Rabbit

Reprodution & Gestation


Stage-wise description of reproductive stages in rabbit

Breeding males required 1 male for 10 females
Age at which first bred Small breeds - 4 months age (Polish, Dutch)
Medium breed - 5 to 6 months (Newzealand White, Chinchilla)
Characteristics of reproduction Polyoestrous. A female rabbit appears to have no definite oestrus cycle although a certain rhythm exists in their sexual receptivity. Cycle lasts for about 12 days of which 4 are infertile.
Signs of heat Congested, purple and moist vulva, restlessness, rubbing the chin on the sides of the cage, lying in mating posture and lifting the tail
Mating behaviour The doe is always taken to the buck’s cage for mating, and if the doe is in full sexual receptivity it will lift the tail and within a minute the buck will be mating the doe. Mating is successful when the buck falls to one side or backwards after mating.
Ovulation Ovulation occurs 10 - 13 hours after copulation – reflex ovulation
Pseudo pregnancy Pseudopregnancy in rabbit may result from sterile copulation and lasts for 16 to 17 days. At the end of this period she may pull hair from her body and attempt to make nest and shows development of uterus and mammary gland.
Gestation period 28 -34 days (average 31 days)
Pregnancy diagnosis The methods adopted to determine the state of pregnancy are test mating, weight gain method and the ‘palpation technique’. The palpation technique is the most reliable method if done by an experienced person.
Palpation technique A completely relaxed doe should be placed on a table which has been covered in sacking to prevent her from slipping. The doe should be restrained by gently holding the fold of skin behind ears and over the shoulders. The left hand is placed under the body between the hind legs and in front of the pelvis. The uterine horns are felt gently using fingers and thumb. The thumb is placed to right of horns. Embryos can be located and felt like small marble shaped bodies slipping backwards between thumb and fingers when moved gently in a sideways direction. An experienced person can deter-mine pregnancy by 8th to 10th day of mating using this technique. During last week of pregnancy a nest box lined with wood shaving or hay or coir fibre should be placed inside the cage.
Litter size 6-8 kits
Weaning 4-6 weeks
Kindling interval 2 months (it may be as short as one month if bred immediately following kindling)
(Source: Kerala Agricultural University)