Breeding ... Anyone interested?

Hi!

I have a gorgeous orange butterfly mini lop.
He's now 15 months old. I'd love to breed him but I don't feel I'd have the time needed to do give it my 100% and I don't really know enough.

I'd love to breed him and be involved a little with the does owner if possible. And I'd defo want to adopt one of his little ones.

It's just a thought .. If anyone is interested please let me know.

Obviously I'd only want to if I didn't but Kovu in any risk. Is 15 months a good age to breed?

Exciting stuff

Chelsie

This forum leans more towards rescuing than breeding so you might find you have more luck on another site. :wave:

Just so you know there are thousands of bunnies in rescues up and down the country, if you have space in your life for another rabbit it would be a great thing to consider rescuing rather than breeding. Nothing nicer than knowing you've saved a life

Get him neutered and rescue a spayed doe as a companion for him. Please don't breed your rabbit. There are 67,000 in rescues all over the country that desperately need homes.

Hello

Breeding is not something that can be done on a whim and a huge amount of research needs to be done. Especially into the genetic history of both Rabbits

Whilst there are tens of thousands of unwanted Pet Rabbits in Rescues all over the UK I personally dont think breeding more is in the best interests of Rabbit welfare.

But if you are determind to go ahead then this thread may be useful to read

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

I hope you will seriously reconsider bringing yet more Rabbits into the world when there are healthy ones already here who are being PTS because there is no-where for them to go as Rescues are full

Wow! I had no idea there were so many rabbits out there.
Do u tend to find younger or older rabbits in rescue centres.
I have a huge heart and a spare hutch so helping a rescue bunny is defiantly an option.
Could anyone recommend a rescue centre in the Birmingham\westmidlands area?

Also is there something I should look for to best fit with my rabbits temperament .. Ie age and sex??

X

Hi, your rabbit sounds gorgeous.

There are quite a few fab rescues on here, some rehome locally, some nationally. the national ones do these fantastic 'bunny runs' where people on here do stages of the journey to get the rabbit to its new forever home, its brilliant watching a thread where it all pieces together. Everyone pulls together to get the bunny where it needs to be.

Theres every age, colour, size, temprement in the rescues, some come with sad stories, some have been born in rescues.

The rescues are very knowledgeable and open with their advice.

I am sure they will pop on and see your thread and help to point you in the right direction.

Good luck.

Aww wow that sounds really special. I look forward to looking into this better :


Thanks for your replies all

Coming from someone who used to be very pro-breeding and bought a pregnant doe, don't do it. All I've seen from breeding is heartbreak, seemingly healthy rabbits are bred (some from VERY reputable breeders too!) and it turns out you've caused a genetic health problem to be passed on and suddenly you're faced with a litter of badly aggressive babies, or a litter of babies prone to liver problems and a mother dead because of it, or a litter of babies with a completely unknown problem that causes them to not develop problem and die unexpectedly. All those problems in litters I've just explained have happened to members of this forum, people who I know and who didn't do anything irresponsibly.

There's no need for any more babies, there's so many in rescue already and so many awful back yard breeders who'll never stop, don't become a part of the problem. I promise you if you don't breed, get your rabbits neutered/spayed and bonded, in a year or so time you wont regret it at all, and seeing how happy your rabbit is with no hormones controlling them and a friend of the same species will make you forget any urge to breed them you once had I know what its like, when you love your rabbit so much and you'd give anything to pass on his/her genes and hope for mini versions and cute little bundles of fluff, but I'm telling you it's not worth it compared to how happy your bun could be, and its certainly not worth it when there's so many rabbits suffering and so many filling up rescues, every owner a rabbit goes to was potentially an owner that could of helped one of those rabbits in need but instead went with the impulse of a cute baby

If you're still determined, we cant stop you, but definitely read that article that Jane linked to and for goodness sake DO NOT breed him with any doe, you don't know what health problems she could be carrying. Not only that but if its the bun in your avatar, lops are prone to teeth problems due to their face shape, and breeding him with a rabbit with a really pointed face or one with a really flat face (or any with bad teeth) can cause dental problems

Hiya... Glad you may have reconsidered breeding.... .... there are heartbreaking threads on bunnies being dumped in skips, in boxes with legs missing... Bunnies you may have bred might have ended up like them one day...

There are rabbits of all breeds and ages in rescues. Often pregnant does are handed in or found so if you're after a baby it won't be a problem Personally I'd suggest an adult rabbit which has already been neutered/spayed as you know what it's temperament will be.

It would be best to neuter your bunny and bond him with a new rabbit, that way he has company which is a really important part of a bunny's happiness. You could join the two hutches together and have a really good sized hutch for the rabbits to share.

I'm sure someone will be along to suggest a rescue soon, but in the mean time try searching rabbit rehome or the RSPCA's website.

Thanks for your help guys. It's clear breeding Kovu isn't the way forward. It wasn't something I was going to rush into anyway. But the idea of adding another bunny to my family is still something I want to look into.
I've had him for just over a year now and he seems really happy. And he's lovely and friendly (I couldn't of wished for a better temperament end bunny) .. Is neutering defiantly the best thing for him?
And he seems really happy already.. Would you say bonding and having a companion for him will make him happier still?
Xx
Does breed and size have an effect on how well rabbits bond?
Xx

If you wish to rescue you could try Fatfluffs in Solihull or RSPCA Walsall.

Most bunnies prefer companions, yes :wave:
I'm not sure about sizes, as a lot of people have different sized rabbits bonded with others.
A rescue may be able to help you bond and choose a rabbit though.
We got our buns when they were 5/6 months, so not old at all really, if you're looking for a bun around the same age as yours that shouldn't be a problem. :thumb:

There are rabbits of all ages in rescue centres coming in all sorts of sizes/shapes/breeds/temperaments,some single some bonded.Many centres will bond your bun with one of their buns which takes your fancy.Please consider this option as unwanted buns are a very real issue especially afew weeks after easter when rabbits bought on a whim at easter time are surrendered to rescue centres because the kids got bored with them or they have become aggressive because they havent been neutered or handled properly or ill because of inappropriate diet/housing-the list is endless.You get to save a life and get company for your rabbit AND develop a bond with your new bun!:thumb:its a win/win solution!!

ChelsieKae said:

Thanks for your help guys. It's clear breeding Kovu isn't the way forward. It wasn't something I was going to rush into anyway. But the idea of adding another bunny to my family is still something I want to look into.
I've had him for just over a year now and he seems really happy. And he's lovely and friendly (I couldn't of wished for a better temperament end bunny) .. Is neutering defiantly the best thing for him?
And he seems really happy already.. Would you say bonding and having a companion for him will make him happier still?
Xx
Does breed and size have an effect on how well rabbits bond?
Xx

Click to expand...

Neutering is definitely best for him. It will stop him feeling frustrated and hormonal.

Chat to one of the rescues that have been suggested to you, they can often give you amazing advice on neutering and bonding. They can also take your bun "dating", this way your boy can choose a wife for himself and then they may keep him for a few days to properly bond them before letting you take them both home. :thumb:

I had a bun on his own for about a year or so and I thought he was perfectly happy...until I bonded him with his wife. I realised then just how much happier he was with a bunny friend! It was adorable seeing them snuggling up to each other, binkying about after each other and giving each other grooms. The best part was that his relationship with me never changed, he still loved being around me even with a bunny to talk to.

Rabbits really are sociable creatures and most would be happier with a friend (or living indoors with human company), many members have commented on how their bunnies changed once they were bonded
The difference in my Eli after bonding him with my girls was amazing. He was quite content before but it's obvious how much he loves being with them. It's lovely to see them grooming each other

ETA: size and age shouldn't make a difference to bonding. My girls are about half the size of my boy and they make a lovely trio

Yes, I was going to say, sorry perhaps I'm tired and you said already in which case I do apologise, is he indoors or outdoor?

I have a single bunny and a few other people on this forum do too, but I really wouldn't recommend it unless you can hand on heart say that you know that the bunny is spending hours and hours and hours (not just a few hours, I mean living all day and most of the evening/night) with human company so that they have constant companionship and stimulation.

So if you want to keep your bunny outdoors or you spend a lot of time outside the home I'd recommend neutering and finding him a nice wife :thumb:

Hi :wave:
We adopted Hettie from RSPCA Walsall - www.rspca-walsall.org.uk - last year and they were fab. They are lovely and the whole process took less than a week for us (not sure if it would always be that quick, it probably depends how busy they are).
Fat Fluffs - www.fatfluffs.com - are also brilliant and they've been great at giving us advice in the past.
Both rescues have details of all their rabbits available for adoption on their websites.
I think both rescues (like most I guess) are pretty much permanently full to bursting and have long waiting lists of rabbits needing help, so by adopting from them you'll literally be saving a rabbit's life. Both have loads of experience and would be able to help/ advise with bonding and anything else you needed to know.
Good luck!

Reading this thread caused a massive on my face - I just love it when advice is taken on board and now it looks like a rescue bunny is going to find a forever home

OP - honestly you won't regret adopting a bunny. It is one of most satisfying feelings, knowing you have given an unwanted/abandoned bunny a second chance and freed up room for the rescues to do what they do best.

Made my day

I had a 4.5kilo male with a 2 kilo female. That same female is now 6 years old and her new hubby is a similar size to her but only 3 years old. They are soooo loved up its embarassing, constantly grooming each other and snuggled up, when she hasnt been loved enough she head butts him gently at first then with more force till he gets the message and grooms her. Occasionally she returns the favour.

So cute to watch together, you wont regret it.