LETS START AT THE VERY BEGINNING
Healthy animals
The parents need to be in top condition. There is no point making a start with anything less.
Rabbits breed in summertime. If you want them to breed at any other time of year you must give them extra light.
It is important to have ready the right cage for the doe to bring up her babies in. It needs to be at least 180cms x 60 x 60 or 6' x 2 x 2.
Whilst they are in the nest that takes quite a bit off the size of the cage for the doe. Once the babies start running about they soon take up this space.
Mating
It is recommended that you take the doe to the buck. Most does are protective of their space and they will try and see the buck off if you put him in her cage.
I find a doe tells me when she wants mating by wanting to get out of her cage more than usual. If you can sit down and hold the doe on her back on your knee you should be able to look at her vulva which should be swollen and red/purple colour and this confirms she is "on heat"
If you have an safe area where they can be outside in more space it is very good to let them get to know one another here.
If using the cage take the food pot from the bucks cage and anything else with might be in the way as they will probably run round. Sometimes the doe will take the buck with no problems but mostly they need a bit of time. I prefer to introduce them and if mating doesn't take place in 10 mins I take the doe out of the bucks cage. Be careful of the buck because he may not like this idea. The when they have settled again I reintroduce them. I may do this 4 times in the day. By the fourth time the doe will usually take the buck.
They don't seem to mind being watched and its important that you do so you know if mating actually takes place. The buck will mount the doe who has stretched out and lifted her rear end to him, and as he is mating her he will often fall over on his side grunting. He might stay in this position a few minutes. This is I find the usual for Hares. Many smaller breeds are much quicker.
Before the birth
The doe will scratch in a corner of the cage where she is going to make her nest. It is advisable to make a nest area by adding an extra tray over the cage floor at that end with a 4 inch high sturdy length of wood nailed upright, to hold the babies in. You can simply use a row of bricks or a square shape to make a nest area.
This ensures the doe has the babies in the designated are rather than the wrong place (hopefully) and it keeps the babies in the nest rather than they might wander out or be dragged out holding onto Mum's teat.
A week before she is due to kindle give lots of hay. She will eat more and she will start making a nest.
31 days later-New babies have arrived
The first thing is put something over the babies, straw or hay in addition to the fur the doe has pulled to make a warm nest.
The doe might bury them in sawdust and an extra layer will stop it all falling through to them. When she feeds them she will lift the straw and hay back
suprisingly carefully and you wont know she has been in to them. If she piles on the sawdust, especially if it is cold, and then it gets all mixed in with them and they can get lost in it. Perhaps you could put a towel or something over the nest end of the cage so the doe feels the babies are safe there, especially if the buck is out exploring.
Next thing give the Mum extra food. Give lots of hay, and her usual greens. The first week the babies aren't drinking so much but the doe needs to get the milk flowing. I guess you don't know how many there are at the moment as of course that also has a bearing on how much food to give. She will need feeding twice a day, so she doesn’t get too much to eat all at once. For the first week increase her food to double. At the end of the week take her out (if you can wait so long) and see how many babies there are. Rub your fingers in her poo and put a bit of hay in a basin or something and lift the babies out into the basin. You'll never manage to do it just feeling round and even at that age they could jump if not inside something. When you know how many babies there are, it can judged how much to increase food. If there are any dead babies they can be removed to keep the nest sweet too. Washed dandelions will be good for the doe too if available. Milk is largely water and cannot be produced as well from dry foods only. By the second week you might have to give her a pot of water as she might not be able to get as much as she needs from a bottle or at least quench her thirst quick enough especially if there is a good few in the nest.
If you have Readigrass or Graze On or Burgess Forage these are good first foods for the babies. Just put some on the edge of the nest from 2 weeks.
The babies should be out and into the food dish at 3 weeks. It is very difficult to decide how much the babies eat and how much Mum takes. I just think if Mum is eating it all they are getting the goodness in their milk. They will probably leave the nest about this time so it can be taken out then.
This is the time to start stroking them when you give feed. Hopefully they eventually get the idea that being stroked gets you food. Mum may have quadrupled her food intake by 4 weeks. By the time they are 5 to 6 weeks old if there is sufficient space they can be given an extra food pot, so they all get their share. If you have Avipro probiotic it does no harm to sprinkle it on the feed now and then to help their immune systems. At this age start lifting them out of the cage to stroke them.
You can tell if they are fat and healthy or skinny, and adjust feed. Continue to feed twice a day to prevent bloat from over eating at one session by the babies.
If the litter is seven or more you might have to think about taking some babies away from the mother at this time because of overcrowding and the doe beginning to show she’s had enough of them. Start by taking two babies out and putting them in a cage together. A few days later take another two away. Its also easier to evaluate the rabbits when they are separated as you can compare two more easily than eight. I find this way of gradually reducing the size of the litter with the mother is best, especially with regard to beginning to lessen the demands on the doe’s milk. Four babies will stay with her until they are 9 weeks old and 2 will maybe stay up to 12weeks. The doe still feeds the babies all this time from my experience. If you have been able to keep a couple with the doe for 3 months the young will be solid in flesh and
have healthy coats. For three days after the final separation I put the babies back in with their mother late in the evening. I find she immediately feeds them. By the fourth day neither mother nor babies are as bothered and her milk
will dry up quite easily especially if her food is reduced more or less back to her intake before pregnancy.
Babies should be fed twice a day up to 6 months old. I feed all mine Hares twice a day all the time.
FEEDING
Belgian Hares are rabbits.
Wild rabbits are grazers and I try to emulate this grazing in the morning and evenings by feeding my rabbits twice or three times a day.
I feed hay, carrots and dry food for breakfast. At tea time they get the other half of their dry food
and then before I go to bed they get some greens and babies get additional dried grass which is bought in.
I know everyone can't spare this amount of time, but I do find it is general practice with Belgian
Hares that they are fed their dry food twice a day, especially up to the age of 6 months.
Care has to be taken not to over feed them up to that age, as they are like teenagers, and always appear to be starving.
Overfeeding can lead to a condition called Bloat. They stop eating and drinking and nothing passes through them. The condition usually leads to their death.
Greenfood picked from the hedgerow must be thoroughly washed. It is also advisable to wash bought
greens because they have usually been sprayed with pest controller.
Don't forget they always have to have fresh water too.
FAQ
Q. Should there always be hay available to a rabbit?
A. Yes, a good handful of fresh hay daily
Q. How often is it advisable to show rabbits?
A. It depends on the temperament of the rabbit. No more than once a week is advisable. Some rabbits
don't mind shows, others don't like it. A rabbit needs regular handling to
prepare it for a life as a show rabbit. Shows are different too. A warm day at a busy agricultural show will stress and dehydrate many rabbits and it will take time to recover from the experience, but a small local show will be taken in its stride.
Q. Which brand of pellet feed do you recommend out of the many and should I feed a pellet only?
A. Everybody feeds differently. People are satisfied with even the cheaper pellets on the market
used alone. Burgess Excel mixed with oats would be a good feed I think for a larger rabbit.
I do like Supreme Select Science but like Burgess Excel it is
expensive. The large nugget Burgess Excel isn't always liked by small rabbits,
but they also sell a smaller nugget, Dwarf and Junior Excel, which contains a probiotic and a prebiotic. Generally Pet shops offer a rabbit mix. This can be mixed with a pellet to add variety. Because rabbits eat the mix selectively
it can be wasteful if used alone, and it would not then fulfill all the dietary needs.
Q. Should I ensure any dry feed is high in fibre?
A. Yes but with everything else balanced too.
Q. Any other elements I should look for in a feed
i.e. Low protein, high calcium, iron etc?
A. Feeds are similar. High protein is for feeding meat rabbits really.
Q. What fresh feeds stuffs have you had success with?
A. I haven't tried Citrus fruits. Many rabbits eat all other fruits I can think of. A bit of banana
containing potassium is good especially if breeding. Like us any greens, except
lettuce, or fruit can be tried, but not too much of any one thing. Wash
everything too as you don't know what it has been sprayed with. Carrots are a
staple. Too much does make them have soft poo but next day they are ok. Never
cut out veg. because they have sticky bottoms, because it is overfeeding of
pellets which is the probable cause of that. Cut down on the dry food.
Rabbits should eat their soft poo and redigest it. If they don't it is because they
don't need to because they are full.
Q. Does a rabbit require anything different to their diet to obtain optimum show
fitness?
A. No although some people give a sprinkling of Linseeds or Peanuts or Sunflower seeds.
Q. How long should I use does for breeding, and how many litters? I have not seen any guide to a
retirement age only starting age of about 6 - 12 months dependant on individual rabbit.
A. From my experience I would think most would breed for 4 years at 2 - 3 litters a year. Some rabbits
are only happy when they are breeding so some are best bred more than 3 times,
e.g. some lops who go to fat if not kept "working". Like us they are all
different in fertility and mothering qualities.
Q. Should I worm rabbits
A. Yes it is advisable. There is a product especially made for them by Panacur. The rabbits seem to take this paste on greens
so it isn't stressful for rabbit or owner.
However if you have many rabbits you may want to go down a cheaper route and use Panacur 2.5%
for Cats, Dogs, puppies and kittens. Only give half the recommended dose to rabbits. I would worm every six months.
Healthy animals
The parents need to be in top condition. There is no point making a start with anything less.
Rabbits breed in summertime. If you want them to breed at any other time of year you must give them extra light.
It is important to have ready the right cage for the doe to bring up her babies in. It needs to be at least 180cms x 60 x 60 or 6' x 2 x 2.
Whilst they are in the nest that takes quite a bit off the size of the cage for the doe. Once the babies start running about they soon take up this space.
Mating
It is recommended that you take the doe to the buck. Most does are protective of their space and they will try and see the buck off if you put him in her cage.
I find a doe tells me when she wants mating by wanting to get out of her cage more than usual. If you can sit down and hold the doe on her back on your knee you should be able to look at her vulva which should be swollen and red/purple colour and this confirms she is "on heat"
If you have an safe area where they can be outside in more space it is very good to let them get to know one another here.
If using the cage take the food pot from the bucks cage and anything else with might be in the way as they will probably run round. Sometimes the doe will take the buck with no problems but mostly they need a bit of time. I prefer to introduce them and if mating doesn't take place in 10 mins I take the doe out of the bucks cage. Be careful of the buck because he may not like this idea. The when they have settled again I reintroduce them. I may do this 4 times in the day. By the fourth time the doe will usually take the buck.
They don't seem to mind being watched and its important that you do so you know if mating actually takes place. The buck will mount the doe who has stretched out and lifted her rear end to him, and as he is mating her he will often fall over on his side grunting. He might stay in this position a few minutes. This is I find the usual for Hares. Many smaller breeds are much quicker.
Before the birth
The doe will scratch in a corner of the cage where she is going to make her nest. It is advisable to make a nest area by adding an extra tray over the cage floor at that end with a 4 inch high sturdy length of wood nailed upright, to hold the babies in. You can simply use a row of bricks or a square shape to make a nest area.
This ensures the doe has the babies in the designated are rather than the wrong place (hopefully) and it keeps the babies in the nest rather than they might wander out or be dragged out holding onto Mum's teat.
A week before she is due to kindle give lots of hay. She will eat more and she will start making a nest.
31 days later-New babies have arrived
The first thing is put something over the babies, straw or hay in addition to the fur the doe has pulled to make a warm nest.
The doe might bury them in sawdust and an extra layer will stop it all falling through to them. When she feeds them she will lift the straw and hay back
suprisingly carefully and you wont know she has been in to them. If she piles on the sawdust, especially if it is cold, and then it gets all mixed in with them and they can get lost in it. Perhaps you could put a towel or something over the nest end of the cage so the doe feels the babies are safe there, especially if the buck is out exploring.
Next thing give the Mum extra food. Give lots of hay, and her usual greens. The first week the babies aren't drinking so much but the doe needs to get the milk flowing. I guess you don't know how many there are at the moment as of course that also has a bearing on how much food to give. She will need feeding twice a day, so she doesn’t get too much to eat all at once. For the first week increase her food to double. At the end of the week take her out (if you can wait so long) and see how many babies there are. Rub your fingers in her poo and put a bit of hay in a basin or something and lift the babies out into the basin. You'll never manage to do it just feeling round and even at that age they could jump if not inside something. When you know how many babies there are, it can judged how much to increase food. If there are any dead babies they can be removed to keep the nest sweet too. Washed dandelions will be good for the doe too if available. Milk is largely water and cannot be produced as well from dry foods only. By the second week you might have to give her a pot of water as she might not be able to get as much as she needs from a bottle or at least quench her thirst quick enough especially if there is a good few in the nest.
If you have Readigrass or Graze On or Burgess Forage these are good first foods for the babies. Just put some on the edge of the nest from 2 weeks.
The babies should be out and into the food dish at 3 weeks. It is very difficult to decide how much the babies eat and how much Mum takes. I just think if Mum is eating it all they are getting the goodness in their milk. They will probably leave the nest about this time so it can be taken out then.
This is the time to start stroking them when you give feed. Hopefully they eventually get the idea that being stroked gets you food. Mum may have quadrupled her food intake by 4 weeks. By the time they are 5 to 6 weeks old if there is sufficient space they can be given an extra food pot, so they all get their share. If you have Avipro probiotic it does no harm to sprinkle it on the feed now and then to help their immune systems. At this age start lifting them out of the cage to stroke them.
You can tell if they are fat and healthy or skinny, and adjust feed. Continue to feed twice a day to prevent bloat from over eating at one session by the babies.
If the litter is seven or more you might have to think about taking some babies away from the mother at this time because of overcrowding and the doe beginning to show she’s had enough of them. Start by taking two babies out and putting them in a cage together. A few days later take another two away. Its also easier to evaluate the rabbits when they are separated as you can compare two more easily than eight. I find this way of gradually reducing the size of the litter with the mother is best, especially with regard to beginning to lessen the demands on the doe’s milk. Four babies will stay with her until they are 9 weeks old and 2 will maybe stay up to 12weeks. The doe still feeds the babies all this time from my experience. If you have been able to keep a couple with the doe for 3 months the young will be solid in flesh and
have healthy coats. For three days after the final separation I put the babies back in with their mother late in the evening. I find she immediately feeds them. By the fourth day neither mother nor babies are as bothered and her milk
will dry up quite easily especially if her food is reduced more or less back to her intake before pregnancy.
Babies should be fed twice a day up to 6 months old. I feed all mine Hares twice a day all the time.
FEEDING
Belgian Hares are rabbits.
Wild rabbits are grazers and I try to emulate this grazing in the morning and evenings by feeding my rabbits twice or three times a day.
I feed hay, carrots and dry food for breakfast. At tea time they get the other half of their dry food
and then before I go to bed they get some greens and babies get additional dried grass which is bought in.
I know everyone can't spare this amount of time, but I do find it is general practice with Belgian
Hares that they are fed their dry food twice a day, especially up to the age of 6 months.
Care has to be taken not to over feed them up to that age, as they are like teenagers, and always appear to be starving.
Overfeeding can lead to a condition called Bloat. They stop eating and drinking and nothing passes through them. The condition usually leads to their death.
Greenfood picked from the hedgerow must be thoroughly washed. It is also advisable to wash bought
greens because they have usually been sprayed with pest controller.
Don't forget they always have to have fresh water too.
FAQ
Q. Should there always be hay available to a rabbit?
A. Yes, a good handful of fresh hay daily
Q. How often is it advisable to show rabbits?
A. It depends on the temperament of the rabbit. No more than once a week is advisable. Some rabbits
don't mind shows, others don't like it. A rabbit needs regular handling to
prepare it for a life as a show rabbit. Shows are different too. A warm day at a busy agricultural show will stress and dehydrate many rabbits and it will take time to recover from the experience, but a small local show will be taken in its stride.
Q. Which brand of pellet feed do you recommend out of the many and should I feed a pellet only?
A. Everybody feeds differently. People are satisfied with even the cheaper pellets on the market
used alone. Burgess Excel mixed with oats would be a good feed I think for a larger rabbit.
I do like Supreme Select Science but like Burgess Excel it is
expensive. The large nugget Burgess Excel isn't always liked by small rabbits,
but they also sell a smaller nugget, Dwarf and Junior Excel, which contains a probiotic and a prebiotic. Generally Pet shops offer a rabbit mix. This can be mixed with a pellet to add variety. Because rabbits eat the mix selectively
it can be wasteful if used alone, and it would not then fulfill all the dietary needs.
Q. Should I ensure any dry feed is high in fibre?
A. Yes but with everything else balanced too.
Q. Any other elements I should look for in a feed
i.e. Low protein, high calcium, iron etc?
A. Feeds are similar. High protein is for feeding meat rabbits really.
Q. What fresh feeds stuffs have you had success with?
A. I haven't tried Citrus fruits. Many rabbits eat all other fruits I can think of. A bit of banana
containing potassium is good especially if breeding. Like us any greens, except
lettuce, or fruit can be tried, but not too much of any one thing. Wash
everything too as you don't know what it has been sprayed with. Carrots are a
staple. Too much does make them have soft poo but next day they are ok. Never
cut out veg. because they have sticky bottoms, because it is overfeeding of
pellets which is the probable cause of that. Cut down on the dry food.
Rabbits should eat their soft poo and redigest it. If they don't it is because they
don't need to because they are full.
Q. Does a rabbit require anything different to their diet to obtain optimum show
fitness?
A. No although some people give a sprinkling of Linseeds or Peanuts or Sunflower seeds.
Q. How long should I use does for breeding, and how many litters? I have not seen any guide to a
retirement age only starting age of about 6 - 12 months dependant on individual rabbit.
A. From my experience I would think most would breed for 4 years at 2 - 3 litters a year. Some rabbits
are only happy when they are breeding so some are best bred more than 3 times,
e.g. some lops who go to fat if not kept "working". Like us they are all
different in fertility and mothering qualities.
Q. Should I worm rabbits
A. Yes it is advisable. There is a product especially made for them by Panacur. The rabbits seem to take this paste on greens
so it isn't stressful for rabbit or owner.
However if you have many rabbits you may want to go down a cheaper route and use Panacur 2.5%
for Cats, Dogs, puppies and kittens. Only give half the recommended dose to rabbits. I would worm every six months.