What are the precautions for breeding rabbits when mating?

1. When mating, do not carry the buck into the doe's cage; preventing a change of environment keeps the buck from being distracted and delays the mating time.

2. Before mating, remove the feed bowl and water bowl from the buck's cage, then place the doe into the cage to mate.

3. Know the initial mating age and weight of bucks and does. Usually does can begin mating only at 7-8 months of age and bucks at 9-10 months of age. Because different breeds grow at different rates, the initial mating weight varies, so age in months is emphasized; do not mate before reaching the required age.

4. Ratio of bucks to does and number of matings. The ratio of bucks to does is generally 1:8-10. A prime-age buck can mate 2-3 times a day, mating for 3 consecutive days then resting 1 day; a young buck mates 1-2 times a day, mating for 2 consecutive days then resting 1 day. The suitable service life of bucks and does is 3 years. If their constitution is robust, the breeding years can be appropriately extended, but those that are too old and frail, have poor fertility, or produce unsatisfactory offspring should be culled promptly.

5. Concentrate the mating: mate all does suitable for breeding within 6 days. This allows concentrated kindling, which makes feeding and management easier.

6. Keep the environment quiet; do not let many people gather around to watch.

7. If a doe in estrus is placed in the buck's cage and the buck bites and fights because it smells the odor of another buck on the doe, immediately remove the doe and mate again after she has rested 2-3 hours. If the doe dodges because the buck is chasing her, refuses to mate, or even bites and fights, immediately remove the doe and replace her with another buck for mating.

8. If some does in estrus do not lift their tails and hind legs and therefore cannot mate normally, manual assistance may be used for mating. Use a piece of string to loop around the doe's tail, pass it over the waist, and with the right hand secure the string at the doe's shoulder; with the left hand reach under the doe's belly and lift the rump to let the buck mate. If mating still fails, return the doe to the cage and wait for a suitable opportunity to mate. Pang Qiujuan