Were can i find a dutch or lionhead stud??

Hi everyone,
I am looking to breed my dutch doe Millie, i plan to keep 2 of the babies for myself and i have some friends and family that want bunnies too so whatever happens all the bunnies will have great homes...
Does anyone know a place to find stud rabbits from or does anyone know/have any stud rabbits near Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire
Many thatnks BlueDutch

there isnt likely anyone on here who will have a stud as most of the buns on here are neutered

Hi, Im afraid this is a predominantly rescue forum so you won't get much help on this front as most of us are against breeding.

I doubt many people here can help as the majority are geared towards rescuing. There are 67,000 rabbits without homes. Breeding adds to that number.

If you are still considering breeding though please read this...

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...re-considering-breeding-then-please-read-this

For looking for a stud bunny, in addition to all the info Elena has posted you're going to need to be sure that said bunny doesn't have or carry any STDs yes, bunnies get them too- they get Syphilis. In addition to that it is advisable to quarantine any new rabbit away from ALL rabbits for around 4 weeks to avoid passing on anything contagious (infections, Cocci, other parasites, VHD, etc).

It would not be a responsible thing to do to get your girlie mated up with an unknown boy.

hi there reiterate what the others say sadly with so many in rescue at the moment and this forum predominatly being about care and rescue of rabbits as pets most people are anti breeding, also it would seem that responsible breeders are very few and far between sadly its hard because the rabbit often cannot then be kept with a companion becasue of the obvious hormonal or sexual natures. i hope if you do go on to breed your rabbit that you will consider the important things such as neuter and vaccs of babies your rabbits age and the age at which you retire and neuter her from breeding as she is still at risk of uterine cancer , the way she will live and if its possible for her to have a companion, the reason you want the babies to start with , the linage and health of the past 4 generations of your rabbit and the stud bunny, stds and of course other illness ec, bordetella, snuffles(pasturella) coccodis etc, also the accomodation size you need per rabbit, that the people taking them on can accomodate (ie 6x2x2ft hutch with attacthched 6x6ft run min ) also if the stud owner is responsible also and if you can cope with the complications that can occour sometimes leading to death of the mother or cannibilism of the babies and that should things go wrong you are able to hand rear 24hrs a day. you have a rabbit savvy vet to hand to call upon should she face difficulties.

can i ask why you want to breed her?

Sky-O said:

For looking for a stud bunny, in addition to all the info Elena has posted you're going to need to be sure that said bunny doesn't have or carry any STDs yes, bunnies get them too- they get Syphilis. In addition to that it is advisable to quarantine any new rabbit away from ALL rabbits for around 4 weeks to avoid passing on anything contagious (infections, Cocci, other parasites, VHD, etc).

It would not be a responsible thing to do to get your girlie mated up with an unknown boy.

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This is all 100% correct. I would like to add that you must only breed if you are prepared to lose your rabbit, as, although not a massive risk if you follow precautions, she may die during kindling. Rabbits usually give birth in the night, so you'd also have to have the funds available for the emergency vet, should she have difficulties. It also depends on the age of your girlie, as to have a first litter too late or too early would be a massive strain on her body, and also increases the chance of her dying during kindling.There is also the risk that she may catch the highly contagious E.C or the bacteria that cause snuffles from the buck- both can be fatal.

You also should not breed a dutch with a lionhead, in fact I would advise against any cross-breeding, and would not advise you not to breed your rabbit unless both her and the buck are BRC ringed and you know their genetic history 4 generations back, and know of any genetic weaknesses in the history. Breeding rabbits with an unknown history increases the chances of your doe dying, and of the babies being born with genetic defects, such as physical deformaties, dental problems, a higher likelihood of getting snuffles, and generally just weak and ill offspring.

The reason for the rabbits needing to be purebred and having known history is because certain breeds are so different, particularly when it comes to skull shape, that to cross them would be taking an unnecessary risk in producing babies with incurable problems. If you don't know the genetic history of a rabbit, not only do you not know what genetic defects it may carry, but you also don't know if there are any other breeds in the mix, even if they look one breed visually.

If you do decide to breed, it would also be best to wait until spring, and use this time for research, as the kittens (baby rabbits) will have a tougher time surviving in the cold weather that is soon to come.

bunlover said:

hi there reiterate what the others say sadly with so many in rescue at the moment and this forum predominatly being about care and rescue of rabbits as pets most people are anti breeding, also it would seem that responsible breeders are very few and far between sadly its hard because the rabbit often cannot then be kept with a companion becasue of the obvious hormonal or sexual natures. i hope if you do go on to breed your rabbit that you will consider the important things such as neuter and vaccs of babies your rabbits age and the age at which you retire and neuter her from breeding as she is still at risk of uterine cancer , the way she will live and if its possible for her to have a companion, the reason you want the babies to start with , the linage and health of the past 4 generations of your rabbit and the stud bunny, stds and of course other illness ec, bordetella, snuffles(pasturella) coccodis etc, also the accomodation size you need per rabbit, that the people taking them on can accomodate (ie 6x2x2ft hutch with attacthched 6x6ft run min ) also if the stud owner is responsible also and if you can cope with the complications that can occour sometimes leading to death of the mother or cannibilism of the babies and that should things go wrong you are able to hand rear 24hrs a day. you have a rabbit savvy vet to hand to call upon should she face difficulties.

can i ask why you want to breed her?

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All my bunnies are up to date on jabs and all but Millie are nutered. Millie herself has come from a show breeder so has good heritage... All my bunnies live in mixed sex pairs (apart from one who just lost his partner to old age) they also live in 6 by 2 hutches- soon to be 7 by 2.5 hutches. After i have bred Millie (1 time only) she will go in for her spay. The reason i want to breed Millie is so that i can keep 2 of the babies to keep the elderly boy company. Also when i was younger my mum used to breed dutch's and lionheads and i really enjoyed playing with the babies and i would love to have that experience again. I understand that their are lots of shelter bunnies and in fact i rescued one last month, but he isnt the most human friendly bun.
As to hand rearing thats fine i had to hand rear a litter of rats once, a little fiddly but it worked...
Can you get vacsines for rabbits against STD's ???

Would your old boy not be more suited to a partner his age and not two boisterous young bunnies.

If you have your heart set on baby bunnies then many rescues have babies that you could adopt?

Why not rescue a baby? There's plenty in rescues. Then no need to breed. Then its easier to bond the baby with the neutered male.
And parsley wasn't majorly fussed with humans when I first adopted him he was a bit cage aggressive. But patience with him and a few months later he was brilliant.

I also know that a lot of people who say they will take bunnies tend to have given up on waiting and went elsewhere, or decided they didn't want them after all or because they are a 'boring' colour. Baby rabbits are actually very hard to home, many being free because no one wants them, P@H tend to get litters in adoption because the person cannot get rid of them but people if they want a rabbit, will go to a petshop first usually.

It would be quicker to find a friend for your old bun from a rescue or another breeder rather than making him wait over 7 months for a friend since you'll have to wait until the babies are neutered before introducing him or else they'll fall out when they get hormonal and will be too much for him. It would be selfish to make him wait if you think he is lonely. And like others say, there are 1,000s rabbits in rescue and we're not exaggerating!

Why not get some related rabbits from the breeder you got her from? Or foster a pregnant rabbit for the experience

Even if she's got a good background, there's no way to know that breeding her will produce good, healthy babies. In rats, when someone bred two healthy pedigree rats from 2 different lines, some of them died young due to heart failure, which was never seen in either lines!

I don't think it's fair to breed an animal for the sake of it if you're not using that breeding to improve on the health and temperament on the species. There are plenty of rabbits out there already that would fit your needs.

BlueDutch said:

All my bunnies are up to date on jabs and all but Millie are nutered. Millie herself has come from a show breeder so has good heritage... All my bunnies live in mixed sex pairs (apart from one who just lost his partner to old age) they also live in 6 by 2 hutches- soon to be 7 by 2.5 hutches. After i have bred Millie (1 time only) she will go in for her spay. The reason i want to breed Millie is so that i can keep 2 of the babies to keep the elderly boy company. Also when i was younger my mum used to breed dutch's and lionheads and i really enjoyed playing with the babies and i would love to have that experience again. I understand that their are lots of shelter bunnies and in fact i rescued one last month, but he isnt the most human friendly bun.
As to hand rearing thats fine i had to hand rear a litter of rats once, a little fiddly but it worked...
Can you get vacsines for rabbits against STD's ???

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Pretty sure your elderly boy will not want two young baby rabbits bouncing all round him! Therefore breeding is unnecessary.

Are you willing to risk Millie's life just for a litter of babies? You're just as likely to kill her with the pregnancy as you are to get any babies at all!

I also have not heard of STD vaccines for rabbits.

Contact Caroline at Rabbit Residence near Royston, not far from you. She has about 200 rabbits in her care, pretty sure she can find a wifebun that already exists for your boy - and she has Lionheads AND Dutches in, had a litter of 9 Dutches in not so long ago (yet another Pets at Home accident). She also offers bonding services too.

BlueDutch said:

All my bunnies are up to date on jabs and all but Millie are nutered. Millie herself has come from a show breeder so has good heritage... All my bunnies live in mixed sex pairs (apart from one who just lost his partner to old age) they also live in 6 by 2 hutches- soon to be 7 by 2.5 hutches. After i have bred Millie (1 time only) she will go in for her spay. The reason i want to breed Millie is so that i can keep 2 of the babies to keep the elderly boy company. Also when i was younger my mum used to breed dutch's and lionheads and i really enjoyed playing with the babies and i would love to have that experience again. I understand that their are lots of shelter bunnies and in fact i rescued one last month, but he isnt the most human friendly bun
As to hand rearing thats fine i had to hand rear a litter of rats once, a little fiddly but it worked...
Can you get vacsines for rabbits against STD's ???

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If you're breeding for this reason, you'll probably be disappointed. They're prey animals, it's a rare occasion you'll find one that likes to be picked up and handled lots, especially once they're grown up. They like space, food and friends of their own kind. You provide all that, they may allow you to give them head rubs sometimes :roll:

Also, as has been mentioned, an older rabbit with two boisterous babies is probably not a good match. Add to that the fact that you'll have to re-bond all of them when the babies go in for their neutering/spaying and it becomes a bit counter productive. If you really need a friend for your older male, please reconsider a rescue

Have you seen these . . they still need homes!!

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?367177-Baby-bunnies-in-need-of-homes

catxx said:

Pretty sure your elderly boy will not want two young baby rabbits bouncing all round him! Therefore breeding is unnecessary.

Are you willing to risk Millie's life just for a litter of babies? You're just as likely to kill her with the pregnancy as you are to get any babies at all!

I also have not heard of STD vaccines for rabbits.

Contact Caroline at Rabbit Residence near Royston, not far from you. She has about 200 rabbits in her care, pretty sure she can find a wifebun that already exists for your boy - and she has Lionheads AND Dutches in, had a litter of 9 Dutches in not so long ago (yet another Pets at Home accident). She also offers bonding services too.

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This is exactly what I was about to suggest

I'm not sure where you live but there are plenty of rescues near me with baby rabbits in at the moment. I've been told before that I'd be welcome to visit in order to interact with the baby rabbits in exchange for a bit of help cleaning the other rabbits out. Maybe this is something you could consider as well as you'd be helping out a rescue and not adding to the numbers of rabbits looking for homes.

As has been mentioned before there really is no demand for rabbits, even cute baby ones and if people are looking for babies then there are plenty in rescue at the moment that they could choose from. There really is no need to make it even more difficult for those rabbits to find homes.

rabbits arent often good mums, some abandon, some kill them some do care for them. however theres a high chance your bun could die in child birth ....... I wouldnt risk it

Sorry I do agree with the others about bringing yet more bunnies into the world when there are so may that need homes already. I would have love to have bred my female rabbit and seen her babies etc and have the joy of watching them grow up like most of us on here but the thought that doing that takes away the chance of a bunny in a sanctuary getting a home made me think again. If you truly love and care for rabbits you wouldn't breed you would instead give a home to a rabbit that needs it.

Anyway its obviously your choice and only you know what you want to do but if you did decide to breed her then do some research first and make sure you have space for all the babies and money set aside for vets bills if needed etc. Also research the male to use and like some others have said make sure they are similar size etc so it lessens her risk of birthing problems. I also agree to wait until the spring so they dont get too cold but make sure she is under about a year still then. I'm sure I read somewhere that you shouldn't breed female rabbits if they are over a year as their pelvis fuses which can make it difficult for them to give birth.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Thanks for the replys everyone...
I have done more reserch and have decided (if i can find the right male) to go ahed with breeding Millie. I forgot to mention that i bred Casper (my lone male) myself close to 7 years ago...
Coco (now in heaven) and casper are they best bunnies i have ever had, Coco was more like a dog she would come when called and play fetch (when she wanted to) and casper just loves his cuddles. I understand that i will be adding to the bunnie population but i have great homes lined up. Two i will be keeping, and the remaining will be going to my mums friend who lost her 3 house buns 2 years ago, they will have free range of her house and garden ...
Most of you will now be saying why doesnt she get rescues, well, i have already spoken to her about this and she says she doesnt want a rescue as the last ones she had were and they were very anti social. I understand that most of you have different veiws on breeding but i belive i can create well socialised happy bunnies...
BlueDutch

BlueDutch said:

Thanks for the replys everyone...
I have done more reserch and have decided (if i can find the right male) to go ahed with breeding Millie. I forgot to mention that i bred Casper (my lone male) myself close to 7 years ago...
Coco (now in heaven) and casper are they best bunnies i have ever had, Coco was more like a dog she would come when called and play fetch (when she wanted to) and casper just loves his cuddles. I understand that i will be adding to the bunnie population but i have great homes lined up. Two i will be keeping, and the remaining will be going to my mums friend who lost her 3 house buns 2 years ago, they will have free range of her house and garden ...
Most of you will now be saying why doesnt she get rescues, well, i have already spoken to her about this and she says she doesnt want a rescue as the last ones she had were and they were very anti social. I understand that most of you have different veiws on breeding but i belive i can create well socialised happy bunnies...
BlueDutch

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It's totally your choice.

If you're going to do it responsibly, have you taken on board and can you meet all the things stipulated in the post you were linked to earlier in the thread?

If not, then sadly you come under the heading of irresponsible and I can't imagine any loving bunny owner would want to do irresponsible things with their bunnies and from what I read you do love your bunnies. Hopefully that means you will be able to be fully responsible with what you're doing.