Courtship and Reproduction

Courtship in bunnies is quite brief. The female generally secretes an airborne hormone scent, referred to as a pheromone. Once the male detects this scent, courtship behavior may begin.

The male and female sniff each other, possibly to make sure of each other's sex and mating receptivity. One bunny then dashes off with the other in hot pursuit. Once they stop playing hard to get, the bunnies stomp their feet and may do a little "dance" by kicking their feet in the air as they run.

Just before breeding, the rabbits begin circling each other and some nipping may occur. This is the point when serious fights can occur if the female isn't too interested in the male. Be prepared to throw a towel over the bunnies to separate them if things look a little too rough.

If all goes well, after the circling and nipping, the male will mount the female. Breeding is completed very quickly. Afterward, the bunnies will likely begin mutual licking and grooming.

One female rabbit can potentially deliver up to 60 young per year. Because of this, early explorers carried rabbits as a food source, and rabbits were even released on remote islands. Unfortunately, the absence of predators allowed rabbit populations to rapidly reach pest numbers on some islands like New Zealand.

Breeding rabbits

Both male and female rabbits can be quite territorial, and mating is best accomplished if the doe is placed in the buck’s enclosure or if the pair are introduced into neutral territory, Where neither rabbit has been before.

Upon introduction, the buck follows the doe around, softly humming while sniffing and licking her for approximately 30 seconds. He may also spray the female with urine. The receptive female will hop around in circles or flatten to the floor. A non-receptive doe will run away from the buck, and if cornered she may vocalize or even bite.

Active mating begins when the buck grasps the female by the nape with his teeth, then mounts the female rabbit, thrusting vigorously until ejaculation occurs relatively quickly. Afterward, the male emits a sharp cry or squeak, before falling onto his back or side while the doe either runs away or begins to bite and kick the male. Ovulation occurs 10 to 13 hours after mating.

Although a single mating is often sufficient to stimulate ovulation, breeders often allow mating to occur several times over a 30-minute period before returning the doe to her enclosure. Reproductive life varies with the breed, however, bucks are typically bred for 5 to 6 years and Does for approximately 3 years.

Gestation

Gestation can range from 28 to 35 days, however the risk of stillbirth increases by Day 32. Litter size ranges from four to 12 kits. Small breed rabbits tend to produce smaller litters that are born after a relatively long gestation period. Larger litters are generally born after a shorter gestation period. The fetus is palpable by days 12 to 14. This means that you may be able to feel some small-sized lumps in the lower abdomen however this would not be attempted if you don't know how to do it cause it can kill or damage the babies inside, Best left to a veterinarian.

Despite their high fertility rates, rabbits tend to suffer from high mortality in baby kits. There are many potential reasons for this problem including infection, heredity, trauma, drug use, poor nutrition, as well as social or environmental stress. The fetus is also at increased risk on Day 13, when placentation changes, and on Day 21 when there is a temporary reduction in blood flow as the fetus changes in shape and size.

Parturition (pre-Birth) and Birth

The doe begins to nest several days to a few hours before parturition. Hair epilates more easily as estrogen levels rise and progesterone levels fall, and the doe plucks hair from her abdomen, sides, and dewlap. She then uses the fur to line her nest of hay and straw.

The doe interweaves plucked hairs with hay and straw to create her nest. Kindling usually occurs during the early morning hours and normally takes about 30 minutes. The doe begins a fertile postpartum estrus within 24 hours of kindling, however, her receptiveness decreases once lactation begins and this lack of interest in breeding continues until after weaning.

Newborn rabbit

Rabbits deliver young that normally weigh 40 to 50 grams at birth. The kit is born hairless, with sealed eyelids and ear canals. Stimulation of the Anus is required for the elimination of feces and urine.

Developmental stages of the rabbit

• 7 days Fur begins to grow

• 10 days the Eyes open

• 12 days the Ears open

Despite their relatively helpless state, the mother will only feed once or twice a day if they feel safe to do so, this usually happens at night or early morning. kits also depend heavily on the warmth and insulation provided by littermates and the nest that the mother creates with her fur. Kits rely heavily on their sense of smell at birth. The mother is recognized by the smell of her feces, and suckling is stimulated by a pheromone secreted by a gland near the nipple.

Does also scent mark their kits, and females will pursue and even kill kits from other colonies. Successful cross-fostering of neonatal domestic rabbits requires camouflaging the new kit’s scent by rubbing the newcomer in nest bedding and/or placing the kit on the bottom of the litter pile.

Rabbit milk

Rabbits usually possess eight mammary glands, Only the doe has nipples. She may possess as many as 10 nipples. Rabbit milk is very rich, so rich in fact that the doe needs only to nurse her young once or twice a day. Rabbit milk is very high in fat (9%) with unusually low lactose levels (1%) and very high protein (13%). Lactation is a very demanding time for the doe and therefore Water consumption increases ten-fold during lactation as does cecotropes(rabbits' soft balls of poo usually stuck together in clumps) consumption.

Comparison of rabbit milk and cow milk

Rabbit Cow

Lactose (%) 1 5.0

Protein (%) 13 3.3

Fat (%) 9 3.0-4.0

The doe spends approximately 3 to 5 minutes at a time nursing her young. The free-ranging doe then carefully covers the nest burrow with soil each time she leaves. This helps disguise the nest from predators.

Weaning

Kits begin to leave the nest and eat solid food at approximately18-21 days(3-4 Weeks). Weaning is generally achieved by Day 42(6 weeks). The doe is usually removed during the weaning process so the young can remain in a familiar enclosure. Weaning is a critical time in the rabbit’s life when the young are vulnerable to illness. Kits begin to eat cecotropes passed by the doe at approximately 2 weeks of age.

Puberty

Until sexually mature, wild rabbits live furtively and often alone. By 3 to 4 months of age, the youngsters may form pair bonds and take their place in a colony’s social hierarchy. Body weight is more important than age in determining sexual maturity. The juvenile rabbit reaches puberty just after it undergoes a maximal rate of growth; therefore the age of onset for sexual maturity varies with the rabbit breed. Small breed rabbits typically develop faster and become sexually mature at an earlier age. Does generally reach puberty before bucks.

The typical age of onset of puberty in various rabbit breeds

Small breeds 3.5-5 months

Medium-sized breeds 4-6 months

Large breeds 5-8 months

Male rabbits should be housed separated from females by at least 16 weeks of age to avoid unplanned pregnancies.

Sexual behavior

Negative sexual behaviors, such as territoriality and aggression, are most intense at the height of adolescence. Observed behaviors can include chinning, circling, honking or oinking, and mounting and humping. During puberty, both males and females that were previously litter trained may also urinate and defecate outside of the box to mark their territory. Nesting behavior, such as frantic digging and chewing, is also commonly observed in does.

Fortunately, neutering improves the pet quality of house rabbits, and responsible rabbit owners elect to have their pets spayed or neutered. Viable sperm can persist post-castration, so it is prudent to keep the buck separate from the doe for 4 to 6 weeks to be safe.