Rabbits have something of a reputation when it comes to breeding and taking on a pair may leave owners worrying that they will end up with more than they can handle. Of course, you have your pets neutered but if you want to breed rabbits, you’ll likely be wondering what to expect.
Rabbits do live up to their reputation and can have up to six litter in any given 12 month period. This would, however, rely on very structured breeding with the female rabbit becoming pregnant four weeks after her last litter was born.
The idea of becoming a parent to several litters of rabbits can be intimidating but provided that you have structure and routine, there is no reason why this cannot be a stress-free venture. Let’s take a look at this in a little more detail.
How Many Litters Can My Rabbit Have Each Year?
The length of time that a rabbit is pregnant will vary from breed to breed. However, the average gestation time for a rabbit is anywhere between 20 and 40 days. The swamp rabbit has one of the longest pregnancies at 40 days whereas breeds like the eastern cottontail and the brush rabbit tend to go around 27-28 days.
This short gestational period leads us to believe that rabbits would be able to have several litters in one year, and this would be a correct assumption.
If you are breeding rabbits, it is entirely possible for your pet to have as many as six litters in one year. But in order to do this, you would need a strict breeding schedule. Naturally, your rabbit might only have half this amount, with most animals having between three and four litters each year, in the wild.
Unfortunately, there are some irresponsible breeders out there who will push for the maximum number of litters each year. Physically speaking, it would be possible to breed a female right after she has given birth but this can be very stressful on the animal and not conducive to a long and healthy life.
Furthermore, the current litter will likely suffer. This is because, while it is entirely possible for the female to become pregnant again, this may affect her ability to feed her current young. This will result in unhealthy and potentially malnutritioned babies.
The best approach is to allow the rabbit to recover for a period of four weeks after she has given birth. This will give her body time to heal and will give her the time she needs to spend with her kittens.
The issue with rabbits is that, unlike many other animals, females do not come into heat at a specific time. Instead, rabbits can mate all year round; which is likely where the saying ‘breeding like rabbits’ comes from!
However, if you want to safely breed your pets, you should keep this at the front of your mind. Males and females should not be kept together. Instead, you should only place them in the same enclosure when you want them to mate.
In this case, you will also need to make sure that you place the female into the male’s enclosure and not the other way around.
Most breeders will keep one male for every fifteen females, however, on a more domestic scale, this number can be reduced. It is also important to keep in mind that rabbits do not reach sexual maturity until around the age of six months. In some rabbits, this may happen earlier, but typically never before four months.
Females should stop being mated when they reach the age of four.
How Quickly Do Rabbits Multiply?
If left unsupervised, rabbits will multiply very quickly. You could put one male in with two females, and within the space of a year have more rabbits than you can shake a stick at! But this isn’t something we would recommend.
As we have discovered, female rabbits will do much better when they are given the time to tend to their current litter in between breeding. Their health will also benefit as there is less stress on their bodies.
If you are concerned about wild rabbits in your garden or around your property, the good news is that you won’t need to worry too much.
Yes, the rabbits will breed quickly, but wild rabbits tend to have a very short life span of around two years. This means that while they will reproduce, there is a good birth to death ratio and it is unlikely that your property will become overrun with bunnies.
Do Rabbits Have Their Babies All At Once?
Normally rabbits will wait until they have some privacy to give birth, or kindle as it is known in rabbit terms. So, it is unlikely that you will witness the birth. Most owners will return to check on their rabbits to find a next full of tiny bunnies.
Most of the time, the mother will deliver all of her litter in one session. However, it is not unheard of for a female to kindle and then deliver another baby a couple of days later. This is because female rabbits are able to pause their labor if they feel threatened. This is a tactic for protecting her young in the wild.
This is another reason that it is important not to attempt to mate a female as soon as she has given birth.
Is It Common For Rabbits First Litter To Die?
While rabbits may be very effective breeding machines, motherhood doesn’t always come naturally to females.
For bunnies who are becoming moms for the first time, their maternal instinct may not have fully kicked in. This can mean that the kittens are not given as much care as they require.
If you notice that your rabbit has not taken as well as expected to her first litter, it is important for you to intervene and provide care for the young.
This will involve you providing sufficient warmth and food for the kits which could be a significant amount of work. You should also keep in mind that unfortunately, not all of the babies will survive even when the mother takes good care of them.
However, it is important not to mistake your bun’s natural instinct to protect her young with neglect. In the wild, female rabbits will avoid spending time in the nest as often as possible as this will deter predators.
She will typically only feed her young twice a day and for just ten minutes at a time. This is very normal and should not be misconstrued for a lack of interest in her litter.
How Many Bunnies Survive In A Litter?
In a single litter, there could be any number of rabbits up to around fourteen. Typically, a litter is around half this size with six or seven babies. In some cases, it is possible for a rabbit to have just one kitten.
But regardless of the size of the litter, it is inevitable that not all of the babies will survive. Although, there are times when an entire litter will thrive.
Normally, some babies are born weaker than others and this might affect their ability to survive.
