you put very slight pressure on this area, where the sexual organs are located, you will quite simply see a circle or a slit.

The circle shape indicates the rabbit you are holding is a boy. If the baby is starting to mature, a small penis may protrude, but that is often not the case with very young males.

This may be the reason that pet stores often get the sex of the rabbit they are selling completely wrong. Unless you are aware that a young buck may display no penis protrusion, it would be logical to conclude that they are female.

If you are dealing with a female rabbit that is a little more mature, a pink or red vulva usually indicates that she is ripe for breeding. This can be a good indicator for the breeder when trying to decide which days will be better for attempting to mate her with a suitable buck.

To Spay or Not to Spay?

Unless you are intending to breed your rabbit, it is better to have them spayed or neutered at the appropriate age, usually around eight to ten months.

An unneutered female who is not bred is at higher risk for reproductive cancers, conditions which unfortunately account for the death of 85% of female rabbits before they reach their fifth year.