Breeding. The breeding season for rabbits begins in Mid-February and can continue through to late summer. Famous for their reproductive abilities rabbits have a 30 day gestation period and can have several litters a year. Typically a female will have between four and eight babies.
Cottontails mate from February to September and have shallow ground nests lined with grass and fur. They can breed up to three to four times a year with three to eight young in a litter. The young are called kits or kittens and are born naked, blind, and completely helpless.
Rabbit Reproduction
As courtship proceeds, the two sexes may jump over one another, or one rabbit may leap into the air while the other darts beneath it. Breeding occurs from late March into August and September; during that span, a healthy female may produce several litters of young.
Breeding rabbits
The female rabbit (doe) does not come into heat (oestrus) as do other animals. The doe will accept the male (buck) at any time of the year. Does are mature and can breed at 5 to 6 months of age and can continue to have young for 4 years.
Mating. When does become receptive to mating, they will usually show signs of being in heat. They may act restless, rub their chins on feed and water containers or other equipment, and show a desire to join other rabbits.
Do rabbits get pregnant every time they mate? As with most species, female rabbits can get pregnant easily – it only takes the once! To prevent any unwanted pregnancies or accidental litters, it's important to get both rabbits neutered if they're living together, or if you're planning to try and bond them.
In wild rabbits, behaviors such as nudging noses and nibbling each other's fur are seen only rarely, usually as a prelude to mating. This does not mean that this is the only time affectionate behavior occurs.
The male rabbit is known as buck. A buck develops its breeding capabilities at the age of 8 months. An ideal buck should continue to maintain its reproductive ability at least for 2 to 3 years. A young buck may be allowed to mate one doe at an interval of 3 to 4 days.
Larger breeds are slower to reach sexual maturity and smaller breeds sooner. Research has shown the most common cause of breeding problems occur because doe's and buck's are under or over weight for their breeds recommended weight. Underweight rabbits may be physically incapable of breeding successfully.
It's too hot
Also, super hot days can cause temporary sterility (sometimes as long as three months!) in the male. So when it's hotter than 85 degrees, if you have a successful mating, but no pregnancy results, it may be the heat. (Click here for more information on caring for rabbits in the summer.)
The average litter size for rabbits is five, though mothers may give birth to as few as one and as many as 12! Since young rabbits grow up quite quickly, “doe” rabbits may have three or four litters in a season.
Oftentimes, the rabbit will hold off on giving birth until nighttime or early morning. That is the time when the rabbits feel safest from predators. Once the baby rabbits, called kits, are born, the mother may cover them with more of her fur.
Rabbits also have a short gestation period, between 25 and 28 days, which means they can have several litters of babies each year. Eastern cottontail rabbits can have between one and seven litters each year, and they average three or four litters annually, Animal Diversity Web reports.
The rabbit has a cycle of mating receptivity; rabbits are receptive to mating about 14 of every 16 days.
Not only can he impregnate the mother rabbit; he will also impregnate the female offspring as soon as they mature.
Females are less likely to fight but can still become territorial and aggressive with each other.
Most owners house a pair of rabbits, but keeping three or four are also popular options. Be sure that you have enough space to comfortably house all your rabbits, or else you'll have to purchase multiple runs to create enough space.
Always take the female to the male. Leave the breeding pair together for half an hour. You want to give the rabbits time to mate, preferably 2-3 times. Having them mate multiple times can help with the litter size and the success of the breeding.
After about 10-12 days post-breeding, you'll be able to feel multiple marble-sized bumps inside the rabbit's belly. These small bumps are the baby bunnies and will be just big enough to gently feel at this time.
The sperm in these ducts can live for two weeks. Testosterone blood levels drop slowly after neutering and male rabbits will still try to mate with female rabbits for several weeks after the testicles are removed. After three weeks the sperm are completely dead.
Tail flicks can be the hardest to see but they are the equivalent of the human female hair toss – a little happy flirty move that charms. EATING NEAR EACH OTHER: get those greens out for every bonding session! A rabbit who is feeling comfortable around another rabbit will eat.
They ovulate as soon as they begin to mate and then are in heat for around two weeks. This, along with their short gestation period, means you can end up with many rabbits within a few months.
If you are concerned please call us for advice. SEPARATING THE FATHER Most male rabbits are gentle with their offspring. The main reason to separate off the male is that the female can become pregnant again WITHIN HOURS of kindling! He should be housed where he can still see and contact her as separation is stressful.