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i expected three pups from Billie but ended up with four. Three girls and one boy from initial checks. Solidly healthy pups. They are already starting to follow the herd around. So very nice to see.
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Rilla had a singleton. A big strong kit, already (day two) starting to wheek at me. Follows mom around aggressively. I'll get pics up of mom and dad at some point when I have time to hunt them down. Pics taken shortly after born and dry. Watch Me GrowI need to hunt up good pictures of mom, and I know I have one of dad somewhere.... so in time I'll update this post with those images. For now.... Brandi pupped with five youngsters. Two were born dead, one with obvious issues, the other very small. Three living pups, one extremely weak and assumed to die before morning. It had an obvious head deformity. So I have a genetic issue to track down. Is it from mom or dad? Another pup born to a different sow, same dad is at this point, just fine. I was surprised when I returned from work to find a second dead, as it was looking kinda okay this morning, just very thin. I had seen it drinking last night so knew milk supply wasn't an issue. One pup remains alive at the time of writing. I've seen it drinking from the other sow, so hopefully it will be okay come morning. Watch Me GrowAnyways, I know longer have dad. So I can test out mom's genetics to see if it's her, or was just the combination of the two genetics not working well together.
Head/ear deformities are what I have seen. I'll do a necropsy to see if there are internal issues as well. I've not seen this before in several years of breeding guinea pigs. Never the easiest thing to do in SW Ontario with an outdoor rabbitry... this year is proving to be quite the challenge. It's not like I haven't dealt with these challenges before, so it's more of the same. But documenting what to do might prove helpful to stimulate my brain, and to help others in their rabbitries.  Lack of Light ChallengeChange in lighting affects how well rabbits will breed. Giving them 12-14 hours of light per day helps them to be more in the mood. The Journal for Animal Science and Technology has proven that light helps to regulate hormones, circadian rhythms and general well-being of rabbits. In my rabbitry it means that starting in November I turn on the lights at 630 a.m. and don't turn them off until 7 p.m. It also means that I put the female rabbits I'm hoping to breed at the open end of the rabbitry. More light is crucial to helping rabbits do well in the winter. With that in mind I enclose the rabbitry in a product called lexan. These are thin sheets of a plastic type material that keep the winter winds out and allows LOTS of light to come through.  Cold, Challenges and SolutionsI actually don't worry about cold too much. Winter breeding is a good way to define if your does are doing their jobs well AND that the rabbitry owner to managing their herd properly. A well-made nest will keep a group of four or more kits warm in the deepest cold that SW Ontario gets. This providing that they are provided solid wood nestboxes, plenty of bedding materials, and are generally protected from wind and wet. That all said... I do bring kits in on cold winter nights when there are four or less kits in a litter, or if we are going through a brutally cold snap, or if the mom is being inconsistent. They stay out during the day as generally mom doesn't mess with them during the day and it allows the kits to understand cold weather. I always have an empty cage so when kits get to the randomly popping out and exploring stage (10-20 days old) they get shelved in an empty cage and covered with a towel overnight. This keep them in their warm nestboxes and not out exploring where they could get chilled and die. One also needs to take advantage of the weather. Don't try to breed when the weather is brutally cold. Breed during the natural thaws. Every year we get a January thaw, a February thaw, and even a light March thaw. The closer you get to March the easier it is to convince gals and guys to be in the mood. :)  Nutrients in the WinterMost of the year my rabbits eat a wide variety of greens along with their pellets. In the winter my garden is no longer producing and I choose not to grow fodder in the house. (three cats getting into greens isn't my idea of a battle to fight). Ergo, how do I provide additions to pellets? Enter in sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, and turnips etc. Root vegetables help a ton in the winter. I also add in some lettuces, kale, and Chinese greens (bok choy, chrysanthemum, broccoli, etc). Shop the sales, buy larger quantities, and use the discount racks to keep it affordable. I don't feed much in the way of dry feed like hay as the rabbits WASTE so much of it and I despise food waste. This year I'd discovered chopped straw which goes in feeders nicely and ergo much less food waste and keeps the bunnies busy nibbling. Fresh feed in their feeders, hardly any gets wasted. Also adding apple cider vinegar to their water gives some added nutrients.  VentilationGood ventilation isn't just a winter rabbitry issue, but it is harder to manage in the winter. Snow build up can broke ventilation holes at the base of walls. Too much open space can allow for too much snow to blow in and can allow cold wind on bunny bellies. Because it's cold out, taking the time to do proper cage clean out is more difficult. Ammonia and dead air is very much a real concern. Figuring out how to protect from the wind and still allow for good ventilation is a balancing act. BUT one that must be managed to allow bunnies to breathe well. In my rabbitry I leave small open gaps on the windward side of the rabbity, and a completely open end on the leeward side. Along the sides I have gaps on top and below where the lexan is screwed to the sides. This allows the rabbitry to have fresh air at all times. So rabbits breathing well and not health compromised due to lack to diligence in air quality. Makes the adage of breed the best, cull the rest easier to focus on. Not removing rabbits for compromised health that could easily have been prevented. Winter Breeding, Challenges and SolutionsHave you discovered other challenges to winter breeding? What solutions have you come up with?
It's good to hear of how others managed important aspects that affect breeding in the winter.  This little man, a son from Shake and Wasp found his new home last night. Some young people came up from London for him.
He's a bright-eyed happy boy with a sweet demeanor. A black/orange harlequin coloured holland lop. He was part of a litter of six, born on July 12, 2025. The rest of the litter was tricolour or harlequin. He carries chocolate. This little guy loves all sorts of food, and seems to particularly like thistley types of plants. Three of my girls found a new home this week. Minnie, Daisy, and Snowball. One black eyed white and two merle based black girlies. The first night the smallest black and white girlie had trouble adjusting to her new digs and squeaked at her mates constantly, but by day two....  We had a happy trio. They are living in a 40-gallon breeder thank with lots of bedding and all sorts of fun stuff to play with and explore. I wish I knew to share video sent by others on this blog because I'd love to show it all to you!  But I do have this still to share with you! In the video I saw a hammock, flat and upright running wheels, tubes, boxes, all sorts of wooden climbing things. Just a very fun environment for mice to enjoy. Just a dream for three nice girlies.
So I have a trio of holland lops girls waiting to find homes to hop around in. Yesterday morning before work, one of these girls hopped off her new place!  this chocolate tricolour girlie is out of Shake and Wasp. A litter of six holland lops born on July 12.
This little girl always has a bright outlook toward life and the people in it. I had been tempted to hold her back but utimately decided to retain a sister instead. I do have to apologize to buyers for my delay in posting! I've been busy with rebuilding shelves, rabbitry roof, end of season cleaning, and I simply forgot to post information posts! Sorry.  Dewey and Mason produced this gorgeous gal in a June 14 litter of five. A sweet black/orange harlequin holland lop girlie. I expect her to mellow out and be much like her momma. Dewey is a solid gal who likes her own way but isn't pushy about it. Mason was an easygoing, soft-tempered lad.
From Happy and Mason born on July 14, 2025 in a litter of six. Siblings were all tricolour or harlequin as expected. He's a soft tempered boy and should remain so. His dad was a super sweet laid back boy with a lovely attitude, and momma Happy is always just a happy eager girlie. He's a black/orange tricolour.  A tort baby from Limerick and Hunter, born July 13, 2025. The rest of the litter was tort, black, and harlequin. Limerick is a bit of a dowdy doe. Hunter a very busy boy. The entire litter seems a mix between the two across the born (except for the harlequin boy who acts like momma). But busy but in a solid sort of way. He'll make a lovely pet for his new people.  I don't have a current pic of this little girl from Happy and Mason. She'll make a gal a potential breeding animal in the spring. A lovely little tricolour who is so much like her momma she'll bring joy with every day. Born July 14.
So I had a trip planned to London this week and was contacted in the morning by a gal looking for a bunny. Mentioned I was going to London and she was delighted as a person in her life went to school there and could transport bunny. He met me where I was going and this young miss found herself a new home. She's a friendly happy lass. She's a Dewey x Mason holland lop kit born June 14, 2025. Part of a litter of five. The litter was predominately black/orange harlequin in colour (just like this little lady). I've retained her brother and one sister for my herd.
She likes to eat almost anything, but has a particular love for chicory (local weed) and thistles.  This young lady off Ivory and Hunter has located a dwelling of her own. Part of a litter of 5. this young lady was born April 28, 2025.
Her breed is holland lop and she's a tiny, light-weight lass. She started out as a middlin' girlie for attitude, but overtime (especially when bossy brother left) became the boss of the bunch. She's got just enough spunk in her to make her an interesting, fun girlie. A kind heart just like her easy-going pops. Her colour is black/orange harlequin, the rest of the litter was black/orange tricolour, broken black, solid white, and harlequin. |
AuthorI have been breeding rabbits for a quite a few years. I thoroughly enjoy them as animals and think they make great pets. I also like to take some of them to rabbit shows to see how they measure up to the standards. 
For the BEST rabbit forum I've ever found. Go to Rabbittalk.com. Good for the pet rabbit owner as well as the breeder for meat or show.
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