30 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



5 months old, the medium-weight 

 breeds at 5 to 6 months, and the 

 giant breeds at 8 to 10 months. 

 Some individual rabbits within a 

 breed develop more rapidly than 

 others, and does usually mature 

 earlier than bucks. In commercial 

 production, it is the general prac- 

 tice -to hold bucks a month longer 

 than does before breeding for the 

 first time, though there is no ex- 

 perimental proof that this is nec- 

 essary. 



Breeding Schedule 



The breeding schedule you should 

 follow is determined by the type 

 of production. It probably would 

 be better not to attempt to produce 

 more than two or three litters a 

 year in raising animals for show 

 purposes. Arrange time of mat- 

 ings so that the offspring will be 

 of proper age and development for 

 the show classification desired. In 

 commercial production for meat 

 and fur, work breeding animals 

 throughout the year if possible. 



With a gestation period of 31 

 or 32 days and a nursing period 

 of 8 weeks, a doe can produce four 

 litters in a 12-month period if no 

 failures or "passes" occur. Does 

 of heavy producing strains can be 

 mated 6 weeks after kindling, and, 

 if no failures occur, will produce 

 five litters in a year. Many com- 

 mercial breeders are using breeding 

 intervals of 21, 28, or 35 days after 

 kindling to further increase the 

 meat production of their herds. 

 The general feeling is that for 

 most efficient production, does 

 should be worked to the extent of 

 their genetic reproductive capaci- 

 ties. Experimental evidence is 

 lacking as to what effect these 

 rapid breeding schedules may have 

 on the reproductive life of the doe, 

 fryer development, feed conversion 

 as measured by the pounds of feed 

 necessary to produce a pound of 



meat, mortality, and carcass 

 quality. 



Wliere extreme temperatures 

 make it undesirable to have litters 

 kindled during 2 or 3 months of 

 the year, does may be rebred 42 

 days after kindling and still pro- 

 duce four litters. 



If a doe is full-fed a properly 

 balanced ration during the suckl- 

 ing period, she should be in con- 

 dition for breeding before the lit- 

 ter is weaned. If, however, the 

 doe is not in good physical condi- 

 tion at the scheduled breeding 

 time, she should not be bred until 

 she is. If the litter is lost at kin- 

 dling, or the size of the litter is 

 materially reduced for other rea- 

 sons, and the doe is in good con- 

 dition, she may be rebred earlier 

 than called for by the regular 

 schedule, but not earlier than 3 or 

 4 days after kindling. 



Lactation 



During the last week of preg- 

 nancy the mammary glands de- 

 velop rapidly. Though milk may 

 be produced before kindling, and 

 actually leak from the glands of 

 high-producing does, the actual let- 

 down and production is usually 

 delayed until kindling, and is initi- 

 ated under hormonal and nervous 

 stimuli induced by the action of 

 suckling. Maximum milk produc- 

 tion is usually reached by the third 

 week, after which production grad- 

 ually declines. The duration of 

 lactation varies depending upon 

 diet, number of suckling young, 

 and the leng-th of time the young 

 are left with the doe. Ordinarily, 

 milk production is negligible after 

 the sixth or seventh week, though 

 in well-nourished, high-producing 

 does with a litter of eight or nine, 

 milk production may last for 8 

 weeks or longer. Milk has been 

 observed in the stomachs of young 

 weaned from the doe at 8 weeks of 



